November/December 2018 by Golden Isles Magazine

The Spirit of

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CONTENTS NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

Rocking Around a Christmas Tree Farm

Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm in Darien is a picturesque place, dotted with acres of trees of all shapes and sizes. Take a peek at South Georgia’s little North Pole and meet the Websters, who keep the joy growing year after year.

Bake Off: Christmas Cookie Edition Three ladies whip up delicious recipes so you can step up your Christmas Eve offerings to Santa.

GOLDEN I S LES

Got Goat’s Milk? Two entrepreneurs in Camden County are embracing the barnyard to create beautiful handmade soaps and more.

Small Teams, Big Impacts Four organizations find large ways to give back to the community and tackle issues such as poverty and abuse.

105

Ho, Ho, Ho: Santa Comes to Town When St. Nick heads south, he finds several places around the Isles to meet kids and spread joy to all.

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261 Redfern Village St. Simons Island, GA 31522 912.634.8466 Publisher Editor Marketing Director Production Director Assistant Editors

Buff Leavy Bethany Leggett Becky Derrick Terry Wilson Lindsey Adkison Lauren McDonald

Contributing Writers

Jess Austin Kim Daniels Bud Hearn Kelly Quimby Ronda Rich Lydia Thompson Gina Towson

Contributing Photographers

Jess Austin Kim Daniels Tamara Gibson Bobby Haven Gina Towson

Contributing Designers

Robin Harrison Russ Hutto Hannah Moore Stacey Nichols Donte Nunnally Terry Wilson

Golden Isles Magazine is published six times per year by Brunswick News Publishing Company To subscribe online to Golden Isles Magazine, go to goldenislesmagazine.com/subscribe About the Cover Brooke and Jim Walker — along with their adorable children, Kate, Lily George, and James — spent an afternoon at Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm for our cover feature (page 57). Farm owners Harold and Jackie Webster were wonderful hosts, teaching us about the trees they have grown on their farm since 1978. We sincerely thank the Websters and the Walkers for being part of our joyful shoot. Photographer Tamara Gibson made the day equally special. Merry Christmas to all!

GOLDEN I S LES

It’s the best time of the year! A time when Jekyll Island will have “ice” skating, visits with Santa, and lots of cheer. Skating Village • Movie on the Green • Pier Road Pajama Party • Holly Jolly Parade Tree Lighting Festival • Holidays in History • Christmas Twilight Tours Santa at Skeet House • Victorian Christmas Crafts • Mailbox on Main David Masterson Christmas Concert • Jekyll Island Arts Association Choir Concert

November - December • jekyllisland.com/holidays

261 Redfern Village St. Simons Island, GA 31522 912.634.8466 Submissions Golden Isles Magazine is in need of talented contributors. Unsolicited queries and submissions of art and stories are welcome. Please include an email address and telephone number. Submit by email to the editor, Bethany Leggett: bleggett@goldenislesmagazine.com or by mail to the St. Simons Island address above. Only work accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope will be returned.

Advertising Information regarding advertising and rates is available by contacting Becky Derrick by phone at 912.634.8408 or by email at bderrick@goldenislesmagazine.com

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All content is copyright of Golden Isles Magazine, a publication of Brunswick News Publishing Company. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without express written permission from the publisher. We have sought to ensure accuracy and completeness of the content herein, but neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher assumes responsibility for any errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or other inconsistencies, including those related to quotations. We reserve the right to refuse advertising. All advertisements appearing herein are accepted and published on the representation that the advertiser is properly authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. All ads are paid advertisements and/or gifts given as part of a contractual agreement regarding Brunswick News Publishing Company. Neither Golden Isles Magazine nor the publisher is responsible for any statements, claims, or representations made by contributing writers, columnists, or photographers. Golden Isles Magazine and the publisher are also not responsible for anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliance on the content included in the publication. All projects described in this publication are for private, noncommercial use only. No right for commercial use or exploitation is given or implied.

CHARLIE GIRL

MARI MAX LOVES HAPPY PETS If it weren’t for the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia, Mary and her beautiful Charlie Girl would never have found each other. HSSCG serves our community by connecting coastal residents with pets that are just the right fit, rescuing dogs from neighboring kill shelters, getting them healthy again, and finding them homes. Most recently, HS staff traveled to SC, rescuing abandoned pets from Hurricane Florence and caring for them. Mari Max is proud to sponsor HSSCG’s 2018 fall benefit, the Blue Jean Ball. Join Mari Max today—give towards medical expenses, volunteer as a dog-walker, and buy your tickets today to the Blue Jean Ball. Learn more at hsscg.org/events/blue-jean-ball.

{

Editor’s Note

} A Season of Joy ‘T

was the Night before Christmas (photo shoot) and all through the house, not a creature was stirring … except for this magazine editor pulling together some last minute items, of course.

As with the luck of almost every photo shoot I have orchestrated, massive dark clouds covered the sky as I drove up U.S. 17 on the following day with my sleigh of goodies. Raindrops the size of sugar plums descended in dramatic fashion, but I refused to believe that the magical shoot planned at Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm in Darien would be spoiled. I am no Scrooge. Even when I arrived early to scope out my favorite acre of trees, the clouds were still looming. But God’s mercy smiled upon us, and the sun came out as photographer Tamara Gibson drove up the winding drive that is dotted with Carolina Sapphires, Murray Cypress, and Red Cedars.

Editor Bethany Leggett stands next to the Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm gift shop, where Christmas trees are measured by height on the side of the building. Photo by Tamara Gibson.

The Walker Family — Jim and Brooke with their three kids, Kate, Lily George, and James — arrived on the farm to model for our shoot less than 10 minutes later. We had a splendid time running up and down the rows of trees. And Harold and Jackie Webster, who have operated the Christmas tree farm since 1978, were the epitome of holiday cheer as we went this way and that on their farm. I can’t wait to see them again after Thanksgiving, when I will be able to purchase my own Webster tree to take home.

The joy abounds! Right before going to press, Golden Isles Magazine won two FOLIO: Awards in New York City. The magazine won an Eddie for Magazine Section in the City & Regional category for the September/October 2017 “The Music Edition.” And I won an Eddie for Range of Work By a Single Author in the City & Regional Category,

Whether it’s decorating the halls, streaming my favorite holiday tunes, or baking all the cookie recipes I can find, I simply adore this time of year. It’s a season of joy, and I am filled with the Spirit of Christmas — which is handy because that is the theme for this edition. These pages are filled with nods to Christmases past and present. From our Just the Facts column about “A Christmas Carol” — in which I discovered that I just turned the same age as Dickens was when he wrote the Christmas classic — to our feature about spotting Santa around the Isles, we hope it will begin to look a lot like Christmas for you soon.

a new award introduced at FOLIO: this year.

GOLDEN I S LES

Happy Holidays, Bethany Leggett

RONDA| RICH The Trilogy

{ } Word On The Street

FEATURE ASK A LOCAL: MICHAEL GOWEN

Your reactions “Love this trilogy. I read ‘The Beloved Invader’ as a teenager.”

sent to us by

— Cindy Kovach, Facebook

“I think it’s time for me to re-read these wonderful books. ” — Lynnah Parker Welch, Facebook

“Eugenia Price's books will make you feel like you are in another era as you ride down Frederica Road.”

— @benjamingalland, Instagram

& tweets

— Kaye James Walker, Facebook

“I read that trilogy when I first moved to St. Simons Island in 1980. I love the history of the island, and she did such a good job telling it.”

“The man!”

emails, posts,

“At the moment, he is knee deep, looking for reds in the marsh. ”

TIME TO GET SOCIAL facebook.com/goldenislesmag

— @stacygowen1, Instagram

“Awesome shot!”

instagram.com/goldenislesmag

— @nancyjune4004, Instagram

twitter.com/goldenislesmag

— @jareddivincent, Instagram

If you prefer to send us your comments by email, contact Editor Bethany Leggett at bleggett@goldenislesmagazine.com. Anything posted to our social media accounts or emailed directly to the editor will be considered for publication. Comments may be edited for clarity or grammar.

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“I have many of her books. One of her books was always a part of my visits to St. Simons!” — Janice Rogers Hopkins, Facebook

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FOR VICTORY: World War II Veteran’s Mission Continues Today WORDS BY KELLY

If anyone knows the value of telling a good story, it’s Paul Grassey. A 95-year-old combat veteran, Grassey has spent much of his adult life writing, speaking, and even singing about the experiences of service members like himself, who made up the American Eighth Air Force in World War II. Most recently, the Savannah resident passed on some of his stories to an audience at The Cloister on Sea Island.

Paul Grassey on the wing of a BT-13 during flying school. Photo courtesy of Paul Grassey in his book, “It’s Character That Counts.” NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

“Combat is 95 percent luck. I’d already used my 95 percent,” Grassey says. “We got back to our airbase and landed. I turned around and waited for my friend Ed to show up. He never showed. He was lost.” The Mighty Eighth was activated in Savannah in 1942 and dispatched to England to aid in the fight against the Germans in Europe. There were plenty of tales to tell from that period in Grassey’s life; and in 2013, he penned a book about the men of the Mighty Eighth, using their experiences to teach a lesson on character. But of all the stories borne out of his book, “It’s the Character that Counts,” Grassey says one stands out above all others. It’s set in April 1945, as B-24 flight crews in Bungay, England, were preparing for a bombing mission in Germany. As they prepared to take flight, Grassey and his pal, Ed Beebe, agreed to hit the pub back in Bungay when the mission was complete. It was pouring rain, Grassey says, and nearly impossible to see. But the pilots and their flight crews set out to find a “hole in the sky,” get their bearings, and complete their mission. “The weather was so bad — lightning, thunder — and it took two hours to get to the hole in the sky,” Grassey says. “The water was coming through the windshield of the B-24, and the navigation wasn’t working that day. They pulled the mission off because of the weather — we couldn’t see to drop the bombs anyhow — and I was flying low. We drifted off, and I was over the Bay of Antwerp in Belgium. And usually they had barrage balloons with cables on them, but I didn’t hit any. And I had to decide how we’re going to get out of there, through the water, to the English Channel. “Combat is 95 percent luck. I’d already used my 95 percent,” Grassey says. “We got back to our airbase and landed. I turned around and waited for my friend Ed to show up. He never showed. He was lost.” It wasn’t until after the Germans surrendered on V-Day, May 8, 1945, that Grassey learned what had become of his friend. It was a little more than a month later, and Grassey was in B-29 training when he received a handwritten letter from an Army hospital. Beebe had been liberated from a German prison camp after the victory in Europe and relocated to an American hospital. He wrote to fill Grassey in on what had happened since they last saw each other. “He went into the story about how he had drifted also, the navigational system was out, and the fire started,” Grassey says.

Members of the American Eighth Air Force with Ed Beebe on the lower left. Photo courtesy of Paul Grassey in his book, “It’s Character That Counts.”

GOLDEN I S LES

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Nancy and Paul Grassey. Photo by Kelly Quimby

“They didn’t know exactly where they were, but they were over Holland, and Holland was occupied by the Germans.” Beebe’s plane had been hit by enemy fire and flames had begun to spread from the bomb bay. After failing to extinguish the blaze, Beebe told the crew to bail and he returned to the cockpit to try to land the damaged bomber. He had a broken leg, a flack wound in the other leg, and a gunshot wound to the arm. His communications were down and his plane was crashing. And Beebe was alone. “You never know how you’re going to react in a tight situation, when it’s life or death, until you’re there,” Grassey says. “You may mess up, or you may be a hero.” Despite the plane’s condition, Beebe was able to survive the crash landing in Holland. He was immediately captured by the Germans and was taken with two other surviving crew members to a prisoner of war camp. When the war ended, they were all rescued and returned to the United States. After he read the letter from Beebe, Grassey decided his friend deserved the Medal of Honor, the highest honor awarded to members of the United States military. Initially, he says, he thought Beebe’s commander or fellow crew members would nominate him for the medal; but Beebe was still in the hospital when they returned to the States. Fifty years passed before Grassey stumbled across an address at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in Pooler, where he has worked as a volunteer and board member since the facility opened in 1996. Grassey wrote Beebe a letter and was surprised to receive a phone call from his friend a couple of weeks letter. “He was in Connecticut, in his hometown, and he was a bartender,” Grassey says. “And I said, ‘Hey Ed, come on, you can stay at my house, look at the museum.’ And he said, ‘I don’t go anywhere.’” Not long after, Grassey got a call from Beebe’s son, Tim, who had stumbled across the letter he had sent. Tim told Grassey his father had died, and he wanted to know more about him. That, Grassey says, is what motivated him to

GOLDEN I S LES

nominate Ed Beebe for a Medal of Honor. In recent months, Grassey has partnered with Savannah attorney John Holmquist and his colleagues at the Mighty Eighth Museum to prepare a nomination for Beebe. With assistance from Maj. Gen. Jeff Phillips, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, and U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, Grassey says he’s hopeful the medal will be approved within the next couple of months. “He was an American hero,” Grassey says. “I have a feeling that his wounds caused him to change. But I told (Tim Beebe) his Dad should’ve gotten the Medal of Honor.” While the work to get Ed Beebe’s posthumous Medal of Honor continues, Grassey continues to be a regular fixture at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force and at meetings of the Mighty Eighth Historical Society. He says he started to volunteer at the request of a local business owner, but he kept showing up because he feels it’s important to tell the stories of the people who sacrificed their lives for their country.

Show room Open ing S oon!

“When I started at the museum 22 years ago, we had 90 volunteers and 60 of us were combat veterans in the Air Force,” Grassey says. “Today, we have 90 volunteers and I’m the only one left from the original group. So, I’ve got a lot to do. The only thing I really want to do is make sure the museum goes and grows and make sure that, for my friends who worked here over the years, it wasn’t in vain.” The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 175 Bourne Ave., Pooler, is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit mightyeighth.org or call 912-7488888. More information about the Eighth Air Force Historical Society can be found online at 8thafhs.org.

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Q&A: Angie Rea Jensen WORDS BY LA REN

D O N A L D | P H O T O B Y B O B B Y H AV E N

ngie Rea Jensen’s studios have progressed from the top of her washing machine to the two large spaces she works in today.

She recently opened AR Jensen Gallery at 1422 Newcastle Street in Brunswick. In the gallery, she showcases her own artwork and the works of other local artists. The gallery is open on Mondays through Fridays from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m.

How did you become a professional artist? My kids always ask me, ‘Where’d you learn to draw?’ My grandmother had all kinds of little statues, and she would sit me down, put one in front of me, and say ‘Draw it.’ But if it wasn’t good enough, she would say, ‘You need to try again. Do it again.’ And so she pushed me to do better. Was she an artist?

When she isn’t in the studio in Brunswick or the one in her home, the bulk of Jensen’s time is spent at Glynn Middle School, where she is an art teacher for sixth through eighth grades.

She was a bit of an artist. She dabbled in art. She did a little watercolor.

Jensen grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She joined the Navy and was stationed in Southern California. She met her husband while in the Navy, and they lived for a time in New Orleans, where Jensen attended Delgado Community College and studied interior design. She moved her family to Wilmington, North Carolina, where she completed her studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington to become a teacher.

I like to find the humor in things, even some serious things I find in vintage papers and vintage books. When you put certain things together, you’ve got to look at the humor … My mom always said, ‘You either laugh or cry,’ and I think laughing is a whole lot better.

Jensen, who has three children and one grandchild, moved to Glynn County in 2007. She has since become well-known in the local art community, and this fall, she was chosen as the featured artist for Jekyll Island’s Shrimp & Grits Festival. The questions and answers below have been edited for length and clarity. 26

GOLDEN I S LES

How do you describe your artistic style?

Some of my abstract pieces do have a serious side to them, but even then, I think you can find a little bit of humor in some things. My abstract pieces, I started those in a very dark place. Our family had a personal tragedy, and they were a lifesaver for me to work through that and mentally process everything and get through … Those pieces themselves, they’ve evolved. They started out as collages with marks on them, very angry, and then they get to a calm place.

Where do you do most of your paintings? I do most of my paintings in the back (of the studio). I have a workshop in the back, and I also have a workshop at home. I’m very lucky that I have a large space, and my husband was willing to put some skylights in. You opened this studio in May. Why did you want to open a gallery? Every piece just fell into place. I started out on Newcastle Street when Lynda Gallagher asked me if I would put things in the window at SoGlo (Gallery). From that, I felt I needed a space where I could meet people, which led to a partnership with Painted Planet (School of Art). And this space happened to become available. It was like fate. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come back to Newcastle Street and open something larger, not only for myself but to help other artists that are trying to get out there.

How do you balance being a being a business owner, an art teacher, and a professional artist?

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It’s definitely a juggling act to give all of them the equal time that they deserve. It’s just prioritizing. I make a schedule of what I want to do, I try my best to stick to it, and just push on and keep going, until I’m done for the night. What do your students think of your artwork, when you bring pieces to class? They love it. The first thing they ask is how much does something like that cost? I’m like, ‘Kids, come on, let’s look at the art.’ And then they want to know how you do it, so I’m willing to share with them and show them the process of how I do it.

Don’t be afraid of mistakes. Never be afraid of mistakes. You’re going to make them … If you make a mistake, it’s the next step.

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NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Holiday Poll:

fa-la-la-la T

favorites

o get in the Spirit of Christmas, we set our playlists to some of the season’s classic tunes while working on this November/December edition. This led us to ask our readers, “What’s your favorite Christmas Carol?”

With more than 100 votes, we have our rankings for the 2018 Christmas Music Poll.

1st

53 votes

PLACE

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” 34 votes

2nd PLACE

“Silent Night”

9 votes

11 votes

3rd

PLACE

“Twelve Days of Christmas”

4th

PLACE

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” 6 votes

5th

PLACE

“Jingle Bells” 28

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FOLIO:

2018 EDDIES Magazine Section > City & Regional > Winner

Chris Robinson entertains diners at Isles restaurants

Drive-By Truckers’ relevancy continues after two decades

Sean Clark & John Pope hit the right notes with Pine Box Dwellers

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8/14/17 2:20 PM

“The Music Edition” September/October 2017

The staff at Golden Isles Magazine took home two FOLIO: Awards during this year’s FOLIO: Awards Ceremony in New York City.

Range of Work by a Single Author > City & Regional > Winner

The magazine won an Eddie, or editorial award, for Magazine Section in the City & Regional category for the September/October 2017 “The Music Edition.” The feature section included “For the Long Haul” by Bethany Leggett; “Twist & Shout” by Emily Hines; “Piano Man” and “The Box Set” by Lindsey Adkison; “Taking the Field” by Lauren McDonald; and “Season Tickets” by Debra Pamplin.

DRESSING UP

OYSTERS WORDS B

BETHAN

LEGGETT

HOTOS B

LESLIE HAND

CELEBRATE THE BOUNTY OF THE COAST WITH A SOUTHERN SPIN ON THANKSGIVING DRESSING

GOLDEN ISLES

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Editor Bethany Leggett also took home the Eddie for Range of Work By a Single Author, a new award introduced at FOLIO: this year, in the City & Regional category. Her four articles that won included “A Rising Tide” from the July/August 2017 edition; “For the Long Haul” in the September/October 2017 edition; “Dressing Up Oysters” from the November/December 2017 edition; and “Q&A with John Shackelford” from the May/ June 2018 edition.

WORDS BY BETHANY LEGGETT

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS HAS BEEN ADDING A COMPLEX SOUND TO SOUTHERN MUSIC FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES AND THEY AREN’T SLOWING DOWN ANYTIME SOON.

N OV EMBE R/D E CE MBE R 2017

G O L DEN I SL ES

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WORDS BY BETHANY LE ETT P H O T O S B Y S O N YA A H N W I T H R E Y O W L S O I A L

Q&A

Rising Tide

with John Shackelford

Spanish. French. Cape Dutch. John Shackelford Jr. knows how to embrace a period style while incorporating modern approaches to functionality within the home. Formal, segmented designs of yore have opened up into styles where walls no longer differentiate between the kitchen, living room, and dining room. And while some design elements are timeless, he knows tastes change over time. “Usually, the front of the house — whether you are doing a Spanish or French style — you have to keep it a little more traditional to make it look more like a period house. But on the back, you can sort of take liberties, if that is where the view is, and put as much glass as you could get,” says the architect, who ventured into his career under Frank McCall in the 1990s after graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology.

A DOZEN ORGANIZATIONS ARE BANDING TOGETHER TO SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES ALONG GEORGIA’S COAST. WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY LEGGETT

Shackelford has spent more than two decades designing new homes and remodeling older ones in the Golden Isles with his company, John P. Shackelford Jr., Architect + Interior Design. Whether it’s updating a bathroom or kitchen or building a new home, the architect likes to follow the project from sketch to finished construction. And with interior designer Nancy Stoddard on staff, the two are able to combine tastes, fabrics, and styles to build a home from the inside out.

n a sunny Monday afternoon in May, dozens of people launch their kayaks and canoes into Ebenezer Creek in Rincon, setting off on the maiden voyage for the Georgia Coast Collaborative.

Magnificent tupelo trees, providing a canopy for wildlife, rise out of the swamp. A blue heron flies overhead as dragonflies alight on nearby stumps. A heavy thud of an alligator sliding into the murky waters makes an impression as guides and guests paddle together — sometimes in smaller, separate groups and other times coming together as a flotilla. They find times to pause and talk about the history and ecology of this waterway that empties into the Savannah River.

GO LDE N ISLE S

MAY/JUNE 2018

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Bethany Leggett, Golden Isles Magazine Instructional/ How-To > Consumer > Honorable Mention

105

The magazine also took home an honorable mention for the Eddie for Instructional/ How-To in a consumer publication for “Mise En Scene” by Kim Daniels in the May/June 2018 edition. “It is thrilling to know that our magazine resonates on a national level. Our stories are complex, compelling tales of life along our beloved Georgia coast, and I am so grateful that the time we put into crafting each edition lives on long after the next one hits the streets,” Leggett says. This is the third consecutive year Golden Isles Magazine has won at the annual FOLIO: Show, the premier conference of magazine professionals. With this year’s accolades, the magazine now has a total of four wins and six honorable mentions, including two for Golden Isles Bride.

Mise En Scène

/mēz • än • sen/ Four fun crafts BRING the fragrance and beauty of the outdoors inside R A T R E AT I O N A N D PHOTO RAPHY BY KI DANIELS

hen it comes to staging a Garden of Eden in your own home, you only need a bit of imagination and some basic craft supplies to pull everything together. Sucker for succulents? Try your hand at a modern terrarium. Hosting an afternoon tea? Bring a bit of green to the table with verdant holders. Love birdwatching? Create a Mad Hatter-esque feeder that would transform your porch into an avian wonderland. Love candles but want a no-flame alternative? Find your perfect scent with your own potpourri mix. The ideas abound — and for those with a green thumb and a hot glue gun, you can transform your living spaces into your own oasis in no time.

GO L D EN ISL ES

MAY / JU N E 2 0 1 8

“Mise En Scene” May/June 2018

GOLDEN I S LES

“Producing this magazine is a true team effort, from conception to printing. Each of us is committed to outstanding content above anything else and that shines through in our finished product,” says Marketing Director Becky Derrick. “It certainly makes my job easier to be able to say we are the largest per-issue local glossy lifestyle magazine, the No. 1 magazine in the state of Georgia, and the only national-award winning local magazine for three consecutive years.”

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NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

RSM

READIES FOR THE

CLASSIC P R O V I D E D B Y T AY L O R W I L S O N A N D

ELANIE TROTTER

he RSM Classic, an official event of the PGA TOUR hosted by Sea Island resident Davis Love III, travels back to the Golden Isles for its ninth consecutive year, set for November 12 to 18.

You can explore the beauty of Sea Island Golf Club while watching some of the most elite golfers in the world. Proceeds donated to children and family charities through The RSM Classic will exceed $10 million by the end of the 2018 event. For more information about the tournament or ticket prices for individual events, go to rsmclassic.com.

GOLDEN I S LES

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WIFFLE BALL CLASSIC

PGA TOUR wives challenge their husbands in a friendly yet spirited game of Wiffle Ball. The fun will take place on Tuesday, November 13, at 5 p.m. at the Frederica Academy Baseball Field. Admission is free.

SHOES

MEET THE PROS

CLOUD | VANELI | MEPHISTO COLE HAAN | GENTLE SOULS

Join the St. Simons Island Rotary for the 8th annual Meet the Pros. Proceeds from the event will benefit more than a dozen local children’s charities in Glynn County. The event starts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13, at The Cloister at Sea Island.

3419 Frederica Rd. St. Simons Island, Ga Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm 912.638.1413

TASTE OF THE GOLDEN ISLES

More food, more spirits, more fun! The RSM Classic announces the new and improved Taste of the Golden Isles. They have partnered with local standout chefs, spirit vendors, and eateries from St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, and Brunswick on Friday, November 16, at 6 p.m. at the St. Simons Casino Building.

COSMETIC & FAMILY DENTISTRY

THE RSM CLASSIC CHARITY BIKE RIDE SPONSORED BY CHICK-FIL-A

This fun new event will take place on Saturday, November 17, on Jekyll Island.

LIVE FROM THE GOLDEN ISLES CONCERT BY JON PARDI Reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Jon Pardi will perform on Saturday, November 17, at the McKinnon St. Simons Island Airport, an unforgettable concert venue for the past fourth years!

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912.638.9946 NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Around Town THE

Charles Dickens’ immortal tale “A Christmas Carol” returns to the Ritz in December. The mean old miser Scrooge, played by Bryan Thompson, will take the stage for his magical night discovering the true meaning of Christmas on December 8, 9, and 13 to 16. Showings at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays, with a 3 p.m. matinee on Sundays.

Bring your shopping list to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society Museum Store’s Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 17. Jewelry, apparel, books, home accents, and holiday décor will be available for purchase. The Museum Store is located in the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, 610 Beachview Drive. For more information, call 912-634-7099.

Morningstar PTA is hosting the 2nd annual Wobble B4U Gobble 5K and Fun Run on Thanksgiving morning in Brunswick. The run, which will go through historic downtown, will raise funds for students at Morningstar Academy. Runners can take their marks at 7 a.m. with the family fun run. The 5K run/walk will start at 8 a.m. Awards will be given for top qualifiers for the 5K. For more information, go to morningstarcfs.org.

GOLDEN I S LES

Dr. Jamil Zainaldin will present “World War I: Georgia’s Second No matter how small Great War” during the Coastal Georgia orHistorical Society’s big your wrist is, silver or gold, orCenter a membership meeting at the A.W. Jones Heritage at bit ofof both, we’ll100th anniver6 p.m. on November 8. In commemoration the make you something sary of World War I, Dr. Zainaldin will discuss the impact of the special and lasting. conflict for Georgians. Members attend free of charge and the cost for non-members is $10. Registration is required. For more information, visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org or call 912-634-7090.

Keepsake Jewelry from the artist of the original St Simons Island Signature Bracelet and Jekyll Island Turtle Bracelet.

The Golden Isles Bracelet Co. is a liitle #106with Pier aVillage Market, St. Island store big reputation for Simons fine locally (912) 638.3636 crafted silver and gold jewelry. Sizes for all www.GIBCoBracelets.com wrist measurements. The St Simons All pieces proudly hANdcrAfted iN the beAutiful GoldeN isles. Island Signature Bracelet, Jekyll Island Turtle Bracelet, earrings, pendants, and custom-fit toe rings are included the arNo matter the size of yourinwrist, ray of unique pieces here. silver or gold, orfound a bitonly of both,

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www.gibcobracelets.com #106 Pier Village Market St. Simons Island, Georgia 912.638.3636 www.gibcobracelets.com Helping Hugs, Inc. will be hosting the Fete for Haiti on November 9 at Bennie’s Red Barn on St. Simons Island. The evening includes dinner and a fundraiser with auction items to benefit St. William Catholic Church’s sister parish, St. Joseph, in Haiti. For more information, go to helpinghugsinc.org.

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

The wedding bowl

Around Town THE

The H. Shadron Wedding Bowl customized for the Perfect Wedding Gift, at The Tabby House.

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Moxie Craft Fest will host its Handmade Holiday Market on November 10. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., arts and craft vendors will transform Old City Hall in downtown Brunswick into a marketplace of wares, just in time to kick off some holiday shopping. Check out moxiecraftfest.com for more information.

Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Georgia is ready to celebrate the season with A Merry Mixer on December 1. The annual benefit for the Elizabeth F. Correll Teen Center will start with a tailgate experience from 3 to 6 p.m. in the courtyard of Tramici and Halyards, followed by the mixer at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 for tailgate, $125 for the mixer. For more information, go to bgcsega.com.

GOLDEN I S LES

Merry Movies is back! The American Cancer Society’s Victory Board is hosting the Christmas extravaganza at Island Cinemas on December 15, starting with a 9 a.m. visit with Santa followed by “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express” at 9:45 a.m. Kids can wear their favorite pajamas for the morning at the movies and to get their picture with St. Nick. Tickets are $10. For more information, go to acsvictoryboard.org.

Lord of Life Lutheran Church will open its doors from 9 a.m. to 4 pm. on December 1 for the 10th annual Holiday Market and Craft Fair. More than 30 vendors will be onsite during the fair, and the church will also host a homemade bake sale, pickle sale, and used book sale. Raffles and door prizes will be awarded, too. For more information, call 912-638-4673.

2018

The Victory Board Presents

At Sea Island

A Chef’s Dinner Experience For a Cause

The 49th annual American Cancer Society Victory Board’s charity gala is set for December 8 at Sea Island Resorts. This year’s event, Corks and Forks, will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres from Del Sur Artisan Eats, Southern Soul, The Half Shell, Sea Island Resort, Certified Burgers and Beverage, Delaney’s Bistro, and Halyards. The event will also feature Chef Scott Crawford, a five-time James Beard Award Semifinalist for “Best Chef: Southeast” who was instrumental in helping the Georgian Room at Sea Island achieve five-star status in 2007. There are also silent and live auction items that will be up for grabs. Tickets are $150. For more information, go to acsvictoryboard.org.

benefiting the

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

“The Nutcracker” gets a new look

WORDS BY BETHANY LE

ETT | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY

he Sugar Plum Fairy. The Mouse King. The Nutcracker Prince. Clara. These beloved characters will be coming to life once again this Christmas as Golden Isles Ballet Company, along with Hilton Head Dance Theatre, brings “The Nutcracker” to Brunswick. The two performances — at 2 and 6 p.m. on December 2 at Brunswick High School — will include all new set designs, backdrops, and an expanded company of dancers, including local students, students from Hilton Head, and professionals from Charleston and Columbia, for a fresh version of the classic holiday ballet. “I’m really proud of what we have done in the past, but I think this year is just going to blow everyone out of the water,” says Bess Chambliss, executive director and founder of Golden Isles Ballet Company. “There will be about 70 people on stage. All ages, from 3 to about 83.” In particular, Chambliss is excited to collaborate with Hilton Head Dance Theatre for this year’s performances — a partnership that came about through Stacey Paulk, a dance instructor at Golden Isles Ballet Company who trained at Hilton Head Dance Theatre growing up. “We are studying videos and having conversations. It’s very collaborative. Our dance teachers will choreograph some pieces. Theirs will choreograph some. We will go and rehearse with them and mix some of the dances together. So it is a true collaboration — all interwoven. It just changes the whole flavor of the show. It provides something new for the audience,” Chambliss says. Chambliss admires how Karena and John Carlyle have thrived with a classical ballet studio in Hilton Head, a community with many similarities to St. Simons. “They

OLDEN ISLES BALLET

PANY

have been around for like 30 years. They are amazing and where I want to be one day,” she says. By working together, the two ballet schools will almost act like exchange programs for each other. “It’s showing the value to the girls about why take ballet class … technique is a hard thing to teach because it takes a lot of discipline and a lot of work,” Chambliss says. “Having the benefit of a well-established school and getting to see peers who are doing the same thing but have the advantage of being part of a program that has been around, they can see how far they can go. It’s really going to elevate our level, and it’s going to open the kids’ minds.” This won’t be the only chance for kids to catch Clara’s exploration of the dream world. Disney’s release of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” will hit theaters this November. That, along with the ballet movie, “Leap” in 2016, are exposing more and more kids to ballet, Chambliss says. “I am super excited because it is bringing ballet more to the forefront,” she says. “Our big mission is community outreach and involving all sectors of arts. Everyone is welcome to participate.” And Chambliss means it. With a scholarship program partially funded through ticket sales, Chambliss offers those interested in ballet a chance to undergo classical training. The company also teaches ballet and hip hop classes at the Boys and Girls Club. Chambliss has also started a sister company, Golden Isles Mindful Movement, where she offers yoga, pilates, barre, and meditation classes for adults to get their bodies and minds stronger. “All of these things are the things I love and am passionate about,” she says.

Showtime “The Nutcracker” will take place on Sunday, December 2, at 2 and 6 p.m. VIP tickets with reserved seating will cost $50. General admission will be $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Student pricing is $15. Tickets can be purchased online, at Uncle Don’s Local Market on St. Simons Island, or at the Ritz in Brunswick.

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“A Christmas Carol” WORDS BY LA REN

DONALD

The book hit shelves on December 17, 1843, and sold out in 3 days.

The Christmas traditions captured in Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday tale, “A Christmas Carol,” have shaped the winter celebration for 175 years. The 1843 novella — the full title is “A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas” — has been adapted for children’s stories, films, and theater productions ever since. Dickens created the famous character Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Their visits encourage Scrooge to become a kinder person, and his transformation has come to embody the Christmas spirit of giving and love.

The story has been retold in many plays and movies. The book has been adapted for the screen more than 20 times.

“(‘A Christmas Carol’) was popular from the minute Dickens wrote it,” says Heather Heath, executive director of Golden Isles Arts and Humanities. “Dickens pretty much invented Christmas as we know it through this story.” Golden Isles Arts and Humanities has been entertaining the community with productions of “A Christmas Carol” every December for about 15 years. A full production of the play will be performed this year on December 8, 9, and 13 to 16 at the Ritz Theatre in downtown Brunswick.

Dickens first and final public readings were of “A Christmas Carol.” His final reading took place at St. James’s Hall on Piccadilly Street in London on March 15, 1870.

GOLDEN I S LES

Dickens began writing the novella in October 1843 and frantically wrote for 6 weeks, finishing in November, so the novella would be ready for publication by Christmas.

Six thousand copies sold before Christmas of that year, making “A Christmas Carol” the most successful book of the 1843 holiday season. Dickens had been adamant that the story be published as a high-quality, stand-alone book. He agreed to fund the publication.

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Only one copy of “A Christmas Carol” created by Dickens himself still exists. The copy is owned by the Berg Collection of English and American Literature at the New York Public Library.

Dickens was 31 years old when he wrote the book. He’d been inspired that year after speaking at a charity event. Following the talk, Dickens went on a nighttime stroll and had the idea for the book.

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Words by Bethany Leggett

{

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t’s time to give window treatments their due. No longer the look — or texture — of particle blinds or generic wood panels, options available in the market today allow people to get more use out of their living spaces by choosing the right fit for them. “Today, window treatments are more than just coverings for windows. An attractive window and the right light can change everything from your room to your mood,” says J. Mitchell Little of Little’s Custom Blinds and Shutters. Need complete darkness when it’s time to tuck into bed? There are several options for you. What about a wooden shutter that you want to match a favorite piece of furniture? That can be done, too. The business at 3325 Glynn Avenue in Brunswick first opened its doors in 1974, as a paint and wallpaper store with blinds and shutters as a sideline. But more and more, customers wanted options for window decorations; and by the 1980s, it was becoming a large part of the business. After his parents retired, Little shifted focus and has been exclusively offering blinds and shutters for the past decade. Now, Little’s Custom Blinds and Shutters is the only Hunter Douglas centurion gallery in southeast Georgia. In order to get this classification, the store had to be nominated, undergo background checks and a history on the business, and handle a certain volume of Hunter Douglas products. The entire Hunter Douglas catalog is available to clients — and there are a lot of options out there. “Most people have no idea what’s available. They see the wood blinds that everybody’s got, and they see old-style particle blinds that everybody hates; but they have no clue what’s really available these days. So if we can get someone to come into the showroom and just look, they usually find something they didn’t know existed,” Little says.

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People going on vacation can mimic their behavior as if they were still in the residence, too. “They can program them so they move at different times, so it looks like someone is home,” Little says. “We have stuff where people can see out in the middle of the day, but people can’t see back in. At night, you close them and nobody can see either way at that point.” He estimates that one out of every four blinds Little’s sells is remote-controlled. And others have motion sensors in the handles that just require a touch at the bottom. “Hunter Douglas is the leader in the industry as far as doing away with cords. It’s my understanding that come the first of the year, lift cords are going to be gone,” Little adds. HEAT AND UV CONTROL Many homeowners around the Isles have beautiful views throughout their homes. But the heat and exposure of sunlight can do some damage to the inside of your home. “Heat and UV are big in this area. We have a lot of wood floors in the area, and if you don't have good covers, it bleaches the floors. Art on the walls, paint on the walls, all that stuff bleaches out,” Little says. His suggestion: screen shades. “It doesn’t kill the view outside, it mutes it. But it controls the heat and sun, and you can get it in different degrees of block — anywhere from 86 percent to 99 percent block,” he says. DECORATIVE STATEMENTS While Little estimates that 99 percent of products he sells are bought in various shades of white, there are actually thousands of color options for people to pick from. “We have tons and tons of choices of fabrics and colors. And what those are available in, we can customize for whatever you want to do,” he says. Provided photo

Below, Little gives his tips for incorporating winsome window decorations into your home decor. MODERN CONTROLS “It used to be all utilitarian. It was all mini-blinds or verticals. It was the No. 1 thing people thought about with blinds or shutters. These days, blinds will do everything,” he says. Changing the light in a room is possible with just a push of a button nowadays. “We can put the blinds on Alexa or Google. We can activate them by voice or activate them by remote controls on your smartphone or iPads. We can control them from anywhere in the world, as long as you have wifi access,” Little says. 42

GOLDEN I S LES

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Blinds can be treated like any other element that mixes design with function. “It’s an individual preference. Some people paint every room different colors; some people put different blinds in every room,” Little says. “Others want the same color and the same blind in every room. It’s up to the customer on what they want.” Light-filtering options open up the possibilities even wider. “You can get the same style and look and fabric in a blind, and you can get one in a light-filtering fabric and one in a blackout. So they look the same to the general public, but when you close them, they block different amounts of light,” he says, adding this would be a good option for someone seeking a uniform design but needing to have less light in a bedroom or entertainment room.

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“We have standard colors and standard materials, but in the Heritance line, we can do anything you want to do. We can custom match them and distress them. We can get them with knotholes in them,” he says. “If you want something customized to match a piece of furniture, you can send a piece in and they will make the shutters look exactly like it.”

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Words by Bethany Leggett

is the season for giving back. Whether you plan to write a check, donate clothes, or maybe even something a bit larger, there are plenty of ways to help nonprofits both here in Glynn County and beyond.

SEPARATE RULES REGARDING TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES NOT HEADQUARTERED IN THE U.S. THAT CLIENTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF?

Before you write a check to your favorite charity of choice, CSI Tax’s Timothy Wilson answers a few questions about year-end contributions.

Charitable tax deductions have been a powerful incentive for Americans to donate to charities, but those deductions were not allowed for international charities unless they were registered in the United States.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN MAKING A MONETARY VS. NONMONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO A NONPROFIT? IS CASH EASIER? ARE ITEMS DONATED MORE OF A DEDUCTION?

When it comes to helping good causes around the globe, people should be motivated by the mission, not a financial benefit. There are, however, many U.S. registered nonprofits that do global work.

For contributions of cash, check, or other monetary gift — regardless of the amount — you must maintain a record of the contribution, such as a bank record or a written communication from the qualified organization containing the name of the organization, the amount, and the date of the contribution.

Another way you can give abroad is through donor-advised funds. Donors can set up charitable gift accounts through a national charitable fund held with multiple financial intuitions.

In addition to deducting your cash contributions, you generally can deduct the fair market value of any other property you donate to qualified organizations. For tax purposes, non-cash contributions require the completion of IRS Form 8283 to be attached to your tax return. CONCERNING INTERNATIONAL OR GLOBAL NONPROFITS, ARE THERE

WHAT BOOKKEEPING TIPS OR ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR INDIVIDUALS MAKING A CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION AT THE HOLIDAYS THAT CAN HELP THEM SAVE TIME WHEN IT COMES TO FILING THEIR TAXES IN 2019? Recordkeeping is the top concern. Make sure to look for and request appropriate documentation including 501(c)(3) designations and receipts of charitable contribution letters.

IS WRITTEN IN DECEMBER 2018 BUT NOT CASHED UNTIL JANUARY 2019, DOES IT STILL COUNT FOR TAX PURPOSES FOR THE 2018 YEAR? Year-end gifts are deductible in the year in which the gift was received, no matter when the recipient deposits the gift. Again, documentation is key. IF A CLIENT INTENDS TO GIVE $500 TO CHARITY, WOULD IT MATTER IF THEY DIVIDED IT UP — WITH $100 GOING TO FIVE NONPROFITS — OR WOULD YOU ADVISE GIVING A LUMP SUM OF $500 TO JUST ONE GROUP INSTEAD? ARE THERE ADVANTAGES TO CONTRIBUTING TO MANY OR TO JUST ONE? Other than philanthropic desires, it does not matter or affect your deduction, whether you give to one charity or numerous charities. The ease of recordkeeping is what one should keep in mind.

AS FOR YEAR-END GIFTS, IF A CHECK

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

NGE

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Dog training tips for their human parents during the holiday season Words by Bethany Leggett

asher. Dancer. Prancer. Vixen. You may think those names are reserved for reindeer alone, but they also apply to our friendly canine friends around the holidays, too.

Dog trainer Cathy Thrift knows how exciting and fun the holiday season can be. But when friends come to call for parties and family gatherings, there are some precautions and planning involving pets that owners should take into account. Enjoy her tips on ways for humans and their furry companions can enjoy the holidays without much anxiety or alarm. Q: Let’s say you have a “Dasher” — a dog that likes to run out of the door. What can you do in the week or so while you prep for a party that can curb that impulse before your guests arrive and knock on the door? First of all, a week isn’t long enough for training for this … Manners at the door, that takes time. If I was working with a client, that is what I would do … But for someone who doesn’t normally have a lot of company, then you could keep the dog on a leash tethered to you so that there is no chance of the dog escaping. People who don’t have dogs don’t truly understand the importance of making sure the door is completely closed. Another idea is that during the time you expect most of the company to arrive, you can put the dog in another room in a crate with an amazing chew toy or something that he or she doesn’t normally get. Riggs, my rescue, gets a CET dental chew when I have company. He may bark, but he won’t leave that chew.

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Q: Ok, maybe you have a “Prancer” who loves everyone she meets. How do you let the dog be part of the party without overwhelming your guests?

Simply let your guests know to give the dog attention when they want to. The dog learns from our behavior. Telling the dog “No” or “Stop” isn’t going to work. You can tell the guests to turn their backs and not give the dog any attention. Q: Now, for the “Vixen,” who just isn’t a party pooch. What’s the best strategy for them? This is a tough one. Each dog is different. So if your dog is comfortable in a crate, then use it. If there is no way your dog will handle the number of people and the activity, ask a friend to dogsit. Q: What do you advise hosts and guests to remember when it comes to the delicious holiday food meant for humans that will be on counters and potentially crumbs on the floor? As the host, you can nicely remind guests that Fido does not eat human food. You can also have acceptable treats that your guests can give your dog. For counter surfing, keeping a dog lightly tethered to you is a good solution. While some people feel

uncomfortable with that, it is less stressful for human and canine. Q: What are some warning signs that your dog is stressed in a noisier or more active party environment? Look at the dog’s body. Are the eyes almond shaped? Are the ears back? Is the body cowered? Is the tail tucked? Is the dog panting? Is the dog licking or chewing paws or body? Can the dog not settle? Is the dog barking uncontrollably? These are all signs the dog is stressed. Q: When you leave for a party, what can you do to make sure your dog is comfortable at home alone?

with large noises like fireworks? Both of my dogs are terrified of thunder and fireworks. Depending on the severity, I will turn on the TV or music to drown out the noise. Sometimes, I will sit on the couch reading my book and act normal. The worst thing we do is to try to comfort the dog. If the dog needs to go under the bed, then let it ... If we act normal, then they will stress less. Dogs react to our stress. If you hear thunder, try to get your dog to take a walk outside. Act normal. Your goal is to desensitize them to the sound. The dog will think, “I hear that sound that terrifies me, but I’m walking with my mom and everything seems to be ok.”

Do what you normally do when you leave for work. The worst thing humans do is to use baby talk and tell them that Mommy will be back soon and that she loves you. Leave them a frozen Kong filled with peanut butter or a toy filled with treats or food.

Rescue Remedy is excellent for times of stress as well. There are other products such as lavender neck ties and Thunder shirts, too.

Q: As we get closer to New Year’s Eve, what should pet owners do to minimize the stress that some dogs face

For more information or availability for training sessions, you can contact Cathy Thrift at ssithrift@gmail.com.

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Muhly Grass

Sews Nature Together Words by Lydia Thompson

hat is that pink plant growing in the dunes? In October and November, I hear that question a lot at the Jekyll Island Guest Information Center. Muhly grass is a unique plant here on the Georgia and South Carolina coasts. It grows in the back dunes. For most of the year, people tend to ignore the soft grass right behind the beach. Well, they do until it blooms, and then its beautiful pink seeds catch our attention. This Muhly grass, or Muhlenbergia sericea, has an intriguing nature connection. In the early 1800s along our coast, we had large rice plantations. The people who worked these fields were enslaved people brought from the rice fields of West Africa. These people brought their culture of basket sewing with them. They made their fanner baskets to help separate the rice from the chaff. They also made other types of baskets for all kinds household chores. Basketmaking is a tedious business. Gathering just the right kind of grass, wrapping it in strips of palmetto leaves, then weaving and sewing these ropes into different shaped baskets takes

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patience and skill. It is an art form mastered by these West African people. After the Civil War, these freed people had a craft which gave them an income. For years, they lived by making these unique baskets that could be sold for hundreds of dollars. But as the years passed, more people discovered the coast. They began building in the areas where Muhly grass grows. Areas which were once wide open now were closed behind gates from the basketmakers. In 1988, a group gathered to discuss the problem facing the sweetgrass basketmakers. Some horticulturists joined the meeting. These farmers felt sure they could grow the grass on farmland or in backyard plots. The grass thrived under the farmers’ eyes. Then, it was time to harvest the grass. The excited basketmakers came to try this grass out; but it turned out that although the grass looked good, it was brittle and not suitable for basketmaking. Wild Muhly grass left to grow in the arid dune field were easily bent into the shapes for baskets, but the cultivated grass was just too brittle to use.

The Muhly grass needed the dunes, and the basketmakers needed the grass. So, they made agreements with gated communities to come in and harvest the sweet grass. Little St. Simons Island played a part in bringing the Muhly grass back. They invited the basketmakers onto the island to get the grass they need. Since the 1990s, Muhly grass is coming back to the Georgia coast. Jekyll Island’s Cliff Gawron plants it all over the barrier island. There is a beautiful field of Muhly grass growing behind the primary dunes on St. Simons Island, too. Now back to the first question I asked. What is that pink grass on the island? It is Muhly grass. It saved a culture, and the culture saved it. Now that is sewing together nature and people of the coast — and is a great Nature Connection. To learn more about Muhly grass, read the book “Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass,” by Robert J Dufault.

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4th Annual St. Simons Island

Storytelling Festival Epworth By The Sea ~ February 16-18, 2019

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AN ANNUAL TRADITION

FEBRUARY 16, 2019

The Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation Bridge Run has become a signature event for the Health System and the Golden Isles. Unique among bridge runs, the races take place on the 7,780-foot Sidney Lanier Bridge and the Half Marathon extends through Historic Brunswick. At its center, the bridge measures 480 feet high above the Brunswick River, the tallest span in the state.

#BridgeRun2019 the-bridge-run.org 912.466.2786

An awakening of the body through movement, nutrition, nature, + health education Call 9 1 2 . 2 3 0 . 8 3 1 4 for more information. Lookout for more dates + locations!

wisdom + wellness retreats NOVEMBER 2-4, 2018 Frederica Golf Club SPRING 2019 Cumberland Island SUMMER 2019 Savannah College of Art & Design

Chef Nicole Monier 210.381.9335

Margaret Goodman MD, FACOG 912.289.5609

The Facial Suite | Donna Mastrianni L.E. 912.222.4525

Pilates Loft 912.230.8314

a Wes Dog, LLC 912.674.1277

GOLDEN I S LES

{LIVING WELL}

Visible veins?

Underlying concerns may be the problem.

Words by Bethany Leggett

our legs are swollen and warm to the touch. You’ve noticed webs of red and purple appearing underneath your skin. You bleed a long time after you cut your leg shaving. If any of the symptoms sound familiar, underlying vein disease may be the source of your discomfort. “Identifying vein disease is easy, providing we do an ultrasound on people,” says Dr. Stephen Kitchen, who has been treating Glynn County patients with vein disease since 1995. Most vein disease is a result of genetics. “You inherit the genetic fibers that make up a vein wall from your parents, and that, in combination of lifestyle, activity, and occupation, will contribute,” Kitchen says. For instance, during pregnancy, women experience pelvic pressure that can make bad veins appear more visible. Some vein problems may go away on their own after pregnancy, some may not, Kitchen says, but that doesn’t mean someone has to live with bad veins forever. “What most patients don’t realize is that something can be done about their vein problems,” Kitchen says. “For many years, vein issues were ignored by physicians and by patients because the only conservative treatment was elevation, compression stockings, or vein stripping — and no one ever wanted to have vein stripping done.” Yet, venous disease is quite common. According to Johns Hopkins, approximately 15 percent of the United States population is affected by varicose veins, which occurs when vein damage causes blood to flow in the wrong direction and pool in the veins that begin to swell. Spider veins — where small blood vessels just below the skin’s surface become damaged — also rarely cause serious problems but they can make people self-conscious, Kitchen says. There are also more subtle symptoms of venous disease, too. Heaviness or tiredness of the legs while working out, overall soreness in the legs, and darker discoloration down the calf are all indicators of deeper vein problems. “I describe veins often like a shrub outside. They have a main trunk and smaller branches that go all the way out to the tips. And for years, people have been worried about spider veins. They go to get spider veins injected by the plastic surgeon’s dermatologist, and six months later, they come back,” he says. “The problem is because of the trunk and the branches, not the tips. It’s the underlying disease. We aren’t treating the trunk. We can trim the branches all we want, but we are going to just keep doing it over and over.” Chronic venous insufficiency — an ongoing condition where damaged valves allow blood to leak backward and pool in the vein — can lead to open sores or skin ulcers, often near the low-

er legs and ankles. Deep vein thrombosis — a blood clot in the deep vein system — is another serious, yet rare condition that could block a vein or potentially travel to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. In order to discover an underlying condition, one undergoes an ultrasound. “Your primary physician, your podiatrist, or your orthopedist sends you here, and we do an ultrasound on somebody. If it is normal, then we send that study back to the referring physician. We don’t ever see the patient other than doing the ultrasound and telling them their veins are fine. But if they have underlying vein disease, then we will address that, whether it is just spider veins or varicose veins, or it’s superficial venous disease,” he says.

Dr. Stephen Kitchen

Treatments could include compression stockings, elevation, anti-inflammatory medication, or surgery. If surgery is required, modern techniques that incorporate endovenous ablation, laser treatment, and radio frequency — such as the ClosureFast procedure that Kitchen performs at his office — are minimally invasive, unlike the vein stripping done decades ago. During the ClosureFast procedure, the patient undergoes a local anesthetic before a catheter is inserted in the Greater Saphenous vein, which runs from the upper thigh down to the ankle. “What we actually do is use heat energy to vacuum seal the vein,” Kitchen says. The catheter reaches 200F and seals 2 1/2-inch segments in 20-second intervals. Overall, the procedure takes between 3 to 5 minutes. “This is the same vein that heart surgeons take out of people’s legs to use for open-heart surgery, and those people never miss it. The venous return will go through all the channels that are functional. You never even know it’s gone,” he says. “They come into the office, have it done, and walk out.” NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

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ESS O S O

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Words by Bud Hearn

t’s an afternoon in August when my editor’s note arrives. It’s terse: “Article deadline, September 10. Theme: Spirit of Christmas. Don’t make me hound you for it.” I read it again. Christmas already? Is the North Pole melting and has Santa contracted with Amazon for delivery this year? I shake my head in disbelief. Jumping the gun is an understatement. As for being “hounded,” it’s certainly an apt description for the late-summer howling of Dog Days. So, I do what comes natural … procrastinate ’til the last minute, hoping some epiphany miraculously emerges to conjure up an idea of the Spirit of Christmas in September. Right now, my spirit is resting comfortably on the back porch with a deadline looming, the fan whirring, and sweat pouring. My mind is an empty vessel. Christmas thoughts today offer less excitement than Florence, this year’s hurricane. Plus, the pumpkin patch still needs picking and the ghosts of Halloween are yet to howl. Not to mention the Georgia-Florida football classic. There’ll be a lot of spirits and howling on East Beach, for sure.

VE N with

I add ice to my tea and give serious thought of how to summon the Spirit of Christmas from its slumber. First thing is to wake up Burl Ives and Bing Crosby for their “Holly Jolly” and “White Christmas” carols. Nothing sells until these guys start singing. Unfortunately, I find that these heralds of shopping-mall Christmases have been sent for a cosmetic touchup before being rolled out. So much for that idea. The Spirit sleeps on. What now? Meanwhile, the deadline ticks. I fidget while the Spirit snoozes. Force of will cannot wake up a napping spirit any more than it can hurry or delay a deadline. Christmas comes like the ticking of a grandfather clock. The suspense builds in the seconds, arrives at the chime. Then amid the mess of gift wrappings, the seconds still tick on and the Spirit eases out. Who can forget Christmases past? Each one had its own special essence, all of which seem to blend into a consensus of joy, remembered even in September. So I sort through a few photograph albums — yes, there was a time when Kodak actually printed photos — in hopes of reviving the Spirit from all the memories.

Just what is it that produces the Spirit of Christmas anyway? Sufficiently spiked eggnog helps, but why is this date, this deadline, and the buildup to it filled with so much energy? It clearly has its own purpose of remaining dormant until its appointed time. Like the old wine advertisement, “We sell no wine before its time.” Advents arrive on their own time, just like hurricanes. The ice melts in my tea, and I lose all sense of time while browsing through the photographs. Something is stirring in them. Could the Spirit actually be waking up? Ah, here’s a picture of Sophie, our first Westie puppy, delivered at Christmas. She rips through the discarded gift wrappings like a tiny white tornado. The spirit of laughter overwhelms us. Even though she’s now buried in our front yard, her spirit remains. Oh, look at this one. It’s me, lying under a collapsed, 14foot Blue Spruce tree. Seems we overestimated the tree stand. The spruce was ultimately lashed to the door handle. Happy spirits are found in laughter. I’m soon captured by the spirits of these past Christmases and ignore heat, deadlines, Florence, Halloween, and football. The Spirit of Christmas has simply been hiding all along, sleeping silently amid the pages of this photo album, and I didn’t know it. Even today, the Christmas deadline is slowly ticking away. It’ll arrive soon enough, right on time, and the waiting will be over. It will bring its own spirit of the season and with it screams of joy and surprise will come from new voices as they blend with the old. The buildup of the season of joy will bring Burl, Bing, and Elvis along with it. While the deadline will come and go, the memories will always remain, endued with their own special meanings. The Spirit of Christmas is not that hard to find, after all — even in September. NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

the trilogy {DUE SOUTH}

Words by Ronda Rich t’s been several years since I took off for Ireland, intent on knowing better the place from which my ancestors sprung. This was before Tink and I married — a month before we even met — so, to the astonishment of my family, I journeyed alone. This gave me ample opportunity to quietly and seriously explore the land, its people, and my history. Dr. David Hume, an esteemed Scotch-Irish historian who resides in Belfast, most graciously entertained me for a day when I traveled to County Antrim to research my ancestors, the ones who left that land more than two centuries ago to travel to the Southern region of America. Then, a couple of years ago, he took a

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photo of the Northern Ireland coastline and sent it to me. When I saw it, it was remarkably familiar. Familiar not because I had journeyed there — the very place where the doomed Titanic was built and launched from the Belfast port — but because it looks like the land that I love so and which my feet love to trod as often as possible. It was the identical twin to Glynn County along Georgia’s coast. One early morning all those years ago, when I traveled by train from Dublin to Belfast, I saw and experienced firsthand what other historians had told me: Northern Ireland is so similar in terrain, climate, and looks to the Southern Appalachians that the Scotch-Irish who migrated from Ireland in the mid-1700s to North Carolina and Georgia felt

right at home. In the hills of Ireland were green pastures, small rivers, and lazy, grazing cattle with small barns scattered hither and yon as says my people. Those early settlers could close their eyes and inhale the freshness of the green grass and hardwoods and believe they were back in the land of their birth. It eased the homesickness. But David’s photo came at such a time that I did a double take. I was not there with him on the coast of Northern Ireland. I was, instead, on the coast of South Georgia; and the place where I was, looked exactly like the place that David had photographed. Tink and I were staying at The Lodge, an elegant yet welcoming place that is the sister property to The Cloister on

Sea Island. The roomy balcony of our cozy suite looked out on the St. Simons Sound with Jekyll Island winking from across the way. To see the Sound, one must first look past what I am told is a fantastic golf course for those inclined to allow the obedience or non-obedience of a little white ball to control their mood. I tend to let the evening news have that kind of control over me. It’s always pretty there, but the view from The Lodge was especially beautiful that day. A mist, akin to that which

hangs routinely on Belfast’s coast, hung low in a way that is not depressing but rather romantic and a little haunting. Scattered through the course and along the shoreline are live oaks and water oaks strewn generously with low-hanging moss. I feasted my eyes upon it and tried to memorize it, for I wanted to remember it as intensely as I viewed it. A couple of hours later, the ambience intensified when a kilt-clad bagpiper took his place on the golf green between us and the water and began to play the soothing but woeful sounds of the Irish and Scots. Tink and I discussed whether bagpipes had traveled with my people across that horribly dark and taunting ocean. “They wouldn’t have taken much room,” he said. I don’t know how it happened, but somehow my people became fiddle players rather than bagpipe performers. A great-great-grandfather on Daddy’s side — John Satterfield — was reported by a newspaper to be the equivalent of today’s rock star with his fiddling ways. I saw a photo where hundreds of folks were gathered to hear him play and, like some of our family hams, he happily took center stage. We stood on the balcony and, entranced, listened to the bagpiper’s wailing, soulful sounds. The Scotch-Irish loved forms of self-expression and entertainment. They told good stories and played good music. And, they made mighty fine whiskey to add to the party. I looked at David’s photo again and then back at the scene in front of us. Yep. Just like us. Our lands are so similar. It could have been the same place. Just like the historians said. This is part of a series of articles where bestselling author Ronda Rich recalls how she met and fell in love with the Golden Isles and its people. NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

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GOLDEN I S LES

ROCKIN’

AROUND

CHRISTMAS

THE

TREE Farm

Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm is a one-stop-Christmasshop for families picking the perfect tree while creating memories that last long after the ornaments are hung.

WORDS BY T AN GG TT PHOTOS BY TA A A GI S N

We invited the Walker Family — Brooke, Jim, and their children Kate, Lily George, and James — on a private tour of Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm in Darien. The farm has been part of many families’ holiday traditions since it opened in 1978.

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

The perfect Christmas picnic includes this woven tote, above, from Violaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market; a wooden tray from Planters Exchange; red and white plates from Market on Newcastle; a YETI thermos from Ace Hardware; and your favorite pair of boots to walk the fields. The feast provided on this charcuterie board, right, was created by Chef Megan McCarthy and the team at Golden Isles Olive Oil.

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Harold and Jackie Webster, below, with their one-year-old lab at the entrance to their Christmas tree farm in Darien.

arold Webster runs his hands along the branches, pausing every once in a while to rub them together to release a fragrant whiff that smells like Christmas on a hotter-than-usual September day. Rows of Carolina Sapphires, Murray Cypress, and Red Cedars reach to the cloud-dotted sky blanketing his 115-acre property that sits just north of the town of Darien on the appropriately named Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm Road.

This adorable Radio Flyer wagon, above, is the perfect way for Kate Walker to pull James and Lily George down a field. We extend our gratitude to Gaye Brannon at Cutie Patooties in Redfern for lending us her wagon.

He takes stock of his timber crop as he walks around the trees, checking for any big gaps or dead leaves that may disqualify a tree from being sold in a few weeks. “I would say the average height of a tree we sell is 7 to 8 feet. We do sell a lot of big trees, if you look around … I don’t have any 20-foot trees, but I have a lot of 14s, 15s, and 16s,” he says as he shakes out a few limbs of one of the few Leyland Cypress trees he planted years before. He has since switched to planting more Murrays instead of the Leylands because of the Murray’s light fragrance and lack of shedding. “This is a small field here, so I have set it aside to grow big trees. Now, after this year, we will probably clearcut this field and replant it,” Harold adds, before walking over to a small area where the Red Cedars — which look like oversized shrubs next to the tall cypress trees — are filling out nicely. Too small as standalone NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Jim Walker, chief executive officer of PrimeSouth Bank, was happy to visit Webster’s Christmas Tree Farm with his family. “We at PrimeSouth are very committed to supporting local businesses and working to help them thrive. That passion drives us daily as we strive to enhance our community,” he says.

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trees, the cedars — along with a few pines — will be hand-clipped to make 150 homemade wreaths and 1,000 feet of garland that will be sold at the little shop at the farm’s entrance off Highway 99. At any one time, there are 18,000 trees growing in the Georgia dirt under the watchful eye and calloused hands of the Christmas tree farmer, who along with his wife Jackie and four children, have been growing the symbol of the holidays for the past 40 years. Harold’s father started a farm on the land in the 1960s, but he had moved away by the time Harold left the U.S. Army in 1977. Harold came back to the Darien property, knowing that if he wanted to stay on the land and raise his kids here, he and Jackie would need to find a way to afford the property taxes for it. “We had large unsold trees that were 20-something feet tall, and we were cutting the tops out of them and selling them. So, we decided to replant and we started selling,” Harold says of the first Christmas tree selling season in 1978. Harold and his family have kept planting, trimming, and cutting trees for countless households to enjoy every holiday season since. Years of patience, hard work, and a little luck goes into each of the 20 acres that has trees growing on Webster’s large farm. The fun begins the day after Thanksgiving as families from near and far trek to South Georgia’s North Pole. The farm stays open until the trees for that season are sold. Sometimes that means a five-week selling season, other times like this year, the Websters will sell out long before Christmas Eve. “It has always been fun, but there is a lot of hard work at Christmas time,” says Jackie, who spends her workday hours as the seventh-grade science teacher at McIntosh Middle School, down the road from the farm. “It’s always a little different every year. We always think of something to do, then we perfect it. Then, we get bored and do something different. So it’s always different every year, and just about every weekend.” As one would expect, the weekends are the busiest with a rush for those first days following Thanksgiving. The Websters may sell as many as 200 trees in a day. Across the property, people line up for hayrides pulled by tractors to different fields where they hope to find the perfect pine, cedar, fir, or cypress for their living room this Christmas. Santa makes

Join us for a celebration of life, love and giving at

Lights of Love

as our wooded Hospice campus is transformed with the glow of thousands of holiday lights shining in honor and memory of those who have touched our lives.

5 p.m. Service of Remembrance followed by Lights of Love Program Thursday, December 6th, 2018 Hospice of the Golden Isles 1692 Glynco Parkway Brunswick, GA 31525 For more information or to purchase a memorial/honorary dove ornament, please call or visit 912.265.4735 | www.Hospice.me Sponsored in part by:

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

C E L E B R A T I N G 36 Y E A R S

and looking forward to many more

In Loving Memory

Emma | Jamie | Arami

R I C H A R D H E C K L E ( 19 4 8 - 2 018 )

Richardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandchildren

t ented emo o ist nd rtist n id fisherm n nd n round re t m n who w s enormously invested in his children and grandchildren. We love and miss him dearly.

C U S T O M

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occasional visits on the weekends, too. He sits underneath the shaded water oak just behind the gift store, where the wreaths and garlands are sold. Boy Scouts, along with different school and civic groups, help out around the farm, too, while raising funds for their causes. “It has instilled a lot of character through this Christmas tree farm,” adds Jackie, reflecting on what the farm has taught her own kids. “They learn how to work hard and play hard. It began as a way to pay taxes and now it has turned into a family vacation every year when the kids come home.” It’s been 40 years of trimming, plowing, and cutting, but Harold and Co. don’t show any signs of stopping — not even when the land took a beating during hurricane season two years in a row. Matthew came and went in 2016, without too much damage, but Irma’s arrival a year later was devastating. The September 2017 storm dumped between 12 to 14 inches of rain in the fields already saturated from a wet spring and summer. Despite their best efforts, the Websters lost thousands of trees because of the flooding. “In the one field we had to replant, we lost about 2,000 trees, or about three acres … they were under water,” Harold says. “We had a little pond up there, and we had a pump. We tried to get the water off the field, but we just couldn’t. There was too much water.” Sadly, those 2,000 trees were part of the crop that would have been ready to sell this year and next, reducing the selling season from five weeks to just two or three for the next couple of years, Harold predicts. “It takes five to six years from the time we plant before a tree is big enough to sell,” he says. “For sellable trees, if you take 2,000 out of that, it puts me behind a couple of years.” To offset some of his loss, Harold is bringing in 300 Fraser firs from a wholesale tree farmer in North Carolina this year. He usually only brings in 100 or so — a necessity since Fraser firs, White pines, Douglas firs, and spruces can’t grow in South Georgia because the climate is just too hot. But Harold understands why some customers just love Frasers. “They smell so good and they have strong limbs. They are beautiful trees,” he says. The way Harold talks about trees, it is as if sap runs through his veins. He understands the benefits for each species he offers. For instance, the lack of shedding makes the Murray Cypress a favorite compared to the similar-looking Leyland Cypress with its thick blanket of leaves. Cedars don’t look like the traditional style of Christmas tree, so that’s why he uses those for wreaths. For those that love the look of pine, he offers Virginia ones as trees and wreaths, too.

Kate, Lily George, and James, above — with the help of Brooke and Jim — find the perfect places to hang their ornaments on the branches of a fragrant Murray Cypress tree. Kate, below, reaches as high as she can on a 14-foot Murray Cypress. The Murray Cypress is a popular choice for customers at Webster’s because of the tree’s fragrance and lack of shedding. NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

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And then there are the Carolina Sapphires, Jack Jackie’s favorite type of tree that always goes into the Webster home each Christmas. These have a blu bluish tint and a unique fragrance. “You either love the smell or you hate it,” Harold says with a laugh. His love-hate relationship with the Sapphires involves “The Christmas of the 14-foot Carolina Sapphire.” It’s a story that’s clearly been told many times, and yet still brings laughter when Jackie and Harold launch into the tale. “We had one that was in the field up there, and it was the biggest one. It was 14 feet tall. And we have one room in the house that has an 11-foot ceiling,” Harold says with a knowing look in his eye. “We don’t want anything over 10 feet, but she said she had to have it.” “It was only one tree. It was the last one,” Jackie says, justifying her choice. “She said that tree would fit, and I said it wouldn’t. It wasn’t going to sell anyway because it had an ugly trunk. And I knew if I cut it off, it getwould be very short. Anyway, we ended up get ting it inside,” he continues. Jack“He ended up getting me back, though,” Jack ie says with a laugh. “Instead of cutting from the bottom because it would take too many branches, he cut from the top. So this tree had a flat top.” That’s right. Harold cut four feet off — from the top, not the bottom — so it would fit inside their home. It looked more like a box than a triangle. “It smelled so good though. And I will always remember that … the kids were not happy, but they got over it,” Jackie adds with a quick smile shot towards Harold. “From now on, I try to measure.” And that’s something the Websters love about their jobs on the farm. It’s memory-making as much as it is tree-growing. But the work doesn’t allow for much of a break, even after the holiday season ends. Once all the sellable trees are chosen, chopped down, netted, and sent to adorn the living rooms across South Georgia, Harold will get the tractors ready to plow the fields before planting another crop of trees in January. And he will plant every tree by hand, just as he has always done since opening in 1978. It’s his tradition, after all.

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Harold Webster’ s Christmas Tree Guide Check the weather first. “It might be very warm. It might be rainy. It might be cold. We are open.” Footwear should be sturdy. “I always say, wear good shoes, wear boots. We are out in fields. There could be prickly pears, there could be holes … Don’t come out here in open-toed flip-flops or anything. You will regret it.” Leave any tools behind; you won’t need them. “You don’t have to bring a saw. All you have to do is pick the tree. We will cut it. We will load it. We will take it and shake. It will shake out all the loose needles … we will net it, measure it, and tell you how much it will cost, and then we will load it in your vehicle for you. They don’t have to touch it until they get it home.” Don’t worry about bringing your tree stand. “Put the tree stand where you want the tree in your house. Then, set the tree in there while it is still netted. You can get it straight because it is easy to get to the tree stand. You don’t have to crawl underneath it. Once you have it where you want it, just take a knife and cut the net and let it flop out.” Water your tree often. “Sometimes three times a day to start off with. Warm water to start with … If you get it in the water less than two hours from when we cut it, you don’t have to recut it. If it has been more than two hours, you have to recut the bottom before you put it into the stand.” Location in the home matters. “Personally, it is very difficult for a tree to survive [from Thanksgiving to Christmas] that long indoors. You got to keep the heat away from it. You got to keep the sunlight off of it. You need to keep the room cool. Sunlight will dry it out.” Recycle your tree. “After Christmas, people can bring their tree back — just throw it over the fence at the gate. There will be a sign up there. About the first of January, a local company will come by and chip them up. Of course, it is only locals, but there is plenty of recycling places around. Take your tree there.”

Harold and Jackie Webster at the entrance to their farm.

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Santa

can only eat so many sugar cookies or gingerbread men. So, we invited three women to add a little something special for the Christmas Eve offerings to St. Nick. These delightfully tasty cookie concoctions arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for Santa, either. Feel free to bake up a batch for holiday parties, gift baskets, or treats for the family.

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Recipes

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Sugar Marsh Sugar Marsh Sugar Marsh Cottage Specialty Confections Cottage Cottage Specialty Confections Specialty Confections

Directions Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cut butter into small chunks and add to the food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 minutes. Add in oats and process until mixture begins to cling together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead mixture a few times, then roll it with floured rolling pin. Thickness should be about 1/4-inch.

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Using a small 2-inch cookie cutter, cut dough into circles. Place rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the unbaked cookies for at least 30 minutes. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden. Cool cookies completely. To make the caramel topping, combine caramels and heavy cream in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals until caramels have melted. Stir well. Spread caramel on each cookie, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Caramel NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Chocolate 72

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t GINA TOWSON’S

Peppermint Chocolate Sables Ingredients for sables 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. salt 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg yolk Parchment paper or plastic wrap Directions Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt with a mixer on the lowest speed. Gradually add butter until the dough begins to look sandy. Once all the butter has been added, add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix the dough further until all ingredients are incorporated and it becomes a consistent, sandy texture. Lay out parchment paper and place the dough mixture onto it. Form the dough into 2 to 3 logs about an 1-1/2 inches wide. Wrap the logs in parchment paper and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the dough logs and slice cookies 1/4-inch thick. Place cookies on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Ingredients for ganache 8 oz. dark chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Crushed candy canes Directions Heat heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until it begins to bubble. Remove cream from heat and add chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated. Let the mixture cool until it is easy to spread. Spoon and spread the ganache on top of each cookie. Sprinkle candy cane pieces on top before the ganache cools completely and hardens. NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

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Oatmeal Lace Florentine cookies

Oatmeal

Ingredients 1/3 cup butter 1 cup oats 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup flour 2 Tbsp. honey 2 Tbsp. milk, any kind 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. coconut oil 1 cup milk-chocolate morsels Directions Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and add oats, sugar, flour, honey, milk, vanilla, and salt. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or heavily greased tin foil. Drop 1 teaspoon — not Tablespoon, it spreads — of oat mixture on cookie sheet, 2 inches a part. Tap down with finger to flatten the drops. Cook for only 5 to 6 minutes. Edges should be a deep golden brown and inside looks gooey. Take out of the oven, and let cool for 5 minutes. Then, move each cookie to cooling rack. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the coconut oil and chocolate together for 20 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until melted. Place a dollop of chocolate on the bottom of one cookie then sandwich it with another. Let them cool completely.

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wan Rubins has always marched to the bleat of a different drum. In fact, when she was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, Rubins would often reply, “a goat.”

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It’s easy to understand why. The furry farm dwellers are docile while offering hilarious high jinks as well. It’s a combination that has made goats the barnyard darlings — and spawned a million memes. “They are like stand-up comedians who also cuddle and give you milk. It is really hard to be sad or frown when you have a group of goats calling to you. Goats love attention and each has their own personality and diva-like demands,” Rubins says. While a human-to-goat transformation never took shape, today she is just about as close as she could get to being a goat. She, along with her partner and fellow goat enthusiast, Jennifer Evitts, runs a farm in Camden County called the Hairy Farmpit Girls. There, they live and work with their cast of four-legged characters which includes Halle Dairy, Whoopi Goatberg, Goatie Hawn, and Michelle Obaaaama, among others. Rubins says that

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“Many people think that there is lye-free soap out there. That is a total myth. All soap contains lye, which is also called sodium hydroxide. Without lye, soap would just be a mess of oil and water.” - Swan Rubins

the brood has become family members rather than livestock. “All of our animals have a retirement plan. They will happily live out all of their days on our farm, never to be eaten or sold just because they are no longer being milked,” Rubins says. The Hairy Farmpit Girls are all about being animal and environmentally friendly as they craft their various products, which range from beard and lip balms to, of course, their popular goat milk soaps. “We are completely against factory farming and only use goat milk from our happy herd of Nigerian dwarf and Lamancha goats. We are the only people in the area that are both the goat farmers and soap makers all-in-one. We use sustainable palm oil, and all of our products are vegetarian, with minimal and compostable packaging,” Rubins says. “Our soap is different than most goat milk soaps in that we don’t use water in our soaps. All of our liquid comes from our goats’ milk, which makes for a luxuriously creamy bar of soap,” she adds. Of course, crafting that bar is no easy task. The process begins between 4:30 and 5 a.m. when Rubins wakes up — well before sunrise. 80

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“It’s just when my natural, internal alarm clock goes off. Soap making continues through the day; another batch is made around lunchtime and another around dinnertime, or whenever I have the chance,” Rubins says. The duo starts with melting essential oils, then mixing lye and goat milk. The lye, she adds, is something that is critical in all soap-making techniques, as it holds the concoction together. “Many people think that there is lye-free soap out there. That is a total myth. All soap contains lye, which is also called sodium hydroxide. Without lye, soap would just be a mess of oil and water,” Rubins notes. It has taken time and patience to perfect their methods. Since they began, the process has become more fluid, and the results have also improved. That’s when they decided to start selling the soap at community events, as well as through their website at hairyfarmpitgirls.com. The brand has been well received. So much so, in fact, that Rubins and Evitts are now turning out between 3,000 and 5,000 bars per month, and they have more than 300 varieties of scents.

Jennifer Evitts

NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

Swan Rubins

“Luckily, we sell a lot of soap because soap making is an absolutely addictive activity. I often say that even if we didn’t sell soap, I would still make 1,000 bars a month because soap making is so fun and therapeutic,” Rubins says. While they have 10 fragrances that are mainstays, the two are always experimenting. They enjoy creating small batches, making only 12 to 40 of one kind or another. “The possibilities are endless, and I find soap making to be an art. I often find myself dreaming of new soaps and new ones that I want to make,” Rubins says. While the soaps are a primary part of what they do, it’s not the only thing that the Hairy Farmpit Girls offer. They believe in sharing their love of all-things-goat. While the farm itself isn’t open to the public, the duo gladly takes the herd on the road. The goats have gone to school events, nursing homes, offices, and homes. They have even popped in for yoga at Pack Canine Studio on St. Simons Island and appeared for GoatGrams, where the brood surprises unsuspecting recipients. “GoatGrams are like a flower delivery but better because, instead of flowers, the recipients get a basket of our products as well as some time to play with a snuggly baby goat.” At the end of the day, Rubins notes it’s all about sharing the love. And, of course, smiles tend to follow wherever the goats go. “People who know us crack up when they see us and say that there is always a goat peering out the window when we drive. We don’t like them to get windblown or stressed out, so the goats ride in the car just like a lap dog would,” Rubins says.

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Poverty. Health concerns. Human trafficking. Land development interests. Some major issues affect people right here in Glynn County; but with the help of several small organizations, change is happening.

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>>>

O P E BED R SPREAD A T I O N FIGHTING

CHILDHOOD POVERTY

WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON PHOTO BY BOBBY HAVEN

Rees Carroll has always had a sincere desire to help others, but one encounter left his eyes wide open to a great need right here in Glynn County.

In 2012, he began mentoring a local student. It wasn’t long before Carroll discovered the student was repeatedly sleeping during class. And the reason shook him to his core — the boy didn’t have a bed. Instead, he and his sister had to sleep on the floor. Carroll consulted members of his Bible study group at St. Simons United Methodist Church. Together, the group put out the word and found beds for the boy and his sister.

But it wasn’t long before Carroll found that this was far from an isolated incident. In fact, there were many, many children in the area who did not have beds or were cosleeping with siblings or parents. He was stunned at the extent of the problem and resolved to do something to help.

Out of that need, Operation Bedspread was born. Established as a nonprofit in 2013, the group’s mission is to offer beds to low-income families who are unable to afford them. Through the past five years, Carroll and a small team of volunteers have collected beds, had them steamcleaned, and sent them out into the community. Locals in need have connected with the organization through social services, school officials, and churches. 88

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To date, they have collected and donated more than 800 beds and have raised thousands for the effort. While Carroll is grateful to be able to help, he is still saddened that the need is so great. “People will congratulate me and while I do feel good about doing it ... it’s just a shame that it is even necessary in our society,” he says. “And it is certainly bigger than just me. I might have been the catalyst that got it started, but I would hope that the work continued if something were to happen to me. It’s just really humbling.” While he has received solid support in terms of donations — both beds and funds — Carroll would love to see the community get even more involved. One way the to do that is by attending the group’s fundraisers. In fact, one is coming up. Holiday Bedlum, Operation Bedspread’s

>>>

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annual fundraising event, will be held on December 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Mullet Bay on St. Simons Island. “We had the Back to School BEDlam on August 19 at Brogen’s in the Village and had a really great turn out. It was incredible. We’re hoping to do that again. We will have a band and people come out and just have a good time. It helps us start the next year off because we get a lot of requests for beds around Christmas and at the beginning of the year,” Carroll says. He is also hopeful to see more locals volunteer with the group, noting that it can be physically taxing to go pick up the donations. The more help he can get, the more children he can reach.

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“We need help going to pick them up and deliver them. I would love to branch out to the surrounding communities, which we’ve kind of started to do,” he says. “We need more people to get involved and see what these kids go through. There are so many children that are so much less fortunate than our own.”

For more information or to get involved, call Carroll at 478-494-4980.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION > TACKLING HEALTHCARE NEEDS WORDS BY LINDSEY ADKISON

The Southeast Georgia Health System has likely impacted the lives of thousands of area residents. Whether being treated at the emergency care center or seeing affiliate physicians, patients have come to depend on the services it provides. Behind the scenes, though, there is a support network for the health system and the work it does — the Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation.

Tara Kirkland, left, Bryan Thompson, and Krista Robitz. Provided photo.

It’s a large task for the three foundation team members: Krista Robitz, director of Development; Bryan Thompson, coordinator of the Nunnally House and Development; and administrative assistant Tara Kirkland. But odds are, you have seen

The 2018 Bridge Run. Photo by Bobby Haven

their hard work throughout the community. From the Bridge Run that attracts thousands to cross the Sidney Lanier Bridge each February to the fabulous and creative talents showcased during the annual ARTrageous Bras fundraiser every October, the foundation uses unique ways to enhance the health care industry’s impact here and spread awareness of health concerns that affect many across the Isles. “Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation is creating awareness and support for the Southeast Georgia Health System community.

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NOVEMBE R/ D E CE M BE R 2018

The profound impacts of a donor’s generosity can be seen in all aspects of our health system. There are countless examples of compassion, stories of hope, and simple gifts of gratitude,” Robitz says. Two ventures, in particular, have made a substantial impact in the lives of countless patients and families. The Nunnally House, located at 3215 Kemble Avenue in Brunswick, opened its doors in May 2014. Gifted by Sea Island resident Hugh Nunnally and family, the lodging facility — provided at no charge to guests — offers a relaxing atmosphere for cancer patients, families of those in critical care, as well as medical students and staff working within the system.

Georgia Health System Foundation can now provide warm, comfortable lodging for in-treatment cancer patients, family members of critical care patients, rotating medical students, and on-call health system team members thanks to an incredible gift from Hugh Nunnally and his family. Mr. Nunnally’s compassion and devotion to our foundation and health system has changed the lives of those we serve,” she says.

In addition to Nunnally House, the foundation launched a massive capital campaign in March. The 2020 Vision Campaign will support the expansion, renovation, and growth of four key areas at Southeast Georgia Health System: Emergency Care Center; Surgical Services Tower and New In-Patient Floor; St. Simons Tower In-Patient Floors; and the Central Energy Plant. The campaign goal is $8 million.

In the fall of 2017, a second donation was added to the facility — the Gumaer Gardens. As with the Nunnally family, the garden was a donation by Sea Island residents, Lucia and Mike Gumaer. Robitz says the garden, like the house itself, promotes health and healing. “As strong proponents of the healing power of nature, the Gumaers’ vision was to extend the comfort and serenity of Nunnally House into a natural outdoor setting that offers distinct and thoughtful amenities with a seamless flow through three areas,” Robitz says.

Robitz says the mission of the foundation is sustained through people’s commitments, both large and small. “Become a Friend of the Foundation, volunteer at the Bridge Run, or support ARTrageous Bras,” she says. “Donor gifts of support can be designated for a certain purpose, or gifts can be contributed for our greatest need. Whatever way you choose, you can know that your gift makes a difference to the patients and families depending on our health system.”

The cozy lobby includes a fireplace and small tables for games or puzzles. Down the hallway, 40 furnished guest rooms are outfitted with televisions, queen-sized beds, telephones, and kitchenettes. Handicapped accessible bathrooms are also attached to the Seasonal flowers are planted suites. Two laundry rooms featuring around the patio, creating a calm washers, dryers, irons and ironing a ,cup boards;yare available for use while d n uL n y vE , n a m h g l i T a n n A , sn or a e H ss eT environment ,p o hsi B n e d d a Mfor y raM sa m oof h T coffee, l e hc a R , n os r e b o R y ti n er eC ,r ecr e M y e l i a B :)R ot L( m ot to B conversations, reading, or even a housekeeping staff provide daily ;l l e b p m aC r i at sa l A ,r e g n i kc e S ar a S , n n u D n a gr o M ,y e l ht r oW et aK , d o oW l a d n eK , z e d n a nr e H -z er eP r a g dE :)R ot L( e l d d i M meal. A custom-designed Aquasphere cleanings and fresh linens. A stocked r ekr aP avA :n w o hs to N ;n osd l a n o D w er D ,r ot c e R d d a L , e n i lr A e p oP , i ks w o d a S yb b o R :)R ot L( p oT fountain by international artist Allison community kitchen is open to those in Armour is featured prominently in the need of a quick meal or snack. gardens, too. “The fountain provides Since opening, Robitz says Nunnally continuously flowing and falling water House has brought comfort to creating a peaceful, relaxing space. countless individuals. “Southeast Beyond the fountain, beneath two majestic Live Oak trees, are ylpeed gnirac elihw seciv res gniknab lanoitpecxe edbenches ivorp otthat si noissim ruo , knaB y tinummoC detinU tA face landscape draoB roinuJ ruo fo ssalc ht flew t eht ecudortni ot dwindows, uorp erawhich ew ,yadoT .ev res ew seitinummoc eht rof subtly shift colors ,loohcS hgiH kciwsnurB morf stneduts loohcs hgihand nedetails ethgieasfo pu edam si draob ehT .srot ceriD fo .raey loohcs lufsseccus a ,stneduts lla dna ,meht hsunlight siw eWchanges. .ymedacA nnylG dna ymedacA acirederF Encircling the windows is a .ssorcyaW dna snomiS .meandering tS , kciwsndry ur B gni v r e S stream filled with small stones, inviting guests to leave their own message of hope, health, and healing,” Robitz says.

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Bottom (L to R): Bailey Mercer, Cerenity Roberson, Rachel Thomas, Mary Madden Bishop, Tess Hearons, Anna Tilghman, Evyn Lundy; Bottom (L to R): Bailey Mercer, Cerenity Roberson, Rachel Thomas, Mary Madden Bishop, Tess Hearons, Anna Tilghman, Evyn Lundy; Middle (L to R): Edgar Perez-Hernandez, Kendal Wood, Kate Worthley, Morgan Dunn, Sara Seckinger, Alastair Campbell; Middle (L to R): Edgar Perez-Hernandez, Kendal Wood, Kate Worthley, Morgan Dunn, Sara Seckinger, Alastair Campbell; Top (L to R): Robby Sadowski, Pope Arline, Ladd Rector, Drew Donaldson; Not shown: Ava Parker Top (L to R): Robby Sadowski, Pope Arline, Ladd Rector, Drew Donaldson; Not shown: Ava Parker

2018–2019 JUNIOR JUNIOR BOARD BOARD OF OF DIRECTORS DIRECTORS 2018–2019 At United Community Bank, our mission is to provide exceptional banking services while caring deeply At United Community Bank, our mission is to provide exceptional banking services while caring deeply for the communities we serve. Today, we are proud to introduce the twelfth class of our Junior Board for the communities we serve. Today, we are proud to introduce the twelfth class of our Junior Board of Directors. The board is made up of eighteen high school students from Brunswick High School, of Directors. The board is made up of eighteen high school students from Brunswick High School, Frederica Academy and Glynn Academy. We wish them, and all students, a successful school year. Frederica Academy and Glynn Academy. We wish them, and all students, a successful school year.

Serving Brunswick, St. Simons and Waycross. Serving Brunswick, St. Simons and Waycross.

PROGRAM FOR ST. SIMONS

> ASSISTING CONSERVATION For more than a decade, little cards on the tables at Barbara Jean’s Restaurant and Bar have informed patrons that a portion of their check would include a donation to the St. Simons Land Trust. Restaurant owner Jim Barta forged a path to contribute to land conservation that eventually led to the launch of the 1% for St. Simons program last year by the St. Simons Land Trust, whose mission is to preserve historic, cultural, and environmental features of the barrier island since 2000. “The feedback [of the 1% for St. Simons program] has been so positive to see it grow and branch out to other businesses and be able to support land preservation in a different way,” says Sara Baker, who manages the 1% for St. Simons program at the land trust. “With any new initiative, you worry about how the program is going to be accepted in the community and if it is going to be successful. Frankly, we are so blown away with how the community embraced it. They were very accepting and eager to participate.”

WORDS BY BETHANY LEGGETT PHOTOS PROVIDED BY ST. SIMONS LAND TRUST

Twelve businesses, primarily restaurants, were the first to officially join Barbara Jean’s efforts last October to start off the voluntary giving program. Contributions made through the group are used for land acquisitions; education and outreach; and public access to parks, waterways, and wildlife preserves. And the list of participating agencies continues to grow. With more than 30 involved now, the network of like-minded groups touches several industries, including lodging, retail, real estate, activity outfitters, associations, and services. “We’ve almost tripled our supporting businesses since we launched. We started at 12 participating businesses. Now, we are at 30. So, we are at 150 percent increase of growth,” Baker says. The businesses may come from different sectors of the economy, but they all overlap in their mission to preserve land on St. Simons, Baker says. ”St. Simons is one of the only islands on the Georgia coast that does not have significant state or federal protections from development. So the 1% program is raising donations, pennies at a time,

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to preserve the island’s natural scenic character and to enhance the quality of life for our island community for present and future generations,” she says. Feedback is critical for the program, which involves a lot of busy people with their own businesses to run, Baker says. She meets with a seven-member committee of land trust board members, community leaders, and 1% business owners throughout the year to update each other on progress made. She often pops into stores and restaurants to just check in, too. For Baker, success for the 1% program is three-fold. First, donations raised are helping “preserve those pieces of property that are most vulnerable to development that could destroy historical, cultural, and environmental features.” Secondly, spreading the word about preservation is leading to new avenues she previously didn’t expect. Visitors dining at participating restaurants or staying at participating lodging have called to ask how they could start a sister program in their own hometowns.

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“That land conservation message is really reaching such a wide audience,” she says. And lastly, the partnered growth within the first year has led her to reach out to new types of businesses.“Launching with a dozen businesses — and growing it to 30 — is a tremendous success for us, and we really feel that the growth potential is endless,” she says. It’s not just St. Simons businesses that are getting involved, either. The Lodge at Little St. Simons is the newest partner in the program. “We are all connected. We are neighbors. We have those same waterways. We have the same ecosystem. There’s so much that we share that benefits all of us,” Baker says. And in January, many restaurants participating in the 1% program will take part in the St. Simons Land Trust’s 19th annual Oyster Roast at Gascoigne Bluff. A note to our readers: The Brunswick News Publishing Company, the parent company of Golden Isles Magazine, is a media partner participating in the 1% Program.

LODGING • Village Inn and Pub • Little St. Simons Island RETAIL • Island Bridal Boutique • Two Friends • Uncle Don’s Local Market GALLERIES • Anderson Fine Art Gallery ACTIVITY OUTFITTERS • Kingfisher Paddleventures

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Several participating business representatives of the 1% Program.

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HOUSE OF

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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY LEGGETT

By this Christmas, Darcelle Burandt hopes to hear laughter filling the halls of House of Hope, the newest facility in the state of Georgia to provide a safe environment for children who have been rescued from sex trafficking. The home, whose location can’t be disclosed except to say it is in Brunswick, will soon be a refuge, complete with individual bedrooms, a beauty/pampering room, an educational room for homeschooling, therapy rooms, a dining room, kitchen, and more.

Darcelle Burandt. Provided photo.

“You will never really feel prepared. But you keep doing the next right step. And that’s just what I do every day,” she says. Burandt — whose background as a licensed professional counselor includes 12 years at Centered for Life — has incorporated her skills with her faith in

bringing this mission to reality. “When the Lord called me to it 18 months ago, I always knew I wanted to do a group home because I didn’t see myself doing individual therapy at a traditional place,” she says. “So I went to the state and found out what their greatest need was, and their greatest need was this.” Human trafficking is a threat to minors in Georgia. According to data collected by the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 212 cases involving sex trafficking reported in the state in 2017, and 53 of those cases involved minors trafficked for sex, labor, or both. Since a single case can involve multiple victims, the number of victims of human trafficking — children and adults — identified in Georgia totaled more than 400 last year. Despite the harrowing problem facing the state, there are only 3 facilities, with 33 beds shared between them, in Georgia that provide a safe place for children who have been sexually

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All the upfront costs of the home have been fundraised by the community or come from Burandt, who hasn’t taken a paycheck in more than a year. “That’s why these homes are so hard to open. They do not give you a penny. You have to have all the rooms done and all the food in the cabinets before you get a contract. They won’t even come see you until you get your license,” she says. Once the house is approved by the Department of Juvenile Justice; Georgia Cares, a statewide victim service agency for child victims of sex trafficking and exploitation; and the Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the state will fund about 60 percent of the home’s operating costs. Burandt will have about 25 trained staff on a rotation of three 12-hour shifts so the girls in the home can be monitored according to the regulations required of a maximum watchful oversight home. There are security cameras throughout common areas in the home. Medications, cleaning products, and knives will be kept by the staff in a locked area, and anytime the girls want to use items that have cords such as curling irons, an adult will be present. Therapies offered by House of Hope staff will include some the latest research for post-traumatic stress disorder. Besides art journaling offered by artist Mandy Thompson — whose artwork hangs throughout the home — and expressive dance lessons that will be offered by Christina’s Dance World, trained therapists will be on hand to do EMDR, eye movement desensitization reprocessing. “It is a form of therapy that uses eye movement with a machine. Basically, it takes your trauma that has been stored and stuck within us, and reintroduces it to your feeling state. So you can actually be able to start feel again, instead of being like Fort Knox, because it wasn’t safe to feel before,” Burandt says.

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exploited. But with the help of Burandt and many others, there will soon be more beds to add to the list.

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She also plans to use neurotherapy to help the girls heal. “What neurotherapy does, is that it goes in and takes that part of the brain that’s been traumatized and it just works on that part of the brain until it is corrected,” she says, adding, “Nobody else is doing that.” In addition to therapy, the girls will attend Hope Academy, a curriculum from Alpha Omega Online Academy that will take place in a classroom on the bottom floor. Each girl will stay in the home for a year. With a 5-to-1 ratio of girls to staff, Burandt plans to take five girls in the first six months. With 8 furnished bedrooms already complete and two additional ones planned, she hopes to be able to be functioning at full capacity with 10 beds by next year. “The state would love for me to double up and have two in each room because they need more beds. But I am not willing to do that because the girls have had no sense of boundaries or sense of self; and therapeutically, they need their own rooms,” Burandt says. Burandt has been overwhelmed by the community support she has received in getting the home ready to take in girls. Every room in the home was sponsored and outfitted by individuals and organizations, from FLETC instructors to 707 groups.“The whole experience, to me, has been the most beautiful experience in my entire life. Getting to meet all these wonderful people. All you hear about is bad things — and yes, human trafficking is terrible. But there are so many good people out there that are willing to help if we can just give them an opportunity,” she says.

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Some little hearts need BIG expertise. Five-year-old Derrick doesn’t miss a beat, whether he’s playing at the park or building sandcastles at the beach. Diagnosed with four major heart defects before he was even born, Derrick needed big expertise. He got it with the pediatric cardiovascular team at Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville, which serves North Florida and South Georgia. They were ready to get right to the heart of his problems using high-tech diagnostics, medical technology and multiple surgeries. Mom Christina is grateful to Derrick’s medical team for giving her son a second chance at life. “He’s full of energy and his doctors are amazed! Some kids his age don’t do half the things he does.” That means more adventures at the park and the beach, going to school and playing kickball with his cousins.

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“My favorite thing is the looks and the faces of the children when they see Santa,” -George McManus

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he dark and chilly North Pole is more than 4,000 miles from sunny St. Simons Island. The dramatic distance, though, has yet to deter the big man in red from making his way down to the Golden Isles annually to bring the best-behaved boys and girls the gifts that their hearts desire.

Santa Claus makes many appearances in the area every December. He shows up in school classrooms, where he reads books to students and shares his wisdom about the true meaning of Christmas. He joins the community to watch the lightings of the giant Christmas trees on Jekyll Island and in downtown Brunswick each year. And he’s a main feature in Christmas parades across the county, from the streets of Brunswick to the Pier Village on St. Simons Island. George McManus, who has donned the red suit for 40 years in the Golden Isles, says there’s no comparable feeling to making children smile when they see Santa Claus.

“My favorite thing is the looks and the faces of the children when they see Santa,” McManus says. “They are just so open and so loving and honest. When you walk in the room, eight or 10 children run up to you and hug your neck.” McManus, whose long white beard and jolly disposition make him perfect for the role, began serving as a local Santa Claus as a favor to a friend. His neighbor George Metz had been bringing gifts each Christmas to children at the Brunswick Daycare Center, which has since evolved into the HeadStart program run by Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority. One day, in the late 1970s, Metz asked McManus if he’d be willing to bring the toys to the kids himself, dressed as Santa Claus. McManus happily agreed. “Of course, when Santa sits down and starts telling the story, the kids listen,” McManus says. “I have six children, so I used to do it for my kids.” McManus now meets with nearly 300 students every Christmas at HeadStart. He also visits groups at Frederica Academy, FLETC, College Place Methodist Church’s day care center, St. Simons Baptist Church, and many more. He’s got a list of about 85 places he visits regularly. “It’s been 40 years, and I’m still doing it,” he says.

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Spotted:

Golden Isles Holiday Traditions Children and families in Glynn County have multiple opportunities each year to be visited by Santa. For more than 70 years, as part of a tradition that dates back to World War II, Santa Claus has made stops on St. Simons Island, driven around the island in an open cockpit antique fire truck by volunteer firefighters of the Glynn County Fire Department. During his trip around the island, Santa offers local children the opportunity to sit on his lap and tell him what gifts he or she would like to receive. Each child also has, in past years, received little gifts in a stocking filled by the St. Simons Civinettes, a women’s civic organization. Santa’s St. Simons visit is a long-standing tradition. The fire department set up its station on the island in 1950s, and firefighters there have arranged Santa’s tour around St. Simons ever since. During the Christmas of 1989, he had to receive a police escort, as the 7-inch deep snow made travels around the island on the fire truck too dangerous.

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“The event starts with somebody reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’” says Mathew Hill, the Downtown Development Authority director. “It used to be Mayor Thompson, but lately it’s been Scott Ryfun … and then Santa comes at the appropriate point in the story.”

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The Brunswick Downtown Development Authority hosts a Christmas tree lighting event in Jekyll Square downtown each year, and Santa Claus always makes an appearance.

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The event, hosted every year on the day after Thanksgiving, serves as a kick-off to the holiday season. Hundreds of families and children attend the tree lighting, and the children never fail to show their excitement when Santa arrives, Hill says. “The kids go berserk,” he says. “They kind of get their first chance to talk to Santa.” Santa Claus also often serves as the ambassador for kind deeds in the area. Santa, along with his elves, collects teddy bears and other toys and visits several public housing neighborhoods in Glynn County, knocking on doors and passing out stuffed animals. For McManus, though, the simple joy of making children smile is enough to brighten any Santa’s day. “It’s something that you just can’t describe, unless you’ve been a Santa,” he says.

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Home beautifiers. Bingo partners. Backgammon buddies. Life organizers. Errand runners. Tour guides. Personal chefs. Good friends. Caregivers.

Eric W. Friedrich II

Schedule a free consultation today.

President

Discover Why More Families Schedule a complimentary Turn To FirstLight™ Home Care.

consultation today.

912-275-7133 (912) 275-7133 www.firstlighthomecare.com

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amily is a fickle thing. Siblings, especially, can push each other’s buttons like none other. On the flip side, most would use their dying breath to defend their kin.

drumming on the steering wheel ... being a goofball,” Joseph says. “But he also would ask who it was and tell us stories of when he’d seen this band or that.”

Just ask the King boys. Joseph and twins, Kalen and Kaleb, have had their fair share of ups and downs. But they wouldn’t trade one another for anything in the world. “My brothers can aggravate me like no one else ever could, but that’s because I know what they’re capable of,” Joseph says.

It was one reason that Joseph picked up the guitar himself. The twins, likewise, found strong familial influences in their pursuit of music. Kalen began playing the bass and Kaleb took up the keyboard.

The eldest of the three, he was the first to move to St. Marys from their native land of Texas more than a decade ago. Since relocating, he started pursuing a lifelong love of music. The Kings had always grown up listening to classic rock and blues with their father. “I remember riding in the truck with my dad and he would have classic rock radio going or one of the cassette tapes from the many box sets he had. It would be cranked and he would be jiving along with the lyrics and 112

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“Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top were huge influences on us when we were younger. Then our, mother would take us to church where our Aunt Melleesi was the organist on this huge B3 that really caught mine and Kalen’s eye,” Kaleb says. Kalen found blues legend B.B. King inspiring, too. “You’d have B.B. King smiling from ear to ear, playing one note that strikes you deep in your soul,” he says. Eventually, all three Kings ended up in Georgia, and it didn’t take long before they started playing in various bands. They played with Milltown Road, a popular Camden County group.

I have played a lot as a trio, but we’re catching wind as a full band and getting a lot of opportunities coming our way. Both are equally awesome, and it’s a blessing to be able to be a part of not one but two really groovy projects.”

But they also wanted to draw on their fraternal bond to create musical magic together. Kalen and Joseph started a duo called Two Dudes from Texas. They played in venues around the Isles for quite a while, but recently started working more as a three-piece, Them Vagabonds, which includes Kaleb. Other musicians often sit in with that incarnation to boost the sound. “We change up the music depending on whether it’s a trio or full band. With the trio, we mellow out and as our Dad says, ‘Make it smooth;’ but with the full band, we’re really able to jam out and play harder. With Jared Gore on bass and Brent Berryman on drums, they really came into the band and meshed with us really well. They’re both very talented dudes, and I’m glad we got them to join and play with us,” Kalen says. They have also continued to play with Milltown Road, which offers a little different vibe. “Milltown Road is more Southern rock, and we have four albums out. Them Vagabonds is more jam blues and is honestly just getting started as a full five-piece band,” Joseph says. “The brothers and

Regardless of which incarnation the Kings are playing with, they are simply grateful to be making music professionally and forming deeper connections with fellow music lovers. “Music has introduced me to so many amazing people from all walks of life, musicians and otherwise. It has afforded me opportunities that I could have never imagined when I was growing up in a small Texas town. Right now is a great time to be in the music industry because I feel a big change is coming and it’s about to get real good ... real good,” Joseph says. “My dream would be able to play festivals and be able to live comfortably playing music. I want to be able to touch people through our music. As long as I can play music, I’m really completely fine with my life,” Kaleb adds. At the end of the day, the brothers are just grateful to be living their dream — and being able to live that dream together. “Being able to play with the brothers is so cool, not a lot of people have the opportunity to even hang out with their brothers as much as we hang out, let alone play music together. It’s brought us together and made us closer as a family and as a band. We also crack jokes and make faces at each other and well get to dancing together as well. It’s all really groovy,” Kalen says.

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Tee and Marti Tolleson

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SO THERN GROWN CONCERT BRINGS CROWDS undreds headed out to ainbow Island for the Southern Grown oncert on abor ay wee end. The Saturday night concert featured N T AT as the headliners. Attendees also got a chance to chow down beforehand with a food truc festival. Photo assistance by ary Starr.

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Maureen and Stephen Musacchia Monica Lavin

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Joan and Angus Cam bell

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INTERNATIONAL NIGHT O T COMES TO JEK LL The International Seafarers enter hosted the 18th annual International Night ut at the organ enter on e yll Island on September 28. The evening included live entertainment, silent auction items, and cuisine and drin s from around the world. Photo assistance by ary Starr.

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Creating Your Best Life Beverly A. McBride, CDFA 400 Main Street, Cottage 6, Suite B

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Susan Imhoff, left, and Mary Griffis

eggy and Owen Rogers

The Rev VaCountess Johnson, left, Gwen Davis, and Shirley Roberts

FAITHWORKS HOSTS ANN AL CELEBRATION SERVICE aithwor s held its annual celebration of service on September 1 at Gruber Aviation on St. Simons Island. Volunteers, supporters, and community leaders re ected on the yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successes during the evening program that included dinner catered by alyards, a silent auction, and entertainment by wen Plant.

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at and Susan Thornton

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ozens came out for edfern Goes Gold on September at Gnatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anding on St. Simons. The third annual event, hosted by hildhood ancer and Team Alexa- ighting ac , raised money and awareness for childhood cancer. Several childhood cancer survivors attended the event.

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Alicia Tanner, left, holding Jaden Tanner, Nathaniel Tanner, and Eli ah Tanner

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COASTAL SEEN

Cindy Sim son, left, Connie Shelnut, and Mary Lynch

LIVE OAKS GARDEN CL B MEMBERS LEARN FLORAL SKILLS D RING SE TEMBER MEETING The ive a s Garden lub recently held their annual ic o . The September meeting was held at the rederica Presbyterian hurch, where members en oyed watching a presentation of the art of ower arranging. Afterwards, each member created their own arrangement. Photo assistance by Patrice Allgood.

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Faye George, left, Bonnie Leggett, and Marcie Kerstetter

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Sandy Anderson, left, Christina Allen, and Sydney ool

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Ken and Barbara Bleakly

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Mark Bell and Sandy Lent

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Marla Evans, left, and Christine Emde

ISLAND NEWCOMERS KICKS OFF NEW SEASON WITH TWO EVENTS Island Newcomers hosted a meet-and-greet, above, at Glynn Visual Arts on September 11, where those interested in the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities could find out more information. Then, on September 18, the organization hosted its first monthly mixer of the 2018-2019 season, below, at The Greenhouse on St. Simons Island. Photo assistance at Glynn Visual Arts by Gerry Gardner.

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David and Anne Marie Anderson

Debby Harrisberger, left, Robey Frasche, Konnie Maxfield, and Sharon Baer

Gerry Gardner, left, Debbie Townley, and Christine Emde

Jackie and Hart Neill

Karen and Scott Stansbury

Rich and Karen Fleming, left, and Sylvia and Jerry Whiteside

GOLDEN I S LES

Thank you to our generous community partners and supporters for a successful first year! We hope you’ll continue to choose these local businesses and watch your donations turn into protected acres.

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Dance. Giggle. Live.

From inpatient care to specialty care, we have the team and technology to take great care of kids. We want you and your family to Live your healthy. Go to SavannahHealthy.com to take a health quiz, find a physician or connect to a nurse 24/7.

Memorial Health

Joint Replacement: A New Approach. Southeast Georgia Health System is the only hospital in the area to offer patient-specific total hip and partial and total knee replacements using surgeon-controlled MakoÂŽ Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery.

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To learn more about Mako and how our orthopaedic team can help you, call 855-ASK-SGHS (275-7447) or visit us online at sghs.org/jointreplacement. 10/2018 ÂŠ2018 SGHS