Pooler March/April 2013

March/april 2013

Pooler’s Mayor

Mike Lamb

Growing

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CONTENTS March/April 2013

features

8 Mike Lamb Mayor Shares His Thoughts

16

22

30

Donny Tuten Life is Good Here in Pooler

Team Player Jeremy Bunton Shares His Story of Living With Autism

Pooler Recreation Spotlight Hugh Elton

departments

7 36

Senior Spotlight Linda Waters

04 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

Publisher’s Thoughts

CONTRIBUTORS Mitch is employed both by Gulfstream and his own wedding & portrait photography company - D&M Photo. He is a resident of Rincon and enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 sons, being behind the camera, studying foreign cultures and world music, and has a keen interest for all things having to do with world history, communication, the performing arts and technology.

March/April 2013 Julie Hales owner/publisher julie@idpmagazines.com

Mitch Allman Susan Deloach was born Susan Bessinger in Beaufort, where she still resides with her husband Larry and sons Hudson and Tucker. Susan has a gift for capturing the personality and unique essence of her subject whether on location or in the studio. Her portraits are as diverse as the personalities of the people she photographs - some are edgy, some joyful, but all have one thing in common: the sensitive, skilled and thoughtful approach of the artist behind the camera.

Susan Deloach Barbara Russell is a freelance writer and photographer, and in the past she was a high school English teacher and a flight attendant. Always an avid horse person and riding instructor, she enjoys writing for equine publications and she is writing a young adult novel about horses. For several years she wrote feature stories and a history column for Effingham CloseUp, and she has been published in a variety of magazines. Currently she enjoys writing for Independence Day Publishing.

Barbara Russell Paige Peebles-McDuffie is a freelance writer and blogger and relative newcomer to Effingham County. She is a life coach, motivational speaker and the owner of a small company providing international clients with personal and administrative assistance. She is a graduate of East Georgia College and is currently working towards her Masters in Behavioral Analysis.

Paige Peebles-McDuffie

Lane Gallegos graphic design and layout lane@idpmagazines.com Lea Allen administrative assistant/circulation lea@idpmagazines.com Candice Shaufelberger administrative / graphic assistant candice@idpmagazines.com DiAnna Jenkins sales manager dianna@idpmagazines.com Barbara Anderson account executive barbara@idpmagazines.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscribe to Pooler Magazine by submitting a check and subscription information form found in every issue. You may also subscribe by calling (912)8262760.

LETTERS TO THE PUBLISHER Write to us and tell us what you think. Pooler Magazine welcomes all letters to the publisher. Please send all letters via email to Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com Letters to the publisher must have a phone number and name of contact.

Phone numbers will not be published.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Pooler Magazine welcomes story ideas from our readers. If you have a story idea, or photo essay you would like to share, please submit ideas and material by emailing Julie Hales at julie@idpmagazines.com All articles and photos will be reviewed by the publisher, and if the articles and accompanying photos meet the criteria of Independence Day Publishing, Inc., the person submitting the material will be contacted. Stories or ideas for stories must be submitted by email. Only feature stories and photo essays about people, places or things in Pooler, Georgia will be considered.

Pooler Magazine is published bimonthly by Independence Day Publishing, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Pooler Magazine 108 International Drive Rincon, GA 31326 (912) 826-2760

06 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

www.poolermagazine.com

PUBLISHER’S Thoughts On the Cover

March/april 2013

Pooler’s Mayor

Mike Lamb

Pooler Mayor Mike Lamb Cover Photo by Susan Deloach

Julie Hales, Publisher

A City Of Change...

All Pooler residents have to do is look around….they are going to see change!

Change is here….has been here….and is still coming here!

In this issue of Pooler Magazine, we have some Pooler folks who talk about the past, the present and the future of the City of Pooler.

I recently had the honor of spending a few moments with Mayor Mike Lamb and life-long Pooler resident, Donny Tuten on two separate occasions. I asked both gentlemen the same question and received the same answer. My question was, “Did you think 10 years ago you would see the Pooler you see today?” Both gentlemen replied, “No, not at all.”

Mayor Mike Lamb shares with us his insight on our city, how it has grown in the past decade and the fact there are still may more changes to come. Mayor Lamb has been at the driver’s seat for a lot of this change. He is very quick to credit city council and city staff for being a part of this success. Read Mayor Lamb’s story and find out, not only about him, but where he sees Pooler today and tomorrow.

Donny Tuten has lived in Pooler all his life. His family owned a dairy farm here for many years where Donny worked as a young boy. He now owns a business on that same property that he has always called home. Donny tells us stories about the simple life in Pooler’s younger days. But, he also shares his thoughts on what Pooler has become. He, also, credits the city on a job well done.

Pooler is growing by leaps and bounds. You can barely ride through any part of the city now without seeing some type of construction. This much change tends to be a problem for most areas….not for Pooler. This city seems to take all this on effortlessly. My hat goes off to the mayor, the council and all city employees who strive to make our city a special place to live, work and worship.

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 07

Mayor Mike Lamb

Shares His Ideas On Pooler’s Growth Story by PAIGE PEEBLES-MCDUFFIE Photos by SUSAN DELOACH

M

uch of Mayor Mike Lamb’s rise to the mayoral seat of Pooler, GA is well known.

He was elected to a council position in 2003 and was re-elected as mayor in 2005 after a short stint as mayor pro tem and he’s had his eye on the future ever since. Mayor Lamb reminisces “I opened that particular council meeting as mayor pro tem and closed it as the mayor.”

Although he was fairly new to politics at the time, Mayor Lamb wasted no time rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.

His first order of business was to beef up the recreational offerings of Pooler.

There was only one recreational park a decade ago, and with a population that has greater than tripled since he took office, there was a definite need for a stronger parks and recreation department.

Mayor Lamb says “Pooler saw growth at an alarming rate” and he felt that providing parks and recreation for the swelling numbers of residents was important for the community well-being. Although Pooler now boasts two city recreational parks, a community center and a senior

08 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

center as part of the Department of Parks and Recreation, “the project is only about 1/3 completed,” shares Lamb.

Mayor Lamb credits his council and his staff with Pooler’s fine balance between rapid growth and providing the infrastructures to support that growth.

“Organization is key, and having the right staff is so very important” the mayor notes before continuing, “we’ve got some really great folks here.”

His enthusiasm for his community and love for his job is evident by the pride in his voice as he explains “I’m not just the mayor. I’m also a citizen.”

He married Diane Scott, from Pooler, in 1971 and raised their two children Scott and Wendi here. His son Scott remains a resident of Pooler and his daughter Wendi and her husband are due to present the mayor with another grandchild in May. He shares with quiet pride, “Pooler has over 20 churches to meet the needs of our people.” He is a member of Rothwell Baptist Church and was ordained as Deacon there in 1979. He has served as Sunday School Director for 18 years and

Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 09

believes that serving the members of his church in those capacities prepared him for serving the citizens of Pooler. “I believe in prayer and I ask God for wisdom and guidance all the time.”

Just about the time Mayor Lamb was elected to office, his wife was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder known as MSA or “multi-system atrophy.” The progression of the disorder is similar to Lou Gehrigs disease and has left Mrs. Lamb disabled for the past several years and Mayor Lamb had to curtail some of his participation in church activities. The mayor has been a primary caregiver for his wife,until recently, when the family was blessed to have a great caregiver named Dawn come on board to help out.

Community involvement is important to him as a citizen. He is a Charter Member of West Chatham American Legion Post 322 and a Charter Member of the Pooler Lions Club.

Pooler Parkway shows the largest area of growth, but Lamb is adamant about not neglecting the original downtown shopping area and is passionate about preserving the historical shopping and residential areas of “Old Downtown Pooler.” His vision includes revitalizing the old shopping district with locally owned boutiques and businesses and working with zoning to ensure residential areas are preserved accordingly. It’s important to him that he works with the community to help shape the dreams and goals of the citizens for their city. “I would like to maintain the unique 1900’s look of Old Pooler,” the mayor confides. There are also plans to build a new city hall and to repurpose the current city hall as a new police station.

Efficiency and organization are important to him. It is the key to a well run city and planning ahead is essential. When The Outlet Mall of Georgia’s developer, Ben Carter, of Ben Carter Enterprises recently announced plans to bring the 560,000 square foot luxury shopping outlet to Pooler near I-95 and Pooler Parkway, the mayor and city council swung into action and started traffic studies in anticipation of the proposed outlet mall project. Carter projects that when fully open the outlet will attract 1200 to 1700 jobs.

Another area near and dear to the mayor is the recycling program. “Since we added curbside recycling, more people than ever are recycling.” Not only is recycling good for the earth, but there is also the matter of space. The population of the world is not getting any smaller and there will be less space for trash disposal unless citizens begin to recycle materials. Each individual will add significant waste to the planet in their lifetime. “Cha nge starts at the city level,” says the mayor, “and we are doing our best to make it simple for people to recycle.” Curbside recycling greatly reduces the demand on the city’s landfills.

Pooler has experienced a population boom in the last decade and it shows no signs of slowing down in the near future. According to 2010 US Census, the population was 19,140, nearly triple the 2000 count of 6,239. Pooler has a solid middle class and has been able to maintain a fairly constant millage rate over the years. The estimated median household income for Pooler residents was $66,092 in 2009, up 40% from $47,202 in 2000.

The mayor has seen the city grow from a bedroom community to a complete city under his watchful eye and careful leadership.

Lamb realized early on that the youth were the future of the city, and saw that Pooler was losing it’s young people to other pastures after high school. He feels like the academic campuses such as Georgia Tech, Embry Riddle and Savannah Technical College that have now added campuses in Pooler “add a lot to what we can offer our young adults” and goes a long way to citizen retention.

In addition to the retention of the younger citizens, there is

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an increase in the number of retired citizens in Pooler. A lot of people are choosing this area for retirement and the mayor is thinking ahead there also. The Senior Citizen Center is growing and the mayor credits Leisure Services Director Hugh Elton for helping nurture vision for a thriving recreational community for seniors. Mayor Lamb’s mother is in her 80’s and lives with the mayor and his wife. “I can’t get my mother to go down there and socialize,” he laughs ruefully, “but I enjoy going down there myself when I can and meeting with the members at the Senior Center.”

He is very happy with the fact that the city speaks for itself.

“We don’t offer special incentives or tax breaks for businesses to come to Pooler,” he offers with quiet pride. “They come because it is a good place to do business.” Pooler is geographically blessed with main highways and interstates. Highways 17 and 80 and Interstates 95 and 16 run through or near Pooler, making it a

thoroughfare for travelers, commuters and commercial transport.

An expanding restaurant and entertainment industry also makes Pooler enticing to new families and local residents.

Lamb worries himself with the pacing and the growth of Pooler and making sure all the steps are covered. “There is nothing worse than a city that grows faster than it can keep up with. It’s a sure formula for disaster” and feels that a moderate steady pace is better than rapid, unpredictable growth.

Something else that is important to the mayor is the safety of not only the citizens of Pooler, but the visitors as well. Low crime, quick response and being a small town community have been factors in the explosive economic growth. “We have one of the finest law enforcement departments around, and we are very proud of our fire and emergency response teams. When you call 911, the first responders will be local responders while you wait on the ambulance to arrive.” This leads Mayor Lamb to his next

passionate endeavor: providing a hospital for the Pooler area.

With the nearest hospital nearly nine miles away, he feels that the population growth and number of retirees either staying in the area or choosing Pooler as a place to retire warrants that the city have a local hospital.

He attributes much of his early success on the careful planning and long-term vision of the mayors that preceeded him, a legacy he firmly believes in leaving for whatever mayor that follows him.

The City Seal states “Pride, Family and Honor,” words that fit Mayor Lamb to his core. He’s coy and deliberately vague about whether he will seek office again at the end of this term. “Let’s see what life looks like around election time. That’s when I’ll make up my mind,” he chuckles lightly.

For more information on the City of Pooler, visit http://pooler-ga.us/

Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 11

ower case after Please)

Get some great food at Taste of Pooler and the Westside!

Thursday, April 18 5PM-7:30PM Crosswinds Golf Club 232 James B. Blackburn Drive near I-95 exit 104

Tickets are just $10 per person. A ticket will get you in the door to enjoy free food samples and non-alcoholic drinks. A cash bar will be available.

Great food from area restaurants at the Taste of Pooler and the Westside

For more information, please contact: Pooler Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Inc. at office@poolerchamber.com or (912) 748-0110.

This is a catered event for guests and members of the Pooler Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Inc.

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12 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 13

• Story By PAIGE PEEBLES-MCDUFFIE

M

attress Firm is making a name as America’s #1 mattress retailer. With both corporate and franchise owned stores, Mattress Firm focuses on creating a unique shopping experience for the customer by providing a large selection of quality, brand name bedding products, competitive pricing and knowledgeable, welltrained associates.

Local franchise owners Robert Moul and Adam Fazio began their own Mattress Firm franchise in 2007, opening their first store in Bluffton followed rapidly by stores in Savannah at Abercorn Commons and Twelve Oaks, as well as another store in Hilton Head. Their newest opening is in Pooler and they have plans to open three more stores in the area before the end of 2013.

Moul says, “Pooler was an easy choice when we were searching for the next location to open a showroom.” He waxes warm to his subject and continues enthusiastically, “Pooler is enjoying tremendous growth in population and increased popularity as a destination location for dining and shopping - key factors in our decision.” The Pooler Mattress Firm location has become the flagship store for the franchise group and features a showroom that was planned, designed and built from the ground up. The owners purchased the land the stores sits on and worked closely with designers to create an 8000 square foot showroom that is

14 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

Photos By CANDICE SHAUFELBERGER • bright, modern and customer friendly.

Store Manager Waylon Cain is a graduate of the College of Charleston and joined the Mattress Firm team straight out of college and worked as an area manager for two and a half years managing nine stores in Texas before moving back to the Coastal Empire in 2009. “I got word from a former co-worker that Mattress Firm was looking for management in the franchise market locally. It was a perfect opportunity to move back closer to home.” Cain is excited to be back in the local area and is looking forward to putting down roots in the Pooler community. Mattress Firm of Pooler is a member of the Pooler Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau and eagerly anticipates implementing fundraising events for local charities in the year ahead.

Mattress Firm’s unique approach to customer service and staff training sets them apart from other mattress showrooms. Robert Moul explains, “there are five distinct things that make us different: 100 days of happiness, red carpet delivery service, 100 day price match guarantee, extended warranty and employee training.”

• 100 Days of Happiness - If you are not happy with your purchase, the sales team will find something that works for you, even if that means your money back.

Robert C. Moul Franchise President • Red Carpet Delivery Service - Mattress Firm rolls out a genuine red carpet when they deliver your purchase.

• 100 Day Price Match Guarantee - Mattress Firm will refund 110% of the difference in an advertised price when you bring in the ad.

• Extended Warranty - All 10 year warranties are automatically extended to 15 year warranties, and Mattress Firm will handle your warranty claims. You never have to deal with the manufacturer!

• Employee Training - all Mattress Firm employees enjoy a week long intensive training school in Houston Texas to become sleep experts before being introduced to the sales floor.

Paid For Advertisement

Waylon Cain Store Manager The easy-to-shop Comfort by Color color-coding systems introduced by Mattress Firm helps demystify the mattress shopping experience. “The color coding system includes the full range of options, spanning Firm (Yellow), Plush (Orange), Pillow Top (Red), Memory foam (Green) and Tempur-Pedic® (Blue), and makes it easier for consumers to choose the mattress that is right for their individual needs. Mattress Firm’s Comfort by Color system also allows consumers to compare comfort across all major brands – from Sealy® and Simmons® to specialty mattresses and bedding products like Tempur-Pedic® – against one another.” Friendly and well-trained sales staff will work with you to find a sleep solution that matches your sleeping style and addresses any sleep-related health issues.

Mattress protectors and pillows round out the line of accessories in addition to bedroom sets. Mattress protectors will extend the life of your mattress by several years. Mattresses are often warrantied for ten, fifteen or more years but if they are not protected by a proper mattress protector you will need to replace your mattress every eight years. Moul explains, “an unprotected mattress can double in weight within eight years from dead skin cells, body sweat and oils, dust mites and in worse cases, bed bug infestations”.

Pillows are an equally important purchase to consider when buying a new mattress. Even the best constructed pillows will break down and lose support over time. Pillows are essential to spinal support during sleep and facilitate spinal health and overall well-being. Experts say pillows should be replaced every few years, and most definitely when you purchase a new mattress. All pillows are not created equally and the team at Mattress Firm will help you select a pillow that is right for your sleeping habits.

Like Mattress Firm Pooler on Facebook and watch for exciting giveaways and special offers to be announced.

Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 15

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A TEAM PLAYER: Jeremy Bunton Story by PAIGE PEEBLES-MCDUFFIE Photos by MITCH ALLMAN

t first glance, the family playing on the playground at Tom Triplett park on a blustery Sunday in March looks like any other family. Mom and Dad are there, wiping noses and pushing swings and herding three very active kids between the ages of two and 13. Look closer and listen intently and you will soon see that there is something a little different about the two older boys. Jeremy is the oldest at 13, and ignores the adults for the most part, patiently climbing the steps to the slide over and over with his younger sister, 2 year old Olivia. Jake is the middle child at 10, and gestures broadly at the swings and begs plaintively “swing! swing! swing!” while Mom, Christen Bunton, patiently explains repeatedly to Jake that all the swings are full and he will have to wait his turn. This doesn’t satisfy Jake and he becomes increasingly agitated and his demands accelerate. Dad, David, moves back and forth between the swings and the slide, dividing his attention between the kids activities and redirecting or joining in to keep things running smooth. Oblivious to the subtext happening around her, Olivia runs and cavorts in her pink ruffled skirt, laughing and playing with her brothers. Autism is what sets this family apart.

In a world where 1 in 88 children are born with autism and 1 out of 54 boys are now diagnosed with some form of autism, it’s becoming increasingly common to hear of individuals with autism spectrum disorders. It’s less common to find a family where two out of three children are affected. Autism is characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art. Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age.

There are several therapies that can be used based on different fundamental approaches. Early intervention is key for individuals with ASD. Some early intervention approaches include behavioral approaches (applied behavior analysis) or less behavioral interventions such as RDI (relationship development intervention) or SCERTS (social communication/ emotional regulation/transactional support).

In the late 90’s, the Bunton family was like many other young families. Newly married, Christen and David were expecting their first child. Christen read all the baby books and followed all the proper rules. She did all the right things after Jeremy was born in 1999, including getting his vaccinations.

She didn’t make the connection to vaccinations until much later that many of Jeremy’s changes and developmental setbacks were occuring after his vaccinations.

Jeremy was slow to begin to talk and had problems chewing and swallowing food. Doctors originally identified chronic ear infections as the source and suggested tubes for his ears. By fourteen months Jeremy had not yet begun trying to walk and was exhibiting signs of balance problems. “Everyone thought it was just because Jeremy was a big boy. My husband and I are big, so it seemed normal,” says Christen. Rapidly, the evidence began to pile up. Daycare was reporting that Jeremy

Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 17

Above: Assistant Defensive Coach Barry Dunham and Jeremy Left: Head Football Coach Jerome Lee

The Bunton Family, L-R: Mom - Christen, Olivia, Dad - David, Jake, Jeremy

“Jeremy cares deeply for his teammates and will often reiterate our pep talks to the players. He puts his own unique perspective on it, and really helps motivate the team.”

- Coach Dunham had no desire to interact with the other kids, and that he was content to play alone and would express his frustration by flapping his hands and arms, a process his parents now know as “stimming.” He was obsessed with the color orange and would compulsively line things up in order or in patterns. By sixteen months, Jeremy began to receive speech therapy and learn to communicate with the world around him.

Frustrated by a lack of concrete diagnosis, his parents changed pediatricians and Christen started researching Jeremy’s symptoms on her own. In the meantime, Jake was born. The next few years were a whirlwind of adjusting to a new baby and trying to find answers for Jeremy. Little did the family know that within a few short years, Jake would be diagnosed with a lower-functioning form of autism than Jeremy. Thanks to programs like Babies Can’t Wait and a progressive school system that works hard on inclusion for special needs students like Jeremy and Jake, both boys are now happily learning and making good grades in regular classrooms.

Jeremy entered seventh grade this year and surprised his parents when he approached them about trying out for football. People had mentioned to Jeremy over the years that he should play football because of his size. David Bunton shares his surprise at Jeremy’s announcement, “Jeremy came home with that form for the physical exam and we were stunned. We talked it over though, and signed it. We let him get the physical and try out for the

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team.” Jeremy remembers, “I thought it sounded cool. I thought it might help me with my weight problems.” He sums it all up with a heartfelt statement of wonder, “I’d never played sports. Until now.”

Head Football Coach Jerome Lee and Assistant Defensive Coach Barry Dunham both recall Jeremy’s first moments on the field doing conditioning exercises. “That first day was really hard for him” says Dunham. “The second day was much better.” In fact, during those first two days of tryouts, Jeremy got frustrated and gave up. He quit tryouts, told the coaches he was done and went home, frustrated and angry with himself. “It was one of my lesser days,” he admits candidly. “But this new generation is very sensitive to blood pressure, diabetes and being overweight.

I wanted to be healthy. I wanted to work out with the team.”

His dad says, “Jeremy was upset with himself for quitting. We talked to him for a long time and told him we wouldn’t make him play if he didn’t want to. The thing is, he wanted to be part of the team.” After putting some thought into it and talking things over with the coach’s, Jeremy decided to become team manager. This would allow him to work out and condition with the team, and play on his greatest strengths: his unflagging encouragement of his teammates and his desire to help people. The biggest surprise of the season is that Jeremy succeeded in his goal to improve his weight. He’s lost forty-two pounds since working out with the football

team and now conditions and trains with the basketball team to keep up the health benefits. Both Christen and David are fixtures at the athletic facilities on practice day and game day. One or the other is always there on hand to watch Jeremy practice and train with the team and to help in any way they can. Individuals with autism often benefit from consistency and familiar surroundingss, familiar faces.

As Coach Lee watched Jeremy become more and more integrated with the other team members and improve in his conditioning exercises, his original perspective of Jeremy began to shift. He reflects “I didn’t know what to expect really, but through my experience with Jeremy I have learned to look beyond the surface, beyond the first impression. Every child is different and unique, and Jeremy brings something different to the team. It’s undefinable and it has changed our team.”

Coach Dunham adds, “Jeremy cares deeply for his teammates and will often reiterate our pep talks to the players. He puts his own unique perspective on it, and really helps motivate the team.” The West Chatham Middle School Wildcats enjoyed a championship year this year.

In a rare, unguarded moment Jeremy reveals from behind eyes closed tight, blocking out the overwhelming onslaught to his senses, “I learned I was different somewhere around third grade. That’s when I learned about autism. It’s alright though. I’m going to go to college.” And he probably will!

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. They include autistic disorder, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.

ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art.

Facts about Autism: • Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys • Autism prevalence figures are growing • Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. • Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average • Autism receives less than 5% of the research funding of many less prevalent childhood diseases • Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism • There is no medical detection or cure for autism

The following “red flags” may indicate your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. If your child exhibits any of the following, please don’t delay in asking your pediatrician or family doctor for an evaluation: • No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six

months or thereafter • No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial

expressions by nine months • No babbling by 12 months • No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing,

reaching or waving by 12 months • No words by 16 months • No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 21

Donny Tuten: Life in Pooler • Story by BARBARA RUSSELL • Photos by SUSAN DELOACH

W

hen talking to Donny Tuten, it doesn’t take long to realize that the community of Pooler is very important to him; in fact, it’s more than important– “It’s like family,” he says.

Family is so important to Tuten that he chose to build his business, Garden Acres Mobile Home Community on the exact location as his family’s former dairy farm. The farm was where he was born and raised, where he learned work ethic and love, where he enjoyed porch sitting and friendship -where he learned to love Pooler.

Some have said that “Donny Tuten is a pillar of the Pooler community,” - but he humbly will not acknowledge that statement. “The community has been good to me,” he says simply. “If I see something that I’m able to help with, I’m willing to help - just good neighborly stuff – not anything you can want a badge for.”

“You know, I’ve had people help me, and if I see something that needs help, I help – you’ll always need help in life, and helping somebody out will make you feel good. Together we can go down the road a lot easier and further.”

A large aerial photo of Tuten’s Dairy hangs high on the wall behind his desk.

22 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

The photo shows the large farm’s several barns, silo and out buildings. He points to a building in the bottom right hand corner of the photo, “This was our house,” he said. An unpaved Rogers Street is in front of the house and railroad tracks run beside it, and his present office sits in the exact location of his childhood home. “It was right here, where we’re standing right now,” he says. Tuten’s personal office is in the front right-hand corner of the building with windows that look out to the corner of Rogers Street and the railroad’s William’s Crossing.

“I’ve spent my whole life on this corner,” he says. The family farm house burned and all of the family photos were lost in the fire, but there is a large portrait of his mother, Azalean, hanging on a wall in Tuten’s office. It was given to him by some relatives. “There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of her,” he says.

The farm is gone, the photographs destroyed, but the memories are set in time. While growing up on the dairy farm, Tuten learned a strong work ethic. “You know, on a dairy farm everyone worked from when you were five or six and up,” he said, “and I think it helps you with your work ethics. It was just a way of life.

Nobody really had any money out this

Pooler Magazine | March/April 23

“I can’t imagine living in a big city and not having this kind of relationship with people and families. It’s been real special to me.”

way. We were just a working community, and my daddy was probably one of the hardest working people – he worked seven days a week.”

When he was only six, Tuten said he probably learned more about work by just being with his family and seeing them work.

As he got older, job responsibilities increased, and when he was twelve years old Tuten was given an important job. The job involved watching the cows. Of course, cows are a dairy’s most valuable asset, and one day his job led to a disaster.

He tells the story: “During the winter months we planted a field with clover, and that was the winter food for the cows.” he said. He goes to his office window and points across the railroad tracks. “The clover was planted in a field right down there, and there was also a baseball diamond and a house over there,” he said.

“After the cows were milked in the morning, I’d get on my horse and drive them to the clover field to graze for two or three hours, and then I’d drive them back, “he explained.

“The field wasn’t fenced, so I was supposed to sit over there and watch them,” he said. “Anyway, there was some kids playing ball, and I got off the horse and got to watchin’, and got to playing ball like a kid will do, and we was just having a big time, and I hear a train coming, and it’s blowing way down the track, and I’m thinkin’…. I wonder why he’s blowing it so early for - they always blew right in here for the trestle - but they’re way down there…. and then it dawned on me, and I run out there and looked, and there were cows all over that railroad track, and that train come through there and killed seven of my daddy’s cows – and I didn’t think he’d ever quit whipping me! They should have put that belt in the Hall of Fame!”

“So that was one of the jobs I had – I didn’t play no more ball!”

Tuten likes to talk about Pooler’s ‘good old days’ –when times were simpler and Pooler was just a small town, and how the small community was close-knit and everyone knew everyone.

“There used to be a sign on Highway 80 that said: Welcome to Pooler - Population 1,750 people, and it stayed like that for years and years. It didn’t grow a whole lot, and….

-Most all the streets were dirt, only Hwy 80 was paved.

-There used to be only one policeman. He did not write tickets the first five days of the month – he read water meters! There wasn’t any crime really.

-There used to be only one fire station and all the firefighters were volunteers.

-There were no restaurants – you had to go to a truck stop on Dean Forrest and Highway 80 to get a hamburger.

-The first restaurant here was a Tasty Freeze, which is where Don’s Bar-b-que is now.

24 March/April 2013 | PoolerMagazine

-There was a movie theater in Pooler during the 50’s. It was owned by B.E. Gnann, and the admission price was only 25 cents!

-“There was a store where the Bank of America is now. It was a little wooden store, and it had a porch. We used to sit on that porch, get a Coca-Cola and a pack of crackers, and that’s where we all used to hang around.

“There was a brown delivery truck called Jewel Tea, and they would deliver all kinds of goods to your house. They’d pull up at that store, and we’d always be sitting on that porch, and they’d say, ‘Do you all know where Ms. Jones lives?’ And you’d say, ‘Go down to the second street and take a left, and it’s the fifth house on the right, and you gotta go to the back door because they don’t answer the front door.’ –That’s how good you knew people!”

It was like Mayberry - “That’s how I grew up!” he said. “Everybody knew everybody. And if somebody came by and told

my daddy I’d done something wrong –I’d get a whipping! There wasn’t no question. It was like the community was raising you.

But there were lots of friendships,” he said, “and I’ve had a real good life.”

“Back then, Pooler was just a little country town,” he said.

But Pooler wouldn’t stay that way forever. When the interstates were being built, growth in the community was inevitable.

“Changes started in the 60’s when I was in the Army, and I-16 was built,” he said. “During the 70’s when I-95 was built with an exit at Pooler, it just exploded. Restaurants started showing up everywhere, and it has not slowed down.”

Being in the Army changed Tuten’s life too. He was only 19 when he was drafted, and he served two years in Viet Nam. “The military made me grow up. It really helped me,” he said. “I got to see a lot of the world….and you see people who don’t have water or food, and the kids don’t have schools to go to….and if someone tells you about it, it’s not the same as seeing it….

“I was wounded once….”

That’s all he said about Viet Nam, but unspoken words can speak volumes, and he returned home, ready to help in the community that he loves. “There’s a need for mobile homes - it’s a need for shelter for working people,” he said. That’s the premise he used when he built his Garden Acres Mobile Home Community.

His business grew as the city of Pooler grew, and he works hard to maintain a close-knit community there.

“Pooler has been good to me. There’s some awful nice people here and nice families. I’ve had a real good life, good friendships, and my wife, Shirley, and I have been married for 44 years. We have two wonderful daughters, Tammy and D.J. and a 13 year old granddaughter, Carla.

“The community has grown, all the improvements have been for the better, and business has been awful good.

“We’ve been real lucky with the people that run the city,” he said. “It’s been planned out by the city fathers: the mayor, the city council, the city manager - and the citizens of Pooler – they go to council meetings and throw ideas out. They’ve done a great job with how our interchange looks, getting all the zoning properly, nice buildings at the exits….they make nice things go in place.

And Pooler has done great with their recreation department” says Tuten. “I think they’re thinking that if you build recreation, you won’t have to build jails. It’ll keep your kids active and involved with team sports.”

Tuten’s father, Joe, also knew the importance of having a place for children to play, and the Pooler Park on Rogers Street is a result of his foresight and generosity.

“My daddy donated that land to the city for recreation,” he said.

“The city didn’t have any money for recreation, and it was built by volunteers, and the kids helped too -after practices, they had to help out and do whatever was needed.” They learned to be part of a team in work and in play – they helped build the community.

“My roots are so deep here, and I know so many people here that I can go into Spanky’s and I will see four generations of a family having a birthday party, and I’ll know all four of them – and that’s pretty neat!” he says.

Do you just really love this place? – “Shoot yea! It’s just been a great place to live!” Tuten says. “The way of life here is good. I can’t imagine living in a big city and not having this kind of relationship with people and families. It’s been real special to me.”

“You know – life is funny,” says Tuten….

“Yesterday is history, “Tomorrow is mystery, “Today is real – so enjoy today….

“Help somebody out – it’ll make you feel good!”

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 29

Hugh Elton

30 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

Director of Pooler Recreation Department And Leisure Services • Story by PAIGE PEEBLES-MCDUFFIE • Photos by SUSAN DELOACH

L

ike many college kids, Hugh Elton had a part time job and worked his way through school.

The young Health and Physical Education major did odd jobs part time for the Pooler Recreation Department looking after the equipment and helping out with some coaching, never dreaming that it would one day shape his career. He went on to graduate and pursue his original intention, to teach and coach.

He married his sweetheart, Rhonda Gracen, and they had two children Marc and Zach, now 16 and 15 years old.

He and Rhonda both took jobs teaching and he’d spent about five years at West Chatham Schools when he heard that the position of Leisure Services Director for Pooler was opening up.

Elton says, “Back in college I always loved the work. I loved working with the people and with the kids, and I really enjoyed organizing the sports programs. Even after graduation I always wanted to come back [to work in the Recreation Department]”.

He attributes the success of his department to the highly qualified staff he has working for him. They each bring a unique strength and vision to the table and are integral and essential to the growth of the department. “We’ve also got a lot of good parents. They care about the programs...and some of them stick with volunteering and coaching long after their kids phase out of the programs.” Hugh also notes, “there is more to learn here than sports. There’s friendship and responsibility.”

He’s worked hard to increase the enrollment of Pooler area youth into Recreation Department sports, and says that between 2500 and 3000 kids participate in the programs each year. He says his long-term enrollment goal is to have high enough enrollment numbers that all team games are among local leagues. “By keeping our teams playing against each other locally we can control the environment they play in.” He also says it will ensure safety and make allowances for special needs players that might be otherwise phased out due to Association age requirements or other rules”.

The youth athletics programs are currently designed for youth athletes, kindergarten through age 14. “ The local

school systems do a great job with middle school and high school athletics. Our program fills the gap in athletics that occurs prior to middle school,” Elton explains. The Recreation Department cooperates with local school coaches to share resources so that the schools can use the department baseball fields and the department can use the school gyms.

The Recreation Department boasts two major recreation parks - Pooler Park on Rogers Street and Pooler Recreational Complex on Pooler Parkway. Pooler Park hosts the gymnasium and has five baseball diamonds and three large green spaces for general use. There are also playgrounds and picnic areas.

The Pooler Recreational Complex has five baseball diamonds as well, and two soccer/football fields with several picnic pavilions, playgrounds and restroom facilities. The Boundless Playgrounds were installed through a grant from the American Tire Association. Boundless Playgrounds are designed for kids and adults, with and without disabilities to have the opportunities to explore and engage in the highest levels of play together.

The Recreation Complex is also host to athletic tournaments from March to July each year. Promoters will use the facilities for such competitions as youth sports tournaments. These athletic events are also present an economic opportunity for the restaurants and hotels in the area that service the out of town attendees and spectators.

He’s just entered his seventh year as Director and says he feels like he’s just getting started. “We are always expanding our offerings and right now we are hoping to diversify into more non-competitive sports.” He says that the department has always been strong in athletics and is happy to see that the dance and tumbling program is robust and thriving.

His long term vision includes athletic programs for the adults but says space is a critical factor in that. “We simply don’t have the space to add adult athletics in right now without taking something away from the kids.” Elton acknowledges that it’s been a struggle keeping pace with the rate of growth in Pooler but he adds that the mayor and the council are very supportive of the Recreation Depart-

P ooler R ecreation S potlight

Hugh Elton:

Hugh also notes, “there is more to learn here than sports. There’s friendship and responsibility.”

ment. “It’s a balance between growth and need and striking that balance is tough”.

The Senior Citizen Center also falls under the direction of Hugh Elton and he says the seniors “are as much fun as the kids!” He is excited about the updates and renovations that are happening to the Senior Citizens Center in various stages and thinks that senior programs are important to the community.

The center offers exercise classes, bible study and activities like jewelry making. Members can take advantage of day outings and occasional weekend trips.

“The center stays pretty busy most of the time. The daily activities are usually from 9 am to 3 pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays seem to be the busiest.” He estimates 300 seniors use the center each week.

So pack up a picnic, grab the kids and head to one of Pooler’s fine Recreational Parks. Watch a game, play on a playground, or just sit on the open grass and be at one with the world. And while you are there, remember to thank Mr. Hugh Elton for his direction of the Pooler Recreational Park and Senior Citizen Center.

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 2012 33

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Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 35

Linda Waters

Senior Spotlight:

Linda Waters, Born and Raised in Pooler • Story by BARBARA RUSSELL • Photo by MITCH ALLMAN

L

inda Waters was born and raised in Pooler so she has seen many changes. She grew up on a dairy farm that was founded by her grandparents, Lewis and Josie Lee Herrin, and to her, life in Pooler wasn’t very exciting.

“There was nothing to do. There was no place to go,” she said.

“Families didn’t have multiple cars - we just had ‘a car.’ We couldn’t shop in Pooler. We didn’t have a restaurant in Pooler.

The one little movie theater we used to have closed down - there was just nothing to do in Pooler - you know, anything that an active teenager would want to do. Some people may be unhappy because Pooler has grown and become more commercialized, but I see it as the ideal. I still have my memories and everything of how it was, but now - I can shop here, and I can go to the grocery store here. I can see a movie here. There are things for the young people, and I just think it’s wonderful!”

At the turn of the 20th century, Waters’ grandparents, Lewis and Josie Lee, traveled from Maner, Georgia to Pooler. They were a young married couple with an ambitious dream to start their own dairy farm. “Maner is about 100 miles from here,” said Waters, “and some people in the family think they may have brought the cows with them, herding the cows in front of them, but I have not been able to confirm that,” she said.

When Lewis and Josie Lee arrived in Pooler, there was not much here except Hwy 80, a railroad station, some farms and maybe a country store. But there was a lot of open land that would be good pasture for dairy cows, so that’s where they settled, and their dairy farm dream became a reality.

Originally, the Herrin Dairy was situated right at the corner of Hwy. 80 and where I-95 is now, and part of their land fronted Hwy. 80 - “right about where the Gate gas station is,” said Waters, of course, that corner of Pooler was just a pretty little piece of country back then.

Her grandparents lived on their dairy. They built a home with a “huge screened porch on the front” and an oak tree in the back, and they had two sons, Waters’ father, Lewis, and her uncle, Bert.

The brothers both worked on the farm and built homes on the property, and that’s where Waters grew up.

The Herrin Dairy thrived, but the economy didn’t. There were a lot of people in the area with small farms, but “when the Depression happened,” many were forced to close. “My grandparents ended up buying three or four small farms at the end of the Depression. I don’t know how they had the money to do it, but they did, and that’s how they ended up with hundreds of acres where Quacco and Pine Barren Roads are,” she said. They moved their dairy farm to the new location, but the Herrin families continued to live on the original homestead.

The local dairy farmers went through another difficult time when they could no longer sell their milk to the processing plant in Savannah, but they solved the problem. Herrin Dairy and several other dairies went together and built their own milk processing plant. They named it Starland Dairy, and the road that goes to the Mighty Eight Museum used to be Starland Road.

Dairy farming was hard work, and mornings started early.

“They got up at 4 am, or some ungodly hour, and milked the cows,” Waters said. “My father wore big heavy rubber boots.

They’d bring the cows in, wash their udders and milk them. They did that twice a day. Sometimes I’d go down there, and I can still hear the ‘swish, swish, swish’ sound. When my father came home about 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning he went to bed, and I was getting ready to go to school. I’d walk down the dirt road to Hwy 80 to catch the school bus.

In the summer, some of the dairy’s fields were planted in vegetables. “As soon as it would be light enough to see, we’d get out in the field and pick the vegetables,” she said. “We’d pick the beans and peas, and pull the corn. It would be soooooo hot. Then we would go out on that huge screened porch and shell the butter beans and peas.”

Her family called her grandparent’s house, ‘the big house,’ and a lot of time was spent on that huge front porch with family and friends. “We’d gather on the steps and solve the problems of the world,” said Waters. “And behind the house was a huge oak tree.

We (her cousin, Ann and her best friend, Kay) would climb up and just sit in the tree and talk – it was really a special part of my life.”

Kay Thompson was her best friend, and she lived on the neighboring dairy which was where JCB is now. “We’d play monopoly, and canasta, but most of the time we’d just lean back in bed and read,” she said.

Kay’s grandmother lived in Pooler, and also owned a house on Tybee. In the summer the two teens would visit her on Tybee for days at a time. “We’d go to the beach and stay from mid-morning til late afternoon,” she said. “At night we’d go bowling or roller skating. There was a skating rink out on the pier, and at night - we’d roller skate and just go round and round.

“I remember Mama telling about going to Tybee on the train.

She used to talk about how much fun they had. She grew up in Savannah, and all the high school kids would go down to the train station and ride to Tybee. They’d stay all day and dance at night, and real big bands would come and play at the Pavilion.

More changes came. Both Waters and Kay grew up, married and raised families. The Starland Dairy was sold. Waters’ grandmother’s house was demolished when I-95 came through, and the West Chatham schools are located on what was once part of the Herrin Dairy. Kay moved away….and of course, Pooler became a thriving modern city with a lot of things to do….but memories and friendships remain, and Waters and Kay have kept their friendship alive.

Waters is happy that Pooler has undergone growth and changes – and life for her here is “the ideal.” But in recounting her ‘growing’ up in Pooler, it’s clear that life in the small town holds many special moments that are difficult to find in today’s busy world, like sharing quiet times with family and friends without today’s modern distractions.

Pooler Magazine | March/April 2013 37

Words From Karen Robertson, Director of Pooler Chamber of Commerce

It really is Cooler in Pooler...

O

ther areas may be having a hard time with the economy, but Pooler certainly seems to be moving full steam ahead. Each week it seems we are getting more good news about companies deciding to locate in Pooler.

There has been news of outlet malls. The Village on Pooler Parkway, which plans to have T. J. Maxx and Ross Dress for Less as anchors will also include a new restaurant. Plans for an Olive Garden at the site were shared at February meetings of Pooler’s Planning and Zoning Board as well as City Council. GBT Realty, The Village’s developer plans to break ground on a 100,000-plus square foot shopping center behind Logan’s Roadhouse this spring (the developer’s website, www.Gbtrealty.com includes a brief overview of the project).

The upscale outlet mall known as The Outlet Mall of Georgia was announced last fall by Ben Carter Enterprises and has a 2014 projected opening according to www.bencarterenterprises.com. This outlet mall would be located in the area behind Sam’s Club.

Pooler and surrounding area residents as well as visitors are sure to welcome and embrace both The Village on Pooler Parkway and The Outlet Mall of Georgia. As Pooler continues to grow and prosper, it has a hunger for additional shopping options.

In February, Goodwill Industries broke ground on its new site off of Pooler Parkway. Goodwill’s new location will have several new features.

With all of this positive news the Pooler Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Inc. continues to grow with Pooler and has a number of events planned for this year.

38 March/April 2013 | Pooler Magazine

William D. Cannady, Sr., CPA, will present HELPFUL TAX TIPS at the chamber’s Lunch and Learn Tuesday, March 19,11:30AM at Savannah Quarters Country Club. Cannady is known for offering professional tax help in a manner that is “user-friendly” and not intimidating.

For this event, the chamber is also offering a special rate to area members of BNI, Lion’s Club, Pooler Networking Connections, and Rotary. Members of these organizations can enjoy Pooler Chamber member rates for the March 19 lunch. Cost is $20 for Pooler Chamber members and $23 for non-members.

In April, you can sample great food from area restaurants and enter for a chance to win door prizes at the Taste of Pooler and the Westside Thursday, April 18, 5PM-7:30PM at Crosswinds Golf Club. Tickets are just $10 per person and get you in the door to enjoy free food samples and non-alcoholic drinks. A cash bar will be available.

On April 19 and again on October 9, the chamber is welcoming the St. Joseph’s/Candler Mobile Mammogram Unit at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. Call (912) 819-6800 to schedule an appointment.

Other upcoming events include the Pooler Marketplace in July, Savannah Tire Flyin’ Pig BBQ & Music Festival in October and the Cooler in Pooler Resolution 5K and 15K in January.

For more information contact the Pooler Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, Inc. at office@poolerchamber.com or (912) 748-0110.

Ceremonies & Receptions Rehearsal Dinners Bridal Showers Groom’s Golf Outings Corporate Retreats www.SavannahQuartersCC.com

TM

Contact Erin Fountain to start planning your event today!

(912) 450-2285 efountain@troongolf.com

INVESTO RS WANTED ALSO!

Seasons of Japan is Coming to Florida and Caifornia!

455 Pooler Pkwy, Pooler 912-748-9383 New Publix Shopping Center

40 March/April 2012 | Pooler Magazine