Savannah Magazine - November/December 2023

THE GIVING I S SUE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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SMART SERVICES & SPECIALISTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE REGION. Residents of Southeast Georgia and the South Carolina lowcountry should feel comfort in knowing they have access to the most advanced oncology care in the region.

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109 39

FLOWER POWER

109

MERRY & BRIGHT

150

Camellias are deeply rooted in Savannah’s history and community. Now, locals are coming together to give the winter flower its due — and pass on the civic pride to the next generation.

Written by Colleen Ann McNally

55

Local philanthropist Ellen Bolch fills her historic Vernonburg house with family memories and holiday cheer.

Written by Margaret Daniel Photography by Kelli Boyd Photography

KELLI B OYD PHOTOG R A P HY MICHA EL SCHA LK

55

PETER COLIN MU RRAY / SA RA SPICER

39

A LISSA LEE N IC HOL SON / @FOR E ST C I T Y OFT HE SOU T H

T A S T E CONTENTS

150 GAME ON

Gather friends and family and make lasting memories this holiday season with a game night — complete with cocktails, sweets and gifts galore.

Photography by Peter Colin Murray Styling by Sara Spicer

THE SAVANNAHIANS OF THE YEAR

Meet 20 local movers, shakers and change-makers who made a real impact on the region in 2023.

Written by Andrea Goto, Brienne Walsh, Colleen Ann McNally and Sam Worley Photography by Michael Schalk

2 023 H O L I D AY L O O K BO O K Don’t miss this year’s Holiday Look Book, jam-packed with holiday happenings and local gift ideas, page 97.

ON THE COVER

A festive backgammon game night (see more on page 109) Photography by Peter Colin Murray Styling by Sara Spicer

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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CONTENTS

IN EVERY ISSUE

10

Editor’s letter

14

Contributors

22

Get Social

BUZZ

25

New in 912

30

State of the Art

32

November/December Events

39

Giving Back: Flower Power

47

Old Savannah: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

STYLE

55

At Home: Merry & Bright

72

Real Weddings: Olivia & Justin

TASTE

81

Tea Time

91

Get It While It’s Hot

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

127

Gift Guide (your guide to gift ideas)

177

Giving Guide (your guide to area nonprofits)

199

Senior/Retirement Living Guide

BE WELL

169

Beauty Boost

174

Cannabis Care

SEEN

205

Savannah Magazine September/October 2023 Issue Launch Party

206

Savannah Jazz Festival

206

National Association of Women in Construction Awards and Inauguration Luncheon

207

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire Beer, Guys, Cigars, Golf & Casino

207

Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity 40th Birthday Celebration

207

Savannah VOICE Festival Season 11 Finale Party

THE AFTERWORD

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Constructing the Christmas Spirit

DISCOVER THE COUNTRY DAY DIFFERENCE.

The Savannah Country Day School promises a transformative experience where students embrace a multitude of opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Our talented faculty combine the best in traditional and innovative education to help students reach their fullest potential while always treasuring each child’s energy, enthusiasm, and creativity.

Learn more about why Niche.com ranked Savannah Country Day as the #1 Private School in Savannah by registering for a small-group open house event.

Discover The Country Day Difference at savcds.org/admissions.

The Savannah Country Day School is an independent college preparatory school, serving students from junior kindergarten through twelfth grade, in addition to its early childhood learning center for children ages six weeks to four years old.

EDITOR’S LETTER

ESTABLISHED MAY 1, 1990

Savannah magazine’s mission is to celebrate the new and enduring voices of our city’s culture, commerce and creative community. Elegant and relevant. Authentic and fun.

That’s your Savannah, and this is your magazine.

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LAST CHRISTMAS, my husband and I pulled into our driveway after a few days away celebrating the holidays with family. Waiting for us was a wonderful surprise. Along the side of the house that we moved into a few months earlier, in what I naively assumed was a nondescript, overgrown evergreen shrub in need of trimming, were dozens of bright red camellias in bloom. I felt like I had won a lottery ticket.

Then came another surprise: a cold snap — much more frigid than usual for Savannah.

I soon found myself researching how to help my newfound plant rebound after the temperatures dropped below freezing. I felt responsible for taking care of the gift the previous homeowners had left behind.

Of course, I’m far from the only one to fall under the spell of the queen of the winter flowers. Just ask local enthusiasts Sidney “Doc” Smith, Don Waters and Gene Phillips. In a city better known for its live oaks and Spanish moss, these visionaries are ensuring that camellias get their due, while fostering community and teaching the next generation how to work together to create something beautiful that we can all enjoy together (“Flower Power,” 39).

That deeply rooted sense of community spirit and reverence for this place we call home are common denominators throughout our

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annual GIVING issue. Inside, meet our inaugural Savannahians of the Year — 20 local movers, shakers and change-makers who have impacted the region for the better. Get to know chefs collaborating across restaurants and cultures to create exciting pop-up menus (“Get It While It’s Hot,” page 91). And don’t miss when Service Brewing Co. releases its limited batch of Lincoln’s Gift Oyster Stout, which pairs perfectly with the many civic-minded oyster roasts happening around town this time of year (“The Gift That Keeps Giving,” page 47.)

Then, just in case you need more inspiration to get in the holiday spirit, step inside the lively Vernonburg home of philanthropist Ellen Bolch as she celebrates the season with her nearest and dearest (“Merry & Bright,” page 55).

Whether you’re tending to your garden, maintaining time-honored holiday traditions or starting some new ones — game night or afternoon tea, anyone? — I hope you, too, have a moment where you feel like you’ve won your own personal lottery.

Colleen Ann McNally Editor

6602 Abercorn St., Suite 202 Savannah, Georgia 31405; savannahmagazine.com

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CORRECTION In the September/October 2023 issue of Savannah magazine, Sojourner Mays, RDH, of Georgetown Family Dental is the winner of Best Dental Hygienist.

Photo by KATIE MCGEE

“new development”

Real estate has a language all its own.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Allison Stice Writer

three years ago with her family — and never wants to move again. A writer, photographer and art critic who has contributed to The New York Times, Architectural Digest, Interview, Art in America and Real Simple, among many other publications, Brienne currently teaches a class on art criticism at Savannah College of Art and Design.

Sam Worley Writer

“Savannahians of the Year,” page 150

“Tea Time,” page 81 “Get It While It’s Hot,” page 91 RAISED FROM the Ivory Coast to Paris, France, writer Allison Stice has a hard time answering “Where are you from?” at parties. Over 13 years, she has put down roots in her chosen hometown of Savannah, where she lives with her husband and two daughters, and contributes to Savannah magazine, Garden & Gun, The Bitter Southerner, Romper and more.

Mike Schalk Photographer

SAM WORLEY is a writer in Georgia and a current MFA candidate in creative nonfiction at Sewanee: The University of the South.

Formerly the deputy editor of Atlanta magazine, Sam has also worked at the Chicago Reader and Epicurious, and has had work published in Chicago magazine, Lapham’s Quarterly, Condé Nast Traveler, the Los Angeles Review of Books and elsewhere.

“Savannahians of the Year,” page 150

Brienne Walsh Writer

“Savannahians of the Year,” page 150 “Getting Personal,” page 122 BRIENNE WALSH is a New Yorker who moved to Savannah

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MIKE SCHALK, born and raised in Coral Springs, Florida, now calls Savannah home. This city is where he met his wife and cultivated his career. He loves it so.

Photography has been a part of his life since the early 2000s when he would borrow his mom’s camera to make skateboarding videos. Fifteen years later, he has found his stride in the commercial and lifestyle space.

Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015 and had the initiative to get back up to Philadelphia where she had completed a summer internship at Urban Outfitters Home Office. After interning, she grew her freelance connections in Philadelphia to include Urban Outfitters, David’s Bridal, Anthropologie and Free People. Sara now works full time at SCAD as an exhibitions marketing and communications manager, while also taking freelance styling jobs in her off time.

Kendall McKinnon Writer “Olivia and Justin,” page 72

Sara Spicer Stylist

“Game On,” page 109 SARA SPICER is a freelance fashion and stills stylist and designer based on the East Coast. She graduated from

KENDALL MCKINNON is an Alabama native who graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing in 2021.

She has since written for various publications — such as France Today, Art Journal, and Savannah magazine — about art, interior design, travel, books and Savannah, the city she loves most. Along with freelance work, she also writes full-time for SCAD in editorial services. When she is not writing, Kendall can be found playing with her daughter, reading, drinking tea or watching “Gilmore Girls.”

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YOU’VE LIVED. NOW IT’S TIME TO FEEL ALIVE. Here on beautiful Skidaway Island, you’ll discover The Landings, a community unlike any other. We’ll welcome you with open arms to our gorgeous upscale community, where you’ll live a full, active life every single day.

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PUBLISHER

Anita Hagin

Since 2003

EDITORIAL & DESIGN

Colleen Ann McNally Rebecca Hrizuk G R A P H I C D E S I G N E R Melanie Schmermund D I G I TA L E D I T O R Andrea Burg C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R Andrea Goto EDITOR

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V I C E P R E S I D E N T, F I N A N C E & O P E R AT I O N S

NOW ACCEPTING CONSIGNMENTS FOR OUR UPCOMING AUCTIONS Everard Auctions is always accepting quality consignments, from single items to large estates and collections. Send photos of your items to info@everard.com or call to schedule an appointment.

Moving? Send us your realty listing. Our online format allows your items to reach a global audience.

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION.

M O R R I S C O M M U N I CAT I O N S CHAIRMAN

William S. Morris III CEO

Craig S. Mitchell

ESTABLISHED MAY 1, 1990 Savannah magazine’s mission is to celebrate the new and enduring voices of our city’s culture, commerce and creative community. Elegant and relevant.

Authentic and fun. That’s your Savannah, and this is your magazine.

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AUCTIONS & APPRAISALS

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A publication of Southeastern Newspapers Company LLC. The cover and contents are fully protected and may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written consent of Savannah magazine. We are not responsible for loss of unsolicited inquiries, manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. They will not be returned unless accompanied by return postage.

Address letters and editorial contributions to Savannah magazine, 6602 Abercorn St., Suite 202, Savannah, GA 31405. Copyright 1990-2023 by Southeastern Newspapers Company LLC. All rights reserved. Savannah magazine (ISSN 10616748) is published bi-monthly with bonus issues in April, June, October and December for $19.95 per year by Southeastern Newspapers Company, LLC, trading as Savannah magazine, 6602 Abercorn St., Suite 202, Savannah, Georgia 31405. Periodical postage paid at Savannah, Georgia, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Savannah magazine, P.O. Box 37131, Boone, IA 50037-2131

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These stories from our September/October 2023 issue ranked as our readers’ favorites on Instagram and Facebook.

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C OU R T E S Y LE F T LA N E

*On Approved Credit*

M ICHA EL SCHA LK // N IKKI KRECICKI

MICHA EL SCHA LK

“Anything but Plain” Jane Fishel, co-owner of Savoy Society and Colleagues & Lovers, shares a look into her Savannah.

“La Dolce Vita” After growing up all around the world, Chef Derek Simcik is bringing a taste of coastal Italy to Saint Bibiana at Hotel Bardo.

In our Q&A, he talks about returning to his Southern roots and shares a recipe for his Pipe Rigate Verde.

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Visit online for more information LatitudeMargaritaville.com Obtain the Property Report required by Federal law and read it before signing anything. No Federal agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property. WARNING: THE CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE HAS NOT INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THE OFFERINGS. Latitude Margaritaville Kentucky Registration Number R-201. For NY Residents: THE COMPLETE OFFERING TERMS FOR THE SALE OF LOTS IN LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE AT HILTON HEAD ARE IN THE CPS-12 APPLICATION AVAILABLE FROM SPONSOR, MINTO LATITUDE HH, LLC. FILE NO. CP18-0021. Pennsylvania Registration Number OL001170. Latitude Margaritaville at Hilton Head is registered with the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen, 1000 Washington Street, Suite 710, Boston, MA 02118 and with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20552. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required and has not been completed. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only and are merely representative of current development plans. Development plans, amenities, facilities, dimensions, specifications, prices and features depicted by artists renderings or otherwise described herein are approximate and subject to change without notice. ©Minto Communities, LLC 2023.

All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced, copied, altered, distributed, stored, or transferred in any form or by any means without express written permission. Latitude Margaritaville and the Latitude Margaritaville logo are trademarks of Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC and are used under license. Minto and the Minto logo are trademarks of Minto Communities, LLC and/or its affiliates. CGC 1519880/CGC 120919. 2023

warm & joyous wishes

this holiday season thank you for a fabulous 2023

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TA S T E BUZZ S A V A N N A H

New in 912 Photography by KRISTEN MEDFORD

Get an inside look into the early years of one of Savannah’s most widely acclaimed literary darlings at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home (207 E. Charlton St.), which recently reopened for tours under new director Janie Bragg. O’Connor, the subject of Ethan Hawke’s recent film “Wildcat,” was born and raised for much of her childhood in the historic Lafayette Square home, which stands today as a museum and literary center dedicated to the legacy of the great Southern gothic writer.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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COU R TESY SHOT BY SOM I ST U DI OS

Shot by Somi Studios

AN TR AS

K

top-notch events across the Southeast, Beachview Event Rentals and Designs is expanding with its recent acquisition of Ranco Event Rentals. This full-service event company ushers in its talent and carefully curated inventory to Savannah through its new warehouse and showroom space (117 Westside Blvd.). … Tap into the rugged beauty of Gillian Trask’s fine jewelry at her new showroom (248 Bull St.). There, Trask melts silver and gold by flame and sculpts each design by hand, imbuing them with a raw, unconventional style that you’ll treasure for a lifetime. … Looking for the perfect custom gift boxes with that iconic Savannah flair? Check out The Fancy Pheasant (2 East Broad St.), a charming new gift boutique packed to the brim with locally crafted gifts, home decor, snacks and more — just in time for the holidays.

SY G IL LI

belly, noodles and more. … After a lengthy renovation following its closure in 2020, a beloved slice of local seafood history is back and better than ever with the reopening of Desposito’s Seafood (3501 Macceo Drive). Dating back to 1965, Desposito’s returns with a revamped menu that features a heaping platter of new, fresh seafood options alongside all the beloved classics. … Big style comes in small packages at Littles on Liberty (129 E. Liberty St.), the latest specialty store from upscale children’s outlet The Beaufort Bonnet Company. The luxury boutique specializes in refined clothing, accessories and gifts for even the tiniest tots. … Part high-end home decor, part curated design services, Proper English has arrived at the Twelve Oaks Shopping Center (5500 Abercorn St., Suite 41), where design consultants offer everything from in-home seasonal decorating to custom flower arrangements. … Capture that perfect moment at Shot by Somi Studios’s new location (41 Park of Commerce Way, Suite 303). The studio, now located closer to downtown, is dedicated to providing Savannah with accessible, firstclass studio photography. … VyStar Credit Union (477 Johnny Mercer Blvd.) now offers its low interest rates and wide range of banking and loan services to Chatham County for the first time at its 70th fullservice branch. … After 20 years of designing

C O UR TE

Calling all bookworms! Browse the shelves at Savannah’s newest independent, author-owned literary wonderland, The Stacks Bookstore (2409 Waters Ave.).

Keep an eye out for upcoming book events and meet the friendly bookstore pups, Lily and Dash, when the space opens this November. … The aficionados at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Spread Bagelry (6 W. State St.) are bringing their Montreal-style, wood-fired and smeared delights to Savannah this fall. These hand-shaped bagels are boiled in honey water, creating a slightly sweet and chewy take on the breakfast staple. …

Speaking of sweets, Honeysuckle Gelato (301 Passage Way, Suite B-104) recently debuted at Eastern Wharf. Stop by for a scoop, pint, gelato float or ice cream sandwich of your favorite flavors. … And it’s chocolate, lollipops and gummies galore at OMG Candy Store (21 E. Broughton St.). Create customizable candy gift boxes that will satisfy even the most insatiable sweet tooth at the outpost of Charleston, South Carolina’s splashy, rainbow-colored confectionery. … Meanwhile, local favorite PJ’s Thai Corner introduced their bright, richly flavored cuisine with a new Midtown location, Klom Klom Thai-Isan Café (7201 Hodgson Memorial Drive, Suite C), where they’re serving up familiar favorites like savory garlic prawns, crispy pork

SHOT B Y SOM I ST U DI OS

Proper English

COU R TESY PR OPE R E N G L I SH

BUZZ

Empowerment Cuff

by Gillian Trask

Grateful

for my clients

I’m deeply honored to be a three-time member of the invitational Christie’s International Real Estate Masters Circle as well as a Seabolt Real Estate Top Producer.

Please contact me at staci@stacidonegan.com or 912.247.2052 to find out how I can help you buy or sell your home.

View my listings: stacidonegan.com STACI DONEGAN

Associate Broker, Seabolt Real Estate C: 912.247.2052 | O: 912.233.6609 24 East Oglethorpe Avenue, Savannah, GA 31401 staci@stacidonegan.com | stacidonegan.com

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BUZZ

State of the Art Don’t miss this season’s most exciting art exhibitions

Will Penny in collaboration with Laney Contemporary at Thompson Savannah

“Look! A Survey of Savannah Artists” fills Sulfur Studios from Nov. 4 through Dec. 17.

Encounter works from 28 of the city’s most inspiring creatives, including Ben Tollefson, Gregory Eltringham, Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Preston Orr and Sally Mayer Seidl — just to name a few.

Written by COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY

AFTER MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF in the fashion world — he’s best known for capturing Beyoncé for a Vogue cover in 2018 — Atlanta-born photographer Tyler Mitchell returns to his home state for his most ambitious exhibition to date: “Domestic Imaginaries” on view at the Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art (SCAD MOA) through Dec. 31, 2023. The immersive installation features Mitchell’s captivating photographs printed

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on textiles hung from clotheslines and on otherwise ordinary pieces of furniture. The result? Works that require pausing, taking a closer look and being taken over by memories of other times and places in poetic and personal ways.

In addition to Mitchell, SCAD MOA’s complete lineup of new fall exhibitions is worthy of attention, with thought-provoking works by artists including Erwin Wurm, Nina Chanel Abney, Yu Hong and more.

With a growing collection of more than 8,000 objects at Telfair Museums, there is never enough time to take in all the art. You can, at least, see 60 favorites selected by the staff, docents and member affinity groups. On view at the Jepson Center from Nov. 3 to Jan. 14, “9 to 5” is the museums’ largest group-curated exhibition to date.

Guests checking into Thompson Savannah this fall can check out works by Savannah-based multidisciplinary artist Will Penny, as part of the hotel’s ongoing “Culture Shifter” collaboration with Laney Contemporary. Combining traditional artmaking tools with new technologies, Penny’s pieces explore themes such as embodiment, presence, fantasy and the sublime. Enjoy them throughout the hotel’s lobby through the end of the year.

COU R TESY THOMPSON SAVA N N A H

“Domestic Imaginaries” by Tyler Mitchell at SCAD MOA

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NOV. 4

NOV. 12

Grab a beach chair and head to Hotel Tybee for the second annual Tybee Post Music Festival. Enjoy 10 bands performing alt-rock and country to jazz and Motown, including headliners Everclear and Spin Doctors, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Join internationally renowned organist and composer David Briggs as he collaborates with the Cathedral Choral Scholars to bring his Messe pour Notre-Dame — a vibrant, original composition — to the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

NOV. 7

NOV. 14

Grammy award-winning, genre-blending Dave Matthews Band rocks Enmarket Arena, and with their iconic jam band style, every show is a once-in-alifetime event.

Alair Homes Savannah, Cambria and the National Association of Women in Construction join forces at the second annual Design Trend event. Held at the Cambria Distribution Center Showroom from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event centers around education and networking for the designminded community, with talks on high-level trends, workshops and a presentation by Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity.

NOV. 10-11 NOV. 1 Wrap yourself in your finest black chiffon and prepare for the bewitching melodies of legendary singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks, who is gracing Enmarket Arena with special musical guest Jesse Baylin.

Culinary and creative landmark Cohen’s Retreat hosts its ninth annual pop-up pARTy! The festivities begin Friday night with a Girls’ Night Out event from 5 to 9 p.m. and will continue Saturday morning with live music, local vendors and lawn games from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NOV. 11 NOV. 3-5 For automobile enthusiasts, the 21st annual Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival is worth the drive to Hilton Head Island.

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Honor our nation’s military service members this Veteran’s Day.

NOV. 14 Experience the music of Taylor Swift at Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift. This intimate, candle-lit live concert by the Listeso String Quartet will run for two shows at The DeSoto Savannah, at 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

NOV. 17 Roll out the red carpet and ready those cameras for the Savannah Film Alliance Honors Gala. This black-tie event salutes the creatives at the forefront of Savannah’s film and television industry.

COU R TESY SAVA N N A H FI L M A L L I A N C E

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Savannah Film Alliance Honors Gala

NOV. 18 Give back and have fun doing it at Bike Walk Savannah’s 11th Annual Savannah Cranksgiving Ride. Unlike a traditional bike race, participants scavenger hunt for items to benefit Emmaus House, an organization dedicated to feeding people experiencing homelessness.

Shop by bike and compete for prizes in categories like Best Team Effort and Most Innovative Cargo Rig.

NOV. 23 Before you slice up the turkey, join the United Way of the Coastal Empire on Thanksgiving morning at Daffin Park for its 15th Annual Turkey Trot. The 4-mile course loops through the picturesque Ardsley Park neighborhood and ends back at Daffin Park for a post-race awards ceremony. Themed costumes are encouraged, and pets are permitted with participants.

Happy

Holidas

DEC. 1 Legendary classic rock band Kansas formed in 1973 and rose to superstar status soon after with their hit single “Carry on Wayward Son.” Fifty years later, experience a slice of rock history at their Kansas: Another Fork in the Road 50th Anniversary Tour at the Johnny Mercer Theatre.

A LYSSE G A FKJ E N

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Lainey Wilson performs with HARDY at Enmarket Arena on Dec. 7.

DEC. 3

DEC. 21

DEC. 30-31

On the heels of his Universal Pictures film, “Easter Sunday,” and a Netflix special, comedian Jo Koy brings his humor to the Johnny Mercer Theatre at 8 p.m. as part of the Jo Koy World Tour.

Fill a mug with mulled cider and bundle up next to the yule log to celebrate the Winter Solstice.

The mesmerizing beauty of ancient China is given new life in the landmark cultural event Shen Yun. The acclaimed theatrical experience — an aweinspiring blend of traditional Chinese costumes and dance, a full orchestra and computer-generated imagery — runs for two nights at the Johnny Mercer Theatre, with shows at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

DEC. 7 Hit country music star HARDY performs his hard rockin’ Southern style on the mockingbird & THE CROW Fall Tour, coming to Enmarket Arena with special musical guests Lainey Wilson and Dylan Marlowe.

DEC. 2

DEC. 7-15

Do you have what it takes to conquer the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run? Race across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in the 5K, 10K or 15K run to benefit the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion at St. Joseph’s/Candler.

Happy Hanukkah!

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DEC. 24 Do you hear those bells? It’s Christmas Eve.

DEC. 26 Today marks Boxing Day and the first day of Kwanzaa.

DEC. 31 This New Year’s Eve, head down to River Street to catch the annual Savannah’s Waterfront New Year’s Fireworks Show, lighting up the Savannah River at the stroke of midnight.

For more holiday happenings, flip to page 105.

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P R E S E N T E D

B Y

S C A D

EXPERIENCE THE BEE SHARPS Student performing arts ensemble mentored

by Broadway producer, award-winning talent SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN’S new student vocal ensemble, the Bee Sharps, are surprising and delighting audiences with their powerhouse vocals and jubilant choreography. Directed by a Tonynominated showbiz veteran, the 15-student ensemble performs shows every week in Savannah, Atlanta and beyond — singing at churches, galas, festivals and universitysponsored concerts.

“I love getting to know the people in Savannah. It’s nice to walk around Savannah and run into people we have performed for and grab coffee with them. These connections bring so much

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positive, friendly energy,” says junior Brandon Bomer.

This summer the Bee Sharps performed a concert at SCAD’s campus in Lacoste, France, for the local residents and SCAD guests. They sang at the Isle of Hope Art and Music Festival and Phil the Park in Forsyth Park in October. They will be performing holiday concerts on Sea Island, at Palmetto Bluff and at the Lucas Theatre.

“The past two years have been a whirlwind!” Artistic Director Mike Evariste says. “We are everywhere in the community providing entertainment, but, more important, we are bringing joy to the people in the room. Music is a universal

Photography courtesy of SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

P R E S E N T E D

language that brings us together, across generations, cultures and nationalities.”

On Broadway, Evariste made his producing debut on the Tony-nominated and 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway play “Disgraced,” produced by Lincoln Center Theater. As a performer, he was last seen on the Emmywinning NBC live broadcast of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” starring John Legend. His other Broadway and TV credits include “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “The Book of Mormon,” Tony Awardwinning “South Pacific,” “Hair” and “Les Miserables.”

Evariste joined SCAD in 2021. “It was very appealing to move to Savannah and do what I did in New York — produce concerts, teach and create — at a university. It’s the best of both worlds. I now have the honor of changing the lives of our students while still working as a creative producer and professional,” he says.

Evariste isn’t the only Broadway and award-winning talent mentoring these students. Professor Tiffany Evariste, the ensemble’s choreographer, has appeared on Broadway and stages around the world in shows such as Disney’s smash hit “Aladdin” and the Tony awardwinning “Memphis.” The Bee Sharps also work with SCAD’s music director Kim Steiner, veteran vocal teacher Liz GrayBelluni, Broadway vocal coach Jasper Grant and season 12

American Idol winner, Candice Glover.

This all-star team has recruited some of the top talent from Georgia and across the country. The 2022 and 2023 Georgia High School Musical Theatre’s Schuler Award winners are now Bee Sharps.

Freshman Trever Arnold and sophomore Eli Talley both chose SCAD because of faculty and facilities. “SCAD is a great place to experiment with different methods and fields of creativity to really find out what resonates with you,” Talley said. “The acting and musical theater programs are blossoming, which is very exciting.”

SCAD acting students learn to perform on stage at the historic Lucas Theater, on a multi-camera soundstage, a cutting-edge LED volume and SCAD’s new Hollywood-style backlot. “No other university has what we have,” Mike Evariste says. “That’s why students come here.”

B Y

S C A D

“SCAD helped me take control and expand my own story and be proud of it,” says acting senior Wayne Bucknor.

“If music, theater, musical theater, film or TV is your passion, SCAD has a place for you. I really love that the professors and students are both working in the industry they want to be in, nobody is waiting. Students are booking shows and films their sophomore and freshman years of college. Everyone I’ve met at SCAD wants me to succeed, and it makes me want to give the same to new students. Our sense of community fosters success.

SCAD has the resources to push you, but all the while they’re in your corner cheering you on.”

This year’s class of Bee Sharps hails from eight states and the Philippines. Two are local Savannahians. Junior Ryah Johnson graduated from Savannah Country Day, and freshman Ashlyn Rusgrove

attended Savannah Arts Academy.

“I have always wanted to do everything — singing, dancing, acting, composing and writing, and I want to do that for films, on television as well as in plays and musicals,” Rusgrove says. “I grew up doing theater in Savannah with Ryah so I reached out to her. I attended a SCAD Day, and a whole world opened before me that I never knew existed. After learning about the film department and acting program and seeing all the wonderful student work, I was sold — and it was in my backyard the whole time.”

• FOLLOW THE BEE SHARPS ON INSTAGRAM @ SCAD_BEESHARPS. • BOOK THEM FOR AN EVENT BY EMAILING MEVARIST@SCAD.EDU. • BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THEIR HOLIDAY CONCERTS COMING TO THE LUCAS THEATRE THIS DECEMBER.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

37

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hancock day school 6600 6600howard howardfoss foss drive drive••savannah, savannah, ga ga31406 31406 6600 howard foss drive • savann 912-351-4500 912-351-4500••www.hancockdayschool.org www.hancockdayschool.org 912-351-4500 • www.hancockday Admissions Previews: October 18th, November 15th at 9:30 AM. hancock hancock day dayschool school Online Applications for prospective students will be available in October.

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BUZZ

GIVING BACK

Flower Power Camellias are deeply rooted in Savannah’s community spirit and scenic beauty.

Now, local enthusiasts work together to give the winter flower its due — and pass on their civic pride to the next generation Written by COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY

Photo by ALISSA LEE NICHOLSON / @FORESTCITYOFTHESOUTH

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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From left: Dr. Sidney Smith and Don Waters at Cohen’s Retreat with camellia plants grown at Hobbes Hill Farm

GEORGIA HAS ITS FAIR SHARE OF FAMOUS FLORA. While Cherokee Rose may be the official state flower, there are spring festivals for cherry blossoms in Macon and dogwood trees in Atlanta. Ray Charles sang of the moonlight through the pines, and the Masters Tournament at Augusta National wouldn’t be the same without the azaleas in full bloom.

Savannah, of course, is well-known for its canopy of live oaks and Spanish moss. And now, thanks to a few local enthusiasts, camellias are getting time in the sunlight.

Seeds of Inspiration

Isle of Hope neighbors Dr. Sidney “Doc” Smith and Don Waters share not only a mutual admiration for camellias but also a desire to unite neighbors for the greater good.

Neither is new for them.

Smith is a dermatologist by trade and owns local landmark Cohen’s Retreat with his wife, Colleen, and Waters resigned from the Georgia Board of Regents last year, allowing him more time to serve as a camellia historian and benefactor.

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A camellia blooms at Bonaventure Cemetery

Together, about four years ago, they got an idea to create the Great Savannah Camellia Wall.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for kids from all across Chatham County to meet, work together, share an experience, foster Savannah pride, honor the memory of Judge Arthur Solomon and provide the foundation for an annual Savannah Camellia Festival and Parade,” Smith says.

The late Solomon was a public servant (the title “Judge” was used as an honorary designation for county commissioners); however, he is best known as one of the founders of the American Camellia Society and for beautifying Savannah roadways with live oaks, azaleas, palm trees and, of course, camellias.

In that same spirit, the community-wide initiative to plant 2,000 camellias is underway this fall along the 3-mile Truman Bike Trail from Lake Mayer Park to Cohen’s Retreat.

“The goal is for elementary and middle school students to create a legacy for everyone to enjoy annually forever,” Smith says. “As the first flowers to bloom each winter, the camellias will remind us how lucky we are to live in Savannah and in such a caring community.

A LISSA LEE N ICHOLSON / @FORESTCITYOFTHESOU TH

BUZZ

KELLI B OYD PHOTOG RA PHY

BUZZ

Gene Phillips

We’ll share a walk and celebrate everyone’s civic pride.”

Through the end of November, students from SavannahChatham County Public School System (SCCPSS), St. Andrew’s School, Benedictine Military School, Calvary Day School, Savannah Country Day School and St. Vincent’s Academy are participating in planting days alongside master gardeners from the Coastal Georgia Camellia Society and other volunteers.

“I’m most excited to see the first child with a shovel in their hands,” Smith says.

Digging In

“I’m most excited to see the first child with a shovel in their hands.”

— Dr. Sidney Smith

A civic initiative of this scale is easier said than done. To properly plan and grow the plants, Smith and Waters turned to another local expert — the founder of the Coastal Georgia Camellia Society and active member of the American Camellia Society, Gene Phillips. While now living on the 300-acre Hobbes Hill Farm in Sylvania, Georgia, Phillips spent 47 years as a landscape contractor in Savannah, where he grew up surrounded by plants. His father, a veteran with disabilities, started Gene’s Nursery “to keep his mind off his problems” before passing away when Phillips was only 15.

Ever since, he says that camellias have been the most important thing in his life.

Phillips previously met both men through other projects — advising Smith on which long-bloom camellias to plant at Cohen’s Retreat and tending gardens on Waters’ Isle of Hope property.

It comes as no surprise that Phillips loved the idea for a new project, although he admittedly had some doubts about the feasibility. He had tried in the past to plant camellias in public places

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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BUZZ

“If there was anyone you could ever say was the next Judge Solomon, it’s Doc Smith.”

— Gene Phillips

like Savannah roadsides and says he faced hurdles when dealing with county and city officials. Phillips also led the creation of the Judge Arthur Solomon Camellia Trail at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, which boasts nearly 1,000 varieties of camellia thanks to support from members of the Coastal Georgia Camellia Society.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Wow, this is going to be really difficult.’ I was excited, but a little bit of me was wondering if it could really happen,” Phillips says.

“But when you’re dealing with Doc, it’s not so difficult because he is such a determined individual.”

Smith notes several key individuals are making this initiative possible, including City of Savannah Sustainability Director Nick Deffley, Chief Development Officer Heath Lloyd and District 3 Alderman Lynda Wilder Bryant, and SCCPSS Associate Superintendent Bernadette Ball-Oliver.

Grayce French is overseeing the fall planting volunteers and also serving as the director of the inaugural Savannah Camellia Festival, 5K Run/Walk and Parade on February 24, 2024.

Ready to Bloom

With a team in place and Phillips’ expert opinion, the men selected the Royal Velvet variety, a japonica developed by the world-famous Nuccio’s Nursery in California, to line the pathway. The bright red blooms happen to be Phillips’ favorite,

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but that’s not the sole reason they chose it. It’s compact, easy to grow and relatively risk-averse — meaning it can tolerate sun and shade equally and is resistant to insects and disease.

“It has beautiful dark green foliage, and it blooms from the middle of January to the middle of April,” he says. “This has the ‘wow’ factor.”

While japonicas are the most prominent and popular species of camellias, several hundred different varieties exist — all with origins in China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

(Some may be surprised to learn that tea comes from leaves harvested from the Camellia sinensis.)

“Camellias have been in this country since the 1800s, so you’d almost think they were native,” Phillips says. Rather, japonicas’ journey to Savannah took serious dedication — much more than the average Saturday morning run to a local garden center.

Solomon brought camellias from France on the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner to plant all over the city, including in the squares. At the time, America had an embargo on French soil, so he had to go so far as to remove all the soil from the plants to transport them.

While the flowers may be easier to come by these days, Phillips says the visionary spirit of Solomon endures through these efforts.

“If there was anyone you could ever say was the next Judge Solomon, it’s Doc Smith,” Phillips says.

Save the Date The First Annual Savannah Camellia Festival and Parade Feb. 24, 2024 The all-day event will kick off with a 5K run/walk and parade along the Harry Truman Bike Path, beginning at Herschel V. Jenkins High School and finishing at Cohen’s Retreat.

Then, stick around for kids’ activities, a plant sale from Hobbes Hill Farm and the Coastal Georgia Camellia Society’s annual statewide camellia bloom competition. Find more information and register for events at savannahcamelliafestival.com.

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Backyard bird feeding… has changed a lot over the years, but

one thing remains the same — the joy that birds bring each time you catch a glimpse of them at your feeders.

As we celebrate the new ownership of the Savannah Wild Birds Unlimited store, we thank you for sharing this flight with us! Join us at our Wild Birds Unlimited Savannah and Hilton Head locations for every aspect of backyard birding, from equipment and outings to solutions and resources. We have the knowledge and products to enhance your overall experience!

The Northern Cardinal is one of the most popular backyard feeding birds. The cardinal happily eats from many types of feeders. During mating season, the male cardinal feeds the female seeds by pushing the seed into her beak, causing the two birds to look like they are kissing. Cardinals do not migrate and tend to stay in the same general area.

So, once you have a pair, they should continue to visit for several years. At Wild Birds Unlimited, we can help you attract cardinals and other songbirds to your backyard.

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WIKIMEDIA COMMON S

BUZZ

General Sherman used the Green-Meldrim House (pictured here in the mid-20th century) as his personal headquarters during the Civil War.

O L D S AVA N N A H

The Gift That Keeps on Giving Veteran-owned Service Brewing Co. raises a pint of its seasonal oyster stout to an unforgettable Christmas present Written by COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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THREE DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman wrote a historic telegram to President Abraham Lincoln: “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah, with 150 heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, and also about 25,000 bales of cotton.”

One hundred and fifty years later, Savannah’s own Service Brewing Co. introduced another homage to Sherman’s victory. In 2014, the craft brewery opened its doors and, every winter since, serves pints aptly named Lincoln’s Gift. As a nod to one of the 16th president’s favorite foods — oyster stew — the sweet stout highlights another of the region’s bounties.

In this case, the beer’s recipe came before the beer’s name. Service Brewing Co. co-owner Kevin Ryan says he wanted a unique approach for their inaugural winter seasonal beer and didn’t have to search far for inspiration.

Oyster shells have historically been used in the brewing process to ward off sourness and help beer last longer. “In the modern craft beer era in America, oysters and stouts have become a popular combination, with the brininess of the shellfish playing well with the roasted characteristic of the malt,” Ryan says.

“And being here in Savannah, oyster roasts are a huge deal. Having such great access to oysters, it worked out really well to have a seasonal beer during the height of the oyster season.” In particular, Service sources shells from Bluffton Oyster Co. along South Carolina’s May River.

As for the beer’s name, Ryan doesn’t recall precisely when he first heard the story of Lincoln’s Christmas gift. As a tale often recited by locals and visitors alike, the city of Savannah was too beautiful and bountiful to be burned, as was the irreversible fate of other places Sherman torched on his infamous March to the Sea from Atlanta. On Madison Square, near the Green-Meldrim House — which Sherman used as his personal headquarters at the invitation of the owner Charles Green —

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COU R TE S Y S E R VI C E B R EWI NG CO .

BUZZ

Service Brewing Co.’s Lincoln’s Gift Oyster Stout is a seasonal release inspired by the region’s enduring beauty and bounty.

COU R TESY G REEN - MELDRIM HOU SE

BUZZ

A look at the Green-Meldrim House today — now a National Historic Landmark.

a historical marker also commemorates Sherman’s success.

Then again, as a West Point graduate and former Army commander, Ryan isn’t short on military stories. He started Service alongside his wife and co-owner, Meredith Sutton, with the help of almost two dozen investors — including many Army, Navy and Marine Corps veterans.

Now, nine years since Service first tapped into Lincoln’s Gift, the recipe and name have stuck — with much popular demand.

Sutton says by early September, customers are already calling the brewery and eagerly awaiting updates on the beer’s return. While the constant goal is early November, production hinges on the arrival of the oyster shells by mid-October.

“We use shucked shells fresh out of the water from the May River, so we can’t make the beer until they start harvesting,” Ryan says. Environmental factors can potentially impact the production.

Likewise, the salinity of an ever-changing river can vary the beer’s flavor from year to year.

Ryan describes the result as a “sweet, roasty stout with a touch of brininess at the finish. Almost like when a dark chocolate brownie has a little piece of sea salt on it — just enough to finish it off.”

Beyond what is available in the Service taproom and around town, a limited portion of cans is distributed in Atlanta and throughout the Carolinas. This year, look for new label art designed

by Sutton, a Savannah College of Art and Design grad, and follow Service Brewing Co. on social media for updates on the ninth

Step Back in Time at the Green-Meldrim House this Holiday Season The 1853 Gothic Revival-style townhouse on Madison Square welcomes visitors with festive decorations showcasing its architectural style and historical significance. Between Nov. 24 and Dec. 31, the home is open for limited holiday hours. Tours are available Dec. 26 – 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. (Last entrance at 8 p.m.)

Guides in period costumes recount stories and showcase the house using information about how the holidays were recognized and celebrated during the Civil War years. Find more information at greenmeldrimhouse.org to plan your visit.

annual release of Lincoln’s Gift. A launch party is tentatively planned for Nov. 4, complete with oyster po’boys from Hot Rye, and followed by a Tyler Braden Veterans Day Concert on Nov. 11, with a portion of the ticket sales benefiting Operation Warrior Resolution.

Lincoln surely would approve.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

49

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AT HOME

Merry & Bright

Local philanthropist Ellen Bolch fills her historic Vernonburg house with family memories and Christmas cheer Written by MARGARET DANIEL // Photography by KELLI BOYD PHOTOGRAPHY

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 55

STYLE

IF YOU ENJOY engaging the fray on Black Friday, rest assured Ellen Bolch will not be found in the crowd. The stylish Savannahian is too busy at home preparing the entrance hall of her circa-1847 home on the Vernon River for its seasonal fixture: a slender 12-foot fir freshly shipped from North Carolina.

“I like skinny trees so I can put them in the front hallway because it’s so festive to walk in and have the tree in your face,” Bolch says. She even has the chandelier temporarily removed to make way for the towering Tanenbaum, which reaches right up to her ceiling, its inky star wallpaper absorbing the warmth of a thousand Christmas lights.

While “In the Bleak Midwinter” and Gregorian chants ring out, Bolch and her husband, Dr. Sidney “Jeep” Bolch III, adorn the tree with basketball badges and classroom crafts from her now-adult children’s time at Savannah Country Day School, silver Halloween baubles — mementos from the couple’s October 31 nuptials — and Bolch’s personal favorite: a small porcelain angel her parents purchased for her decades ago.

“We are big Christmas nuts, and each year we tend to go more overboard,” Bolch says.

By the Monday morning following Thanksgiving, the tree is fully trimmed. Then, wasting no time, Bolch charges Helen Yates, the Bolches’ facilities manager, and their interior designer of 25 years, Carolyn Hultman (Hultman Interiors) to deck all the halls from top to bottom.

“Ellen is the only client I will decorate for.

I don’t know how I got in it, but I cannot get out of it,” Hultman laughs. “I usually go away for Christmas to visit my five children and 10 grandchildren, so I enjoy styling her house because I feel like I am getting my own house ready. It gets me in the Christmas spirit for sure.”

As president and CEO of THA Group and an active member of the Rotary Club of Savannah and Bethesda Union Society, Bolch hosts a company Christmas party and charity board dinners, plus out-of-town guests, so Hultman and Yates ensure every space is merry and bright.

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The entryway console receives several holiday touches: a bust by artist Cathy Jarman sports a Santa Claus cap, and red and pink poinsettias accentuate the console’s rich pink hues.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 57

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Mitch Durden Licensed Agent m 912.425.7657 mitch@austinhillrealty.com @MitchDurdenRealtor

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STYLE

Overlooking the Vernon River, an outdoor dining set from Brown Jordan is the perfect place for a warm winter meal. A cachepot of orchids and variety of Christmas dishes bring holiday cheer to the setting.

“We like to put something on almost every tabletop.

And we are always reinventing ourselves.”

— Carolyn Hultman, Hultman Interiors

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“We like to put something on almost every tabletop,” Hultman says of the two-day intensive. “And we are always reinventing ourselves.”

Boxes of intricate Nativity scenes and a zoo of white mink animals dress sideboards and mantelpieces while bowls of silvered pears and polished trays accentuate the gilt- and silver-wallpapered parlors. In a cheeky nod to the Lowcountry, Hultman gives a shell bust by local artist Cathy Jarman a Santa cap, while Bolch outfits a Bird Girl statue replica with a string of coral beads. And finally, there are pots of pink and red poinsettias, swags of garland and smilax vine, and bowls of white orchids dotting doorways, chandeliers and tabletops inside the house and on each porch.

“We can mix anything together and it works because the house is so crazy,” Hultman says of Bolch’s maximalist style.

The dining table, much like the hostess’ wardrobe, is a masterclass in elegant layering. Atop a white lace tablecloth, Bolch mixes embroidered linens, Tiffany holiday china, gleaming silver service, crystal glasses and a dizzying display of red and gold balls that spill from the table onto the buffet and across the faux zebra wood mantel painted by artist Sam Ward.

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Hultman designed the animal print stools as complements to her clients’ pair of peacock chairs.

SAVANNAHMAGAZINE.COM

Make space for soaking up the moment.

Marvin windows and doors at Coastal Sash and Door.

Brighter days, fresher air, and more time with loved ones make for dreamier summers.

At Marvin, we help make space for it all with thoughtfully designed windows and doors.

Each is custom-crafted with an eye toward stunning details and uncompromising performance for beauty that endures season after season. Explore the many ways we can help you make space for what matters most. Visit one of our showrooms to see for yourself.

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STYLE

“As my husband, Jeep, would say, ‘Once we finish decorating for Christmas, don’t think about putting down your drink glass,’” Bolch jokes.

“There are no surfaces that are not decorated.”

While the decoration and hosting bring bountiful joy all month, the pinnacle celebration, an over-the-top Christmas pageant, takes place on December 24. A long-standing tradition, the Bolches entice guests with the promise of heavy hors d’oeuvres, Champagne and their very own role in the production.

“For years, I dressed everybody out of my closet,” Bolch says. “The Wise Men had my scarves wrapped around them, robes and jewels and [one] is in graduation regalia with all the colors, a mortarboard and everything.”

As the ecumenical celebration has grown, new roles have been doled out and guests have contributed their own costumes. “We’ve added other characters like little Cindy-Lou Who and the Mayor of Whoville, so everyone has their own parts,” Bolch says, adding that even the couple’s Jack Russell terriers get involved — complete with handmade sheep costumes.

Once the performance concludes, the decorations sufficiently admired and family dinner devoured, Bolch turns the holiday hosting over to her daughter and son-in-law, Meredith and Reed Dulany, who hold a Christmas Eve sleepover followed by a gift exchange and Champagne brunch on Christmas morning.

Each year, Mame and Papa Beep — as Bolch and Jeep are affectionately known to their grandchildren — give special thought to spreading holiday cheer with their gifts. “I always give them something that will help them continue Christmas in their own homes,” Bolch says. “And I completely indulge in whatever they ask for. I am a sucker!”

As for her own decades-old collection of Christmas treasures, Bolch is switching gears, foregoing the hunt for more decorations in favor of new creative projects with Hultman — most notably, a floor-to-ceiling closet complete with rolling ladder, for Bolch’s extensive collection of gowns and robes.

Although her holiday collecting may have slowed, Bolch insists Hultman’s festive flair and decorating services will continue to be in demand for years to come. “We share Christmas,” Bolch says.

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Tiffany’s holiday china was an annual gift from Bolch to her children and grandchildren until it was taken out of production in 2020. Here it sits alongside personal bottles of her signature bubbles.

“As my husband, Jeep, would say, ‘Once we finish decorating for Christmas, don’t think about putting down your drink glass.’ There are no surfaces that are not decorated.”

— Ellen Bolch, homeowner

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SAVANNAH tel 912.236.0261

www.huntermaclean.com

200 E. Saint Julian St. Savannah, GA 31401

ST. SIMONS ISLAND tel 912.262.5996

455 Sea Island Road St. Simons Island, GA 31522

Michael DeLoach, the Bolch’s original decorator, selected metallic wallpapers for the dining room’s walls and ceiling 6 6 the SAV A N NaAsoft HMA GAZINE.COM to give room glow.

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SPECIALTIES Serving the Coastal Empire Since 1981

I N S TA L L AT I O N • M A I N T E N A N C E • B U R N E R S • C L E A N I N G • R E M O T E C O N T R O L U P G R A D E S • C O N T R O L VA LV E S • R H P E T E R S O N R E A L F Y R E G A S L O G S • G L O W I N G E M B E R R E P L A C E M E N T S

Make an appointment to see our burning displays!

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G A S L O G S P E C I A LT I E S . C O M | 9 1 2 . 9 2 7 . 7 5 0 0 T. D . A N D E R S O N , L L C

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Details Homeowners: Ellen and Sidney J. Bolch III

Kitchen design: Michael DeLoach

Year built: 1847

Master bathroom: Carolyn Hultman, Hultman Interiors

Year Renovated: 1992 Neighborhood: Vernonburg Bedrooms and bathrooms: 5 beds, 6.5 bathrooms

Tile: Garden State Tile Flooring: original heart pine Landscape: John McEllen

Square footage: 6,855

Paint: Sherwin-Williams

Interior Designer (2000 to present): Carolyn Hultman, Hultman Interiors

Windows and doors: original to home

Builder: D.L. Moore

Bath fixtures: Waterworks; Savannah Surfaces

All details provided by the homeowner and interior designer.

Erica TimmonsAGENT YOURHerndon “GOOD NEIGHBOR”

Erica Herndon Timmons 3228 Skidaway Road • Savannah, GA 31404 Phone: 912.354.6464 Fax: 912.352.7266 myneighborerica.com

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WINN

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FINDING THE PERFECT PIECE Clutter Furnishings & Interiors’ mother-daughter styling team showcases a passion for antiques and vintage furniture NOVEMBER SCORPIOS ARE notoriously passionate, and that certainly rings true for mother-daughter interiorstyling team Lynn Rahn and Brooke R. Chancey. Both born and raised in Savannah, the ladies boast a combined 50-plus years in the antique and vintage furniture business. Their keen eye for interior design, decorating, styling and staging homes naturally adds to their resumes. Lynn often jokes that antiques paid her son’s way through Georgia Tech!

Eleven years ago, this designer duo opened Clutter Furnishings & Interiors, a sophisticated furniture and accessories consignment store. Since then, Lynn and Brooke have built a one-of-a-kind shopping and design experience that draws a local

and nationwide customer base. Their personal aesthetics have evolved, in part, due to the wonderfully unique and quality consignments Savannah residents offer for sale. The storefront may be within Savannah city limits, but you can find pieces purchased from Clutter all over the country. Building relationships remains the hallmark of their mission, and it is this practice that has designers and customers calling day and night to find just the right piece for their clients.

Be sure to stop in the store Wednesday through Saturday. You might find Brooke climbing over things while revamping the store as pieces move quickly! Lynn might be sourcing pieces for her clients or the perfect Instagram moment.

CLUTTER FURNISHINGS & INTERIORS: 714 MALL BLVD. STE. 1 | SAVANNAH, GA 31406 912.354.7556 | CLUTTERSAV.COM | @CLUTTERSAVFURNANDINTERIORS | @CLUTTERSAVANNAHDESIGNS

Photography courtesy of CLUTTER FURNISHINGS & INTERIORS

In addition to their storefront, Clutter’s newest project is a local short-term rental – a show house of sorts, with the expectation to add to the Clutter collection over time.

Passionate about collected, curated, fun and uniquely functional style, these ladies and Clutter remind us that the heart of most souls is best reflected by and resonates within one’s home.

Lynn Rahn and Brooke R. Chancey

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Fiona and James Hagerty

PURE GOODNESS Local Entrepreneurs Bring Pure Sweat Sauna Studio to Savannah WHEN LONG-TIME SAVANNAH resident James Hagerty and his wife, Fiona Hagerty, first walked into Pure Sweat Float Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, they just wanted to relax and support a friend’s business. When they walked out — refreshed, revived and invigorated — they knew they had to bring the experience to Savannah.

“We had such a transformative experience,” Fiona says. “How could we walk away and not share that with the world?”

James’ former classmate, Candice Bruder, founded Pure Sweat Float Studio in Nashville in 2017, and the concept is now quickly spreading across the country.

Soon, the Hagertys are opening a Pure

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Sweat Sauna Studio in Savannah — the first in Georgia.

The studio will feature five of Pure Sweat Sauna Studio’s signature Sunlighten® full-spectrum infrared saunas, which deliver a deep tissue sweat and advanced health and healing, as well as a contrast therapy suite with both infrared sauna and a BlueCube® cold plunge to boost the body’s natural healing process.

Infrared sauna and contrast therapy are world-renowned, proven wellness modalities with a wide range of health benefits such as detoxification, immune health, weight loss, muscle recovery, pain relief, improved circulation, antiaging and skin health.

Photography courtesy of PURE SWEAT SAUNA STUDIO

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Anyone and everyone can benefit from this.

With every session, you feel better, and when you feel good, life is good.”

– JAMES HAGERTY

Through regular infrared sauna use, Fiona herself found relief for low back pain, and sleep and immune support.

James found a way to improve his cardiovascular system and reduce his hereditary risk for heart disease. Both found serenity, a respite from the world and a way to reconnect as a couple.

The Hagertys’ franchise opens this December at 1800 E. Victory Drive, a centralized Savannah setting that is a hub for the health-conscious, with Whole Foods Market and Orangetheory Fitness located nearby.

“Anyone and everyone can benefit from this,” James says. “With every session, you feel better, and when you feel good, life is good.”

While excited about the stateof-the-art equipment and a pristine environment, the Hagertys are most passionate about sharing the Pure Sweat ethos with Savannahians and fostering the community-oriented nature of the business. The inviting, serene and natural sanctuary encourages members to stay and build relationships. To further guide members on their wellness journey, Pure Sweat Studios will also offer a variety of curated products and candlelit, informational gatherings.

Ready to discover your new wellness practice? A limited number of heavily discounted Founders Memberships are available. For more information, visit www. puresweatstudios.com/savannah-georgia.

PURE SWEAT SAUNA STUDIO: 1800 E. VICTORY DRIVE | SAVANNAH PURESWEATSTUDIOS.COM/ SAVANNAH-GEORGIA

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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REAL WEDDINGS

Olivia & Justin A match written in the stars, two native Savannahians root their wedding design in the natural colors and community of their hometown Written by KENDALL MCKINNON Photography by CORBIN GURKIN

IT WAS A REGULAR SATURDAY. Olivia Parker and Justin Voyles were going to the Forsyth Farmers’ Market, then brunch — just like they always do.

Voyles was sitting on the back porch for coffee, as usual, when Parker caught a glimpse of him outside with her dog, Ollie, on his lap. She snapped a photo of the sweet moment. Little did she know, at that time he was fastening an engagement ring to Ollie’s collar and practicing a question in his head. Within a few short minutes, Parker would say “yes” to much more than a lifetime of Saturday morning coffee.

Parker and Voyles are Savannah natives. The pair grew up together, and struggle to pinpoint the moment they met — sometime between 12 and 13 years old at the Savannah Civic Center ice skating rink. However, it wasn’t until a first date at A-J’s Dockside Restaurant on Tybee Island over Memorial Day weekend in 2018 that they solidified their

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“I had always envisioned my wedding in Forsyth Park. I grew up on Gaston Street, right there at the north end of the park. I really wanted to incorporate the fountain and the big oak trees” — Olivia Parker

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togetherness. The two were engaged by 2020 and married May 6, 2023.

Planning for the big day brought the typical onslaught of decisions. For this couple, every choice was made with consideration for their upbringing and the city that raised them. For starters, the event would be big, as most of their friends, family and other invitees grew up and still live locally. It would also be in the springtime, when Savannah is at its greenest. Where to host so many people while showcasing the city’s lush natural beauty?

“I had always envisioned my wedding in Forsyth Park,” says Parker. “I grew up on Gaston Street, right there at the north end of the park. I really wanted to incorporate the fountain and the big oak trees.”

Parker enlisted the boutique event planning expert G. Blake Sams of Gregory Blake Sams Events to bring her vision to life — and to safeguard the reception from unpredictable Savannah weather.

Together, they imagined a tented reception for the evening fête and delved deep into design details.

One day after a meeting, Sams paused on the front porch of Parker’s mother’s house and had an epiphany. “Wait, I found your color scheme,” he said. He turned the bride around to meditate on the neutrals of the stucco walls, the French blue of the shutters and the soft green from the lush vegetation. They would pull the taupe, the sage and the gray-blue.

Parker took a picture of their newfound inspiration. There was the color palette, right at home.

On the morning of the early May wedding, it rained. The storm rolled in right before the first look, and rain came down during the portraits. Voyles, caught in the middle of Pulaski Square, sought cover beneath a friend’s porch. If anything, it ensured the couple got the full Savannah experience. They wanted a lush, springtime wedding, after all.

The skies cleared, and the rest of the day passed quickly and without a hitch.

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Parker recalls the expectation of nerves, but feeling none — only the comfort of her closest friends.

Right before she walked down the aisle, Voyles gave Parker a gift. Knowing that his soon-to-be-wife has a tendency for tears, he passed her a handkerchief embroidered with an inside joke to make her laugh instead.

Still, after the ceremony in Christ Church beneath the luminous stained glass, Parker walked out of the church wiping away joyful tears.

A trolley ride with family and friends from the church to the park allowed the wedded couple a moment to decompress and take everything in. “The night went by so fast,” recalls the groom.

After the ceremony, 350 guests gathered around the Forsyth Park fountain for a cocktail hour as the sun went down. Everyone then made their way through the park for the reception itself, which was hosted in a grand, clear-topped tent. Whimsical lanterns and shimmering disco balls suspended

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from the ceiling illuminated an expanse of white tablecloths, fanciful greenery and an artful backdrop behind the band all reflected the same deep, dusky blue of the wedding invitations. And in the middle of it all stood a great tree, a natural centerpiece for the bar enclosing it.

“For us, it was about honoring the landscape,” says Sams. “The idea was that it was a full moon and you’re dancing under these oak trees. It was a way of doing this sort of Southern look while still feeling fresh and modern.”

To close out the night, the newlyweds drove away in a vintage convertible.

As is to be expected in Savannah, the driver was keen on chatting about the city’s history, and the couple were much obliged. The city has been their home, and now it remains their home — to share together.

“It was such a perfect end to a crazy, fun-packed night,” says Parker.

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DETAILS Couple: Olivia Parker & Justin Voyles Date: May 6, 2023 Number of guests: 350 Rehearsal dinner location: Garibaldi Welcome party location: Collins Quarter Forsyth Ceremony: Christ Church Reception venue: Forsyth Park Planning and design: Gregory Blake Sams Events Photography: Corbin Gurkin Parker’s attire: Valentini Spose Bridesmaids’ attire: Dessy Group Voyles’ attire: custom from J. Parker Ltd. Groomsmen’s attire: groomsmen’s own Hair and makeup: Colorboxx Salon; Amanda Harris Rings: Mervis Diamond Importers; Levy Jewelers Lighting/AV: Technical Event Company Custom builds: TTS Studios Tent and flooring: Beachview Event Rentals Rentals: Snyder; Mayker; Event Works; Beachview Event Rentals Linens: BBJ LaTavola Draping: Party Tables Florals: Blossom Bay Reception music: Souled Out from On The Move Entertainment Custom band backdrop: Kennickell Printing Cake: Jim Smeal Printed invitation suite: Emily Baird Design Printed suite calligraphy: Laura Hooper Design House Catering: Cru Catering Bar: Ice Box Transportation: Old Savannah Tours Departure vehicle: Callan’s Classics Restrooms: Royal Restrooms Mockup table rentals: Emerson James

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Located in Savannah’s famed Moon River District, Cohen’s Retreat has become legendary as a creative destination for art, food and community.

F O R A F U L L L I S T O F O U R S E RV I C E S A N D E V E N T PA C K A G E S , V I S I T C O H E N S R E T R E AT. C O M

CELEBRATE IN STYLE Unwind with superemly-chic accommodations packed with the essentials and unrivalved Savannah River views. Induldge in signature dining and nightlight that celebrates the best ingredients of the moment.

Minutes to the city’s most treasured sites, let Thompson Savannah be your springboard to explore it all.

912.790.1234 thompsonsavannah.com

TOAST THE HOLIDAYS Get in the holiday spirit at the Holiday Bar, an immersive and festive pop-up bar at Thompson Savannah’s Sunroom Celebrate the holidays with hyperlocal ingredients at fleeting.

Holiday reservations are available for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve Visit Stevedore Bakery to pick up the season’s tastiest treats Ring in the New Year with the best views, bites and cocktails in Savannah at Bar Julian’s annual New Year’s Eve Celebration

S A V A N N A H S A V A N N A H

TA S T E

Tea Time Sip seasonal flavors at Savannah’s top tea rooms Written by ALLISON STICE // Photography by JASON B. JAMES

Perry Lane Hotel

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Perry Lane Hotel

YOU NEVER OUTGROW A TEA PARTY. And there’s no better time to lift your pinkies and clink china than during the holiday season.

The ritual of gathering with your nearest and dearest around a steaming pot of brew is a cherished tradition across cultures and centuries. The custom of afternoon tea paired with light bites originated in Great Britain in the 19th century as a pick-me-up between meals, and it soon became a fashionable way to entertain.

Though the tradition has expanded over the years, “The beautiful

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thing about tea is it’s very flexible and adaptable — you can carve out your own culture with it,” says Ashford Tea Company founder and tea sommelier Wayne Ashford.

In Savannah, he encourages enjoying a cup before a viewing of “The Nutcracker” or when surrounded by parcels of post-holiday shopping on Broughton Street. Peruse Savannah’s premier tasting rooms and tea purveyors to find a spot for your new favorite tradition.

Perry Lane Hotel

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Sip & Stay Gryphon Located within the 1926 Scottish Rite building on Madison Square, Gryphon’s afternoon tea is as elegant and charming as its interior. The design of this Savannah College of Art and Design-owned tea room honors its origins as an apothecary, featuring mahogany bookshelves lined with curios, upholstered seating and stained glass. Petit fours, finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream arrive on three-tiered trays courtesy of charming servers who are happy to share the architectural history of the building and point out the namesake gryphons hidden in the decor.

Teas by master tea blenders Harney & Sons complete the experience.

Agatha’s Coffee and Tea House Stepping into Agatha’s Coffee and Tea House is like stepping back in time — before smartphones and streaming services were the default sources of entertainment. The inspiration for the cafè? An early 20th-century British murder mystery centered around fictional serial killer Agatha Harper. The cozy quarters on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was devised by Jonathan Clark, Taia Harris and former Disney Imagineer Darin Farr, who outfitted the space with an eclectic mix of antiques and art from his personal collection. Each visit may unveil new “evidence” — or clues — to solve the case du jour. “We wanted to create a story and give customers something fun to play with,” Clark says. Besides becoming sleuths themselves, guests can also pluck cozy mystery novels by authors like Nancy Drew’s Carolyn Keene from the shelves to read while sipping.

Perry Lane Library Another fictional muse inspires the private afternoon tea experience at Perry Lane Hotel on Drayton Street. An imagined seventh-generation Savannahian, art collector and avid traveler named Adelaide Harcourt serves as the guiding light for the hotel and also is the illusory hostess behind a private tea party available to book in the hotel’s library. Guests can enjoy exquisite drinks (with a touch of spirits available for those who indulge) alongside housebaked pastries and savory hors d’oeuvres in sumptuous surroundings reminiscent of Harcourt’s fantastical voyages.

Pie Society Serving scratch-made, authentic British food, Pie Society is not only renowned for their meat pies — their breads, scones and desserts from across the pond make a fabulous complement to a pot of tea, too. Sure to delight fans of “The Great British Baking Show,” Victoria sponge cake, bakewell tarts, pasties and millionaire shortbread are just a sampling of the offerings available at locations in Savannah and Pooler.

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Gryphon Tea Room

It’s Oyster Roast Time!

Book online to buy your oyster roast tickets during the season!

Thank you, Savannah!

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3209 E. V ictor y Drive in Thunderbolt We d n e s d a y – S a t u r d a y 1 1 a m – 9 p m 912.544.5544 E r i c a d a v i s l o w c o u n t r y. c o m

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Gryphon Tea Room

Ashford Tea Company With 30 years in the industry under his belt, tea sommelier Wayne Ashford operates his business with a side of education. With tastings held at his tea studio surrounded by local art on East Oglethorpe Avenue, he takes guests on a journey through the history of tea and shows them the health benefits of this ancient beverage. Along with local baked goods, customers will find pairings with designer teas unavailable in the wider area, like purple tea from Kenya.

“Tea is more like a wine than it is like a coffee — the soil, elevation and the weather all play a big part in the quality,” Ashford says. “Whether it’s a traditional assam or a sencha, rooibos and oolong, we have been able to find great single-estate teas and tisanes that most people haven’t experienced.” According to Ashford, you don’t have to be an enthusiast to find a blend you’ll want to incorporate all year round.

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“The beautiful thing about tea is it’s very flexible and adaptable — you can carve out your own culture with it.”

— Wayne Ashford, founder & sommelier, Ashford Tea Company

Shrimp Cocktail

FREE SAMPLER with the purchase of 2 adult entrees • 1 offer per table not valid with any other offers. offer code: SAVMAG23

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River View Dining Group Menu Available Book Your Holiday Parties Today

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with the purchase of 2 adult entrees • 1 offer per table not valid with any other offers. offer code: SAVMAG23

125 W. River Street • 912-234-1900 • www.savannahriverhouse.com

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More Tea to Go Yaupon Tea House + Apothecary Yaupon Holly, a tree native to the southeastern United States and the only indigenous source of caffeine in the country, forms the basis for loose-leaf teas, skincare products and more available in this modern apothecary on Abercorn Street. The ancient Yaupon leaves used by Native Americans for ceremonies, traditional medicine and as a stimulating beverage belong in the same family as yerba mate and have a variety of wellness applications, including boosting energy, focus and mental clarity.

The Tea Room Nestled adjacent to E. Shaver Booksellers on Madison Square, The Tea Room carries fine teas from around the world as well as beautifully designed teaware to elevate your sipping experience. Along with a signature Christmas Tea blend — China black tea with spices like cinnamon, clove and dried orange peel — choose from tea kettles in handblown glass, porcelain and Japanese tetsubin cast iron, or bone China cups from the brand Miss Havisham’s Curiosities, with saucy slogans scrawled inside the rim.

Hale Tea Company This 150-year-old tea brand with London, England, got a modern twist when owner and Savannah College of Art and Design graduate Megan Miller took the helm in 2019. Hale Tea Company pairs beautiful design with globally sourced, organic blends — artisan flavors like Georgia Peach, Jones Street Jasmine and Savannah Grey come in collectible tin boxes featuring local scenes by artist Natalie Guillet and are eminently giftable. Discover your favorite flavors at local retailers and cafes, including Cup to Cup, Mirabelle, Provisions and shopSCAD. Perry Lane Hotel 88

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T hank you for supporting local!

HAPPY HOUR: WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY FROM 3-7PM • Fresh Seafood • Low Country Boil • Shrimp • Crab Legs • Crawfish • Low Country Tacos • Fish • Sandwiches & Wraps • Steampot • Crab Cakes • Hamburgers • Chicken Fingers • Beer • Wine • Cocktails • Desserts

OPEN WED-SUN: 11:30AM — UNTIL THE PARTY STOPS 7906 EAST HWY. 80 • 912.897.2009 • FLYINGFISHSAVANNAH.COM

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Get It While It’s

HOT

Pop-up restaurants offer Savannah foodies new cultures, cuisines and creativity Written by ALLISON STICE Photography by NIKKI KRECICKI

Starland District wine bar Late Air often hosts pop-ups from local chefs, including Chef John Benhase's Little Light dinner series.

IT’S A RUNNING JOKE at Late Air that first-time customers often stop in on a pop-up night none the wiser, says co-owner Madeline Ott. The Starland wine bar and small-plate restaurant regularly hosts some of the Southeast’s most renowned chefs on select Monday nights as they create limited menus that allow them to explore their passions with a new audience — without the pressure of fully operating their own restaurant with a nightly service.

As one-night-only or short-term offerings, pop-ups offer established and aspiring chefs alike the opportunity to unleash incredible creativity. The result?

Culinary delights featuring flavors and cultural traditions you can’t sample anywhere else in the city.

The Late Air lineup has included cuisines like Japanese-inspired street food and showcased talents like Victoria Shore, the executive chef at Thompson Savannah, who riffed on cuisine from the country of Georgia.

“Pop-ups are like looking through a peephole at a new concept that is blossoming, or a concept that has existed under wraps for chefs who haven’t had their own place yet,” said Late Air co-owner Colin Breland.

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And it’s only fitting for the wine bar to regularly host pop-ups. After all, Ott and Breland built buzz for Late Air by hosting pop-ups at venues like The Wyld, Common Thread and The Drayton Hotel before opening its brick-and-mortar on Bull Street in late 2022.

Indeed, Late Air is far from the only one to participate in this growing trend. The culinary team at Saint Bibiana premiered its coastal Italian cuisine with preview pop-ups around town before opening at the revamped Hotel Bardo fronting Forsyth Park in September. Likewise, other ephemeral restaurants are taking Savannah food culture by storm at local hotspots like Big Bon Ghost Kitchen, Colleagues + Lovers, The Garage at Victory North, Troupial, Two Tides Brewing, Sea Wolf and more. Here are a few to catch — if you can.

ROAD SHOW

Chef John Benhase, formerly of Common Thread and a co-founder of Starland Yard, had been kicking around the concept for his ongoing dinner series Little Light for a long time before making it a reality this year. With stints at Sea Wolf, Late Air and Alley Cat Lounge, Little Light’s seasonally

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focused one-off small menu dives deep into the Middle Eastern influences that fascinate Benhase.

To take the show on the road — which can include small-space kitchens and unpredictable rushes when crowds show up at once — Benhase says he focuses on concocting sauces and building woodfired flavors ahead of time. A recent fall menu included pork that had spent the night in the smoker then chilled before getting a sear in a cast iron with shawarma spices and served with accouterments like Turkish ezme.

“To me, pop-ups are the first big sign of a lot of cool things happening in a city,” Benhase says. “It’s also in a time where the restaurant industry is going through a lot of change and growth, and pop-ups are a natural progression of that.”

It’s no secret that restaurant work is fast-paced, stressful and physically taxing — conditions are exacerbated by increased food costs, supply chain challenges and labor shortages.

For resilient chefs like Benhase, pop-ups also allow them to cook exactly what they want to — and rediscover what got them into hospitality in the first place.

HOMEGROWN FLAVORS

Taylor Neff of The Garage at Victory North, Brandon Preston of Crispi at Two Tides and Carlos Ardila Jr. of Dottie’s Market had the natural affinity of growing up in Florida and realized they all wanted to cook together.

The flamboyant “Flawda Men” first debuted with their take on Publix-inspired “Pub subs” — a Swamp Chicken po’boy featuring fried gator tail — at The Garage at Victory North before taking a more refined approach with a forthcoming six-course prix fixe menu this December — while keeping the fun and flavors reminiscent of their home state.

Pop-ups allow chefs to share their culinary traditions as a matter of course.

After departing Husk earlier this year, Chef Chris Hathcock has partnered with the FARM Bluffton group for a fall residency at Strange Bird inspired by his travels through Thailand and beyond. Southeast Asian cuisine meets southeast U.S. produce and seafood at Odd Gai, open Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Strange Bird for a limited time only.

“I’m making stuff that I want to eat that I can’t get when I go out,” Hathcock says. “It’s aligned with what I wanted to do

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— something that fulfills me and gives me quality of life and balance.”

Hathcock’s focused menu features largely vegetarian and pescetarian dishes flavored with lots of herbs and lemongrass, and standout mains like Thai fermented sausage and larb, paired with dessert offerings by The Grey former pastry chef Tanya Matta. The experience also allows Hathcock to explore his Laotian heritage.

“I didn’t grow up with any of that food, so it made me curious as to what the cuisine was on that side of my family,” Hathcock says.

CROSS COUNTRY

Chef Modou Jaiteh of Common Thread, whose culinary résumé includes stints from Café Boulud in New York City to his own restaurant Jacaranda in Boulder, Colorado, has also introduced dishes from his native Gambia via the pop-up vehicle. Now, he hopes to one day open his pandemic-shuttered restaurant in the Lowcountry, where he moved at the invitation of Gullah cultural bearer and personal chef BJ Dennis to collaborate on various ventures.

Until then, he shares his culture and explores the intimate connection between West African cuisine and Southeastern dishes, creating offerings like peanut butter stew and Carolina gold rice spiced with Ghanaian suya and Sea Island peas at pop-ups around the region. Jaiteh topped off a recent Late Air edition with sweet corn ice cream sprinkled with popcorn by Natasha Gaiskill of Sixby — reminiscent of West African wedding goodie bags, which frequently feature popcorn and sweets.

“A lot of establishments are open to people like me who don’t have their own restaurants yet, and that’s a good culture to build,” Jaiteh says.

With the rapid pace of creativity and collaboration, Jaiteh predicts that the Savannah restaurant scene may look completely different in five years.

Considering pop-ups are inherently fluid and unpredictable, only time will tell for sure. But, in the meantime, the robust variety of rotating pop-ups promises one thing: today’s local dining options are anything but dull.

Know before you go Advice for those curious to pop in on a pop-up, according to local insiders: • It’s okay to arrive late. Diners often rush in right when doors open for fear of

dishes running out, but pop-up organizers plan carefully for the food to flourish until last call.

• To find out about upcoming events, follow your favorite chefs and venues on social media and subscribe to their newsletters because most menu drops only occur digitally or through word of mouth.

• Be ready to try something new. Whether sampling far-flung cuisine or dining family-style, pop-up dinners are all about enjoying comfort food outside of your comfort zone.

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13 Secrets.............................................................. 98 The Alida ............................................................. 104 American Traditions Vocal Collection ................. 113 Azulike ................................................................. 100 Bellamy Murphy .................................................. 117 Capital Bee Company ......................................... 101 Courtyard by Chuck Chewning........................... 113 Critz Tybee Run Fest ........................................... 148 Culver Rug Company .......................................... 131 Curry Dry Cleaners.............................................. 133 Downtown Design District Downtown Design District Holiday Walk ..... 144 Gaston Crue Lifestyles & Interiors................ 141 Peaches | A Sweet Children’s Shop .............. 146 Fancy Pheasant ................................................... 108 Harper Boutique ................................................. 126 Herb Creek Landscape Supply ........................... 107 Jones & Bull ........................................................ 145 J. Parker Ltd. ....................................................... 103 Le Macaron French Pastries Savannah ............... 121 Low Country Dermatology and Aesthetics ........ 129 Madison & 5th ..................................................... 121 Morgan Rae Boutique ......................................... 102 The Posh Loft ...................................................... 111 Proper English ..................................................... 108 Punch and Judy ................................................... 119 Red Clover .......................................................... 126 River Street Sweets ............................................... 99 Salt Marsh Studio ................................................ 122 Sanders Gifts & Home Accents .......................... 131 Sandfly Flower Shop ........................................... 133 Savannah Bee Company ..................................... 119 The Savannah Cheese Straw Company .............. 135 Savannah City Market ......................................... 107 Savannah Coffee Roasters .................................. 147 Savannah Magazine ............................................ 137 Savannah Dental ................................................. 129 Sherry’s Honey Pot Fabric & More ..................... 113 Spa Bleu .............................................................. 100 Tapley’s Mercantile and Antiques ....................... 135 Telfair Museums .................................................. 149

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HOLIDAYS AT THE ALIDA This year, take your holiday experience to new heights at Alpine Village at The Lost Square from Nov. 7-Jan. 4. Grab a fur blanket, cozy up with a hot drink and enjoy the twinkling lights in our winter yurts. Open daily, your yurt is fit for the starry winter nights and accommodates up to six guests. For 90 minutes, enjoy The Lost Square menu plus festive specials like Lowcountry boil, tableside s’mores and cozy cocktails meant for sipping, the ideal way to celebrate the season. Drink some liquid courage and sing your favorite festive tunes during Carol-oke at Alpine Village every Thursday from Nov. 30-Dec. 21.

Cozy up in a festive cabana or lounger at Cabana Club this holiday season and watch your favorite Christmas classics on the big screen projected over The Alida pool.

Snack on our full menu of concessions and sip on seasonal beverages while cuddling up in a warm blanket under the Savannah sky. Cabana Club Christmas will be held 6-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday from Nov. 25-Dec. 30.

Local photographer Angela Hopper is partnering with HollyOaks on the Marsh for Santa Sleigh Sessions.

With a $99 donation to Love One, Inc., your child will get a 10-minute session with Santa. The session includes refreshments and a custom collectible ornament.

To reserve your spot, call 912.898.7878 or email info@ angelahopperphotography.

NOV. 16–JAN. 1 Soak in the holiday season with the vibrant, festive delights of the Savannah Christmas Market at Plant Riverside District. Browse local vendors, indulge in holiday treats and enjoy live music and performances, children’s activities and photos with Santa throughout the season.

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H O L I D AY H A P P E N I N G S

NOV. 11–12

Santa Sleigh Sessions

NOV. 24– DEC. 23 Make lifelong memories during Holiday Nights at City Market, held in tandem with Old Town Trolley – Holiday Sights and Festive Nights Tour.

Tumble down the rabbit hole into a magical world of light and color at December Nights & Holiday Lights at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens.

With this year’s “Alice in Wonderland’’ theme, guests journey through more than 5 acres of festively lit trails and refreshment stations. The garden is open on select nights only. For the full schedule, visit coastalbg.uga.edu.

NOV. 25 Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is one of the most iconic holiday experiences since its original run in 1892, and for good reason: the whimsical melodies, the intricate ballet, the magical sets and costumes.

Witness the timeless spectacle at 5:30 p.m. at the Johnny Mercer Theatre.

Prepare to be dazzled by the glittering spectacles floating along the Savannah River at the 22nd annual Savannah Boat Parade of Lights, launching from the Eastern Wharf dock at 7 p.m. This year, the parade is partnering with Greenbriar Children’s Center, which has been helping Savannah children and families in need since 1949.

NOV. 30 Check off your Nice List during the annual Downtown Design District Holiday Walk.

Hobnob all down the block while popping into stylish stores along Whitaker Street, like Custard Boutique, Hannah E., Asher + Rye, One Fish Two Fish and many more.

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Celebrate 40 years of housing families and revitalizing neighborhoods at Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity’s Home for the Holidays Gala. This black-tie event will raise vital funds to help families in need, beginning with a cocktail hour at 6 p.m. and followed by silent and live auctions, raffles and games amid a night of entertainment and charity.

DEC. 7 Chabad of Savannah, Savannah Jewish Federation and the City of Savannah present Chanukah at Forsyth Park. The community-wide menorah lighting is open to everyone.

Warm up with latkes, donuts and hot drinks while enjoying crafts, games and more.

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Join in on the holiday cheer at Savannah’s Waterfront Christmas on the River, where festive musical and dance acts — and perhaps a Santa sighting or two — will grace Rousakis Riverfront Plaza as you shop along the cobblestone strip. And on Dec. 9, stick around for the Lighted Christmas Parade, were you’ll find twinkling along the route from River Street to City Market starting at 5:30 p.m.

Visit the Twinkle Bark Stroll at Coastal Pet Rescue and bring home a new fuzzy friend for the holidays. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 8-10 and Dec. 15-17, a $5 donation will give you access to stroll through the festival of trees, grab a hot cocoa, roast some marshmallows and meet all the sweet adoptable pets.

DEC. 9 Explore some of the city’s most breathtaking and beautifully decorated homes, historic inns and museums during the Savannah Downtown Neighborhood Association’s Holiday Tour of Homes. This walking tour will run for two sessions with staggered start and end times from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with all proceeds going to the DNA’s charitable giving program.

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DEC. 1

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Home for the Holidays Gala

Travel back in time and experience the Christmas traditions of yesteryear at Colonial Christmas at Wormsloe from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Discover the joyful period music and live history demonstrations throughout the historical site, and warm yourself by the Yule log starting at 2 p.m.

DEC. 16 Love all those classic Christmas songs? Experience them under the delightfully decked halls of the Lucas Theatre at Savannah Philharmonic’s Holiday Stories of Savannah from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Snow days are hard to come by in Savannah, so don’t miss out on the Christmas Festival at Trustees’ Garden, complete with a snow sledding hill plus a flurry of food trucks, rides and Christmas vendors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DEC. 17 & DEC. 20–21 Listeso String Quartet returns to The DeSoto Savannah during the Candlelight Holiday Special, featuring Christmas classics and holiday medleys from classical composers.

DEC. 25 Merry Christmas! Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with Savannah jazz icon Teddy Adams and the Savannah All-Star Jazz Ensemble at the Savannah Jazz Annual Christmas Jam Concert in Plant Riverside District’s Salzburg Ballroom from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

DEC. 26–30 Period-clad interpreters guide you through the storied halls of the Davenport House Museum in true 19th-century style during their Holiday Evening Tours by Candlelight.

Bringing Holiday Cheer!

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BEGINNING NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Holiday Nights in City Market DISCOVER THE

WONDER & MAGIC OF HISTORIC SAVANNAH

In conjunction with Old Town Trolley – Holiday Sights and Festive Nights Tour, City Market transforms into your destination for festive cheer and holiday delights.

V isit with Father Christmas

Bring your little ones and young-at-heart for a heartwarming visit with the jolliest of all!

NIGHTLY BEGINNING AT 6:30PM

Holiday Music Spectacular

Let the melodious sounds of classic and contemporary holiday music serenade your senses as you wander through the Market.

Don’t miss this chance to create cherished holiday memories with your loved ones at City Market.

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Whether shopping, dining, or soaking in the festive atmosphere, City Market has something special for everyone!

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 e G On

Gather friends and family and make lasting memories this holiday season with a game night — complete with sips, sweets and gifts galore Photography by PETER COLIN MURRAY // Styling by SARA SPICER

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CHECKMATE (clockwise from top): wine from Provisions; round black serving board from The Paris Market; cocktail napkins from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; candelabrum from Dottie’s Market; coupe glasses from Asher + Rye and cocktail picks from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; cutting board and salt and pepper shakers from PW Short General Store; Byrd Cookie Company Scotch Oatmeal cookies; Graza olive oil from Provisions; marble chess board from Jones & Bull

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VISIT US ON BROUGHTON STREET, UPS TAIRS!

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GOOD FORTUNE (clockwise from top right): Spring & Mulberry chocolate bar from Provisions; place card from The Cottage Shop and card holder from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; bowl (set of three) from Leah Bailey Interiors; tortoiseshell martini glass and postcard from The Cottage Shop; espresso beans from Origin Coffee Bar; trinket box from Leah Bailey Interiors; ribbon by the yard from The Paris Market; caramel pecan popcorn from Savannah’s Candy Kitchen; tortoiseshell lighter from PW Short General Store; domino set from Jones & Bull; keychain from shopSCAD; plate from Dottie’s Market; playing cards and card case from The Cottage Shop; portable Bluetooth speaker from Sanders Gifts & Home Accessories

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STAPLE SNACK No holiday party is complete without cheese straws.

Stock up from The Savannah Cheese Straw Company.

Outdoor living, accessories, garden, and gifts, thoughtfully curated by Chuck Chewning 7901 Waters Ave. | 912.777.4532

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Join Us 2023-24 SEASON Tickets available at ATCSavannah.org Don’t miss these opportunities to see our talented artists perform!

Celebrate the 23-24 season with us & come discover new favorites February 19-23, 2024 at the our annual ATC Competition.

SCENTS OF HOME Whether gathering near or far, fill your home with scents of Savannah — an incense made

by The Paris Market with notes of gardenia, musk and moss.

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ART OF PLAY This backgammon board opens and closes like a book — making it equally beautiful open on a table or stored on a shelf.

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ACE POINT (clockwise from top right): wrapping paper from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; wine glass and napkin from The Paris Market; taffy from River Street Sweets; ribbon by the yard and backgammon board from The Paris Market; Hammond’s sea side caramel chocolate bar from PW Short General Store; jar from Leah Bailey Interiors; notepad from Asher + Rye; large ornament from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; ranunculus from Sandfly Flower Shop and vase from Leah Bailey Interiors; incense holder from shopSCAD and incense from The Paris Market

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Best of Holdiays to a!

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JOKERS WELCOME (clockwise from top): nutcracker from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; ribbon by the yard from The Paris Market; candies from River Street Sweets; needlepoint pillow from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; red coupe glass from The Paris Market; American Mahjong mat, tiles and acrylic rack and pusher from Oh My Mahjong; matches and wrapping paper from Emily McCarthy Shoppe; stemless wine glass from The Cottage Shop; clock from PW Short General Store; candle from Dottie’s Market

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CHOCOLATES

Give the Gift of Art!

Two Painters. One Landscape.

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GETTING

Personal Three local artisans transform timeless objects into totally modern, customizable and irresistible gifts this holiday season Written by BRIENNE WALSH

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METAL SUGAR JEWELRY

Metal Sugar Jewelry

Britt’s Funky Stitch

Melissa Cohen never thought she was particularly talented at any one thing. Then, while working a corporate job in Atlanta in 2006, she took a metal smithing class and realized she had found her calling.

“It was literally like a lightbulb went off,” she says. “I couldn’t believe it was that simple.”

It’s taken many years of work, but Cohen is now a full-time jewelry designer and the owner of Metal Sugar, a showroom and studio in Starland Crossing (114 E. 40th St.), which is a strip of mostly women-owned businesses in the Starland District. Decorated with portraits and landscape paintings culled from local antique stores — Cohen loves shopping at Picker Joe’s and Tapley’s Mercantile — the studio is intended to be more than just a storefront.

It’s also a gorgeous gathering place where Cohen invites potential clients in for free consultations. In particular, she specializes in transforming estate jewelry into one-of-a-kind, bespoke pieces that suit their new owners.

“I really enjoy giving new life to stones and jewelry that people have in their drawers but aren’t looking at or enjoying,” she says. For example, she recently extracted over 100 diamonds from a vintage Hamilton watch and transformed them into an engagement ring and wedding band for a childhood friend in Atlanta.

Cohen, who lives on Tybee Island, can trace her maternal lineage to the Jewish settlers of Savannah, who also designed custom lines of rings, necklaces and earrings that utilize unique, ethically sourced stones from around the world. For the holiday season, she’s particularly excited about bold statement pieces. “I love a good, balanced asymmetry,” she says.

Find her work on Instagram @metalsugarjewelry or metalsugar.com

BRITT’S FUNKY STITCH

Brittany Milward, the owner of Britt’s Funky Stitch, has always had a passion for creating beautiful things for other people. She gets it from her maternal grandmother, who lived in Kentucky, and gifted Milward with hand-embroidered quilts throughout her childhood. “The quilts hold the most amazing memories of her,” Milward says.

A Savannah native — and St. Vincent’s Academy alum — who graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in fashion merchandising in 2008, Milward didn’t start hand embroidering until the pandemic. At the time, she was pregnant with her fourth child and living in Houston, Texas. Milward, stuck at

home, wanted a hobby that would keep her hands occupied. Before long, she was stitching names and light-hearted doodles — hearts, smiley faces, stars — on table linens, infant onesies and her own clothing.

“Every time I stitch, I picture my own grandkids being like, ‘Oh, Grandma made these napkins,’” she says.

It wasn’t long before the hobby blossomed into a business, Britt’s Funky Stitch, which provides custom hand-sewn embroidery starting at $15. Within the past year, Milward also started offering oneof-a-kind necklaces made from gemstone beads, freshwater pearls and recycled glass African beads. Inspired by the three years she lived in Gabon, Africa, with her husband, the necklaces are totally unique and intended to be worn with T-shirts and jeans. “My ideal customer is someone who wants to accessorize and likes a funky look with a lot of flair,” Milward says.

To place an order, contact Milward via her Instagram page, @brittsfunkystitch

MATCHBOX 912

If you’ve been to Forsyth Park on a recent Saturday morning, you’ve likely run into Seth Bilkis, who sells his matchbox-inspired artwork amid the live oak trees. Bilkis, who graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020 with a degree in interior design, started creating collages made from matchboxes earlier this year.

He was inspired by a collection of matchboxes his aunt kept in a bowl on a shelf in her apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he used to study during visits as a kid. The appeal, he says, was a sort of universal nostalgia.

“Even if you’ve never been to the place advertising itself on the matchbox, the composition itself can bring you back to your own favorite place and what it felt like to be there,” he says.

Bilkis purchases the matchboxes from Facebook Marketplace or at antique fairs and arranges them based on colors and themes — Asian restaurants, Americana, steakhouses or the color pink, for example.

Matchbox 912

After arranging the matchboxes in a shadow box, Bilkis scans and prints them out as high-quality photographs. Under the moniker Matchbox 912, Bilkis sells both the original compositions and the prints. An 11” x 14” print costs $40; a larger poster-sized 18” x 24” print is $90. Bespoke compositions are priced depending on the scope of the project.

By far, his most popular matchbox prints are the ones that feature local Savannah businesses — The Grey, The

Pirate’s House, Johnny Ganem’s Wine & Package Shop and Vinnie Van GoGo’s, to name just a few examples. Not only does Bilkis love sending customers home with a slice of local nostalgia, but the conversations he has with potential buyers are just as appealing. “I love the social aspect of being out in the park at 8 a.m., talking to people, seeing friends pass by and being with my artwork,” he says.

Art is also available for sale via his Instagram page, @matchbox_912

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118 Bull St. | Savannah, GA 31401 | 912 . 235 . 5172 Monday - Saturday 11am to 5:30pm | Sunday 12-4pm F OLLO W U S @HARPERBO U TIQ U E | HARPERS AVA N N A H . C O M

244 Bull Street Savannah, Ga 31401 912-236-4053

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H O L I D A Y

GIFT GUIDE

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RIVER STREET SWEETS A festive sampler of our best selling items!

912.233.6220 13. E. River St. | 4515 Habersham St. riverstreetsweets.com

for the FAMILY GLOW MED SPA Gift certificates for the perfect facial, Botox and more from Glow Med Spa, voted Best of Savannah 15 years running Glow midtown: 912.303.9611 Glow downtown: 912.349.3690 glowsavannah.com

DENTAL HARBOR BY ABBY DEW, DDS Crest+Oral-B iO transformational gum health system 912.480.0804 50 Meeting St., Suite B, Skidaway Island dentalharbor.com

SAVANNAH COFFEE ROASTERS 12-ounce bag of roasted coffee beans, Harney & Sons tea, ceramic coffee mug, locally made candles and dog treats 912.352.2994 | 215 W. Liberty St. savannahcoffee.com

PUNCH & JUDY “Otto’s Snowy Christmas” book with plush friends 912.352.0906 | 4511 Habersham St. punchandjudysavannah.com

AMERICAN TRADITIONS COMPETITION Celebrate more than 30 years of American song with tickets to the 2024 American Traditions Competition at Plant Riverside District, Feb. 19-23, 2024.

803.702.0305 atcsavannah.org

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purchase a

$200 GIFT CARD

May your SKIN be

MERRY& this holiday season

for

$150

*For use on cosmetic services and products only. Cannot be used the same day of purchase.

Gift cards expire after 1 year from purchase date.

6510 Waters Avenue | (912) 354-1018 Lcderm.com

f a white Christm o g n i am as? e r D

GET $100 OFF TEETH WHITENING! **VALID ONLY DURING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2023

SAVANNAH

DENTAL

912.355.8821 815 EAST 68TH STREET SAVANNAH 912.727.3249 12650 GA-144 RICHMOND HILL WWW.SAVANNAH.DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

for the STYLISH MORGAN RAE BOUTIQUE Distressed denim jacket and Little Words Project bracelets 912.465.2631 301B W. Broughton St. (upstairs) @shopmorganrae

LEVY JEWELERS Roberto Coin is available at our historic downtown location.

912.233.1163 2 E. Broughton St. levyjewelers.com

THE POSH LOFT SPELL Belladonna Reversible Jacket 912.349.7816 317 W. Broughton St. (Upstairs) theposhloft.shop

RED CLOVER Chasing Rainbows sweater, Dallas jeans, Arizona boots and Zara crossbody bag 912.236.4053 | 244 Bull St. shopredclover.com

HARPER BOUTIQUE Dalia metallic heels, red leather clutch, Cindy necklace and chunky gold hoops 912.235.5172 | 118 Bull St. harpersavannah.com

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Sanders Gifts & Home Accents

Heartfully Yours

by Christopher Radko

The Grinch, Dr. Seuss Designs

by Jim Shore

Dash Away. Patience Brewster

by MacKenzie-Childs

Shop Sanders for the perfect Holiday party essentials!

HOLIDAY GIFTS, HOME ACCENTS, COLLECTIBLES, APPAREL + ACCESSORIES

Biscuit can’t wait to see you!

79 08 US 80 Ea st | 912 .897.4 861 sa nde rsgif tsa ndhom e.c o m | visit us on Fa c eb o ok

Full Service Florist & Gifts

Visit us at 8419 Ferguson Avenue in Sandfly, just off the light at Skidaway & Ferguson.

SandflyFlowerShop.com @SandflyFlowerShop 912.604.6852

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

C E L E B R AT I N G 8 0 Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S CUSTOM DELUXE DRY CLEANING | SHIRT LAUNDRY | ALTERATIONS WEDDING GOWN PRESERVATION & RESTORATION

1310 E. DERENNE AVE. • 355.2930 4 4 0 J O H N N Y M E R C E R B LV D . • 8 9 7 . 4 5 9 5 John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

for HER RIVER STREET SWEETS Our smooth chocolate and our sumptuous homemade caramel combine atop a bed of crunch pecan pieces, with festive holiday sprinkles.

912.233.6220 13. E. River St. | 4515 Habersham St. riverstreetsweets.com SAVANNAH DENTAL The perfect refresh for any face — Revision skincare daily boosting serum, Revox line relaxer and Papaya enzyme cleaner. Gift certificates available, too.

912.355.8821 | 815 E. 68th St. savannah.dental

PARK AESTHETICS Give the gift of personalized botox and fillers with Park Aesthetics — your key to balanced, natural beauty this holiday season.

Tibet Professional Center | 130 Tibet Ave., Suite 105 912.376.0761 questions@theparkaesthetics.com theparkaesthetics.com

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REFINE MEDICAL AESTHETICS Refine your skin winter regimen by adding in gentle chemical exfoliants to brighten away summer damage for healthy, renewed, Refined skin.

The Refine Medical Aesthetics line includes an exfoliating cleanser, pads and peel; brightening gel; and nighttime moisturizer.

11550 Abercorn St. 912.710.0274 refinemedaesthetics.com

SHOPSCAD Green Kodiak wristlet clutch 912.525.5180 340 Bull St. shopscad.com

LOW COUNTRY DERMATOLOGY Howington Skincare Dermabright Cream, UV Silk Plus and Volumizing Antioxidant Lotion 912.354.1018 | 6510 Waters Ave. lcderm.com

SPA BLEU Give the gift of relaxation.

912.236.1490 101 Bull St. spableu-sav.com

A SAVORY SOUTHERN TRADITION S ERVE WITH COCKTAILS OR ON THEIR OWN .

PLACE YOUR HOLIDAY ORDERS NOW! S H I P P I N G A VA I L A B L E .

906 E. 72 ND ST. SAVANNAHCHEESESTRAWS@GMAIL.COM

912.495.5444

Perfect finds for holiday gift-giving, hostess gifts or home décor!

Shop over 70 vendors and their collections of antiques, furniture, home décor and vintage jewelry. Tapley’s Pantry is full of goodies for your kitchen.

HOURS: MON - SAT 10 - 5

8491 WATERS AVE, CORNER OF MONTGOMERY CROSSROADS AND WATERS AVE

912-335-2610 | TAPLEYSMERCANTILE.COM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

FOXY LOXY CAFE & THE COFFEE FOX ROASTING CO. The Coffee Fox Roasting Co. branded hat and T-shirt and Foxy Blend whole bean locally roasted coffee Coffee Fox Roasting Co. thecoffeefoxroastingco.com Foxy Loxy Café 912.401.0543 | 1919 Bull St. foxyloxycafe.com

for HIM J. PARKER LTD. Martin Dingman Countryaire, with hand-finished saddle leather, plain toe in almond and black 20 W. Broughton St. | 912.234.0004 5500 Abercorn St. | 912.335.1439 300 W. River St., Bldg. A, Unit 6C | 912.298.6675 69 Calhoun St. | 843.706.2601 jparkerltd.com

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED Celebrate the season with backyard songbirds! Buttons the Snowman seed cylinder is one part bird feeder, one part decoration.

8108 Abercorn St. 912.961.3455 savannah.wbu.com

DENTAL HARBOR

BY ABBY DEW, DDS Rock’n White Kit includes at-home whitening trays and Vibe Bluetooth speaker beverage tumbler 912.480.0804 50 Meeting St., Suite B, Skidaway Island dentalharbor.com

LEVY JEWELERS NORQAIN Adventure Sport 42mm. The NORQAIN Adventure collection embodies the thrill of exploring and conquering nature’s playground — the trails, the summits and the tides.

912.233.1163 | 2 E. Broughton St. levyjewelers.com

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HOLIDAY OFFER

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SANDER’S GIFTS AND HOME Department 56 The Original Snow Village, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: The Griswold Holiday Scene” 912.897.4861 | 7908 US Highway 80 | sandersgiftsandhome.com

for the HOME

SHOPSCAD “Out to Tybee” by Dan Smith 912.525.5180 | 340 Bull St. shopscad.com

SHOP AZULIKE Vintage multicolor Moroccan runner. Hand-woven in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco @shopazulike

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TAPLEY’S MERCANTILE AND ANTIQUES Antique basket and copper pot, dish towels, seasoning blends and preserves 912.335.2610 | 8491 Waters Ave. tapleysmerchantile.com

SALT MARSH STUDIO Original art by Dottie T. Leatherwood dottieleatherwood.com and Marc R. Hanson marchansonart.com

CAPITAL BEE COMPANY Best-seller Raw Frosted Cinnamon Capital Bee Co. honey, 1803 Home for Chritmas candle and vintage lighted Christmas tree 912.335.7263 | 421 E. Broughton St. capitalbeeco.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

COURTYARD BY CHUCK CHEWNING Barware, including wine buckets and Mario Luca whisky and scotch glasses 912.421.9070 | 406 W. Jones St. courtyardlifestyle.com

THE FANCY PHEASANT Lauren Dunn acrylic nativity set and Tree Farm farmhouse candle

by Vintage Porch 912.675.5803 2 East Broad St. fancypheasantsav.com

SHOPSCAD Double Squiggle 13” tufted basket by Rebecca Coll 912.525.5180 | 340 Bull St. shopscad.com

BELLAMY MURPHY ART Original acrylic on canvas framed in gold floater bellamyart.com

JONES & BULL Candles, pillows and lifestyle collection by British designer and graphic artist Emma J. Shipley, as seen this season on “The Great British Baking Show.” Sold exclusively (on this side of the pond) by Jones & Bull.

912.228.8851 | 1 W. Jones St. jonesandbull.com

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for the HOSTESS

THE SAVANNAH CHEESE STRAW COMPANY Great hostess gift!

912.495.5444 | 906 E. 72nd St. thesavannahcheesestrawcompany.com

PERC COFFEE Limited edition holiday gift box with ceramic mug and Holiday Seasonal Blend 912.209.0025 | 1802 East Broad St. perccoffee.com

LE MACARON FRENCH PASTRIES True French macarons and beautiful, gourmet chocolates — the perfect delicacy and gift 912.712.5094 204 W. Broughton St. lemacaron-us.com/savannah

SAVANNAH BEE COMPANY Queen’s Caffeine gift set, a collectable and reusable gift box featuring one 12 oz. bag of Roasted Honey Coffee (ground), one 12 oz. jar of honey, one large honey dipper and a “Save the Bees” ceramic diner mug Broughton Street | 912.233.7873 River Street | 912.234.7088 Johnny Mercer Boulevard | 912.629.0908 savannahbee.com

RIVER STREET SWEETS Our Candy Charcuterie Board is a perfect and delicious way to add a sweet flair to your holiday parties!

912.233.6220 13 E. River St. 4515 Habersham St. riverstreetsweets.com

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IN T ER IOR DE SIGN | FUR NI T UR E | LIGH T ING | AN T IQUE S 412 W H I TAK ER ST R EET | SAVANNAH, GA 31401 912.777.4723 | GA STONCRUE.COM

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

from the Downtown DESIGN DISTRICT CUSTARD Hair clips so cute you could eat ‘em up!

912.232.4733 422 Whitaker St. custardboutique.com

MADISON & 5TH Chanel boy bag in gold patent leather with gold hardware 917.680.5964 412B Whitaker St. shopmadisonand5th.com

MERCER HOUSE CARRIAGE SHOP Italian hand-painted tole tray and women’s luxe pima cotton pajama set 912.236.6352 | 430 Whitaker St. mercerhouse.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE PRINTED PEACH Lele Sadoughi headband, ornaments

by Lilly Pulitzer, Stoney Clover Lane pouch and Queen of Sparkles Santa sweatshirt 912.233.6375 417 Whitaker St. theprintedpeachsavannah.com

MADAME CHRYSANTHEMUM Assorted Christmas ornaments 912.238.3355 101 W. Taylor St. On Facebook

PEACHES Festive holiday looks for him and her 912.777.9639 | 409 Whitaker St. shoppeaches.com

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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S H O P • E X P LO R E

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y N O N O F L O R E S

Join us for our annual Holiday Walk, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30!

THE ANNEX 400 Whitaker St. onefishstore.com

C U S TA R D B O U T I Q U E 422 Whitaker St. custardboutique.com

MADISON & 5TH 412B Whitaker St. shopmadisonand5th.com

THE PRINTED PEACH 417 Whitaker St. theprintedpeachsavannah.com

ARCANUM 14 W. Jones St. arcanummarket.com

GASTON CRUE 412 Whitaker St. gastoncrue.com

ASHER + RYE 348 Whitaker St. asherandrye.com

HANNAH E. 411 Whitaker St. hannahestyle.com

MERCER WILLIAMS CARRIAGE HOUSE SHOP 430 Whitaker St. mercerhouse.com

PW SHORT GENERAL STORE 414 Whitaker St. pwshort.com

CAROLINA H E M P C O M PA N Y 413 Whitaker St. carolinahempcompany.com

MADAME CHRYSANTHEMUM 101 W. Taylor St. @madamechrysanthemum

ONE FISH TWO FISH 401 Whitaker St. onefishstore.com

VISUAL COMFORT & CO. 405 Whitaker St. visualcomfort.com

SPONSORED BY

PEACHES 409 Whitaker St. shoppeaches.com

A C u r at e d C o l l e c t i o n o f M o d e r n , V i n ta g e a n d A n t i q u e H o m e D e c o r a n d F u r n i t u r e i n t h e H e a r t o f H i s t o r i c S ava n n a h

1 WEST JONES STREET | 912.228.8851 | M O N D AY- S AT U R D AY 1 0 - 5

@JONESANDBULL

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Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. Publication Title: Savannah Magazine. 2. Publication No. 1061-6748. 3. Filing Date: September 28, 2023. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-monthly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $19.95. 7. Complete ailing ress o nown fice o lication ercorn t ite avannah hatham omplete ailing ress o ea arters or eneral B siness fice o lisher ercorn t ite avannah ll ames an omplete ailing resses o lisher E itor an anaging E itor lisher nita agin ercorn t ite avannah E itor olleen nn c all ercorn t ite avannah anaging E itor none wner aga ines LL Bo g sta a wholl owne s si iar o E B g sta toc hol ers o E g sta owning more than o the o tstan ing stoc are orris g sta orris g sta ler orris g sta sie orris Ba er g sta E L L E E g sta resses or all o the a ove corporations in ivi als tr stees an partnership are Bo g sta nown on hol ers mortgagees an other sec rit hol ers owning or hol ing or more o total amo nt o on s mortgages or other sec rities o aga ines LL g sta are one lication itle avannah aga ine ss e ate or irc lation ata Below ept ct E tent an at re o irc lation a otal m er o opies et press r n verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate ai Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies): Average o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to Filing Date: 5,022. 2. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution a ove nominal rate a vertiser s proo copies an e change copies verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate ai istri tion tsi e the ails ncl ing ales hro gh ealers an arriers treet en ors o nter ales an ther ai istri tion tsi e verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 1,150. 4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail hro gh the eg irst lass ail verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 0. 15c. Total Paid Distribution [Sum of 15b (1), an verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 6,172. 15d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: Average No. Copies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate ree or ominal ate n o nt opies ncl e on orm verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate ree or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail): Average No. Copies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate ree or ominal ate istri tion tsi e the ail arriers or other means verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate e otal ree or ominal ate istri tion mo an verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate otal istri tion mo c an e verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: 10,766. 15g. Copies not Distributed: Average No. opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate h otal mo an g verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate i ercent ai c ivi e times verage o opies Each ss e ring rece ing onths o opies o ingle ss e lishe earest to iling ate lication o statement o ownership will e printe in the Nov/Dec 2023 issue of the publication. 18. Signature and title of editor, publisher, business manager, or owner: Michelle Rowe, Circulation Manager. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete.

I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanction and civil actions.

Proudly serving Savannah for over 100 years

Wishing Everyone a Happy Holiday Season!

Leave the holiday cooking to us — We provide catering for office parties, family gatherings in our private event space or at your location ✴ Pre-Order your holiday cakes & pies now ✴ 912.352.2994 | savannahcoffee.com 215 W Liberty St, Savannah, GA 31401

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Give the gift of art Gift a Telfair Museums membership Free admission to our three museums for an entire year Member access to exhibition previews, receptions, and lectures Free entry to Drop-In Studio and the Telfair Children’s Art Museum 10% discount at the museum stores Member rate on classes, camps, Art Start program, and special events Complimentary subscription to Telfair Magazine & more!

telfair.org/membership

art + history + architecture

Our Inaugural

Meet 20 local movers, shakers and change-makers who made a real impact on the region in 2023 — and are creating a brighter Savannah for the next generation.

Written by ANDREA GOTO, BRIENNE WALSH, COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY & SAM WORLEY Photography by MICHAEL SCHALK

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Students inside the new Telfair Children’s Art Museum in the Jepson Center. Read more about the leaders who made it possible on page 164.

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20 23 A New Crew Julie Ford Musselman

(center)

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R , S AVA N N A H ’ S W AT E R F R O N T A N D T H E B O A R D

(Left to right): Ansley Williams, CEO, Live Oak Restaurant Group and President of Savannah’s Waterfront Simon Pettigrew, Managing Director, JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District Dale Parker, Owner, J. Parker Ltd. Joseph Rosa, General Manager, River Street Inn Chelsea Williams, Director of Business Development, Live Oak Restaurant Group

When Julie Musselman joined Savannah’s Waterfront as the executive director in 2019, the nonprofit was already looking to make some changes. Since 1973, the organization has promoted and protected the success of the restaurants, retail shops, tours and hotels along River Street, Factors Walk, Bay Street and Hutchinson Island. Yet, in recent years, much of the organization’s focus and resources went to producing monthly festivals.

Then, the pandemic halted the Waterfront’s 2020 St. Patrick’s Day festivities. With public gatherings on pause, Musselman and her board turned their focus to a different project that had been on the back burner: forming Chatham County’s first and only Community Improvement District (CID).

In Georgia, a CID is a mechanism in which property owners in a defined geographic area elect to pay an additional assessment on their real property. The revenue goes directly back into the district to provide enhanced services, such as street maintenance or recreation areas, to supplement existing municipal services and benefit the properties within its boundaries.

“This is not about the city not doing a good job. This is about only having so many resources to go around,” Musselman says.

She credits Chelsea Williams of Live Oak Restaurant Group — the family behind Spanky’s Pizza Galley & Saloon, Tubby’s Seafood, Fiddler’s Crab House & Oyster Bar and more — for her research and bringing forth the idea to form a CID. Making it happen was easier said than done. Forming a CID requires the agreement of 51% of the commercial property owners representing at least 75% of the taxable value of the commercial property located within the proposed boundaries.

“We met with as many people as we could. Chelsea’s family has been down on the water so long that they know everybody,” says Musselman. “Every property owner’s voice is important.”

They expanded their conversations beyond Savannah, too — gaining insights from national leaders like the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and

Mickey Minick, Executive Sales Director, Kelly Tours Rhett Strickland, Owner, Savannah’s Candy Kitchen Jonathan Claughton, President & CEO, River Street Riverboat Company Geoffrey Repella, General Manager, Byrd Cookie Company - River Street Susan Powers, Innkeeper, Olde Harbour Inn & East Bay Inn Michael Owens, President & CEO, Tourism Leadership Council

directors of CIDs in metro Atlanta, where the majority are. They also hired Atlanta-based CID experts, Leithead Consulting, to help guide the process.

Signing Richard Kessler was a turning point. Kessler’s Plant Riverside District already had brand-new lights, sidewalks, trash cans and landscapes, so what’s the benefit of a CID to him? “A long-term environment of business success here,” answers Musselman. “No property is an island.”

Within 48 hours, Musselman had six more hotels. Once they had the critical mass, it would take another nine weeks for the Chatham County Tax Commissioner to grant certification before getting on the Savannah City Council’s agenda. In June 2023, the City Council officially passed a resolution to create Savannah’s Waterfront Community Improvement District (SWCID) — including more than 80 commercial properties stretching from Plant Riverside District on the west to Marriott Savannah Riverfront on the east — for six years.

Then, members can vote on an extension for another six years.

Now, Musselman is focused on setting the foundation for what’s ahead: establishing a volunteer board of directors with appointments by both the city and the members, setting the tax rate, going after additional funding through state grants and determining which programs and services the CID wants to undertake first.

“We can make the waterfront safer, cleaner, more well-lit and more inviting to everyone to come and enjoy,”

Musselman says. There could be short-term wins — like beautification projects — and longer-term goals, like adding sidewalks and dock facilities.

“I want a power washer so bad,” she says with a laugh.

“I want to power wash from one end of the street to the other, and the next Sunday morning, I want to start back over.”

She guarantees one thing that won’t change: the historical charm of the area. “We definitely are not going to pave over the cobblestones,” she notes. — Colleen Ann McNally

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Savannahians of the Year Step by Step ARMAND TURNER

BOARD PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF TIDE TO TOWN AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM MANAGER F O R H E A LT H Y S AVA N N A H

Every great journey starts with a few first steps, as everyone knows. In the case of Tide to Town, those first steps follow the Truman Linear Park Trail — a stretch of trail between Lake Mayer and DeRenne Avenue completed in 2020 that marks the initial three miles of a walking and biking path that will someday encircle Savannah. When it’s finished, the Tide to Town system will comprise some 30 miles of paved trails, protected from vehicle traffic and accessible to all.

One of the key people behind the path is Armand Turner, board president of Friends of Tide to Town. The project, Turner explains, isn’t only about recreation. It’s just as much about equity and livability — about giving residents of underserved neighborhoods a healthy way to get around and about promoting safety in a city and state where auto-pedestrian accidents are common.

“It also connects communities,” Turner says. ”It brings us together.”

Turner, an Indiana native, was brought to Savannah to serve as the physical activity program manager for the Healthy Savannah initiative, launched in 2007 by Mayor Otis Johnson. The funding that specifically brought Turner here is through the CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, awarded in 2018 and co-administered with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia. In recent years, Healthy Savannah has launched programs that expand access to nutritious foods, promote breastfeeding, encourage physical activity in kids and adults — and much more. In 2022, Healthy Savannah received the CDC’s Lark Award, which honors “extraordinary individuals, organizations, or community coalitions associated with the REACH program.”

More encouraging news is that the grant was recently renewed, which means Turner will be working for our community for at least another five years. “We’re extremely excited about being able to continue this work and really seeing more change here in Savannah and Chatham County,” he says.

The next step for the Tide to Town trail? Turner says they hope to break ground on the next phase — DeRenne Avenue to Daffin Park — late this year or early 2024. — Sam Worley

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20 23 Ripple Effect margaret coker E D I T O R I N C H I E F, T H E C U R R E N T

Even with a cursory glance, readers can immediately sense that The Current, an independent digital newsroom, is doing something different. Without advertising or paywalls, the donor-driven news source delivers nonpartisan, data-based, investigative journalism at the local level.

“We had an idea of how we wanted to build a new and different newsroom that was dedicated to accountability and in-depth journalism as a way to build and regain trust,” says Margaret Coker, The Current editor in chief, who, along with managing editor Susan Catron, one of Georgia’s most experienced newspaper women, built the innovative newsroom.

Coker, a prize-winning investigative journalist who worked at Cox Newspapers, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, knew it was important to make the news local — “Instead of having national reporters telling us what Coastal Georgia needed,” she adds — and to make the information available at no cost.

“With all the inequalities in Georgia, having access to high-quality information is something we can erase right away. And we’ve done that,” says Coker. “Everyone deserves facts and knowledge that they can use to become better citizens.”

The proof of concept is that in a news market saturated with hot takes, celebrity gossip and partisan op-eds, people seem to be craving data-driven facts and knowledge. Coker points to the fact that The Current’s readership has grown to an average of 45,000. An entire third of their readers are under the age of 30, and over half of their readers are under the age of 40. “It’s like we’re building this whole new movement within the younger generation — people who have never grown up with media loyalties.”

Coker and her husband purchased a home in Savannah in 2010 with the intention of eventually relocating fulltime. Nearly 10 years later, she got the break she was looking for. A book deal allowed Coker to step back and

finally make Savannah a permanent home. She completed the manuscript for “The Spymaster of Baghdad” (HarperCollins), a nonfiction book on Iraqi patriotism in the battle against ISIS, at the beginning of 2020, but COVID pushed the publication to 2021. “That’s when I had 18 months to figure out what am I going to do with my life and that’s how we started the conversation to start The Current,” she says.

That conversation began with her longtime friend and The Grey co-owner Johno Morisano, who was also working on a book at the time. Morisano was still reeling from the tragic loss of The Grey’s general manager Scott Waldrup, who was killed by a car that crashed following a shooting in downtown Savannah on July 4, 2017.

“Johno wanted to be much more activated in helping to drive a change — to improve outcomes and improve lives in Savannah,” says Coker. “And I told him that better journalism in Savannah would

accomplish the things he wanted to accomplish, which is to cultivate and empower people to be civically engaged.”

Morisano had already established the nonprofit Grey Matters Project, and he used it to launch The Current with Coker and Catron at the helm. “We had talent, we had a grant and we had angel investors as donors,” says Coker. The team immediately began moving the needle of nonprofit news; The Current was declared one of Georgia’s most trusted political news sources by the Poynter Institute, the leading journalism industry organization, and a 2022 impact report demonstrates the specific ways their reporting has made a difference for Coastal Georgians.

As that impact grows, so too does Coker’s hope for the future of Coastal Georgia and the people who call it home. “We’re a nation that is built on an informed citizenry; we are a republic,” she says. “We need to have better facts in order to be empowered to fill this constitutional right of going to vote and getting engaged in our own communities.” — Andrea Goto

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20 23 The Show Goes On evan goetz

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R , T Y B E E P O S T T H E AT E R

Evan Goetz became executive director of the Tybee Post Theater in April 2021 — that is, amid a century-defining pandemic that brought live entertainment to a standstill. An arts professional and Savannah College of Art and Design grad, the South Carolina native approached his first big challenge carefully, surveying patrons to gauge support for reopening in an uneasy time. There was plenty. “And we’ve been rocking and rolling ever since,” he says.

Today the venue offers programming so confidently eclectic that you’d think it had been around forever: a screening of “The Exorcist,” concert tributes to Linda Ronstadt and John Prine, an acting workshop, ballet. But the Tybee Post is something of a newcomer. Built in 1930 to entertain soldiers stationed at Fort Screven with films, the theater closed in the 1960s. By 1999 the languishing structure was set to be demolished — saved only by the Tybee Island Historical Society, which purchased the building in 2001. After extensive fundraising by the Friends of the Tybee Theater, the refurbished building reopened in 2015.

If its first few years back were about finding its footing, the post-pandemic theater is poised for growth, and Goetz is clear about the challenges.

“How do we get beyond our four walls — not only with our programming, but with our connections to people?” Goetz says.

“Those four walls include the building itself but also Tybee Island. How do we go across the bridge and reach people in Savannah and further?”

Aside from the 150-plus events he and his staff book annually, Goetz launched the Tybee Post Music Festival in 2022. Georgia legends the Indigo Girls headlined the sold-out inaugural event; this year, ’90s faves Everclear and the Spin Doctors top the bill. Slated for Nov. 4 at the Hotel Tybee, the event is an obvious way to push beyond the four walls.

But it’s also a “way to showcase who we are as an organization,” Goetz says, underscoring the theater’s mission: “The fun begins here.”

“Which is a little cheesy,” he adds, “but we truly try to make it a fun atmosphere.” — Sam Worley

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Savannahians of the Year Making Peace Tatiana Cabral SMITH F O U N D E R O F M Á S PA Z C O U N S E L I N G AND JEWELRY ARTIST

Tatiana Cabral Smith runs a successful counseling practice but, off the clock, she’s kind of an introvert — so she takes particular care to recharge before heading back to work. Part of that is a deliberate lunch break.

“I don’t talk to anybody. I just eat in silence,” she says with a laugh.

But a larger part of her recharge lies in jewelry design — elegant, minimalist pieces that she crafts and sells at Superbloom in the Starland District and on her website (cabraljewelry.com). “It really is the best release for me,” she says. “To be able to use my hands and create something is really satisfying.”

When she is cultivating patients, though, Cabral Smith focuses on communities whose needs aren’t always met by the mental health profession. In 2020 she started Más Paz Counseling after observing a lack of Spanish-speaking therapists in Savannah.

Más Paz, which means “more peace,” also focuses on the specific needs of LGBTQ+ people, and Black, indigenous and other people of color.

“Just for people to have therapists who identify like they do, or look like them, or similar — I think that’s really powerful,” Cabral Smith says. “I wanted people to feel safe and at peace when they saw their therapist and not like they’re going to be shamed.”

Her practice has grown quickly; this fall, Cabral Smith and two counselors who’ve joined her practice — Camille Ridgley and Arty Allen — were preparing to move out of a subleased office into their own space in the Thomas Square District.

A first-generation immigrant, Cabral Smith was born in the Bronx into a Dominican and Puerto Rican family, then moved to Florida as a teen. (She ended up in Savannah in 2010 — for love she says.)

Her family showed her the importance of caring for her community. Her aunt was a social worker; her mother was, as she recalls, “just helping people in her free time, all the time — immigration papers, transportation, whatever she could do.” Cabral Smith brings a social justice spirit even to her jewelry making, donating some proceeds to people-helping causes and organizations — like the South Georgia advocacy group Migrant Equity Southeast, whose board she also chairs.

“I just think that we’re here to help each other. So, I want to make things better,” she says. — Sam Worley

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Savannahians of the Year Cheer Captain cindy robinett

PA R T N E R AT S T E R L I N G S E A C R E S T P R I T C H A R D A N D 2 0 2 3 C A M PA I G N C H A I R F O R T H E U N I T E D W AY O F T H E C O A S TA L E M P I R E

Cindy Robinett is often reminded of the Scripture: “to whom much is given, much will be required.” She is a mother of three and a businesswoman with over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, most recently as a partner and founding member at Sterling Seacrest Pritchard.

Robinett doesn’t take her success for granted, and she pays it forward. “Throughout my career, I’ve been involved with charities,” she says. “You’ve got to make room for it.”

This past year, Robinett, a Savannah native who graduated in 1989 from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, served as the campaign chair for the United Way of the Coastal Empire. Under her leadership, the organization raised $10.8 million, which reflects an 8% increase in workplace and individual giving over the past year. Notably, three corporate donors — Gulfstream Aerospace, Georgia Ports Authority and Colonial Group, Inc. — teamed up with employees for the first time in the organization’s 85-year history to donate over half a million dollars each.

For Robinett, who notes that she worked with a large team, pitching United Way was easy. “Their mission is to improve lives,” she says. “What better organization to serve than one that wants to improve lives in your community?”

The organization, which partners with over 60 local nonprofits, has been focused on working with local businesses to provide training and education to employees.

It also aims to provide support for people on the brink of homelessness and affordable childcare to working parents, among many other worthy causes. “United Way doesn’t

only lift people up, it also helps them find financial security,” Robinett says.

Robinett contends that her job as campaign chair was easy. “Our community is so generous,” she says.

It’s not only to the United Way that Robinett devotes her time — she also serves on the board of trustees at Savannah Christian Preparatory Academy, the alumni board of directors at the Terry College of Business and the board at Isle of Hope Methodist Church.

Giving back is made simpler by the fact that she loves the city where she was born and where she returned when it was time to raise her own kids. “Savannah has the best of everything,” she says. “It has great people, great living and it’s good for business.” The only negative, she says, are the sand gnats. Even still, “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” she adds. — Brienne Walsh

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20 23 Getting It Done TELFAIR CHILDREN’S art MUSEUM JACKIE RABINOWITZ, PHILANTHROPIST C Y N T H I A W I L L E T T, P H I L A N T H R O P I S T R A N A E D G A R , T E L FA I R M U S E U M S D I R E C T O R O F I N S T I T U T I O N A L A D VA N C E M E N T

No one knows better than community philanthropists Jackie Rabinowitz and Cynthia Willett that together we can create great things. So, when the longtime supporters of Telfair Museums saw an opportunity to serve the children of Savannah through a rebuild — and reimagination — of the children’s art museum in the Jepson Center for the Arts, they got to work.

After partnering with local design firm Fren Inc. to build the Memorial Health Dwaine and Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah and its Sunshine Park and Healing Garden, the power pair knew what the creative group could bring to Telfair’s table. They set up an initial meeting with the key players in December of 2021, and by May of 2022, Telfair’s board voted to move forward with the new construction. An astounding 14 months and $2.3 million later, Telfair Children’s Arts Museum (CAM) opened its doors.

“As someone who fundraises, you rarely open something and say it’s paid for,” says Rana Edgar, Telfair Museums director of institutional advancement. “But we were able to do that with this project. The day that it opened, we were fully funded.”

But that’s the CliffsNotes version of the story. Behind the scenes, Rabinowitz, Willett and the Telfair team were working fast and furiously to gather support and build partnerships in order to bring their passion project to life.

“Jackie and Cynthia have been committed to Telfair for a very long time, and, above and beyond that, their passion really is the children in our community,” Edgar says. “It was an opportunity for them to bring together two things they really care about, which is the museum and the youth in our community.”

She acknowledges that because this was a space for children and so much research went into the design to ensure that it served this population in the most effective, innovative and interesting way possible, it was a fairly easy sell to donors and corporate partners. “Knowing

children could come and have a sense of wonder and that they could see art in a new way, and learn about it in a new way — that was really important to everyone who participated in the campaign,” Edgar says. “They knew this would make such

an impact on the kids in our community.”

Cynthia Willett and Jackie Rabinowitz

Rabinowitz and Willett not only had the financial backing of a number of longtime Telfair private and corporate donors, but they were able to expand that base through new partnerships with Chick-fil-A Foundation, Coca-Cola, Colonial Group, Georgia Ports Authority, Georgia Power Foundation, Great Dane, Memorial Health, PNC Foundation and The Johanna Anderson Trueblood Foundation, in addition to many first-time private donors.

“These new donors came on board because of the fact that this has to do with children and education and giving them something to do that is a segue into learning more about the arts,” Willett says.

She also highlights the fact that CAM’s high-tech interface allows it to evolve to meet the developing needs of the museum and the children it serves. “This is such a spectacular thing for the children, because it has a digital aspect,” Willett says. “And it’s ever-changing — it’s something that can constantly grow with the museum and the art in the museum.”

This value can’t be overstated. “The first museum that children experience will shape their creativity, even if they don’t go into an art field. It makes an impact on them,” Edgar says. “So, for us being that museum for this community and having that children’s space is something that’s very important to us.”

Rabinowitz emphasizes that CAM is the only children’s art museum in the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire. “Why is that so important?” she asks. “Because many of our families in this area are unable to put their kids on a plane to visit a museum. This is their only museum, and so it was very important to us to be able to provide education for them. And that’s one of the reasons why Cynthia and I felt so strongly about this project. It’s a legacy that will live on.”

It’s a legacy that, without a doubt, Rabinowitz and Willett have put into motion. “We could not have done this project without the two of them,” Edgar says. “I am forever grateful to them, and I think the community should be grateful for what they have brought to us — their dedication to making sure that children in our community have such a wonderful place to go and learn. I think it sets a really great example for all of us and what we can accomplish as well.” — Andrea Goto

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IT’S ALL ABOUT

the Experience

DR. ALFRED PESTO JR.

DR. JUSTIN DAMRON

D R . D E X T E R M A T T OX

Board certified in oral and maxillofacial surgery and a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Pesto has surgical and anesthesia training in pediatric and adult oral and maxillofacial surgery with clinical experience in dentoalveolar surgery, including surgical management of impacted teeth, dental implants and bone grafting; facial trauma; head and neck odontogenic infections; pathology; and anesthesia. Dr. Pesto has been with Southeastern Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates since 1997. He graduated from Springs Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia in 1990 and was inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the National Dental Honor Society. Dr. Pesto trained in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Louisville, finishing in 1994.

Dr. Damron is a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon who joined Southeastern Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates in 2013.

He graduated with high distinction from Indiana University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. He attended Indiana University School of Dentistry, graduating in 2009. Following dental school, Dr. Damron trained at the Ohio State University Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency program. While in residency he spent time at the Ohio State Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, as well as two months at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin, Ireland.

His residency provided him with a strong background in dentoalveolar and implant surgery, orthognathic surgery, maxillofacial trauma, bone grafting, management of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, pathologic diagnosis and treatment, and anesthesia.

Dr. Mattox is a skilled oral and maxillofacial surgeon who has a deep passion for using technology to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Mattox earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, where he gained valuable research experience in genetics. Dr. Mattox attended the Dental College of Georgia, where he was selected as the MCG Foundation Scholar for the Class of 2016. He then went on to complete a dualdegree residency at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he received his medical doctorate and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency.

During this time, he also completed a one-year internship in general surgery, gaining valuable experience in a range of specialties including intensive care, anesthesiology, trauma surgery, pediatric surgery, ENT, cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery.

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MEND A STITCH, FIX A SQUEAK: HOLIDAY CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES

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Beauty Boost Ready to put your best face forward this holiday season? Local skincare experts share top-notch cosmetic treatments to look and feel radiant all winter.

Written by WYNDI KAPPES

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The Holiday Hassle: Dull, Dry Skin The Holiday Hassle: Dark Spots or Hyperpigmentation The Season’s Solution: Opus Plasma

Timing: Three weeks out Why it’s a game changer: “Like traditional laser skin resurfacing, Opus Plasma removes a small fraction of the skin to stimulate the surrounding skin to repair itself,” says Jordan Novak, licensed medical esthetician of The Studio Medical Spa. “But unlike traditional methods, it uses plasma technology to precisely control the energy-to-contact time, minimizing unwanted inflammation that often leads to a longer recovery.”

Know before you go: To optimize results, increase your daily water intake starting three to four days before your appointment.

The Holiday Hassle: Tired, Dry Skin with Fine Lines The Season’s Solution: Skinvive

Timing: Four weeks out Why it’s a game changer: Skinvive

by Juvéderm debuted in September 2023 as the first hyaluronic acid injectable FDA-approved for use in the United States.

Unlike other fillers that add volume, Skinvive is injected just below the skin’s surface, attracting moisture and smoothing skin. “If you’re seeking a well-rested, glowing look, Skinvive is a must,” says Courtney Victor, founder of Glow Medical Spa. “It’s a savior for dry winter skin, with results lasting until summertime.”

Know before you go: A Skinvive injection requires just one session and takes less than 15 minutes. However, some patients prefer to return for a second injection after one month for maximum benefits.

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The Holiday Hassle: Acne Scarring, Enlarged Pores and Wrinkles The Season’s Solution: RF Microneedling

Timing: Two weeks out Why it’s a game changer: For decades, devotees lauded microneedling as the treatment for facial rejuvenation — and now it’s got an upgrade. “Professional microneedling works by creating microinjuries in the skin’s surface that trigger the skin’s rejuvenation process,” says April Schilling, an esthetician at 40 Volume Salon and Spa. “In combination with radiofrequency (RF) energy, we can quicken the healing process and achieve a shorter downtime.”

Know before you go: Schilling encourages her clients to take magnesium and bovine collagen powder a few days before needling to help the body generate more collagen and enhance results.

The Season’s Solution: Microinfusion Facial

Timing: One week out Why it’s a game changer: Refine Medical Aesthetics co-founder Martina Kolovich, MSN, AGNP-C, recommends the fan-favorite microinfusion facial for getting in that last-minute brilliance.

“This procedure involves depositing products just below the skin’s surface, resulting in reduced pore size, plump and hydrated skin, decreased sweating and oil production, and an overall radiant glow,” Kolovich says. Incorporating brightening skincare agents like vitamin C can enhance the outcome.

Know before you go: Combining the microinfusion facial with a Tox treatment can help relax expression lines and boost any holiday glow-up plan.

The Holiday Hassle: An Aging Neck with Lost Elasticity The Season’s Solution: The Nefertiti Neck Lift with Botox

Timing: Two weeks out Why it’s a game changer: People consistently moisturize and care for their face but often forget to take the same skincare routine down to their neck. According to the experts at Park Aesthetics, many people express concerns about neck wrinkles and seek solutions, but most prefer to avoid surgical interventions. For this reason, the team at Park Aesthetics recommends the Nefertiti Neck Lift. This nonsurgical and noninvasive alternative delivers a refined jawline, elevated neckline and smoother skin, eliminating the “turkey neck” appearance.

Know before you go: Avoid any bloodthinning medications a few days before the treatment to minimize the risk of bruising, and avoid tilting the head forward for about 3 to 4 hours.

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All About You Entertainment Azulike The DeSoto Savannah Gigi’s Cupcakes Hopping with Harkleroad Inspire Solutions Ivory & Beau Jireh Permanent Jewelry Le Macaron French Pastries Leopold’s Ice Cream McCoy’s Event Professionals River Street Sweets St. Joseph’s/Candler Telfair Mammography Fund Turtle Folk

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Cannabis Care As Georgia’s first physician-owned dispensary, Botanical Sciences provides registered patients with seed-to-sale cannabis, pain relief and hope Written by KIKI DY REN DERIN G C OU R T E S Y BOTA N I C A L S C I E N C E S

AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF STARTS AND STOPS, Georgia residents with qualifying conditions have the green light to pursue a medical cannabis card and purchase medicinal cannabis. The long-awaited (and litigated) opening of Botanical Sciences at 100 Zoya Lane in Pooler is a hopeful development for those suffering from chronic pain in Chatham County.

Founded by Dr. Robin Fowler, Botanical Sciences is Georgia’s first physician-founded medical cannabis provider, meaning that its focus is on the patient’s holistic health and how medical cannabis can provide pain relief without the risks of pharmaceuticals.

“There’s a giant chasm between Advil and opioids,” says Botanical Sciences CEO Gary Long, “and medicinal cannabis can be the bridge.”

After nearly two decades growing healthcare technology companies like McKesson and R1 RCM, Long is proud to lead Botanical Sciences as Georgia’s medical cannabis market evolves to “provide a way for those struggling with critical illnesses to live fuller, happier, more comfortable lives.”

Patients can expect a turn-key experience where the entire process, from the first physician visit to the purchase of Delta-9Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) tinctures, is seamless and centered on the patient’s needs.

The theory behind Botanical Sciences is simple: better information and products beget better relief.

PLAYING CANNABIS CATCH-UP Medical cannabis might be new to the thousands of Georgians who have THC registry cards, but it isn’t new. Thirty-seven other

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states already allow the use of the products — some for decades.

Cannabidiol (CBD) — the non-psychoactive component of cannabis — has also been legally available in Georgia for years, but the introduction of legal THC, the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant that affects mood and perception, is a game changer for mental healthcare.

All Botanical Sciences products — ranging from tinctures, topicals and capsules — contain 5% THC or less in accordance with Georgia state law to treat a complete range of qualifying conditions such as epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autism spectrum disorder and more.

Moreover, Long points out that medicinal cannabis has been used for thousands of years, but some Georgia doctors nonetheless remain wary of medical cannabis. During medical school or residency, many were never educated on its benefits and how to use it, so it’s not on the list of treatment options they can confidently recommend.

This is why Botanical Sciences is so critical. “We’re thinking deeply about big questions. Like what is the purpose of the patient-physician relationship,” Long says. With a network of physicians knowledgeable about medical cannabis and its benefits, Botanical Sciences empowers patients with the information they need to make an educated choice about how cannabis may fit into their long-term pain management.

As Long sees it, Georgia’s unhurried path to medical cannabis legalization is a blessing. “We were able to avoid the experimentation that happened in other states and learn from their mistakes,” he says. “In an industry defined by chaos that’s bad for patients,

BE WELL

[Botanical Sciences] enables patients to have confidence in their cannabis and care.”

For local customers like Jennifer Conforti, the legality couldn’t come soon enough. Her daughter has special needs and has found relief through medical cannabis, giving Conforti massive peace of mind. “I was purchasing cannabis illegally for nine years to offer relief to my daughter,” she says. “The fact that we have lab-tested, physician-informed cannabis oil available legally is a huge weight off my shoulders.”

SEAMLESS AND STRESS-FREE BY DESIGN Some still entertain antiquated ideas that all cannabis dispensaries are shady counterculture outposts. Botanical Sciences, with its deliberate design choices and upscale boutique feel, challenges those notions. “There’s a lot of misperception about what we do and the value it creates for the community,” says Long. “Everybody’s got this mental image of what they think a medical marijuana dispensary is, and when they see who we are, the types of stores that we are opening, the type of service that we are providing … people are changing their minds.”

The Pooler dispensary, featuring streamlined design, subdued color palettes and environmental accents, puts clients, many of whom are new to medical cannabis, at ease.

“We aim to be a soothing place where patients feel comfortable,” says Long.

Conforti confirms that the dispensary’s aim is successful, sharing that beyond aesthetics, “the pharmacists and staff at every location are impressively knowledgeable and caring.”

I S A AC F I S HE R / RI VER STREET FILMS

LOOKING FORWARD More good news is to come for Georgians who have been waiting for this form of medicine for years. The state’s medical cannabis industry is growing — with more dispensing licenses filed monthly. Georgia also recently became the only state to allow independent pharmacies to dispense medical cannabis.

Long expects more qualifying conditions to be approved in January 2024, expanding a diverse list already including cancer, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s and more. Meanwhile, Botanical Sciences is expanding throughout the state, with its Marietta location now open and additional locations to open in Augusta, Chamblee and Stockbridge by the end of the year.

Conforti hopes that parents of children with qualifying conditions will be open to the potential of medical cannabis and can state with confidence that “Botanical Sciences can provide compassionate and informed direction” to patients of all ages and needs.

“We look forward to being part of the Pooler community and offering patients the exceptional treatment, information and service they deserve,” Long says proudly.

Dr. Robin Fowler, founder of Botanical Sciences, and Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences

From left: The opening dedication of Botanical Sciences Pooler in July included cannabis advocates, including TV personality Montel Williams, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) thriver Terry Hord and advocate of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities Jennifer Conforti.

“We aim to be a soothing place where patients feel comfortable.”

— Gary Long, CEO, Botanical Sciences NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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WISHING EVERYONE

Happy Healthy Holidays!

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SPEC I A L A D V ERT I S I N G S EC T I ON

GIVING GUIDE As the year draws to a close, help the organizations dedicated to assisting and enriching our community.

Camp Sunshine .....................................187

PACK Savannah ...................................183

Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club............185

Safe Shelter ...........................................188

Greenbriar Children's Center ...............177

Step Up Savannah ................................182

Hospice Savannah.................................188

Union Mission .......................................181

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society ..........184

United Way of

Live Oak Public Library .......................187

the Coastal Empire ...............................186

Old Savannah City Mission .......... 178-179

YMCA of Coastal Georgia ...................180

GREENBRIAR CHILDREN’S CENTER INC. 3709 HOPKINS ST. | 912.234.3431 | GREENBRIARCHILDRENSCENTER.ORG OUR MISSION

We provide services that lead to the healthy development of children and the strengthening of families.

OUR HISTORY

H OW YO U C A N H E LP • GIVE: YOU can make a difference in the life of a child today. To give online, visit greenbriarchildrenscenter.org.

• FOLLOW US: Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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In 1949, Greenbriar began as an orphanage for African-American children who previously were sent to work farms or penal institutions if they had no one to care for them. Today we provide critical services to children and families of all races and backgrounds.

OUR PROGRAMS • Three child care centers for infants

and toddlers, including two affordable, three-star, quality-rated centers for children, ages 6 months to 5 years and an infant center for infants 6 weeks to 18 months old.

• A Family Preservation and Support program serving families in need.

• A 24-hour emergency shelter for abused, abandoned, neglected and runaway/homeless youth, ages 11-18.

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • DONATE: To help fund our operations we also operate two Bargain Stores at 2424 Bull St. and 1116 Mills B. Lane.

We accept donations of clothing and home goods for the stores.

• VOLUNTEER: We intentionally keep our overhead costs low. Volunteers are essential to our operation. Thousands come to help prepare and serve meals, assist with chapel services and provide other services.

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OUR MISSION

OUR HISTORY

We are a Christian organization providing services for those who are suffering from homelessness in Savannah. We regard each individual as a person of worth and dignity. We aim to help free each one from the addictions and mental-health issues that led to their homelessness.

We believe love and care can transform each person back to physical, mental and spiritual health. We have seen that experiencing Jesus is the most vital life-changing relationship of all.

Spiritual transformation can make all the difference from lost to found. We help equip them to participate in society. We encourage them to create constructive relationships of love and service to others.

We foster reconciliation with family.

Old Savannah City Mission was founded in 1997 when Pastor Larry McDaniel visited the Los Angeles Mission – one of the largest Christian homeless service providers in the country. Inspired, he returned to Savannah with a vision to meet the needs of our community.

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W H AT W E D O

Old Savannah City Mission provides emergency services to those suffering from homelessness. Services include three meals each day, showers, clothing and overnight lodging in a safe, clean environment. All services are free of charge.

Most importantly, we provide rehabilitation services for men. Clean Start offers one G I V I N G

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month for men to decide if they are ready to make a one-year commitment to our life-changing program. In this residential program, they attend Clean Start classes, chapel services, group sessions and vocational training.

Fresh Start is a one-year program that reconstructs lives and helps to heal the devastation of addiction and homelessness.

Through the Urban Training Institute, each man has the opportunity to become a student of life. It is designed to address their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs. Christian discipleship classes, individual sessions, vocational training, basic computer classes, high school equivalency courses and curriculum are designed to help each student re-integrate into society.

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Life Start is an optional transitional six-month program to ease them back into society. Career Services trains and counsels during this period. We consider it a success when a person is reconnected to society with employment, a living wage and housing.

WOMEN’S RECOVERY AND R E S T O R AT I O N P R O G R A M

We announced in late September 2023 our intention to construct a facility for women and children. We are currently raising the $5 million to finance this project, which will be centrally located in downtown Savannah.

YOU CAN HELP

Old Savannah City Mission receives no money from the city, state or other

government programs. Our main support comes from the generous donations of the people of Savannah. We also operate two bargain stores at 2424 Bull St. and 1116 Mills B. Lane to help fund our operations.

We accept donations of clothing and home goods for the stores. We intentionally keep our overhead costs low. Volunteers are essential to our operation. Thousands come to help prepare and serve meals, assist with chapel services and provide other services.

Our community partners are instrumental in the success of our program.

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • JOIN: With a Y membership, you’re part of something bigger than a gym — you’re part of a movement.

• VOLUNTEER: Lead and coach youth sports, build strong connections and impact change as a board member and work alongside your neighbors at events such as monthly Fresh Express free food distribution.

OUR CAUSE

We know that lasting personal and social change comes about when we all work together. That’s why at the Y, strengthening community is our cause. Every day we work side-by-side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. As a member of the Y, you’re a member of a community.

W H AT W E D O

The YMCA of Coastal Georgia has been serving the region for 168 years and continues to work every day to advance our cause through our three areas of focus: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. We provide numerous services to the community from early 180

learning and childcare to youth sports leagues, before- and after-school care with our YBASE program, fresh food distribution with Fresh Express, literacy development with Y Readers and our bed and book donation program, “A Place to Dream,” and much more. The YMCA serves men, women, girls and boys of all ages and from all walks of life regardless of ability to pay.

WHERE WE ARE

We operate 11 units in Bulloch, Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, McIntosh and Glynn counties, including our YBASE before- and after-school program in more than 50 elementary and middle schools throughout the markets served. All of this and more is accomplished while putting forth the Y mission to put Christian

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principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.

DID YOU KNOW?

Basketball as we know it today was invented at the Y. In 1891, creator James Naismith was a student at a YMCA training academy in Springfield, Massachusetts, and came up with the game as a way to keep students active indoors during the cold winter months.

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M A K E A D I FFE R E N CE • Give a contribution online at unionmission.org.

• Organize a donation drive for needed items.

• Volunteer by offering your time, skills and compassion.

Dignitaries came together to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Parker’s House: A Home for Women.

OUR MISSION

Partnering with people to end their homelessness.

WHO WE ARE

Established in 1937, Union Mission provides emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing, mentalhealth counseling and job-training programs to men and women. We provide individuals and families the tools they need to lift themselves out of homelessness.

Additionally, we provide targeted services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Mission served 954 individuals with 199,025 nights of housing and 180,269 meals.

Through our programs and supportive services, we helped transition 429 men, women and children from the streets of Savannah to safe and stable housing.

WHO WE HELP

For many individuals, loss and trauma culminate in experiencing homelessness.

Each journey is unique and marked with diverse and overwhelming challenges such as job loss, eviction, abuse, mental-health challenges and physical-health issues.

W H AT W E D O

E V O LV I N G S E R V I C E S

Union Mission clients come to us with no home and lack stability surrounding all aspects of their lives. In 2022, Union

Meeting the evolving needs of those we serve led to three new programs this year: • Parker’s House, the only Emergency

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Housing Program for unaccompanied women along the I-95 corridor, served 222 in the first year of operation.

• The Day Center at Grace House provided more than 630 unduplicated homeless individuals with basic needs, referrals, access to supportive services, shelter from weather conditions and more than 24,900 meals in the first nine months of operation.

• Rural Rapid Re-Housing provided shelter for those in rural communities serving 173 families in surrounding counties.

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • Volunteers breathe life into the direct service programs of Step Up Savannah by contributing their time, talents, and treasure.

• Financial contributions support low-wealth neighbors through crucial resources like transportation, food security, childcare assistance, workforce training and more.

• Get involved and make a meaningful impact.

Become a board member or committee participant, enroll as an AmeriCorps Vista member or engage directly with one of our programs.

OUR MISSION

Foster a beloved community where all people have hope and opportunity, where we challenge injustice, and where all community members step up to create a more economically inclusive community.

WHO WE ARE

In the heart of Savannah’s rich cultural tapestry, a sobering reality persists.

Over three decades, more than a quarter of our neighbors grapple with poverty, some facing rates exceeding 50%. Since 2005, Step Up Savannah has led a robust collaboration, uniting the City of Savannah, Chatham County, the Savannah Economic Development Authority, and community and corporate partners to address this enduring crisis. We recognize that isolated 182

pockets of poverty hinder the city’s overall economic well-being, necessitating a proactive approach — a Step Up. W H AT W E D O • Promote economic inclusion through

workforce development and assetbuilding opportunities, expanding the social safety net and empowering lowwealth communities to engage with the economy using their own resources.

• Provide crucial support through financial literacy, public benefits assistance and wrap-around services.

• Serve as a regional convener and attract external resources that further advance our mission.

• Collaborate closely with social service providers, nonprofits, corporations,

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governments, educational institutions and national partners. Together, we enhance communication, avoid duplication, strategize synergistically and amplify our community’s overall capacity, ensuring efficient and effective resource utilization.

WHO WE HELP

While our core emphasis is on those in asset poverty or with limited resources, ultimately, our efforts strengthen our entire community.

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PA C K (PEOPLE OF ACTION CARING FOR KIDS) 4 MALL TERRACE

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912.856.4799

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PA C K S AVA N N A H . C O M

H OW YO U C A N H E LP • VOLUNTEER: Pack food bags.

Drop off notes of inspiration to include in food bags.

• PURCHASE: Fill a child’s Christmas wish from our Amazon list.

• DONATE: $200 will feed a local child each Friday for one year.

Currently, only a few hundred of the 4,600 children we serve each week has a sponsor, and we still have 2,000 children on a waiting list for food.

OUR MISSION

We exist to meet the physical needs (food, clothing, toiletries) of local children in crisis and to inspire others to serve alongside us.

We don’t want any child to go to bed hungry.

WHO WE ARE

Pack started at my kitchen table as a project to teach my three young sons about helping others. Last year, we hosted more than 18,000 volunteers who came to support our mission. We are a 100% volunteer organization so that we are able to use our funding to buy food and help as many children as we can.

W H AT W E D O • Through our PACK feeding program,

we pack and deliver 4,600 bags of food G I V I N G

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each week to children at 40 schools and community centers. The children who receive our bags eat free or reduced-price lunches at school during the week but suffer from food insecurity on weekends.

• The PACK Cottage provides more than 100 emergency duffel bags filled with new clothing, toiletries and toys to local children in crisis each month. Emergency workers can access duffel bags and food for children 24 hours a day.

• The PACK Boutique currently serves 90 children in foster care or Court Appointed Special Advocates care. The children shop for clothing, shoes and accessories every three months until they are 18.

• Our smaller programs include snack bags and toy-filled happy bags, which are distributed by CURE Childhood Cancer to children undergoing medical treatments.

• Pack Angels is a Christmas program that

provides gifts to approximately 1,400 children on our feeding list each year.

WHO WE HELP

The children we serve through all of our programs are local children who are in crisis or financial need. Children are referred by school counselors and social workers, CASA, the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services, and the fire and police departments.

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THE LEUKEMIA & LY M P H O M A S O C I E T Y S AVA N N A H , G A

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • Share your stories. LLS Savannah is calling for blood cancer patients, survivors and family members to become involved with our local office. Many opportunities are available for our speaker’s bureau, honored/remembered hero program, direct volunteering or fundraising.

• Help us make a difference with your donation today.

• We offer a multitude of fundraising campaigns throughout the area that you can become involved with: Team In Training, Light The Night, Visionaries of the Year, Student Visionaries of the Year.

For more information, visit facebook.com/llsgeorgia

OUR MISSION

Dedicated to curing leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers, we are now the world’s largest voluntary (nonprofit) health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services.

OUR RESEARCH

Over the last five years, 70% of the 110 blood cancer treatment approvals in the last 6 years. In fiscal year 2022, LLS was able to assist more than 4,500 patients with over $21 million in the Georgia/South Carolina region. Every dollar raised goes to supporting blood cancer patients, families and care givers. We are revolutionizing acute myeloid leukemia treatment through the first collaborative precision medicine 184

clinical trial in blood cancer. We’re taking new aim at myeloma through our dedicated research investment and multifaceted education and outreach efforts.

OUR HISTORY

Since 1949, we’ve invested nearly $1.6 billion in groundbreaking research, pioneering many of today’s most innovative approaches. We work tirelessly to find cures and ensure patients can access the lifesaving treatments they need. When someone experiences the fear and uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis, we provide hope, compassion, education and support.

above) is a group of community leaders helping to make the upcoming campaign even more successful. Lead by Chair Caroline Gregory and Vice Chair Christy Marsengill, the Leadership Committee includes Alison Harris, Brooke Sapp, Charles Anderson, Charlie Webber, Ciara Thomas Hagan, Emily Dickinson Scrivner, Greg Coleman, Katie Siplon, Matt Usher, Michael Caputo, Nancy Adair, Nancy Backus, Nancy Turcotte, Sandi Prosnitz, Sarah Wesp, Stephanie Willingham, Texas Cates, TJ Hollis, Will Gruver and Zach Thomas.

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LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

The Savannah LLS 2024 Visionary of the Year Campaign Leadership Committee (pictured

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FRANK CALLEN B OYS & G I R L S C LU B 5 1 0 E . C H A R LT O N S T.

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • Donations support our STEM, IXL Learning and tutor programs.

This will help our members stay on grade level in reading, math and language arts. We are also seeking support to upgrade our gym as sports are at the heart of all Boys & Girls Clubs.

• Volunteer and make a difference in the life of a child. Join one of our mentorship programs in literacy, the arts, sports and workforce readiness.

OUR MISSION

W H AT W E D O

WHO WE HELP

We enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Our youth development professionals support members ages 5 - 18 with evidence-based programming that supports our four key pillars: academic success, healthy lifestyles, good character, and citizenship. Our goal is that every child who enters our doors is on track to graduate on time with a plan for the future. Our programming provides youth with the tools and support they need to make healthy choices about food and exercise, abstain from risky behaviors, and grow as leaders in their communities.

The Boys & Girls Club provides positive relationships with adults, opportunities for mentorship and career exploration and, ultimately, a fun, safe place where youth are supported.

• More than 95% of our membership comes

WHO WE ARE

For more than a century the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club has tirelessly served Savannah’s youth and their families, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances.

We are the first and oldest chartered Boys & Girls Club in Georgia. Our club provides a safe and nurturing environment after school and during the summer, when data suggests young people are most vulnerable and in need of support.

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from low-income and disadvantaged circumstances. We charge just $20 for an annual membership.

• Our newest club is in Hinesville. Help us reach more kids throughout Chatham, Liberty, Bryan and Effingham counties.

SUPPORT US

Our Building Great Futures Telethon is Nov. 18 on WJCL and facebook.com/fcbgc.

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H OW YO U C A N H E LP • DONATE: Your donation to United Way of the Coastal Empire improves lives throughout Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties.

United We Improve Lives! We can’t do that without you. Please give today.

From left: Jay Wilson, Campaign Chair; Brynn Grant, President & CEO; Dr. Yancy Ford, Campaign Vice-Chair

OUR MISSION

To improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of our community.

WHO WE ARE

United Way was created by the community for the community in 1938 and still today is led by hundreds of dedicated volunteers.

It is the one way we all come together to support each other with a safety net of programs, services, and pathways for upward mobility to help everyone thrive.

HOW WE HELP

United Way of the Coastal Empire improves the lives of thousands of people in our region.

This work includes providing hot meals to seniors, safety for survivors of abuse, urgent mental health care and dental work, and 186

emergency food and shelter. It also includes safe, enriching after-school and summer programs for kids, job training for parents, financial counseling, and so much more.

W H AT W E D O

United we improve lives by raising money and awareness year-round to support the Community Fund, which: • Funds 82 critical programs and services across 53 high-performing nonprofit organizations through a strategic grantmaking process.

• Supports people in need through our 211 Information and Referral Service, County Service Centers, and volunteer efforts.

• Provides a social services safety net that advances efforts to encourage upward mobility for all.

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Thanks to the income from the Herschel V. Jenkins Trust Fund and other revenue, which covers much of the administrative and fundraising costs of the organization, more donor contributions are used in service to the community.

D O N AT E

United We Improve Lives! We can’t do that without you. Please give today!

Proudly supported by: Dr. Yancy and Deidre Ford

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CAMP SUNSHINE P.O. BOX 16013 | 912.224.9863 | MYCAMPSUSHINE.COM OUR MISSION

Camp Sunshine enriches the lives of children with cancer and their families through year-round recreational, educational and support programs.

H OW YO U C A N H E LP • Provide a ray of hope for local children with cancer with your donation. Camp Sunshine’s yearround programs are offered free of charge to families and support them throughout their pediatric cancer journey. Donations make these programs possible. Contact Suzanne Ansley at 912.777.6836 or suzanne@ mycampsunshine.com to learn more.

W H AT W E D O

Since our first summer camp in 1983, Camp Sunshine has been dedicated to creating a sense of place where children with cancer can be kids again. Camp Sunshine offers a variety of programs that support the family all year long.

Our local Savannah office serves families in Coastal Georgia through regional programming. We also partner

with the pediatric oncology unit at Memorial Health’s Dwaine and Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah to support and connect with local children receiving treatment. Our vision is to enrich, restore and strengthen the lives of children with cancer through programs that increase positive coping with their disease, provided within a community of support and acceptance.

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LIVE OAK PUBLIC L I B R A R I E S F O U N D AT I O N 2002 BULL ST. | 912.652.3600 | LIVEOAKPL.ORG/FOUNDATION

H OW YO U C A N H E LP • GIVE: Your donation dollars directly empower your local library system to make tangible, positive change within your community. Become part of our story at liveoakpl.org/foundation.

• FOLLOW US: Connect with us @liveoakpl on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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OUR MISSION

OUR STORY

Live Oak Public Libraries Foundation raises funds to supplement programs envisioned and provided by Live Oak Public Libraries for lifelong learning. The Foundation actively promotes childhood literacy; enhances the contributions of the library system as it grows and meets the needs of individuals and our community; and raises community awareness and support for a progressive and high quality library system.

Live Oak Public Libraries Foundation supports Live Oak Public Library's mission of providing programming, events, community resources and social services to 16 library branches in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties.

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S A F E S H E LT E R C E N T E R FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES 912.480.0900 | SAFESHELTER.ORG • Follow-up program for qualifying

OUR MISSION

H OW YO U C A N H E LP • Make a year-end gift or donate items from our wish list to support our shelter. Your gift gives adults and children hope that comfort, safety and security are within reach and provides them with the resources to rebuild their lives. Learn more at safeshelter.org.

• DONATIONS BY MAIL: P.O. Box 61119 | Savannah, GA 31420

We prevent domestic violence, protect victims and promote change in lives, families and our community. SAFE Shelter, Georgia’s second-largest domestic violence shelter, is dedicated to all victims of domestic violence and their children.

We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide safe, confidential services to victims of domestic violence.

families or individuals leaving the shelter, including continued case management and support groups • Transitional housing program • Specialized children’s services NEED HELP?

24-Hour Crisis Line: 912.629.8888 Outreach Line: 912.651.0004

OUR SERVICES • Emergency housing for victims of

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domestic violence and their children • Legal advocacy to victims who do not require shelter

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H O S P I C E S AVA N N A H ’ S FULL CIRCLE GRIEF & LO SS C E N T E R 6000 BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE | 912.303.9442 | HOSPICESAVANNAH.ORG OUR MISSION

Founded by our community, we help people live!

G E T I N VO LV E D • Honor or remember loved ones at our annual Tree of Light Memorial Gathering on December 3rd. Go to hospicesavannah.org/treeoflight for more information.

• Give a year-end gift to support our grief support programs and services.

Call our Foundation at 912.629.1027 or visit hospicesavannah.org/give.

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Grieving after the death of a loved one?

Our Full Circle Grief & Loss Center counselors provide free bereavement support to people in our community, children ages 6 to 17 and adults.

Groups offered include Adult and Kids Grief 101, Spouse and Life Partner Loss, Survivors of Suicide, and other specialty groups.

Camp Aloha is for children ages 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one. The annual overnight camp provides a time of structured activities and play, which helps campers realize they are not alone in their grief experience.

Grief support includes individual sessions and group support with a masters-level clinician, as well as the only grief massage program in the region.

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At Schulze Eye & Surgery Center,

Dr. Richard Schulze, Jr.

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we are dedicated to excellence in surgical eye care. Combining leading-edge technology with personalized attention to our patients, we can open your eyes to a whole new world of decreased dependence on glasses or contacts. Whether your needs include traditional or refractive cataract surgery, custom LASIK or PRK, implantable contact lenses or corneal transplants, our on-site ambulatory surgery center allows for surgery in a specialized setting, affording greater efficiencies & lower costs to our patients. You can count on our skilled staff to give you personal attention before, during and after surgery to help you achieve your visual best.

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BE WELL

Looking Forward A local photography professor offers a fresh perspective on celebrating longevity Written by COLLEEN ANN MCNALLY Photography by TOM SANDERS

A COLLEGE ASSIGNMENT to photograph a random person fundamentally changed Tom Sanders’ point of view on life.

“I ended up going to this senior living community that was next door to where I was living in California,” Sanders recalls. He happened to photograph a World War II veteran who told him a dramatic war story about getting injured during battle.

“He was 21 when that happened to him, and I was 21 when I photographed him,” Sanders says. “My grandfather was in WWII, and his brother died during the Battle of the Bulge. Once I photographed that first veteran, I thought, ‘Wow, I can finally understand what my grandfather went through and what veterans go through’ — or as much as I could as a civilian.”

Later, Sanders moved to Los Angeles and took on

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Clockwise from top left: A collection of photographs by Tom Sanders, including a lifestyle advertisement, a veteran portrait from Sanders’ book “The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of WWII,” a 92-year-old cyclist and Savannah locals like Captain Judy, Trapper Jack and Wayne Ashford.

more high-profile assignments, including photographing Oscar-winning celebrities for glossy magazines. Yet, the experience with the veteran stayed with him and ignited a personal project to document more veterans in his free time.

Then, Belmont Village Senior Living discovered the project and commissioned Sanders to visit 24 of their communities around the country with his camera. The resulting photos are on display in permanent galleries and blossomed into Sanders’ first coffee table book, “The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II” (Random House).

Sanders found his niche. “I decided to fully dedicate myself to doing film and photoshoots on longevity and aging for senior living companies,” he says. It’s a space without much competition, although that is not his sole motivation.

“Most creatives and photographers don’t want to spend time in a senior living community because it’s not glamorous.

It’s hard to do, too,” he says. “I often capture people with dementia and people with physical and cognitive challenges.

I have to be a really great visual storyteller for my clients in order to create these respectful, positive images of them.”

His specialty is making mature people look cool and positive — bucking the trend of what is typically depicted in the media. His oldest subject? A 110-year-old woman who “was actually in phenomenal shape,” he says.

In 2019, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) recruited Sanders to teach and he relocated with his family to Savannah. Here, he loves finding local legends for his lens, including Captain Judy Helmey, owner of Miss Judy Charters, tea sommelier Wayne Ashford and wildlife catcher Trapper Jack Douglas. “Savannah has so many great characters and so much great history, more so than other places,” he says.

In 2019, Sanders also launched Senior Stock Photos, an online database to create more “real, positive aging images.”

The photos are available royalty-free, meaning they can be

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“If you are able to live to 100, everyone should be doing their best to take good care of themselves now.

There’s so much information out there on how you can age really well.”

— Tom Sanders, photographer

used forever once purchased. He sees this effort especially important as the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is introducing more fake images.

“If you Google ‘mature woman,’ it’s always this skinny, gray-haired woman who is Caucasian,” Sanders says. “It doesn’t really represent ethnic diversity or aging very well in the stock [image] world.”

On the upside, he sees some national magazines showcasing mature individuals on their covers. For example, Martha Stewart graced the cover of Sports Illustrated earlier this year at age 81, and the April 2023 edition of Vogue Philippines gained worldwide attention when it featured an 106-year-old on the cover of its Beauty Issue.

As a professor of photography at SCAD, Sanders aims to share much more than technical skills and industry best practices with his students. He also shares insights he’s picked up after years of meeting and interviewing longevity and happiness experts from The Buck Institute for Research on Aging to Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and founder of Blue Zones — regions in the world where people are living longer than average likely due to factors like strong communities, social ties, healthy diets and active lifestyles, among others.

“Gen Z will likely live to 100 years old. That means you have to save up a lot of money for that,” Sanders says. “And if you are able to live to 100, everyone should be doing their best to take good care of themselves now.

There’s so much information out there on how you can age really well.”

And he practices what he preaches. That includes a regime of intermittent fasting, vitamins, eight hours of sleep each night, transcendental meditation once a day and catching waves on Tybee Island when he can. “I hope to still be surfing in my 80s if possible,” Sanders says.

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t Fe ran e ce

A dd Fe iti es on al

3, plus snacks

$1,500

$150/day for respite care; beauty/barber shop

1

$3,000 (occasionally varies)

Landline phone, premium cable, high-speed internet, beauty salon

3

$3,000

Streaming services, beauty salon, massage, pet fee, landline

1 (indep.), all (asst.)

$500

Beauty salon

$2,000

Levels of care, medication administration, beauty/barber shop, landline phone, pet deposit

$2,000

Levels of care, salon, free cable, laundry, pet-friendly, theater ree wifi

e In als cl ud e

En

Levels of care, pet fee, beauty salon

d

$750

M

o Fe n th e* ly *

M

INDEPENDENT / ASSISTED / MEMORY CARE*

Ye a O rs i pe n ra ti In de on U p ni en ts d en t A ss Li iste vi d ng U ni ts

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES S AVA N N A H / A R O U N D C H AT H A M C O U N T Y, G E O R G I A

Buckingham South 5450 Abercorn St. 912.355.5550 buckinghamsouth.com

The Gardens of Savannah 249 Holland Drive 912.925.3445 seniorssavannah.com

Harmony at Savannah 9136 Old Montgomery Road 912.228.3752 harmonyatsavannah.com

24

29

4

—

85

$3,250 and up

All

34 (senior living and memory care)

—

$2,700 - $3,750

92

64, 35 (mem. care)

$3,150 and up (indep.), $3,795 and up (asst.), $4,950 and up (mem. care)

$4,000 - $6,000

Legacy at Savannah Quarters 101 Shepherd Way, Pooler 844.876.6537 atlasseniorliving.com/legacy-savannah-quarters

6

—

70 (asst.), 34 (mem. care)

Magnolia Manor on the Coast 141 Timber Trail, Richmond Hill 912.756.4300 magnoliamanor.com

36

80

30

$2,290 and up (indep.); $4,294 and up (asst.)

68, 48 (asst.), 20 (mem. care)

$2,800 and up (asst.), $4,350 and up (mem. care)

Oaks at Habersham 5200 Habersham St. 912.352.0070 assistedliving-habersham.com

Oaks at Pooler 125 Southern Junction Blvd., #800, Pooler 912.348.2360, oaksseniorliving.com

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26

6

—

57, 29 (mem. care)

$3,225 and up

All

3

*Not an exhaustive list of all retirement and 55+ community options in the region. **Latest available figures

A dd Fe iti es on al

—

52, 23 (mem. care)

$2,500 and up

All

$2,000

River’s Edge 6206 Waters Ave., 912.354.6146 riversedgeretirement.com

23

119

—

$1,700 – $3,600 (cable and internet included)

All

$2,300 – $4,000

Beauty salon, covered parking available, a la carte health services

Savannah Square 1 Savannah Square Drive, 912.927.7550 savannahsquareretirement.com

36

110

43

$2,590 – $3,690 (indep.), $2,990 – $4,200 (asst.)

All

$2,500

Pet deposit ($500), beauty shop

Up to 3

$1,250

Beauty/barber shop, pet deposit

e In als cl ud e

M

M

En

34

Beauty/barber shop, cable, pet deposit, levels of care, medication administration

d

Oaks at Savannah 7410 Skidaway Road 912.354.6185, assistedliving-savannah.com

INDEPENDENT / ASSISTED / MEMORY CARE*

o Fe n t h e* ly *

t Fe ran e ce

Ye a O rs i pe n r In atio de U p n ni en ts d en t A ss Li iste vi d ng U ni ts

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES • continued

S AVA N N A H / A R O U N D C H AT H A M C O U N T Y, G E O R G I A

The Social at Savannah 1 Peachtree Drive, 912.927.0500 thesocialsl.com/savannah

34

136

34, 36 (mem. care)

$1,520 and up (indep.), $3,970 and up (asst.), $4,030 (mem. care)

Spanish Oaks Retreat hitefiel ve spanishoakshospice.com

27

—

36 (mem. care only)

$4,200

All

None

Call for info

$4,450 – $6,000; levels of care $200-$1,500

3

$1,500

Beauty shop, guest meals, transportation

Station Exchange Senior Care 3205 TSX Grand Central, Richmond Hill 912.445.2425 georgialivingseniorcare.com

9

—

32 (18 memory care)

Summer Breeze 351 Wilmington Island Road, 912.898.8880 summerbreezeseniorliving.com

26

28

39, 12 (mem. care)

$3,300 and up

All

$1,200

Beauty/barber shop, pet deposit ($500)

Sunabella at Savannah 11310 White Bluff Road 912.925.3494 sunabellaatsavannah.com

25

—

36 (mem. care only)

$3,495 shared; $3,995 single

All

$1,500

Phone, salon

Sunabella Senior Living 231 W. Montgomery Cross Road 912.925.8853 sunabellaseniorliving.com

32

12

46

$2,800 and up (cable, internet and laundry included)

3 full meals

$1,000

Levels of care, beauty salon

34, 12 (mem. care)

$3,800 and up (indep.), $4,850 and up (asst.), $6,250 and up (mem. care)

2 (indep.), 3 (asst. and mem.)

$5,000

Phone, salon (hair, nails, massage therapy), priority parking, golf cart parking, pet deposit, additional storage, wine bar, lockers

Thrive on Skidaway 5 Lake St., 912.295.4220 thriveonskidaway.com

4

100

*Not an exhaustive list of all retirement and 55+ community options in the region. **Latest available figures

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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t Fe ran e ce

A dd Fe iti es on al

$3,500

Optional levels of care ($725 $1,590), beauty salon, pet deposit ($300)

$2,750 with moving fee; $2,500 without

Levels of care ($30/day or $60/ day), pet deposit ($1,500 nonrefundable), medical transportation, in-house sitter

En

d e In als cl ud e

M

o Fe n t h e* ly *

M

INDEPENDENT / ASSISTED / MEMORY CARE*

Ye a O rs i pe n ra ti In de on U p ni en ts d en t A ss Li iste vi d ng U ni ts

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES • continued

BE AUFOR T AN D JA SPER COUNTIE S, SOUTH C AROLINA

The Bayshore on Hilton Head Island 421 Squire Pope Road, Hilton Head Island 843.342.2222, bayshorehiltonhead.com

6

63

63

$4,300 – $6,800

2 (ind.), 3 (asst.)

Benton House of Bluffton 8 Hampton Lake Drive, Bluffton 843.757.3111, bentonhouse.com

8

0

28 (mem. care)

$130 – $175/day

3 hot (entree and a la carte options)

Bloom at Belfair 60 Oak Forest Road, Bluffton 843.815.2338, bloomatbelfair.com

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

3

$1,600

Levels of care, pet deposit, beauty salon

Bloom at Bluffton 800 Fording Island Road, Bluffton 843.548.0147, bloomatbluffton.com

13

—

43, 20 (mem. care)

$3,200 – $3,900 assisted living, $3,900 memory care (companion), $4,600 private, all-inclusive

Canterfield of Bluffton 567 Okatie Highway, Ridgeland canterfiel o l ton com

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

The Cypress of Hilton Head 20 Ladyslipper Lane, Hilton Head Island 843.689.7000, cypressofhiltonhead.com

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Harbor Cove Memory Care 48 N. Main St., Hilton Head Island 843.342.7122, harborcovememorycare.com

28

—

32 (mem. care)

$3,195 – $3,795

3

$2,600

Call for info

Indigo Pines 110 Gardner Drive, Hilton Head Island 843.342.3228, holidayseniorliving.com

23

120

—

$2,100 – $4,200 (cable included)

3

Call for info

Call for info Cottages, a la carte health services, pet deposit, beauty/barber salon

Island Cove at Hilton Head 15 Main St., Hilton Head Island 843.342.6565, islandcoveathiltonhead.com

22+

38

0

$2,540 – $3,890 (independent)

2

$1,500

Call for info

3

Half month rent for fee; half month rent as refundable security deposit

Second person $800

Okatie Pines Retirement Center 142 Okatie Center Blvd. N., Okatie 843.258.3362, rlcommunities.com

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SAVANNAHMAGAZINE.COM

3

128

0

$3,014 – $5,196

*Not an exhaustive list of all retirement and 55+ community options in the region. **Latest available figures

A dd Fe iti es on al

t Fe ran e ce

En

d e In als cl ud e

M

o Fe n t h e* ly *

M

INDEPENDENT / ASSISTED / MEMORY CARE*

Ye a O rs i pe n ra ti In de on U p ni en ts d en t A ss Li iste vi d ng U ni ts

RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES • continued

BE AUFOR T AN D JA SPER COUNTIE S, SOUTH C AROLINA The Palmettos Assisted Living and Memory Care of Bluffton 3035 Okatie Highway, Okatie 843.707.9400, thepalmettosbluffton.com

9

—

33 (asst.), 22 (mem. care)

$3,547 – $4,653

3

$1,500

Call for info

Pines of Hilton Head 35 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island 843.342.5599, pineshiltonhead.com

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call for info

The Seabrook of Hilton Head 300 Woodhaven Drive, Hilton Head Island 843.842.3747, theseabrook.com

40

206

33 (skilled nursing beds)

$1,860 – $3,600

1, option for 2

Call for info

Call for info

$2,632 – $4,277 (single), $3,975 – $5,620 (couple)

1, option for 2

Real estate purchase or real estate buy-in

Fees for services

TidePointe, a Vi Community 700 TidePointe Way, Hilton Head Island 843.341.7400, viliving.com

26

—

203 (ind.), 42 (asst.), 25 (skilled nursing)

Village Cove Assisted Living 80 Main St., Hilton Head Island 843.689.9143, villagecoveassistedliving.com

27

—

42

$3,825 – $4,795

3

$2,100

Call for info

Vineyard Bluffton Assisted Living and Memory Care 25 Cassidy Drive, Bluffton 843.258.4207, vineyardbluffton.com

4

—

64 (asst.), 32 (mem. care)

Ranges, call 843.612.0700 for info

Call for info

Call for info

Call 843.612.0700 for info

5 5 + AC T I V E A D U LT C O M M U N I T I E S * The Fairways at Savannah Quarters ingfisher ircle ooler eorgia 912.302.3659

Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head 356 Latitude Blvd., Hardeeville, South Carolina 844.583.4185, latitudemargaritaville.com

The Haven at New Riverside by Del Webb 103 Whistlers Walk, Bluffton, South Carolina 866.932.2463, thehavennow.com

Sun City Hilton Head by Del Webb 247 Fawnwood Court, Bluffton, South Carolina 843.203.0360, delwebb.com

NOTES:

*Not an exhaustive list of all retirement and 55+ community options in the region. **Latest available figures

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SA LT of the C ITY

After more than a quarter-century of meal delivery and caring for Savannah’s seniors, Patti Lyons receives national recognition — and continues to go the extra mile Written by ZÉ SANTA-RITA

PATTI LYONS CARRIES HERSELF WITH GENTLE AUTHORITY, and her passion and enthusiasm for her work are contagious. These qualities are central in her role as president and CEO of Senior Citizens, Inc. (SCI) — a position she has held for 26 years and counting.

She first heard the call to serve her community at a young age.

Her mother served as a Marine in World War II and joined the Air Force during the Korean War before working for the IRS. Lyons says that her mother’s career as a public servant instilled in her the importance of serving her country. These values, along with the significance of family and community, would shape her life and career.

After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Lyons was employed in the private sector before going to work for the former Governor of Tennessee, Ned McWherter. When his second term was up, Lyons acceoted a job with the nonprofit Hands On in Nashville, where she met her husband and native Savannahian, Pat Lyons, and the couple eventually relocated to his hometown, where she took the helm of SCI in 1997.

“I liked the challenge to bring order to chaos,” she says. Lyons explains that it was a small organization at the time, understaffed, in debt and poorly prepared to meet the overwhelming challenge of providing exceptional care for older adults, especially the most vulnerable.

With the board’s help, Lyons and her staff restructured the nonprofit’s finances, and thanks to three community banks, they were able to stay open and continue their critical mission: to help people age successfully by providing a variety of services that meet their physical, intellectual and social needs.

Today, SCI offers several impactful programs, from meal delivery to in-home and adult day health care for over 10,000 seniors across Chatham, Bryan, Effingham and Liberty counties. The Meal on Wheels program alone prepares and delivers approximately 2,000 meals daily.

Beyond bringing nutritious food, the deliveries provide a source of socialization and informal wellness checks on seniors. Some visits have alerted folks to health issues that may have gone unnoticed and, in many situations, have saved lives.

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A LISON SOU TH

Delivering for Seniors Last year, Lyons had a special guest along for one of her meal deliveries: U.S. Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff. In December 2022, Ossoff officially honored Lyons’ 25 years of service to Coastal Georgia in the Official Congressional Record. “The smile Patti’s warmth and joy brings to seniors’ faces on their doorsteps was priceless, and it was obvious the amazing impact she has on people’s lives every day,” Ossoff said in his statement to Congress.

“Meeting Senator Ossoff and spending time with him in Savannah and Washington was a truly remarkable experience,” Lyons says. She also emphasizes how the recognition from Ossoff was really a credit to the tireless work and dedication of her staff, volunteers and sponsors.

In her view, she hopes the attention translates into additional support and resources.

SCI currently depends on a variety of funding from the government, grants, fundraising efforts, donations from private sources and a partnership with The United Way of the Coastal Empire. Lyons says that Savannahians are exceptionally philanthropic, for which she is grateful.

Still, during her past two-plus decades of service, Lyon’s road has not been without obstacles. There is COVID, the need for a new and larger kitchen and the renovation of SCI’s historic building into the Center for Successful Aging. And as SCI grows, Lyons knows that they must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the aging population.

Despite the challenges, Lyons says she stays motivated by knowing how much seniors need the services she helps provide.

“Aging … Everyone is doing it! There is no denying that as we get older, things change — our bodies, our lifestyles, etc.,” Lyons says. “But one of the hardest things to overcome is the feeling that one should not exist at all. And that is true for so many. As you age, you begin to feel invisible — not relevant anymore.”

Looking ahead, she wants Savannah to see the value of its senior citizens because everyone needs a community — a core group of supporters who can answer their questions and come together to assist them in ways beyond just meeting their basic needs.

After all, aging is a gift.

etirement R L I V I N G G U I D E Whether you’re considering a retirement move or evaluating assisted living choices for your loved ones, turn to some of the most trusted names in senior living and continuing care.

Buckingham South ....................................................................................... 202 Harmony at Savannah .................................................................................. 202 Savannah Square .......................................................................................... 200 The Social by Thrive ..................................................................................... 201 Thrive on Skidaway ...................................................................................... 201

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Kelli Hartley, Sales Director Kimberly Smith, Executive Director

S AVA N NA H S Q UA R E 1 SAVANNAH SQUARE DRIVE | 912.927.7550 | SAVANNAHSQUARERE TIREMENT.COM

OUR MOTTO

“Where Friends Become Family” A P L A N F O R T O D AY AND TOMORROW

Savannah Square is the area’s only senior living community that offers independent living, assisted living and outpatient therapy all on one campus with no buy-in. As part of the Five Star family, our core principles begin with putting people first.

LIVING OPTIONS

We offer 1- and 2-bedroom cottages or apartments with the ability to

200

personalize. With the most spacious living arrangements in town, you are sure to feel right at home from the moment you move in. Beautiful gardens and squares surround the many residential options available at Savannah Square.

AMENITIES AND SERVICES

Tucked into a residential neighborhood near the heart of town, Savannah Square was designed with an active lifestyle in mind. We provide a variety of distinctive amenities on 17 beautifully landscaped acres. From our clubhouse and fitness

S A V A N N A H M A G A Z I N E . C O M ★ Special Advertising Section

studio to our library and social areas for gathering and entertaining, we inspire a strong, healthy lifestyle. We boast a large active population, restaurant-style dining and an extensive recreation calendar. Conveniences such as maintenance, housekeeping, security and transportation services are all included in one affordable fee.

WORDS OF ADVICE

Plan ahead. Call today to join us for a tour complete with a gourmet meal on us. You won’t only leave with a full belly, but a full heart and some new friends!

THE SOCIAL AT S AVA N NA H 1 PE ACHTREE DRIVE | 912.927.050 0 THESOCIAL SL .COM/SAVANNAH

ABOUT US

Senior living with a fresh perspective. Located on the southside of Savannah, The Social at Savannah is the place to be with all the amenities, programs, care and safety that you deserve. We love to get social, and there is no shortage of friends!

AMENITIES & SERVICES

With beautiful outdoor spaces, a beauty salon, bistro and bar and more, The Social at Savannah is senior living at its finest. The community offers plenty of opportunities to stay

engaged with social, cultural and recreational programs including fitness classes, happy hours and book club. Top-notch food that’s both nutritious and delicious is prepared fresh daily by our executive chef.

LIVING OPTIONS

The Social at Savannah includes independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments.

WORDS OF ADVICE

Enjoy Savannah life the way it should be. Call today to schedule your tour.

THRIVE ON S K I DAWAY 5 L AK E S T. | 912. 295.4220 | THRIVESL .COM/SK IDAWAY HELLO@THRIVEONSK IDAWAY.COM

ABOUT US

Nestled on Skidaway Island, you’ll find Thrive on Skidaway, a senior-living community that redefines the concept of older adult living. With a coastal-inspired design and a resort-like feel, Thrive on Skidaway exudes elegance and contemporary luxury.

AMENITIES & SERVICES

Thrive on Skidaway offers independent living, assisted living and memory care apartments. You’ll enjoy our bright, modern apartments with exceptional amenities, including

bocce and pickleball courts, a beauty salon and barbershop, a coffee shop and on-site physical, speech and occupational therapy.

We know socializing and having meaningful relationships are key elements to overall health and wellness. That’s why we cultivate a vibrant and active community with a dedicated team that provides love, encouragement, laughter and support for all our residents.

WORDS OF ADVICE

This is your time to thrive.

Experience the difference.

Call today to schedule a tour.

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HARMONY S E N I O R S E RV I C E S 9136 OLD MONTGOMERY ROAD 912. 24 4.7407 | HARMON YAT SAVANNAH.COM

ABOUT US

Harmony is vibrant seniorliving community founded on the principle of "Family Serving Families." We treat every resident, family member and associate with the same care, compassion and respect as we would our own family.

rooms. We are pet-friendly with a robust calendar of events and activities. Our stunning location features the natural beauty and charming coastal life of Skidway Island, with easy access to superior medical care and amenities reminiscent of a fine resort.

AMENITIES/SERVICES

LIVING AND CARE

Harmony offers the largest and most varied apartment styles designed with our residents in mind. Our communities offer high-end finishes, large common areas and chef-inspired cuisine served in restaurant-style dining

We offer a range of senior-living apartments to provide as much or as little assistance as you may need. Services include concierge service, emergency call system, chauffered transportation and full-sized modern kitchens.

BUCKINGHAM SOUTH 5450 ABERCORN S T. 912.355.5550 | BUCK INGHAMSOUTH.COM

ABOUT US

Locally owned and operated, Buckingham South is Savannah’s premier assisted living community and the only one of its kind to achieve a 100% inspection rating from the state of Georgia.

With a focus on highly personalized quality health care and social interaction, the traditional values of Buckingham South are founded on more than 45 years of senior healthcare experience.

LIVING OPTIONS

Stacy Horner and Tinker Roberts 202

S A V A N N A H M A G A Z I N E . C O M ★ Special Advertising Section

Buckingham South is a licensed, assisted living community offering a warm, elegant and

secure environment tailored to meet residents’ needs, with the highest standards of medical care from nursing and support staff.

Around-the-clock caregivers and registered nurses provide regular health screenings and medication administration. Residents can select from seven floor plans, each with 24-hour emergency call system, kitchen, daily housekeeping, laundry service and a variety of activities. Transportation for medical visits, social events and shopping is provided.

Buckingham South is near two major hospitals and a beautiful shopping center.

A CONVERSATION WITH RICK CULBRETH, JR. Why do you think Yates-Astro has become the largest pest control provider in the region?

We focus on staying community oriented. We are excited to serve the communities in which we operate and make it a priority to never let size diminish our ability to take of care every customer as if they were the only customer. I guess you might call it a commitment to quality over quantity.

How does being community oriented flesh out in the day to day life at Yates-Astro?

Every member of senior management in every community we serve is involved in a number of civic organizations. As for me, I was born and raised here, so I have an inherent commitment to the area I have always called home. We don’t just want to be a part of the fabric of our communities, we want to help improve the fabric.

I may be only one thread in that fabric, but I want to be a significant thread.

What is the internal culture that has been fostered at Yates-Astro?

We are family owned and that permeates the atmosphere within.

That internal family culture extends out to our customers as well, with many considering their pest control technician like a member of their family due to the longevity and quality of their service.

Where do you see Yates-Astro being ten years from now?

Frankly, we just focus on today. We understand that where we will be ten years from now depends on how we treat a customer ten minutes from now. That daily focus will ensure that in ten years we will likely exceed any goal we might set today.

RICK CULBRETH, JR.

TA S T E SEEN S A V A N N A H

Savannah magazine’s launch party included a dessert bar layered with tiers of bite-sized pink and white Gigi’s Cupcakes and other sweet delectables from Le Macaron French Pastries, River Street Sweets and Leopold’s Ice Cream.

OCT. 10

Savannah Magazine September/October Issue Launch Party Photography by ALEXANDER NEUMANN

Savannah magazine’s top supporters gathered at The DeSoto Savannah to celebrate the largest issue of the year and raise donations for the St. Joseph’s/Candler Telfair Mammography Fund in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Special thanks to those who made the evening possible, including All About You Entertainment, Azulike, The DeSoto Savannah, Gigi’s Cupcakes, Hopping with Harkleroad, Inspire Solutions, Ivory & Beau, Jireh Permanent Jewelry, Le Macaron French Pastries, Leopold’s Ice Cream, McCoy’s Event Professionals, River Street Sweets, St. Joseph’s/Candler Telfair Mammography Fund and Turtle Folk.

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SEEN

SAVANN A H MA G A ZI N E

Launch Party

N AT ION A L A S S OC I AT I ON OF WOM EN IN C O NS T RUC T I ON

S AVA N N A H J A Z Z F ES T IVA L

Blues Night & Forsyth Park SEPT. 18-24

Leslie Ciechanowski, Megan Hollis and Claire Goldstein

Betsy Hunter Hughes and Peter E. Roberts

The 42nd annual festival spanned 20-plus events, including free concerts in Forsyth Park. Headlining this year’s lineup was blues guitar sensation Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials with E.G. Kight and her band opening Blues Night.

Alberta and Michael Moore

Awards and Inauguration Luncheon SEPT. 26 Local industry leaders gathered at The Alida’s Harper Gallery to celebrate and advance NAWIC’s mission to support women in the construction industry.

Nicole Lee, Erin Clay, Kimberly Frank, Ashley Field, Jessica Leavitt Ouattara, Jenna Barzaga, Caroline Beuth, Dee Froehlich and Kelsey Elam

Erika Morrow and Shara Chaney

James Divine and Anisa Xhafka

Emily Hadland, Emily Shuman and Paula Orr

Lauren Wolverton and Logan Hinton

Caty Cote and Brie Monaghan

Turtle Folk

Liza DiMarco and Mickey Mazzeo

Nikki Greenwood, Kelsey Orton and Stacey Hermann

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Elizabeth Aiken and Rebecca Babiarz

Meghan Reed, Betty Flanders and Tonya Reed

Aimee Spring and Emmy Ray

Photography by ALEXANDER NEUMANN AND KAITLIN SELLS

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RONALD MCD O N A L D HO U SE CHARI TI ES OF THE CO A STA L E MPI R E

C OA S TA L E M P IRE H A BITAT F OR H U M A N IT Y

Beer, Guys, Cigars, Golf & Casino

40th Birthday Celebration

SEPT. 17

AUG. 26

Held at The Club at Savannah Harbor, guests sampled cocktails from Southern Crown Partners and bites from Ardsley Station and bid on auction items, with proceeds benefiting the RMHC.

To mark 40 years of service in the region, the local nonprofit gathered partners and neighbors at the Habitat ReStore with yard games, food trucks and family fun.

S AVA N N A H VOI C E F ES T I VAL

Season 11 Finale Party AUG. 20 The 11th annual festival ended on a high note at the “Finale Party: A Fabulous Farewell with Equinox” at the DeSoto Savannah.

Yeongtaek Yang, Maria Zouves and Benjamin Sokol

Randy Padgett, Darrell Boyette and Andy Lockhart

Captain Sokolowski, AFF Roundy, Georgia Southern University’s Gus, AFF Kenny Peres and AFF Strauser

Amber Amerson and Tracy Barras

Zahnay Smoak and Ameerah McCowin

Addison Carter, Cate Lamas and McKayla Perkins

Cherryl Garner and Duncan and Danielle Aspinwall-Winter

Matthew Kamlot and Ben LaBonne Jarrod and Kaylin Hammer

Jimmy, Lilliana and Kimberly Linzan

Photography by ALEXANDER NUEMANN

Natalie Leggette and Carry Smith

Dave and Carol Legasse

Deanne and Mark Howard

Janine Finn and Joe Willett

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P R E S E N T E D

B Y

A U

P A I R

I N

A M E R I C A

Kendall McGlone, Randy Randolph, au pair Sandrine Santos de Jesus, Liam Randolph, Desmond Jones and Andrea Asendio

TOP 5 REASONS TO HOST AN AU PAIR Flexible, affordable child-care solution provides a cultural exchange experience for your family HERE ARE FIVE GREAT REASONS why Savannah families are choosing au pairs for child care: 1. Cultural exchange: Au pairs come from all over the world, bringing with them unique cultures, languages and experiences. By hosting an au pair, your family can broaden their horizons and learn about different cultures first hand.

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2. Flexibility: With an au pair, you have the flexibility to create a schedule that works best for your family.

You can set the hours and days that your au pair will provide care, which allows you to balance your work and personal life.

3. Affordability: Compared to other forms of child care, such

as nannies or daycares, hosting an au pair is a cost-effective option. Unlike many other forms of child care, the cost of hosting an au pair is per family, not per child. With an agency like Au Pair in America, there is never an application fee, and you can also take advantage of loyalty and corporate discounts.

Photography by MOLLY HAYDEN

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Matthew St. Peter and au pair Amanda Perez de Azevedo

Shea Krupski runs to her au pair, Thia De Waldt, while here parents Kate and Kevin and brother Ryan look on.

Audrey Niederwanger, au pair Neo Mabatja, Alexa Niederwanger

4. Language learning: If you’re looking to expose your children to a new language, hosting an au pair is an excellent option. Your children can practice their language skills with a native speaker, which can lead to improved fluency and a love for learning new languages.

5. Personalized care: With an au pair, your children will receive personalized care in

Thia is a significant part of our family. She cares for our children as if they were her own. She is kind, compassionate and hardworking. She is our sunshine on dreary days.

– KATE KRUPSKI, host mom to Kennethia (or Thia) from Namibia

the comfort of their own home. Au pairs can help with homework, prepare meals and provide transportation to activities.

Your children will receive one-on-one attention, and you’re better prepared for life’s little surprises, like sick days and school vacations.

These are just a few of the many reasons why families are choosing to

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host an au pair. Ready to begin your journey as a host family? Start viewing au pair profiles at zero cost or obligation: aupairinamerica.com.

SAVANNAH FAMILIES RECEIVE A $350 PROGRAM FEE DISCOUNT CONTACT KAREN BROWN TODAY! KABROWN@AUPAIRINAMERICA.COM 410.688.4864

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Constructing the Christmas Spirit Written by ANDREA GOTO

EVERY CHRISTMAS, my mother transformed my childhood home into a Winter Wonderland. Garland hung from every curtain, doorway and lampshade, artificial poinsettias filled every corner and the life-like (and terrifying) 2-foot Santa Claus stood watch, guaranteeing that we wouldn’t mess with the presents under the tree.

You could stand in the middle of the room, spin with outstretched arms, and touch artificial greenery and overheated twinkle lights in every direction.

When I was young, I couldn’t imagine experiencing Christmas without feeling as if I were encased in a plastic pine tree. But I’m no longer young and, as such, I’ve inherited the burden of creating the Christmas spirit for my own family. And it’s exhausting.

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I always intend to get my tree up the day after Thanksgiving.

It’s a hope I still harbor even after a quarter-century of failure. Instead, I procrastinate until social media posts of well-groomed families posed in front of their Rockefeller Center-worthy trees guilt me into action. I curse and sweat as I pull the body bag that holds the deconstructed artificial tree from the attic, drag it down the hallway and bounce it along the stairway, around three corners to the living room where my husband and daughter are comfortably lying on the sofa.

Without taking his eyes from the TV, my husband will ask, “Do you need help?”

My family enjoys the house decorated, but they most definitely do not like to help.

I get the husband thing. My own dad’s Christmas role began with sneaking into a tree farm at night and selecting the shrub he felt entitled to steal, and it ended weeks later, hauling the dried carcass into the back yard to torch it. But I felt like I somehow failed my daughter. What child doesn’t want to bake gingerbread cookies, listen to Bing Crosby croon “White Christmas” and decorate a stolen tree?

That’s when I realized I had let the tinsel get in my eyes.

The Winter Wonderland transformation of Christmas past was not overnight, nor was it magical — but it was definitely spirited. See, Mom had a lot of stuff. Think cut crystal, porcelain plates with creepy faces and black-and-white family portraits of deceased relatives staring blankly from behind their glass encasements.

To prepare for Christmas, my sister, Mom and I would first have to lug half the contents of the house upstairs, where it was stored for the “off season.” Then began the daunting task of removing 15 moving boxes, six garbage bags and five free-floating wreaths of Christmas calamity from the depths of the attic and carrying them downstairs, sweating and straining — a duty bestowed on me because I was the “sturdy one” — while my mom and sister sat in chairs, unwrapping the ornaments.

I wanted to get to the tree decorating. But, after watching Mom reposition every Christmas ball I hung, and her saying, “Oh, not this year, honey,” when I put up the pastel paper mâché ice cream cone ornaments I made in third grade, I lost interest. So, I rested my spasming back on the sofa and listened to Mom grumble about having to do all the work and how next year was going to be different.

Of course, it wasn’t. Not until years later when my sister and I moved away, started our own families and inherited the paper mâché ornaments (me) and the terrifying miniature Santa (my sister). In recent years, Mom seems satisfied with a single table-top tree that remains decorated year-round, whereas I find myself repositioning poorly placed ornaments, grumbling about having to do all the work and saying how next year will be different. And it will be, because next year my daughter will be in college, and the burden — no, the honor — of creating the Christmas spirit will slowly, almost imperceptibly, pass to her.

Illustration by RAY GOTO

Twenty years ago, here in Savannah, Royal Restrooms was founded by two friends who started off with one portable restroom trailer that Robert Glisson and David Sauers designed and rented out for weekend oyster roasts and backyard parties. From humble beginnings, the company has grown into a nationwide franchise with over 50 offices, able to service the entire country.

Royal Restrooms set the industry standard in portable luxury restrooms and showers, providing them to thousands of unique events, large, multi-day festivals, elegant weddings and are now a staple in VIP areas. Royal Restrooms has been on-site for every named storm since Katrina, at natural disasters, and man-made catastrophes across the country. They have been there to celebrate nine Super Bowls and are part of the artist rider for concerts everywhere.

In Savannah, Royal Restrooms has been part of the Korn Ferry Golf Tour and long-standing local traditions such as Savannah Jazz Fest, and Blues, Brews, BBQ & Bourbon.

The most rewarding part of twenty years of business for partners Robert Glisson and David Sauers and their family of franchisees is the ability to give back to their communities. In Savannah alone over $2.5 million in in-kind donations have been invested back into organizations that help make Savannah a better place to live. For Royal Restrooms, that makes everything worthwhile.

Thank you, Savannah, for 20 wonderful years!

For more information visit RoyalRestrooms.com.

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