St Marys Magazine Issue 019

VOLUME 10

COVERING THE LOWCOUNTRY FROM SAVANNAH TO NORTHEAST FLORIDA

ISSUE 19

PAGE 10 RESCUERS AND THE RESCUED PAGE 18

BY AIR. BY SEA. CAMDEN'S BRIGHT FUTURE PAGE 32 THE ENGINE THAT COULD PAGE 80 ST. MARYS: THE RETIREMENT SWEET SPOT

W. H. Gross Construction is the premier builder in some of Coastal Georgia’s and Northeast Florida’s most desirable communities. Come for a tour and see for yourself why the W. H. Gross name has stood for quality, integrity, and unparalleled value for more than a quarter of a century.

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Osprey Cove • Winding River • Cumberland Harbour • Waters Edge • Sanctuary Cove • Landings at Catfish • Laurel Island • Osprey Cove • Winding River • Cumberland Harbour

Osprey Cove • Winding River • Cumberland Harbour • Waters Edge • Sanctuary Cove • Landings at Catfish • Laurel Island • Osprey Cove • Winding River • Cumberland Harbour

Osprey Cove • Winding River • Cumberland Harbour • Waters Edge • Sanctuary Cove • L andings at Catfish • L aurel Island

Letter from the Mayor

Drifting on the river: This edition marks the 10th Anniversary of St. Marys magazine. I want to congratulate all those involved with a publication that has succeeded in entertaining and informing its readers about the special magic of our city. Over the years you have read about the magnificent natural beauty of our waterfront, rivers, marshlands, and that special place, Cumberland Island. You have enjoyed a front row seat watching how local citizens and visitors join in the celebration of our many festivals and special events. You have had an inside report on lodging, dining, attractions and all the fun things that children and adults enjoy in our community year around. Through these pages, you have learned of our rich history, and as one of America’s oldest cities, there is much history to learn.

Recently, we commemorated one of the last actions of the War of 1812 that occurred right here at Point Peter on the St. Marys River. This event occurred after the Battle of New Orleans which is often touted as the “last battle of the War of 1812.”

The Battle at Point Peter is just one of many historic milestones that will be highlighted as a part of the History Walk of St. Marys, now under construction. The outdoor walk aims to capture the key elements of our illustrious history by beginning with Native Americans and progressing through the Civil War and to present day where we serve as an important naval city and home to Kings Bay Submarine Base.

But history is just one small part of our city’s lure for visitors and an increasing number who choose to make their home here. As this magazine highlights on a regular basis, we enjoy great weather, a oneness with nature, friendly neighbors, outstanding schools, and a quality of life most communities can only envy.

Whether you’re here for a day or a lifetime, we’re glad that you, too, have discovered the charm of St. Marys.

Sincerely,

John John Morrissey, Mayor City of St. Marys

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Phone (912) 882-4040 www.goldenislespediatricdentist.com Monday through Thursday 8:30 to 5:00

F E AT U R E S St. Marys: A Home that’s Written on the Waves

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Day Trippin’ to Fort King George

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Rescuers and the Rescued

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St. Marys Little Theatre

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Magic on the Santa Express

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By Air. By Sea. Camden’s Future Never Looked Brighter

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Rearview

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Coastal Georgia’s Cinemagical Palette

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Working on the Railroad

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In the Path of History

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St. Marys: The Retirement Sweet Spot

80

Isle of Wonder: Cumberland Island

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The Isle of Eight Flags

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The Little Engine that Could

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The Life of a Hobo

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Time Travel

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Look Who’s Talking

91

The Sport for Life

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Kings Bay MWR: On the National Map of Excellence

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Wordsmiths on Osborne

World Debut of Crippen Comes to St. Marys

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Downtown Merchants Welcome New Businesses 97

Following the Footsteps of History

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St. Marys Children’s Theatre Takes Flight

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The Voice of Reason in a Boater’s Paradise

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Railroad Museum under Development

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St. Marys, St. Marys: How does Your Garden Grow?

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Auditorium gets a New Name

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D E PA R T M E N T S 2 6 7 48 58 77 78 83 84 98

Mayor’s Letter Publisher’s Note Locator Map EarthKeeping Art a la Carte Around Town Media Darlings Low Country Events Literarily Speaking Magazine Party #18

Publisher’s Note Publisher Barbara Jackson Ryan Creative Director & Designer Jerry Lockamy Contributing Artists Steve Saley Editors Linda Williford Justin Lee Jones David Emch Director of Public Relations Kristen Lockamy Contributing Writers Alex Kearns Tom Raymond Holly Yurchison H.Thomas Hayden Justin Lee Jones Contributing Photographers Deborah Berg Tori Smith Melissa Dickinson Herron Roger Graw L. J.Williams Holly Yurchison Brenda Barber Taylor Glenda Barber Mike Lillis John Gantz Doug Vaught Evelyn Hill Steve Royer Erin Way Historic St. Marys Magazine is a LowCountry Publishing publication. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior consent of official representatives of LowCountry Publishing. All contents Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.

Letters to the Editor or other Correspondence Email: info@stmarysmagazine.com 511 Osborne Street St. Marys, GA 31558 For general information, advertising, or subscription service, call 912-729-1103 or visit www.stmarysmagazine.com Eco Statement St. Marys Magazine is committed to the highest environmental standards, printed in the USA

by The Drummond Press, Inc., recycling 100% of excess paper and using non-petroleum vegetable oil-based inks.

Welcome to the 10th Anniversary Edition of St. Marys Magazine.

As we move into our next decade, we recognize the power of the number “10.”

“The number ‘10’ resonates with the vibrations and energies of leadership, optimism, confidence, independence, creative powers, success, energy, originality, adaptability, determination, and individuality,” so says an expert on numerology. From his mouth to God’s ears!

Our hopes are that, over the years, St. Marys Magazine has informed, entertained, and even—at times—inspired you, reflecting these qualities. A look back reminds us of what we’ve shared.

In Issue 1, we told you “There is something about St. Marys.” We know this still to be true. Issue 2 portrayed our little town as the “Seduction of Serenity.” In Issue 3, we invited you to “Step into Her Light.” Issue 4 spoke of “Porches, Rocking Chairs, and Living in the Moment.” Issue 5 portrayed St. Marys as “The Water Realm.” We serenaded your soul with “The Symphony of St. Marys” is Issue 6. In Issue 7, we talked about “The Heart of St. Marys: People.” Visual beauty was the theme of Issue 8 as we expounded on “The Flora of St. Marys—Poetry of the South.” In Issue 9, we took you back in time “Where History Writes its Name Upon your Heart.” We led you to “Pathways into the Mystic” in Issue 10, and celebrated “The Spirit of St. Marys” in Issue 11. In Issue 12, you traveled with us to a “Sanctuary of Yesteryear.” We listened intensely to the “Voice of St. Marys” in Issue 13. In Issue 14, we opened your eyes to the “Magic of St. Marys.”

“Come out and Play” was our invitation in Issue 15, and we explored the “Eternal Pull of the Tides” in Issue 16. Issue 17 converged past, present, and future in “The Awakenings of a Small Town.” A “Kinder, Gentler Community captured our hearts in Issue 18.”

We thank each and every one of our readers for taking this ten-year journey with us. The future is full of promise for this little pearl of a town on the string of our beauteous Low Country necklace. And to our visitors, we say once more, “You may leave St. Marys, but St. Marys will never leave you.”

Barbara Jackson Ryan Publisher

Email me anytime with your thoughts or ideas for the magazine: Barbara@stmarysmagazine.com.

On the cover The Lehigh Valley 126 Steam Locomotive on tracks in St. Marys. St. Marys Railroad General Manager Paul Pleasant.

Photo by Melissa Dickinson Herron.

t’s easy to get to St. Marys no matter what mode of transportation you use.

By land, St. Marys is located just 8 miles east of I-95 off Georgia Exit 1 or 3.

By sea, an easy sailing up the Intracoastal, and into the St. Marys River just north of Florida, gets you right into St. Marys’ Downtown Historic District.

By air, visitors have two great choices: St. Marys’ own little airport situated just minutes from the waterfront. Or Jacksonville International Airport—a mere 30 minute car ride away.

912-882-3242

Waterfront Dining in the Historic Riverview Hotel

Appetizers Soups & Salads Children’s Menu Baskets with fries Burgers & Sandwiches Seafood & Steak Entrees Chicken & Pasta Entrees Homemade Deserts & more

Proms Weddings Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties Airport Services Special Occasions

Office: (912) 882-

Tom Mitchell

7904

Photo: Steve Royer

From the beginning of mankind’s first awakening, we

have been drawn to the sea. The mythologies of all cultures are rich with legends and fantastical water creatures: the pantheon of Africa’s Mami Wata; the Kelpis and Morgens of Celtic lore; the Ondines of Germanic culture; the Naiads, Sirens and Nerieds of Greek myth—they have all haunted the edge of awareness and romanced us into setting our frail craft upon the waters. So it is with St. Marys.

Our extraordinary town has played many roles in the grand spectacle of time: from the quiet land of the Timucuan to a bustling port; from a small shrimping village to a busy mill town; from the host of a mighty

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naval base to the priceless reward at journey’s end for those who seek the magic of the South.

As the tides shape and re-shape the shorelines, so St. Marys has adapted to an ever-changing world.

Nestled at the mouth of a rare, slow-flowing blackwater river and perched upon the doorstep of the sea, her history and character have been written on the waves.

And she pays homage to this epic tale with her incomparable waterfront. Not for St. Marys the forest of condos, hotels, and industry that loom against the shorelines of other towns. Hers is a sweet, open, vista of parkland, docks that stretch into the river’s waiting arms, and the graceful arches of live oaks and crepe myrtle. www.StMarysMagazine.com

By

When the land that became the City of St. Marys was laid out in 1787, our founding forefathers envisioned a vibrant and energetic community that celebrated and protected its rich heritage. This vision has evolved through many years and countless interpretations.

And now it is to be revitalized and honored through the establishment and implementation of a Maritime Heritage District But there’s something more than the glories of the past, our vibrant culture, and the unsurpassed loveliness of our environment. Something indefinable and unquantifiable. It rests beyond antiquity, commerce, and progressiveness, and speaks in the www.StMarysMagazine.com

Alex Kearns

voice of shared experience and appreciation. At sunrise each day, our waterfront welcomes prayer groups and those who greet the new day with tai chi or quiet moments of solitude and reflection. It is there that our citizens come together to celebrate each Christmas season, every festival, and other hometown events that unify us as a community. We stand as the gateway to the incomparable beauty of Cumberland Island, a town that embraces both yesterday and tomorrow, and the place at the end of the road where dreams come true, everything is possible, and the heart sighs “Home….this is Home.”

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www.StMarysMagazine.com

By

Barbara Jackson Ryan

Compassionate rescuers are making a difference in our community.

Here’s your chance to rescue or get rescued.

Grateful Golden Retriever Rescue e saved my life.” The profound statement “H was delivered emotionally by a man who recently adopted a golden retriever from the Grateful Golden Retriever Rescue Low Country (GGRRLC) organization. He is not alone.

“Sometimes when you rescue a dog, they rescue you right back,” said Deborah Maynard, who along with her husband, Fred, has been fostering goldens for more than 7 years. The Maynards have fostered 24 dogs, thus far, and have managed to have only one “foster failure”— that’s what they call it when you get so attached to your foster pet you just can’t let it go, so you become the forever home.

Fred and Deborah’s forever pal is Dusty, their 7th foster, a light-colored golden that has captured their hearts and often captures the hearts of the other foster goldens that reside temporarily in the Maynard home.

“Dusty’s a sweetheart,” said Fred. “He not only is a good Samaritan about the many animals that come and go in our home, he also puts up with two cats.”

Easy-going and exuding grace under pressure, Dusty often accompanies his human parents continued ...

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when they volunteer for the St. Marys Express excursion train, acting as an ambassador to the hundreds of visitors who come through the train depot and sometimes performing as Fred’s hobo dog companion at the midway entertainment area.

“Dusty is typical of a ‘well-placed’ adoption,” said Virginia Pearson, regional director of GGRRLC. She and her husband, Bruce, often travel to far points of the Low Country to bring back homeless or endangered golden retrievers, of which there are many.

The American Kennel Club listed golden retrievers as the third most popular breed of dogs in the U. S. in 2013.

“Golden retrievers are well known for their temperament, kindness, loyalty, devotion, and an eagerness to please,” said Virginia. “This makes them a popular choice.”

But getting and keeping a golden are often two different things. Sometimes people just can’t afford to keep their family pet any longer, or they move into a new circumstance that doesn’t allow animals. That’s when GGRRLC steps in.

“The first thing we do when we get a new golden is get veterinary care,” Virginia said. “They are spayed or neutered while they’re in foster care, and if they get adopted before they are old enough to be spayed or neutered, it’s part of our agreement with the permanent adopters to take care of that.”

T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n d o e s n ’t a l l o w adoption until certain standards are met. Applicants must submit to a home visit with the dog and provide references that are always checked.

The Pearsons and the Maynards agree that to be a foster family or a forever family for a golden retriever is to reap the rewards of unwavering love and loyalty. As a wise man once said, “the dog is the only being that loves you more than you love yourself.”

For more information about fostering or adopting golden retrievers, visit www.ggric.org. continued ...

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www.StMarysMagazine.com

Patriot Service Dogs Brett Parks served this country in the United States Navy. He was later diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Then Patriot Service Dogs, an organization that helps train service dogs for disabled military men and women, brought Freedom into Parks’ life.

“Living with post traumatic stress is like being lost inside a black hole where there is an absence of light,” Parks said.

“Now, with my service dog, Freedom, I see a beam of light glimmering off in the distance. Now I know which way to go.”

Freedom helps Parks feel safe in unfamiliar surroundings, and assists him in coping with everyday life.

Susan Bolton, CEO & Director of Training for Patriot Service Dogs, said that her staff and volunteers are “making a difference, 4 paws at a time.”

It takes an extensive two years of exposures and training before a service dog’s abilities are matched with an applicant’s disabilities.

“Our focus is placing service dogs with disabled military who have been impacted by PTSD,” Bolton said. “We strive to make a difference in the lives of those who have given so much for our freedom.“ Bolton went on to say that the primary goal of Patriot Service Dogs is to maximize self-sufficiency. Service dogs perform different functions depending on the need and may include pulling a wheelchair, picking up and retrieving items, opening and closing doors, getting help in case of emergencies, recognizing and averting PTSD episodes, helping with chores such as laundry, taking off shoes and socks, and/or many other tasks that a disabled service man or woman may not be able to do alone.

Jacksonville-based Patriot Service Dogs has graduates from as far away as Boston on the East Coast and Washington on the West Coast.

“Some are still active military, some are retired and medically discharged,” Bolton said. “Our most recent graduating class of service dog teams represents the Marines, Navy, and Army.”

Patriot Service Dogs is always looking for volunteers. It take a lot of dedicated people to help PSD place service dogs www.StMarysMagazine.com

continued ...

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with our deserving military. Volunteer positions range from puppy raiser/trainers, to helping out with office work and possibly fundraising.

For more information about Patriot Service Dogs, visit www.Patriotservicedogs.org.

K9s For Warriors Like Patriot Service Dogs, K9s for Warriors is dedicated to providing service canines to warriors suffering from PTSD and/or traumatic brain injury. Their goal is to give a “new lease on life to rescue dogs and military heroes, empowering warriors to return to civilian life with dignity and independence. “ Their program includes a three-week stay in their Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, facility for veterans to meet, train, and bond with their new dog.

K9s For Warriors foster veterans to be a part of their solution to recovery. Each month they graduate new ambassadors who return home to start their new lives as productive members of society, often enrolling in college, starting new jobs, and most important, returning to their families with a renewed sense of freedom and independence.

More than 120 Warrior-Canine teams have graduated thus far with a 96% re-certification rate. Six months post-graduation, 92% of the warriors have reduced or eliminated prescription medication.

For more information about K9s For Warriors, visit www.k9sforwarriors.org.

The Love of Pets With more of a focus on felines, The Love of Pets in St. Marys is a nonprofit organization that has saved hundreds of cats from the sad fate of injury, disease and/or death.

Founded by Joe and Terra Lucent and run by Terra and a small staff, their non-kill shelter (the only one of its kind in Camden County) houses more than 150 cats at any given time.

Terra asks people to “open your heart to the extraordinary and unconditional love of an animal,” and she guarantees your life will be fuller and more joyful for doing so.

“It breaks my heart that we are now at capacity and unable to take in more 14

continued ...

needy animals,” Terra said. “If people only knew the rewards that come with saving a life and bringing a loving creature into their home, they wouldn’t hesitate to adopt.”

The numbers of animals needing rescue are staggering according to Terra.

“More than 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in animal shelters,” she said. “Why? Simple mathematics. 10,000 humans are born each day in our country while 70,000 kittens and puppies are born daily.”

“Abandonment, neglect, cruelty, and ultimately death is the tragic fate of these animals who ask only to love and to be loved,” she said.

The Love of Pets endeavors to provide support to animals that need care; to educate the community about their responsibility in neutering, spaying, and reporting cruelty to animals; to protect the public from stray and homeless animals that are sick and in need of medical treatment, and to provide a “no-kill” shelter to facilitate adoptions so that every animal gets their “forever” family.

For more information about The Love of Pets, visit www.theloveofpets.org, or find daily updates on Facebook.

73 Hawthorn Lane • St. Marys, Georgia

912-673-6545

A trained dog is a happy dog Something that all the volunteers and staff in all these organizations agree on is that training an animal is key to having a fulfilling relationship between owner and pet. That’s where professionals like Courtney Bentley can make a difference.

“I saw more improvement in my dog in less than a month than I did with almost four months of pet store training,” said one happy client of Kings Bay Canines, the company Courtney owns and for which she is head trainer.

“I am not a great trainer because I can train any dog, which I can,” Courtney said. “ I am a great trainer because I can train anyone to train their dog.”

Courtney empowers dog owners to learn how to train their own dogs using positive training techniques. Respecting the fact that each dog and owner are unique with their own particular needs and different learning paces, Courtney designs a program to achieve the goals of www.StMarysMagazine.com

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her individual clients which cover Southeast Georgia and Northeast Florida.

Courtney is certified by Starmark A c a d e m y i n H u t t o , Te x a s , a s a P r o f e s s i o n a l C a n i n e Tr a i n e r a n d Behavior Specialist. Her expertise has afforded her many opportunities including being a part of filming the television show, “Revolution.” She’s been featured in news segments with her dog, Rusko.

Courtney says that a trained dog is a happy dog.

“It’s unfair to any animal to not give them boundaries and clearly communicate expectations,” Courtney said. “Most submissive and aggressive dogs are largely that way because of a lack of structure in their life. It is difficult for dogs to have to figure out by themselves what is expected of them.”

Courtney has apprenticed for a detection company training drug and bomb dogs and is pursuing additional training in Narcotics and Explosives detection work, Search and Rescue, and Medical Alert training. She also works as an “on call” vet tech for a local animal hospital.

For more information about Kings Bay Canines, visit www.kingsbaycanines.com.

Humane Society The Humane Society of Camden County brings in more than 4,000 animals each year with a high percentage of them being purebred.

Some animals are simply left behind when their owners moves. Some are picked up by animal control when they’re found wandering with no identification. Many animals come to the shelter when their newness wears off and the owners decide that they’re just too much trouble to care for. So whether you’re looking for a lovable mutt or a preening show dog, future pet owners are encouraged to check their local animal shelters.

For infor mation on the Humane Society, visit www.humanecamden.org. continued ...

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www.StMarysMagazine.com

A note from the author My Nellie came from the local animal shelter, and she has given me thousands of days full of joy and wonder. My Oliver was adopted from Grateful Golden Rescuers and he makes me laugh about a hundred times a day. (Think of all those endorphins being released.)

Until you have loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened—this is what I believe. There’s a reason why dogs have been called “man’s best friend.”

And there’s a reason why ancient Egyptians revered cats and protected them by law. Dogs provide us with a sense of wellbeing and unconditional acceptance of who we are. No other human gives us that. Cats—well, cats are simply the superior species. Just ask them.

If you want to be a fitter, happier, and more fulfilled human being, adopt an animal. And remember, when you rescue them, they just might rescue you right back.

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n the mid 60s, Thiokol Chemical Corporation operated a rocket facility in Camden County at the east end of I-95’s Georgia Exit 7. History may be repeating itself as talks escalate about a possible spaceport to be located on the same site.

According to economic reports, Georgia is already a great aerospace state with more than 800 companies and 88,000 workers in the industry. The state’s strength has historically been in aeronautics, but the opportunities in astronautics now on the horizon are giving hope for a new and enriched economy with good paying jobs and spinoff companies fueling that economy.

Many people may not know that when NASA was looking for locations for its national launch facility, Georgia was on the short list. Since that time, Camden County has advanced itself to a more attractive position as a more fully developed area with high tech businesses, an educated population, and the perfect location for a spaceport.

According to Georgia State Representative Jason Spencer, “We have the finest property in the country for a fully commercial spaceport. It has every single characteristic required by commercial space continued on page 20

Photo: SpaceX rocket.

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www.StMarysMagazine.com

With the possibility of a spaceport and a barge port in Camden County’s future, excitement is building on a grand scale in anticipation of an accelerated economy as this small Coastal Georgia community catapults into a position of leadership in space and marine commerce. he Georgia Ports Authority reports record growth for T its terminals in Brunswick and Savannah in the past year. Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminal support more than 352,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $18.5 billion in income, $66.9 billion in revenue, and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy. In fact, in 2013, the Port of Savannah handled ten percent of all U. S. containerized exports. Now, a New York-based company wants to acquire the St. Marys Durango-Georgia Paper Company site from federal bankruptcy court and develop the site as a barge port.

Although the proposed Port of St. Marys would not be under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Ports Authority (being privately owned), it could significantly impact Georgia’s economy by expanding continued on page 21

Photo: Proposed Barge Port mega site.

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In January 1965, this 10-ton rocket nozzle made its way to Camden County for testing on a 100-foot long rocket motor.

Philip L. Hooton, DMD

• Cleanings • Exams • Digital X-rays • Fillings, Crowns, Bridges, Partials & Dentures • Cosmetic Dentistry • Veneers • Implant Restorations • Nitrous Oxide Gas • Gum Therapy • TVS in Ceiling

Susan Prater, DMD

206 Arnow Drive • Saint Marys, GA 31558 t. 912-882-2005 • f. 912-882-2342 • www.camdensmiles.com

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companies.” Spencer cites the location’s remoteness (but not too remote), good infrastructure, a coastal setting, and an unencumbered launch capability.

Spencer and other proponents of a Camden Spaceport say that nearby Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay will prove invaluable for funneling skilled astronautical workers into the facility and supporting associating provider companies that will naturally become satellites for a spaceport.

Though Spaceport Camden is envisioned as a private commercial facility, it is not out of the question that NASA might consider the launch facility for its new Orion missions that aim at putting people on Mars.

Private spaceflight company SpaceX , among several other companies, is interested in the Camden site. They broke ground on a Brownsville, Texas site (a much smaller site than Camden’s) on September 22, 2014, which, according to space experts, has a narrow launching trajectory between the southern tip of Florida and Cuba, which complicates some missions. The Camden site, on the other hand, can offer trajectories over the Atlantic Ocean, which allows spacecraft to launch without having to fly over a significant population of people. The Camden site also has the potential to facilitate both vertical and horizontal launchings, another advantage over other considered sites.

The proposed 11,000-acre site at the end of Harrietts Bluff Road also has history in astronautics, including the testing of the largest, most powerful rocket ever tested by Thiokol Chemical Corporation. The rocket carried a 13-foot diameter solid-propellant motor that generated three million pounds of thrust which, at that time (1965) was twice what any other single rocket motor could generate.

Once (and if) the spaceport gets up and running (as soon as 2018), it is thought that residents could expect perhaps one launch a month during peak activity periods. continued on page 22

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import and export opportunities along the Low Country coast.

Worldwide Group and Knights of the Green Shield, is calling their proposed project “Port of St. Marys Industrial and Logistics Center.”

In November, 2014, the group spoke during a City Council meeting, expounding the 500-acre site in downtown St. Marys as a natural for port development and possibly a Foreign Trade Zone.

Christopher Ragucci, president and CEO of Worldwide Group said the former paper mill site is a strategic location being so close to the ports of Brunswick, Savannah, and Fernandina Beach. The St. Marys Port would handle barge traffic that could easily connect with onsite rail transportation.

International manufacturing facilities could also be located on the site, and the establishment of a Foreign Trade Zone would present important economic advantages as well.

With 5,000 linear feet of river frontage, the proposed port site is the only parcel in Georgia with deep water frontage, rail, and industrial water usage permits. Barges up to 300 feet long would be accommodated at the port.

Ragucci said his group sees the development of the port site to come in phases, ultimately comprising manufacturing, port and logistics, and commercial/office space. Keeping a keen eye to environmental preservation, Ragucci spoke of the firm’s intentions to protect a wood stork rookery and other sensitive wetland areas on the site. They would also like to connect to and extend t h e a r e a ’s e x i s t i n g b i k e p a t h a n d marshwalk.

Worldwide envisions construction of a modern barge berth and dock on the North River capable of accommodating multiple barges and handling a diverse mix of waterborne cargo, opening up St. Marys to world trade and the global marketplace.

In the 1800s and early 1900s, St. Marys was a major shipping port with as many as 200 tall ships in the harbor continued next page

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Barge cargo.

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Folkston, Georgia “cordially” invites you to our

“ANNUAL RAIL WATCH DAY” April 11, 2015 At the “Folkston Funnel”

The “Folkston Funnel” is a double track which serves as the main artery for railroad traffic into and out of Florida.

From the viewing platform in Folkston, visitors can see trains passing on their way to and from Jacksonville, Florida in the south, and a split north of town where trains go west to Waycross, Georgia, and north to Savannah.

Robert West

The platform features lights, ceiling fans, and a scanner to listen in to radio traffic between trains.Adjacent to the platform are picnic tables, a grill, and a new restroom facility for our guests.

Across the street is the restored Train Depot that houses the Train Museum (no admission charge), gift shop, etc.

For further information: www.folkston.com or 912-496-2536

Georgia Tech professor and space e x p e r t D r. R o b e r t B r a u n s a i d , “Spaceports don’t just bring launch companies. Other businesses, such as those that manufacture and/or maintain satellites, will likely want to be located near the facility…a spaceport would also bring opportunities for new educational facilities in Camden.”

With the space exploration industry impacting the economy by several hundred billion dollars each year, clearly, Camden County has much to gain with a spaceport on its horizon.

at any given time. St. Marys was the southernmost point of America before Florida was released from Spanish rule (1845), so it was the natural entry point to a booming young country.

In the coming years, St. Marys could, once again, be a shining star on the map of global trade, and take her place in a worldwide arena of commerce.

EXPLORE the OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

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We cater to individuals as well as groups including Elderhostel’s, Tour Groups, Scouts, Schools, Churches.

Come on in for some tender lovin’ trash talk, southern sassin’ and great cocktails!

Same Planet - Different World!

Just 40 minutes from the heart of St. Marys!

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ne still morning in the Atlantic Ocean, a young woman, Nadia, wakes aboard the yacht, “Moonlighting,” and discovers her sailing c o m p a n i o n s , M i c h a e l a n d A n t h o n y, h a v e vanished. With no land in sight, Nadia's fear quickly turns to panic as she desperately tries to find out what happened to the men she loves—a mystery that can only be solved by going back to their childhood and the promise that started it all.

What follows is scene after scene of building tension that is bound to keep moviegoers on the edge of their seat. This compelling film, “The Chrysalis Tide,” was written—not by a Hollywood screenwriter—but by Camden County resident Jennifer Elders.

The Coastal Georgia Film Alliance (CGFA) has continued ...

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Photos below: (L to R top row)“The Debt” by filmmaker Mahmoud Shoulizadeh. Cinematographer Brandon Herron on location for “Requiem.” (L to R bottom row) Colleen Porter, Sophie Ashe, Stevie Conway, and Daisy the Cat in “Requiem.” Doug Fast and Bob Cannistraro portray Carmine and Dominick in “Requiem.”

Local resident Mary Rose Cannistraro takes center stage in a scene from “Requiem.”

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Immerse yourself in the rich history and natural wonders of mystic rivers, salt marshes, and legendary waterways as you cruise scenic Amelia Island & along Cumberland Island.

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Anthony and Gaven Lopez in “Decelerate.”

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another year under its belt soliciting, assisting with production, and promoting locally-filmed television and movie projects. In the year 2014, CGFA gave rise to not only a dozen or so new productions, but also some promising new writers and filmmakers who are doing “good work” and proving their talents for the silver screen.

Steve Royer has been the quadcopter operator for CGFA for numerous films and recently decided to try his hand at the creative side of filmmaking. Royer wrote “Decelerate,” a movie about a man and his son and the scarcity of quality time that impedes a modern day familial relationship. Royer is employing skills he’s honed over the past months, venturing out from aerial photography to close-up micro-cinematography, creating a dramatic portrayal of a young boy’s inner thought-scape.

CGFA has assisted several SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) s t u d e n t s r e c e n t l y. A m o n g t h e m , Lindsey McKelvey’s “Radioactive,” filmed on the old paper mill site.

“Radioactive” is a short post-apocalyptic film. After the Nuclear War, the world is taken over by Radioactives, an evolved, utopian people. An outcast in this new society is Malachi, a man who survived the war, but lost his family. He fights each day just to survive. When he sees two Radioactives on his land, he follows them to their home, where he sees his son. He tries to pass as one of their people in order to infiltrate their camp,

and races to save his children.

The abandoned paper mill site has proven to be fine film fodder for several movies including award-winning director Mahmoud Shoulizadeh’s “The Debt.”

This heart-wrenching film has become the darling of film festivals, garnering more than a dozen “Official Selection” designations in recent months. Except for one scene filmed in Jacksonville, the entire movie was shot in St. Marys.

It was the second movie that Shoulizadeh filmed in Camden County, and he’s now in the process of filming a third locally—“Daddy.”

“Daddy” is a story of childhood innocence and teenage angst. Young Sara gets pregnant and she doesn’t want to keep the baby, while Ray wants to be the daddy that he never had himself. “‘Daddy’ will send a worldwide human message that will inspire audiences to feel sympathy towards these two young people and the challenge they have to solve this big problem,” Shoulizadeh said.

Shoulizadeh has a talent for touching hearts through real-life stories and a knack for filling roles with the perfect character casting.

“The Coastal Georgia Film Alliance has rolled out the red carpet to me and my cast and crew twice already and helped me maximize the production value of both of my films,” he said.

Shoulizadeh came to fame when he won the “Best Film” award for “Noora,” at the 49th Taormina International continued ...

Film Festival, Italy’s oldest film festival.

Shoulizadeh is not alone in his desire to do more film projects in St. Marys. In a letter to the editor of a local newspaper, Jason Radcliffe and Jennifer Jett, owners of Tandem Media in Jacksonville, wrote: “Tandem Media has many feature scripts that we plan to produce, and our first choice is you, St Marys.”

Soon to be released, “The Race” was filmed in its entirety in St. Marys by Tandem Media. Proceeds from the movie will go toward the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Newly appointed Camden County Film Commissioner Doug Vaught is usually the first point of contact for location scouts, directors, and producers seeking optimal locations for their projects. Instrumental in site location, Va u g h t ’s r e s o u r c e f u l n e s s h a s impressed many filmmakers and surprised a few.

“The moment I suggested the old paper mill site for an intense battle scene depicting Iraq, the producer could envision it,” Vaught said. “But then a friend and I had to coat our Hummers with blankets of clay to look like desert-worthy military vehicles— that took some doing, but it worked.”

Many of the CGFA board members get personally involved with film projects, offering up their homes or businesses for locations. Case in point, board member Mary Chapman, who along with her husband, Al, owns Allison Memorial Chapel.

When novice filmmaker Barbara Ryan needed a funeral home and a graveside site for the movie, “Requiem: The Man Who Wanted Too Much,” Chapman came to the rescue.

She and Al even had speaking parts and portrayed the perfect sympathetic funeral advisors in the quirky film about a man from Jersey who tries to buy up the entire town of St. Marys, leading to a tragic end (no spoiler here though).

"Not Me" is an anti-war dramedy written, directed, and produced by Mahmoud Salimi, and is currently being filmed in St. Marys. The message of the movie is “no matter www.StMarysMagazine.com

2nd Annual St. Marys

Micro FilmFest In a showcase of local and regional talent, Coastal Georgia Film Alliance hosted its 2nd Annual Micro Filmfest at Theatre by the Trax last fall. Four films were shown including “The Debt” produced and directed by Mahmoud Shoulizadeh; “Killer Arrangement” produced and directed by Tom Dennard; “Lost & Found” produced and directed

by Steve Parrott, and “Requiem: The Man Who Wanted Too Much” produced and directed by Barbara Ryan.

38 Years of Compassion and Caring Camden County Film Commissioner Doug Vaught with Mahmoud Shoulizadeh.

what the differences are, we still can coexist.” It’s the story of an American soldier, Mike, and an Iraqi fighter, Mohammed. They both are die-hard believers. One fights for God, the other one for democracy. They hate each other, but in order to survive, they have to work together.

“As a socially aware filmmaker who has spent more than half of my life in war and destruction, I decided to make a movie about war,” said Salimi.

“Seeing both involved sides fighting for God and democracy made me focus on the subject of coexistence.

Regardless of our political and religious differences, we can still coexist.”

Kim Murray is another repeat producer for St. Marys, and will be filming her next project “Castle” in its entirety in St. Marys in the spring.

“Castle” is a feature film starring Kennedy Brice (“Walking Dead” and “Red Band Society”). In this coming-of-age story, a lonely little girl who still believes in fairy tales transforms an old fort in the woods into a castle. In the process, she is transformed as well.

“Castle” features several other familiar names including Evan continued ...

-Family owned and operated -Traditional funeral services -Cremation -Military services -Monuments -Shipping & Receiving -Pre-arrangements

10141 Colerain Road St. Marys, GA

912-729-5000

5951 Golden Isles Parkway Brunswick, GA

912-264-2444 Established: January 1, 1970

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On the set of "Daddy."

Brinkman (“Train Wreck”) and Aiden Flowers (“Salem”). The film is being produced by Kim Murray’s Flickers Studio along with Phil Boyle. Boyle and his daughter, Haile, wrote the script. Acclaimed director Jose Zambrano Cassella will direct.

“Castle” has been certified as a “Family-Friendly” film.

Hundreds of St. Marys residents got to see themselves on the little screen this past fall with the debut of “Eye of the Hurricane” that ran numerous times on the Starz Network. “Eye of the Hurricane” was the first feature movie to be filmed in St. Marys at the genesis of C G FA . C a m p b e l l S c o t t , M e l a n i e Lynskey, and Nicola Peltz are among the stars of the movie, and some locals were cast with speaking parts that earned them their SAG card.

As St. Marys and the surrounding area builds on its success as a most “cinemagical” palette for filmmakers, word spreads of the increased production value when filming here and the red carpet treatment that city officials, CGFA, and the residents offer up to filmmakers at all levels. Who knows?

To d a y ’s S C A D s t u d e n t c o u l d b e t o m o r r o w ’s J a m e s C a m e r o n . A n d today’s St. Marys could be…

You know, there’s a reason that Georgia toppled Lousiana this year as the top producing film state (in revenue) with more than $979 million in film production for the year (Louisiana had only $800 million)—this according to the April 4 issue of “The Hollywood Reporter.” Think what just a sliver of that $979 million could mean for the economy of a little town like St. Marys.

CGFA will keep on keeping on, aiming higher each year to put this little gem on the Coast of Georgia on the filmmaking map.

For information about Coastal Georgia Film Alliance visit CoastalGeorgiaFilm.org 28

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In the Path of History In a ceremony in January 2015,

the City of St. Marys launched its History Walk program designed to take visitors on an historic path that began thousands of years ago with the occupation of Timucuan Indians.

In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of what has been called “The Forgotten Battle,” (this was the Battle at Point Peter that was fought after the Battle of New Orleans w h i c h w e n t d o w n i n h i s t o r y, inaccurately, as the “last battle” of the War of 1812).

Five days after Andrew Jackson defeated the British at New Orleans, 1000 British troops hastened a retreat by Captain Abraham Massias and his 80 United States soldiers who were defending Point Peter in St. Marys.

The Battle of Point Peter somehow slipped from the pages of children’s textbooks, all the more reason that

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the St. Marys History Walk will serve to remind people of the many historic milestones that took place in St. Marys.

The History Walk will take visitors on a self-guided tour following a trail of interpretive signs depicting key events in the city’s history.

Other high points of the History Walk will cover the Acadian refugees flight to St. Marys during the French and Indian Wars in the 1790s; Aaron Burr’s retreat to the Archibald Clark House after he shot Alexander Hamilton in a duel; the burning of St. Marys by Union soldiers in the War Between the States; the Washington Pump that memorialized the love of St. Marys residents for George Washington, and other historic landmarks.

For more information about the St. Marys History Walk, call 912-882-4000.

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I

ncredibly peaceful. That’s how Cumberland Island is often described by first-time visitors who discover Coastal Georgia’s largest sea island. In 2014, the Isle of Wonder was, once again, named on the list of “America’s 15 Best Wild Beaches.”

The Cumberland Island entry (#8 on the list) said this: “Glistening white beaches with sand dunes, freshwater lakes and saltwater marshes fill this 16-mile-long island, the northern portion of which is designated Wilderness. Visitors can access the beach at designated dune crossings. Wildlife includes alligators, loggerhead turtles and pelicans, as well as many fish that make this a prime place for surf fishing.”

In addition to those listed, a multitude of wildlife call Cumberland Island home including: feral horses, continued ...

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wild hogs, armadillo, bobcat, dolphin, otter, and numerous bird species.

The enchantment of Cumberland Island lies not only in its “wilderness” setting, but also the pristine white sand beaches. You could walk all day and not encounter a single soul sometimes.

The north end’s “Land and Legacy” Tours take visitors into yesteryear with stories of the famed Carnegies— their mansions and lifestyle—and other significant historic events such as the passing of Lighthorse Harry Lee, Robert E. Lee’s father, who died on the island and was initially buried there. Not only is Cumberland Island a point of pride for the residents of Camden County, but it plays an important role in the economic vibrancy of the area.

A recent National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 51,434 visitors to Cumberland Island National Seashore in 2013 spent over $2 million in communities surrounding the park.

“Cumberland Island is recognized as a world class tourist destination,” said Park Superintendent Gary Ingram. “As stewards of this great resource, we acknowledge our responsibility sharing the Seashore’s story with visitors and the gateway community while protecting the Island for future generations. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service.”

For more information about Cumberland Island, visit www.nps.gov/cuis.

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think I can. I think I can.” Those “I words went down in history after a book published in 1930 told the story that portrayed the value of hard work and optimism. In 2014, hard work, optimism, and six tons of coal inspired another little engine in today’s world to accomplish what others envy: the delight and smiles of thousands of children of all ages (from 2 to 92)—the St. Marys Steam Express.

February 2015 marks the return of the Steam Express embellished with a Wild West theme this time. The Wild West Steam Express will feature the Lehigh Valley 126 (see related story) and a cadre of cowboys in a rootin’ tootin’ good time old-fashioned shootout.

The St. Marys Express steam engine and continued ...

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Family Medicine & Urgent Care A d u l t s & C h i l d re n • X - R a y & L a b o n s i t e Prompt care for ILLNESS or INJURY, from sore throats and hypertenison to fractures and lacerations.

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St. Marys Railroad’s diesel Engine 507 have made a significant impact on tourism in St. Marys in the past year, bringing in more than 30,000 visitors, many of whom have never been to St. Marys. Hailing from all over the Southeast and beyond, families and rail fans come to St. Marys to experience a journey into y e s t e r y e a r.

While here, they eat in our restaurants and stay in our hotels and B&Bs. They go home with memories and a story they share with friends, family, and neighbors. And they often return, for they know that each St. Marys Express adventure is unique.

After the Wild West Steam Express in February, they can expect a magical time on the Peter Cottontail Express, intrigue and high drama on the Pirate Express, a heart-touching patriotic ride on the America’s Birthday Express, then multiple excursions in the fall with a Halloween, Railroad Days, and Christmas theme.

Only six percent of America’s population have experienced an authentic train ride, and the St. Marys

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Steam Express is the only authentic steam engine running on a live shortline in all of Georgia. It is the “little engine that thought it could.” Now we know that “it can.” It did. And it will again.

See you on the train!

Editor’s Note: To view the 2015 schedule for the St. Marys Express, visit www.stmarysrailroad.com.

912-882-6072 34

Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

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By

John Gantz

M any have speculated as to whether

time travel is possible. I will answer that question by proving that although it may not be possible to actually travel back in time, or reverse the days on the calendar, it is entirely possible to recreate a period in history that has long gone by. This experience happened in St. Marys, Georgia, during the first two weeks of October, 2014.

On what would normally be a lazy Wednesday afternoon in the South, a large semi-truck appeared, and with it a tiny “Saddle Tank� steam engine named Sadie. As my eyes beheld this spectacle pulling up next to the Theater by the Trax, I could not help but begin to envision the splendor that would envelope this small community in the next couple of weeks. Apparently, so did many continued ...

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others in town. A large crowd had gathered to see what was afoot.

The locomotive was brought to St. Marys by The Grambling Locomotive Works, owned and operated by John Grambling and his son, Barney, in Indiana. They travel around the country, bringing one of four Saddle Tank steamers to various railroads in order to preserve the history of steam. A Saddle Tank steamer differs from a main line locomotive in that it lacks a tender. The tank “saddles” the boiler and holds 1250 gallons of water. The coal, which burns in the firebox, is kept in a hopper behind the engineer. This holds 2400 pounds of coal.

The coal burns in the firebox, heats the water into steam, which moves the actuating rods from the pistons, which turns the wheels.

Although small, these locomotives served a vital purpose on the railroads—moving small loads of coal, ore, or concrete from mines and job sites to the main line. They even worked in rail yards on occasions helping to switch outgoing and incoming rolling stock to the proper track.

The locomotive named Sadie is an 0-6-0 configuration and was built in 1930 at Vulcan Iron Works in Pennsylvania. She was purchased by the Gramblings and restored to full working condition.

On the morning of her first ride, October 4, people approaching the depot could smell the coal burning in the firebox and hear the hiss of steam running through the boiler into the pistons. People knew to expect something special as this fire-breathing beast sat on the rails.

Ten in the morning and she is ready to roll. Conductor Jim Gardner yells “all aboard,” and Station Master Doug Vaught welcomes all the passengers aboard. Engineer Paul Pleasant eases the break off, sounds two blasts of the whistle, signaling forward motion and slowly pulls the main throttle open, bringing steam into Sadie and bringing her to life. Now everyone hears the soft chugging of Sadie as her wheels begin to turn. They hear the gentle clanging of her century-old bell and the lonesome sound of the steam whistle as she makes her was across Osborne Street headed for adventure.

Sadie glides down the rails at the daring speed of ten miles per hour. The passengers begin to see less of the town, and more of the old natural marshes and woodlands that make St. Marys the beautiful town that she is.

Onboard, the Widow McCoy inspires women to cling to their men as she roams the aisle seeking a husband to replace her recently departed one who had the audacity to expire right before the taxes on their ranch were due.

Thomas Durant, owner of Union-Pacific Railroad, is doing his best to sell UP stock (worthless now) to unsuspecting passengers. The other Sadie, “Sassy Sadie,” is spouting her plans to start a new life on the frontier and eager to discover what’s at the end of today’s ride for her. continued ...

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Approaching the midway point of today’s excursion, Sadie’s whistle sounds again, as does the bell. The Steam Express pulls into an old Whistle stop station, circa 1930. Jimmy Rodgers, the famous singing brakeman is there at the station, along with Hobo “Stinky Pete.”

“Ol’ Pappy” is whittling away on his stick, trying to impress “Sweet Melissa,” proprietress of this railroad eatery. Even ol’ Casey Jones is there to tell his famous story of the Illinois Central.

As we enjoy this entertainment, we are reminded how important these old steam “puffer belly” locomotives were.

They pulled trains from town to town during the Great Depression in the United States. Many an honest man would have to hop onto one of these passing trains to roam from city to city in order to find work and make money to send home to the family. If it wasn’t for the railroads, many of these men might have never found those jobs, or even had the chance to ask a passing brakeman, “Brother, can you spare a dime?”

Soon the trip ends, and the train returns to the station. But for that one brief period, which lasted only about an hour and fifteen minutes, 200 folks traveled back in time to 1930, and got a glimpse of life in a simpler day. Many o f t o d a y ’s g e n e r a t i o n m a y n e v e r experience what those lucky folks did those two weeks in St. Marys during the Steam Express excursions. But for those who did, when they are asked if they ever travelled back in time, the answer will definitely be “I sure did in a little town called St. Marys, Georgia.”

See you on the Rails.

RIDE THE TRAIN

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MWR Director Robert Spinnenweber and Kings Bay Recreation, Travel, & Parks Director Robert Hutchens accept the coveted Gold Medal Award

Vision, dedication, commitment, and hard work paid

off big time recently when Kings Bay’s MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) Department won the National Gold Medal Award in Parks and Recreation.

“Winning the gold medal is the highest honor any recreation program in the United States can achieve,” said Robert Spinnenweber, MWR Kings Bay director.

“It validates our commitment to the patrons we serve and our success as an organization.”

MWR Kings Bay serves the active duty military personnel, their families, retirees, and DoD civilians.

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Besides offering recreation programs, the department plays a role in the regional Special Olympics each year.

For Spinnenweber and his staff, winning the Gold Medal Award is akin to winning an Olympic medal.

“Our programs are held to the highest quality standards, and we constantly strive to elevate customer satisfaction and greater participation,” he said. “When we were announced as a finalist last year, it made us strive even harder to win the gold.”

The Gold Medal Awards Program honors communities that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation continued ...

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through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition.

Months of preparation and a commitment to the highest level of service has paid off for MWR Kings Bay. Their award documentation stated: “MWR Kings Bay is a customerdriven organization that prides itself in offering new program ideas in innovative ways to improve the entertainment, recreation, and fitness opportunities of the new generation of military they serve.”

The National Gold Medal Award was just one of a seeming landslide of accolades bestowed on MWR Kings Bay recently.

They received the prestigious 5 Star Program Accreditation by Commander Navy Installations Command. They were also honored with the National Accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies. MWR Kings Bay is one of only five programs within the Department of Defense and one of only

We Salute the Men & Women of our Armed Forces & Thank You For Your Service!

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134 parks and recreation agencies in the entire U. S. to receive this National Accreditation.

“At SUBASE, our motto is: ‘Nobody does it better’ and that is certainly true for MWR,” Spinnenweber said, giving credit to his high performing team that includes staff and volunteers.

MWR Kings Bay runs its business like a business, taking the criteria for a Gold Medal Award further by developing a five-year strategic plan that fosters accountability and sets up a concise system whereby achievement of goals is measured and documented.

In a rousing ceremony during the opening session of the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) last fall, MWR Kings Bay was awarded its much-deserved “gold.” True to NRPA’s mission to “advance park, recreation, and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life,” MWR Kings Bay shines brightest among the stars, putting Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay on the national map of excellence…again.

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hen the metaphorical curtain rises on the W busy streets of London this spring at Theater by the Trax, an audience of nearly 200 will be instantly swept up in a roller coastal ride of intrigue, scandal, history, fascinating characters, and unforgettable music. St. Marys Little Theatre’s (SMLT) five-show production of Crippen will close out SMLT’s Season 4 while ushering in a new era of sophisticated drama for the theatre group that is quickly gaining regional recognition. And it’s a world premier.

“Murder” is the first word of the play that is destined to end up, at the very least, in an off-Broadway theater down the road.

Jacksonville resident David Pooler has written this explosive true life drama in a way that not only entertains with singsong depictions of the most infamous murder in Anglo-American relations, but educates as well.

On the first of February, 1910, Hawley Harvey Crippen, a 48-year-old purveyor of quack medicines, murdered Cora, his wife, in London, England. They were both Americans and had been married for 17 years.

Crippen successfully disposed of most of his wife’s body parts, including her bones, with the result that they have never been found but, curiously, he buried her remaining parts (heart, lungs, stomach, liver, intestines, etc.) under the coal cellar of their North London home.

Cora Crippen had been a minor Music Hall 42

performer known professionally as Belle Elmore.

A f t e r C o r a ’s s u d d e n d i s a p p e a r a n c e , h e r friends spotted Crippen socializing with his 27-year-old secretary and noticed that the secretary often wore jewels and furs that belonged to Crippen’s missing wife. Upon questioning by the police, Crippen claimed Cora had left him for another man. Then, Crippen panicked and fled the country with his young girlfriend in tow. This is where historic milestones begin to interweave with the transatlantic chase that ultimately leads to Crippen’s capture.

The invention of the telegraph, for example, plays a role in the story’s outcome, for without it, Crippen might have escaped the investigative powers of Chief Inspector Dew who was just coming off the last case of Jack the Ripper (who was never identified and brought to j u s t i c e ) .

Because of The Ripper’s reign o f t e r r o r, people all o v e r continued ...

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Playwright David Pooler

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London were on high nerve alert. How one can turn such a tumultuous situation into an entertaining production is testament to Pooler’s genius.

Through Pooler’s original “Beatle-esque” songs, the story rolls along in enthralling fashion.

“Remembering Jack” is a colorful tribute to The Ripper. “In Me Automobile” is a bit of a bawdy song performed by Belle and a group of lady dancers. “Soon I’ll deconstruct her” is one of many clever lines from “Poison.” And “There’s Something Wrong with Al,” describes the strange behavior of Little Alfred Hitchcock in reaction to the murder, (see how history keeps coming into play?). There is actually a song that alludes to the amazing technology of the day (the telegraph), called “Marvelous Age.” There’s even romance amid this dark comedy, delivered through songs like “Valentine.”

The music in “Crippen” will haunt the audience long after the effects of the shocking ending are continued ...

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laid to rest in one’s mind. For it is Pooler’s grand talent to meld words with melody in a way that will carry you along swiftly, suspending time and drawing an exhalation at the end even though you won’t realize you had been holding your breath in suspense.

In some ways, St. Marys Little Theatre leaves its adolescence and enters into adulthood with the bold production of “Crippen.”

“St. Marys Little Theatre has drawn audiences from as far away as Savannah ever since its inception four years ago,” said Doug Vaught, owner of Theatre by the Trax, home to SMLT. “But now this group has expanded with regional talent joining locals both onstage and backstage. I believe that speaks to the confidence that anyone participating in SMLT productions will be proud of the outcome.”

Crippen’s author is making his playwright debut with Crippen, but he’s no newcomer to fame.

Pooler formed his first band after seeing the live performance of The Beatles in Jacksonville in 1964.

“The exhilaration and joy the music brought me that night captivated my imagination and inspired me to pursue my muse,” Pooler said. “I never looked back.”

Six years later, one of Pooler’s first original songs beamed out from the same radio station (WAPE) that had brought The Beatles to Jacksonville.

Over the next two decades, 24 different groups were performing Pooler’s original music. The song he wrote for Lakota Tribe in 1978, “South Dakota,” was played throughout the world. In 1988, he was invited to attend the ceremony of the remembrance of Wounded Knee, and was made an honorary member of the tribe. Also attending the same ceremony was actor Kevin Costner for his role in “Dances with Wolves.”

Pooler took to the road on a North American tour that had him performing songs from his first album, “Piece of Puzzle,” (which will be available soon on CD and vintage vinyl formats). His second album, “Seeking Asylum,” was released in 2009 and was enthusiastically embraced for its imposing songs that included “Halloween Ball,” which will be continued ... www.StMarysMagazine.com

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LAWN BOWLING COMING SOON!

With 27 parks and facilities throughout Camden County, our mission is to enhance the quality of life for all Camden County Citizens. We offer:

Camden County Leisure Services

Parks & Recreation • Leisure Services • Senior Programs

1050 Wildcat Drive • Kingsland, GA 31548 • 912-729-5600 To learn more, please visit www.camdencountypsa.com

featured in “Crippen.”

“Bringing Crippen to life onstage is my dream come true,” Pooler said. “When I met the good people of St. Marys, I realized how special they were. I have to thank Gaila Brandon for being instrumental in connecting me with the right people.”

Pooler recently wrote a theme song for local nonprofit “Love of Pets,” to promote animal rescue. It’s called “Forever Home.” David Pooler believes he has found a “Forever Home” in St. Marys, and we will just have to enjoy his presence, his passionate energy, and his amazing talent until he’s swept off to the Great White Way. For a man who can make the darkness of murder highly entertaining in a light-hearted way, the sky’s the limit.

Come see for yourself, when “Crippen” debuts April 17 at Theatre by the Trax.

And be sure and see “As the Tree Falls,” a tribute to Black History Month wrapped in a story about the War of 1812, and St. Marys role in one of its final battles playing at Theatre by the Tr a x F e b r u a r y 2 7 - M a r c h 1 . Vi s i t www.stmaryslittletheatre.com for ticket details or call 912-729-1103.

For More Information About St. Marys Christian Contemporary Music • News • Lighthouse Sports

Little Theatre,

Every Tuesday Night 6:30 pm at

Visit

The Lighthouse

For Youth 12-18...Awesome Rock Youth Praise and Worship Band!

Special guest speakers every week.

Hang out with other teens and “chow down” on free food.

If you can’t join us at The Lighthouse, then tune in for the live broadcast at 6:30pm on The Lighthouse 89.3.

The Lighthouse WECC FM 5465 Highway 40 East • St. Marys, GA

800-577-WECC • 912-882-8930 • www.TheLighthouseFM.org 46

StMarysLittleTheatre.com

or call 912-729-1103 www.StMarysMagazine.com

www.stmarysearthkeepers.com

E-Scrap Recycling

Protecting Our Marshes

Sea Grant Update

The St. Marys EarthKeepers continue to hold electronics-recycling events every four months. With an average of 15 tons of e-scrap (old computers, printers, televisions sets…”anything with a plug”), these events keep 45 tons per year of electronics from our landfill.

In April of last year state Environmental Protection Division Director Judson Turner effectively removed the requirement for a protective 25-foot buffer on marsh-front properties. St. Marys quickly responded by enacting an ordinance that would restore the vital 25 ft buffer to our marsh areas. Once again, our city leaders demonstrated their commitment to the health and welfare of our fragile and irreplaceable environment.

The NOAA/Georgia Sea Grant team will soon be submitting its final report to the City of St. Marys. This groundbreaking two-year study will serve to assist our city leaders as they tackle the pressing issues of sea level rise, flooding, vulnerability and adaptation.

This effort will also assist our community in lowering rapidly-rising flood insurance rates.

This page is dedicated to those who believe we should leave this earth a better place than we found it.

Sustainable Joe Comes to St. Marys From Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, to Key Largo, Florida, SustainableJoes founder, Stephen Szucs, is riding the ELF—a solar and pedal powered “trike”—on a journey to raise awareness and send the message that we are all capable of change.

“We aim to make sustainability cool, and smart—the new sexy,” Szucs said. “We believe thought precedes action. Therefore, as we get more and more people #RETHINKing sustainability in their own lives, we believe we will realize greater sustainable action in all our lives.”

The name “SustainableJoes” is derived from the mission to make sustainability easy for all “everyday Joes.”

Szucs went on to say, “We chose to use an ELF, made by Organic Transit, for leg one of the #RETHINK tour because it is a beautiful example of a company #RETHINKing sustainability.”

Szucs rode into St. Marys in November, accompanied by Camden Bicycle Center’s Terry Landreth. As the ELF, affectionately known as “Rita,” was parked downtown, passersby stopped to ask questions and take photographs.

Szucs said, “This is what it’s all about: the opportunity to start discussions; to reduce the often-combative and complex issue of climate change to the very real concept of environmental stewardship; and the ways in which each of us can make small but profound changes in our behavior and outlook.”

According to Alex Kearns, St. Marys EarthKeepers’ Chair, “Stephen is a perfect example of someone who lives what they believe, and is really making a difference.

SustainableJoes asks that we, above all, be mindful of our choices and actions.”

Mayor John Morrissey welcomed Stephen and took Rita for a spin around the downtown area. They had the opportunity to discuss the challenges that St. Marys faces (primarily the infrastructural adaptations required to meet the needs of a changing world) and the most effective ways in which to continue encouraging “the conversation.”

Yo u c a n r e a d m o r e a b o u t S u s t a i n a b l e J o e s a t http://www.sustainablejoes.com and on Facebook.

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Specialty ear procedures with video otoscopy In house & online pharmacy Preventative wellness care Pediatric to geriatric care 3-year vaccine protocol Pain management Nutrition consulting Behavior consulting Training classes

912-576-9801 Julie Clark-Blount, DVM • Jamie R. Craig, DVM Laurel Oaks Animal Hospital Your pet’s home away from home

5775 Laurel Island Parkway • Kingsland, GA 31548

Photos: (Left)The Stein Dynasty.

(Center) Jim Stein’s grandfather Captain Gus Stein, Jr. (Right) Local attorney Jim Stein

With the advent of websites such as Ancestry.com, many

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of us now have easy and instant access to knowledge of our ancestors. But local attorney Jim Stein grew up always knowing he was descended from a group of notable men who all made their mark on the world—one even impacted a country’s destiny.

Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein was born in Prussia in 1757. “Baron vom Stein,” as he was known, was a Prussian statesman who introduced the Prussian reforms that paved the way for the unification of Germany. He promoted the abolition of serfdom and the establishment of a modern municipal system. Prussian conservatism hampered him in his efforts to bring about changes, and in 1807, he was removed from office by the King for refusing to accept the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, but was recalled after the Peace Treaty of Tilsit. He resigned in

1808 in light of repercussions from his writings that criticized Napoleon and retired to the Austrian Empire, from which he was summoned to the Russian Empire by Tsar Alexander in 1812. After the Battle of Lipzig in 1813, Baron vom Stein became head of the council for the administration of the re-conquered German countries.

In 1870, a statue of Stein was put up and its base inscribed, “To Minister Baron vom Stein. The recognition of the Fatherland.” That statue is now in front of the Preussischer Lantag in Berlin. Baron vom Stein was also featured on a commemorative stamp in 1957 and 2007, and there are several streets in Berlin named after him.

Baron vom Stein was Jim Stein’s great, great grandfather, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Jim Stein, like his forefather, is not a believer in big and privileged government. Baron vom Stein’s trait of free continued ...

thought and independence continued What about your own family legacy? Do you have a famous ship captain on down the line, generation after or commemorated statesman in your history just waiting to be discovered? Here generation. are a few websites that can get your started: Gustavus Stein, Sr., Jim Stein’s great g e n e a o l o g y. c o m grandfather, was born in South Carolina a n c e s t r y. c o m in 1849 after his parents made their way to America. He turned to the sea at an myheritage.com early age and served in the Navy aboard the famous frigate Constitution, known rootsweb.com as “Old Ironsides,” becoming a pilot. He familytreenow.com. was also an instructor for the Naval Academy aboard Old Ironsides. In 1874, Happy discovering!

Captain Stein learned that the American ship William Wilcox went aground while in the Darien harbor and had yellow fever aboard. The ship was four days out of the Havana Harbour headed for Boston. Violating the law, but doing what the Stein legacy would have him do, he went aboard and helped rescue the ship. He couldn’t leave the ship until the last vestige of the disease disappeared, and the ship was quarantined between Wolf and Sapelo Islands.

Jim Stein’s grandfather, Captain Gus wonderland of compelling locations, Coastal Stein, Jr., also went to sea.

Georgia serves up verdant marshlands, wilderness islands, the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal “We all have salt water in our veins,” Waterway, three rivers, the Great Okefenokee Jim Stein said.

Swamp, quaint waterfront villages, and majestic Gus, Jr., owned a four master ship maritime forests—captivating vistas at every that traveled all over the world. In turn. Add in the mystique of historic cemeteries, a world-class Navy Submarine base, the charm of Washington, D.C., he was instrumental antebellum mansions, the friendliest people you’ll in the design of the Inland Waterway. ever meet, plus film-friendly city leadership, Jim’s father, Herbert Stein, was born and you’ll discover the makings of a great film.

We call it “Cinemagical”! in D.C. He owned several shrimp boats and captained ocean going vessels.

(Gus, Jr., had been the captain on R. J. Reynolds’ yacht, so Herbert became a good friend of the tobacco magnate who owned Sapelo Island.)

912-729-1103 Jim’s grandparents owned Dobby Visit Coastalgeorgiafilm.org to hear what other producers have to say about filming in Coastal Georgia.

Island just across from Sapelo, and the Stein family home was located at Ridgeville in McIntosh County.

Jim’s fondest memories are growing up in Ridgeville.

“Ridgeville is one of the most interesting places in Georgia,” he said. “Bankers, lumber men, harbor and ship pilots, even some descendants of John Paul Your Hometown Cleaning Expert Jones, mingled in a community of booming business.”

24/7 365 Water/Fire/Smoke/Sewer Emergency Services Stein after Stein after Stein followed Air Duct Cleaning, Dryer Vent Cleaning, Tile & Grout Cleaning in the footsteps of legends, from a Carpet and Upholstery Automobile statesman that impacted world history Locally owned and Upholstery and Floor cleaning Family operated to a modern-day Atticus Finch.

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673-7688

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For over 10 years

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By

H. Thomas Hayden

Pier Pressure with Aaron Rawls, Lou Casey, Bill Kelly, and Jim Hiott

USCG Patrol Boat

With numerous rivers, the Intracoastal Waterway, the

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Atlantic Ocean, and hundreds of tributaries, the South Georgia/North Florida area is an ideal water playground for boating enthusiasts. One volunteer organization stands out in making boating safety a priority for the community and invites boaters to take advantage of what this 75-year-old organization has to offer.

The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (CGAUX) are busy year round helping promote boating safety. Many boaters in St. Marys seek Auxiliarists for Vessel Safety Exams or to attend boating safety classes.

A free Vessel Safety Check is an examination of a privately owned boat to verify the presence and condition of equipment as required by State and Federal regulations.

Ron Knauss, Bob Sperry, and Tom Hayden

The highly trained Vessel Safety Examiners will make recommendations and discuss specific safety issues that will make the general public safer boaters. This is not a law enforcement issue. The Vessel Safety Examiners are there to help the public conform to the local and federal laws.

The vessels that pass the free inspection will be able to display a distinctive Vessel Safety Check decal for that year. Nothing goes to any law enforcement agency.

Recreational Boating Safety is the number one priority of the Auxiliary and many CGAUX volunteers teach boating safety classes like the one-day American Boating Course or the longer 10-lesson Boating Skills and Seamanship Course.

Visiting marine dealers or fish and game shops are a continued on page 54

R I D E T H E T R A I N StMarysRailroad.com 912-200-5235 54

focus of the Marine Visitor Program initiative. Auxiliarists provide the marinas and shops with posters and fliers on the free Vessel Safety Checks and recreational boating safety classes.

Additionally, many Auxiliary units advertise the information on dates and locations in local newspapers.

Auxiliarists prepare for the National Safe Boating Week in late May which is just before the Memorial Day weekend, to spread the word of safe boating. The continuing theme for the Coast Guard Auxiliary is that safe boating saves lives.

The Auxiliary advises boaters to be “Boat Smart, Boat Safe, and WEAR IT!” WEAR IT means wearing a personal flotation device—more commonly known as a life preserver jacket. There are various kinds of flotation jackets, but everyone needs to look inside the jacket for a Coast Guard-approved information patch indicating the type of jacket.

There are different types for open-ocean and inland waterways.

The main element of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the Flotilla. Many flotillas are located along the entire coast line of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and many inland lakes and rivers. The volunteer flotilla members generally meet once a month and besides the Vessel Safety Check program, members work on member training, public education, operations, marine visits, youth programs, marine environmental protection, and recruiting new members.

Flotilla 14-1 is located at Fernandina Beach, FL. A new Detachment has been established at St Marys, GA. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is always ready to assist the regular Coast Guard in marine disasters like an aircraft crash in the ocean, a boat in distress, or search and rescue. The Auxiliary members provide privately owned boats, aircraft, and communications stations to the active duty all year round. The Auxiliary boats, called Operational Facilities, range in size from small “runabouts” to cabin cruisers. The men and women who man the Auxiliary boats are trained to the same standards as the active duty Coast Guard.

Auxiliary men and women who offer their boats as official USCG Operational Facilities will have a trained coxswain continued ...

and from two to three trained crew members on board.

Auxiliarists often serve side-by-side with active duty members of the Coast Guard team at the stations or, if qualified, on patrol. During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many Coast Guard Auxiliarists served long hours in helping the regulars of the Coast Guard in disaster assistance.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. The Auxiliary has over 28,000 members in all 50 states, P u e r t o R i c o , t h e Vi r g i n I s l a n d s , American Samoa, and Guam, contributing millions of hours annually in support of all Coast Guard missions except military and law enforcement.

For A Great Getaway go to VisitStMarys.com

Get more information at www.cgaux.org

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Railroad Museum Under Development he St. Marys Railroad Museum will be making its T debut at Theater by the Trax in the coming months

1800s steam locomotive whistle donated by Chuck Porter.

Gateway to Cumberland Island

Guided Tours

Eco-Tourism

with a collection starting to take shape at the former railroad building.

Railways played a key role in the development of communities across the United States and throughout the world. Railroad museums and tourist railroads interpret this exciting and pivotal history, and provide an opportunity for the public to experience rail travel as it once was.

With the success of the St. Marys Express excursions, thousands of rail fans are coming to St. Marys each month and have expressed a great interest in visiting a railroad museum. Organizers of the museum include volunteers from the St. Marys Express and the St. Marys Little Theatre as well as the proprietor of Theater by the Trax, the building that serves as rail depot for St. Marys Express.

The newly formed museum board plans to become a member of the Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums (ATRRM), an organization that fosters the preservation of Railway history through education, research, and the free exchange of information among members.

For anyone who would like to volunteer with the railroad or donate an item for display, please call 912-729-1103.

Playgrounds for All Ages

Captivating Waterfront

isit St. Marys and discover antebellum mansions, V fascinating museums, forgotten battles and succulent coastal cuisine.

St. Marys Welcome Center St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau 400 Osborne Street St. St. Marys, GA 31558

866-868-2153

VISITSTMARYS.COM

Coastal Camden Art League

or a town as small as St. Marys, it is surprising to Fdiscover the proliferation of artists and their artworks displayed throughout the community. One group, the Coastal Camden Art League (CCAL), has had a profound effect on the town’s embracing of visual arts.

In the Olde Towne Art Gallery near the corner of Weed and Osborne Streets, you’ll find a mixed media of art that includes oil paintings, water colors, ceramics, fabric art, jewelry, stained glass, photography, and more. Art subjects run the gamut from naturescapes to still life to wildlife and portraits.

According to CCAL president, Evelyn Hill, the diversity of the members of CCAL is what makes the organization so compelling.

“Our members range from 18 years to 86 years of age,” she said. “And they come from all walks of life—an attorney, a nurse, a roofing contractor, an ex-cop—bringing lots of real life experience to the league.”

CCAL holds monthly meetings at their exhibition space in the Kings Bay Shopping Center, and the public is invited to attend, and are often treated to expert speakers and sometimes art lessons. continued ...

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Coastal Camden Art League “We have several members who give lessons,” Hill said.

“Our current membership hovers around 40, but we are looking to expand and invite any interested parties to come to one of our meetings.”

In addition to CCAL art that is displayed at Olde Towne Art Gallery, there is always an exposition at CCAL’s home in the Kings Bay Shopping Center.

Also, Alexandra’s Attic on Church Street hosts a number of the members’ artworks, and most of the art is for sale at all three locations.

In between meetings, CCAL members stay busy sponsoring and participating in various events both locally and regionally. One event that has proved popular is their annual Plein Aire event where people can observe the artists plying their craft in public places. The artists can get pretty creative in their media at events such as Plein Aire. One year, Glenda Barber, a former founding member, used the medium of

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nail polish to create a painting. Barber also makes jewelry display trees out of pieces of casting net. Barber’s sister, Brenda Barber Taylor, is known for her captivating photography of Cumberland Island.

“We’re very active in the major festivals in our community,” said Hill.

“We especially enjoy our children’s section at the festivals where we invite kids and ‘kids at heart’ to come have fun with art.”

Hill and other members appreciate the support of organizations like Southeast Georgia Health System who sponsored the Plein Aire.

“In May 2015, we will hold our 5th Plein Aire event,” Hill said. “We’re getting a lot of interest already, and you don’t have to be a member of CCAL to participate.”

In noting that several artists have works in different media, Hill explained, “Often one artform leads to another.

My gift is photography, but recently, with the help of continued ...

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Delays in your child’s development could mean learning problems later.

Do you know the early warning signs of learning difficulties?

Is your child at-risk?

Call for a free consultation today!

912-729-2294 The Language Learning Center offers help for: Traditional Speech Therapy Learning difficulties Feeding and/or swallowing issues

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another CCAL member, I’ve been trying my hand at oil painting.”

One CCAL member will even paint a portrait of your house, according to Hill.

E v i d e n c e o f t h e t a l e n t s o f C C A L members is pervasive throughout Camden County including the large murals league members painted in the media center at Mamie Lou Gross Elementary School.

Whimsical characters including Big Red Dog, Olivia the Pig, and the Yellow Busmarine (no typo) adorn the walls for children to imaginate on day after day.

Hill thinks the future looks bright for Coastal Camden Art League as more and more people discover they do have a muse.

“I found that I could say things with colors and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way—things I had no words for,” Georgia O’Keeffe once said.

Perhaps there is an artist inside of you just waiting to be released—a new opportunity of expression that will free your spirit. Maybe you’ll discover your own muse if you attend one of CCAL’s meetings. Meetings are at the CCAL Gallery in the Kings Bay Shopping Center the last Monday of each month at 6:30. The gallery is open Tuesdays and Thursdays for visitations as well. Email thistlephotography@tds.net for more information, or find Coastal Camden Art League on Facebook.

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Theater by the Trax Auditorium

ob and Mary Rose Cannistraro have B long supported the arts in St. Marys. Mary

Rose’s On the Green Salon and Day Spa provides hair and makeup service to the stars for films produced locally. Their Green Team, headed up by Jaclyn Cannistraro, serves as the official Hair and Makeup artist team for all the St. Marys Little Theatre productions. Bob is an avid supporter of the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance as well and often serves as producer for live theater shows. Doug Vaught, who along with his wife, Jeanne, owns the Theatre by the Trax, said, “We are very proud to name our auditorium after the Cannistraro family who have done so much for our community.” The 160-seat auditorium is housed in a repurposed railroad building that hosts numerous St. Marys Little Theatre and St. Marys Children’s Theatre productions throughout the year and also serves as Train Depot for the St. Marys Express.

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Gets New Name

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V isiting Fort King George at dusk makes it easy to imagine

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the isolation of a Colonial soldier garrisoned at the remote fort of the 1720s. A pungent, salt-marsh scent stirs the nostrils, while walking the foot path over the encircling moat among marsh grass as tall as small trees. Bats’ tittering squeaks as they swoop low for an insect meal accompany the final descent of the sun. As darkness surrounds the palisaded walls of the fort, stars twinkle overhead and silence reigns.

British soldiers on duty in the blockhouse’s third-floor lookout perch would strain for any sign of watercraft movement on Black Island Creek, the nearby Altamaha River or the surrounding marsh. Soldiers sent to secure the land against any claim by the French, Spanish, or Gualé

Holly Yurchison

Indians battled not only these human threats but the heat, humidity and illnesses as well.

Situated on the original site of the southernmost British outpost in North America, Fort King George was rebuilt in 1988 as an accurate replica of the Colonial era fort.

Originally established by Colonel John “Tuscarora Jack" Barnwell in 1721, the fort was garrisoned from 1722 to 1732, when it was abandoned. Scottish Highlanders, sent

by General James Oglethorpe, arrived in 1736, establishing a settlement and sawmill on the fort site. Oglethorpe later established Fort Darien, leaving Fort King George unused for military purposes.

Since Fort King George had been abandoned prior to the Revolutionary War, no major battles were fought there. continued ...

Little is known about the fort’s usage at that time. In June 1863, Darien, along with the sawmill located at the fort, was ransacked and burned to the ground by departing Union soldiers.

After the war, local sawmills were rebuilt and Darien became a bustling international seaport. Throughout the late 1800s, timber from Georgia’s interior was floated down the Altamaha River to be processed and shipped. Fort King George, one of Georgia’s first settlements, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources now maintains the fort as an historic site.

Today, Fort King George strives to educate visitors on early A m e r i c a n h i s t o r y, m a k i n g yesteryear come to life through authentic period events. Visitors can experience Colonial living during the spring and fall encampments or learn to pack a musket with candy “cartridges” during a Fort King George birthday party. The visitor center museum includes exhibits and films of the fort, Darien’s Scots, the Gualé Indians, and more.

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Visitors can view blacksmith and bread baking demonstrations at the fort during one of the many public events. Actors depicting Colonial characters give first-person accounts of life in Colonial days. A Colonial Cook-off will be held February 21, when teams will compete to cook the best historic recipe, with guests sampling and voting.

Scottish Heritage Days and the Spring Encampment in late March celebrate Darien’s Scottish history with a battle reenactment on Saturday. “Weapons That Made America,” coming in April, features weapon firings throughout the day and displays of gunpowder weapons dating from medieval days to the Civil War. Fort King George is a unique venue for private events like weddings, oyster roasts and birthday parties, which have become extremely popular, even with adults. “We call it a birthday party in a box,” Valerie Ikhwan, Fort King George site manager said. The package includes two hours in the fort with living history characters and a musket drill where the children roll candy “cartridges” and shoot wooden muskets. A blockhouse fort continued ...

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birthday cake and a musket firing complete the event.

While the Georgia Department of Natural Resources provides for basic maintenance, Fort King George relies heavily on donations for its special needs. The Baking Brewhouse’s brick oven, an integral part of Colonial life at the fort, is in need of repair. The oven is still used in one of the hands-on demonstrations by baking the breads that are served at the fort. Donation slips to “Buy-a-Brick” are available at the Fort and on their website. When the oven is refurbished visitors can take a trip back in time to Colonial days and sample some of that brick oven-baked bread.

Fort King George in Darien is a great place to experience the rigors and traditions of Colonial life. A candlelit Traditional Christmas meal was served in the reconstructed barracks recently. Log fires burned at each end of the long low building with two-tier bunks lining both walls. Torches lit the grounds as cannons guarded the surrounding marsh. Fort King George staff were glad to wear their Colonial woolens as Christmas carols filled the chilly night. Many other exciting historic events like this await visitors to Fort King George in Darien. It’s well worth the trip.

Editor’s Note: Fort King George is located off I-95 Georgia Exit 49, about 45 minutes north of St. Marys.

Visit www.gastateparks.org/FortKingGeorge for more information, or call 912-437-4770.

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Brunswick: 912-262-9933 Kingsland: 912-729-7000 Folkston: 912-496-4463 Fernandina: 904-261-8660

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“Dammit Howard, you’re swerving all over the damn

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road,” says my grandmother. We’re in my grandparents’ Lincoln Town Car on our way to my aunt’s country house.

My mother sits with me in the backseat.

“Minnie, you want to drive?” my grandfather responds.

My mother butts in. “Daddy, what you hollerin’ at Mama about?”

Randy Travis plays on the radio, “Forever and Ever, Amen.” The car smells of stale tobacco and my mother’s generously applied perfume. Cigarette burns dot the blue fabric upholstery. It’s sweltering inside—the air conditioner is “peculiar,” my grandmother says.

“Now look here, Scooter,” she turns her attention to me.

“You behave for your Aunt Barbara. She’s got company with her. I don’t want you hollerin’ and runnin’ around the house, you hear?”

I nod before she finishes. My grandmother wipes perspiration off her brow with a Kleenex she keeps in her bra.

I’m always excited for trips to my aunt’s country house.

It means smelling antiques and driving the neighbor’s golf cart and dressing up in my aunt’s fur coats and visiting The Front Porch, a restaurant with fried chicken almost as good as my grandmother’s.

I climb onto my seat and kneel to look through the rear window. My brother, his girlfriend, and my uncle and his long-term never-married woman-friend lady follow in a blue car. My mother turns and joins me.

“Y’all straighten up back there,” my grandmother yells.

My mother settles back into her seat. I jump into mine.

“We’re straightenin’, Mama,” my mother says as she helps buckles me in.

We’re straightenin’.

Straightening.

I’m straightening.

I’m straightening my cufflinks in the back of a black Lincoln Town Car. My grandparents vanish from their seats, still fussing. Cigarette-scarred fabric transforms into new leather, Randy Travis fades into smooth jazz, my continued ... www.StMarysMagazine.com

mother dissolves into a glossy wooden armrest and two bottles of Evian mineral water.

Outside my car door stands a driver in a crisp black suit and matching hat. He smiles, tips his hat, and closes me in.

It’s freezing inside.

I’m on my way to an art gallery opening downtown, where for the low price of $15,000, you, too, can become the owner of a one square-foot block of solid color on canvas.

“How are you today?” asks the driver, slipping into his seat.

Day? The windows are so heavily tinted that everything outside looks cast in midnight.

“I’m well, thank you.”

I lean my head against my chilly window and transform my driver into my grandfather; I refill the seat next to him with my grandmother, and smile at their fussing. I fill with excitement about the country house. I feel my mother rubbing my knee.

“How’s the temperature?”

I ignore my driver. I want him to fuss at me for no reason, to tell me to behave in case I had the notion not to.

I turn around in my seat and look through the rear window, halfway expecting to solicit my grandmother’s reprimand.

“A beautiful view from every angle,” says my driver.

My vision focuses on a mossy downtown country club.

“Yeah.” I turn back into my seat.

We pull up in front of a glass tower and catch the eye of a doorman who starts on his way to open my car door.

I open it on my own. He apologizes as I walk toward the

Make a difference!

Get involved with your community theatre.

Visit StMarysLittleTheatre.com for details. www.StMarysMagazine.com

building, as if I were disappointed he hadn’t been quicker.

The gallery opening is a whispers-only event, enclosed in a single gloomy room with white walls and no furnishings; here the glitterati marvel at the artist’s oeuvre. Gorgeous teenage girls and GQ-worthy men walk around with trays of what smells like food but looks like décor. A surprisingly older server—she must be in her mid-twenties—dips into my circle of friends and presents a silver platter.

“Pardon,” she says, “Saumon, fromage blanc, canapé.”

My friends “mmmm” in unison and each grabs a piece.

“That’s fish, cheese, and celery to us country folk,” I say and wave the woman away. My friends laugh. I roll my eyes.

Around the gallery I spot a couple in their forties squinting at a small piece of art.

What are they talking about? Maybe…

“But don’t you feel Jimmy would prefer a weekend in St. Martin for his fifth birthday?” asks the woman in a Thatcheresque voice.

“We’ll do both,” her husband would say. “We simply must have this painting in Jimmy’s bathroom—you know, the bathroom that no one ever uses; he’ll love it the moment he sees it.” And then the couple giggles and toast.

I think about running around my grandmother’s backyard in a dirty cape made from a pillowcase. I feel sorry for Jimmy.

“I gotta go,” I say to my group and down half a glass of champagne.

“Where are you going?” asks a friend as she opens her hand to check her nails.

“I’m going to Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

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Imagine traveling through all four seasons

without leaving your living room.

That’s what Ray Richard does every day (in a miniature sort of way).

Richard’s train village, created over a period of four to five years, takes up an entire wall of his residence in Osprey Cove. A tour of the village is like walking into yesterday.

You see a 50s-era diner, ice-skaters, campers, skiers on a snow-covered slope, a rustic cabin, lots of livestock and people, tunnels, a desert, a pond, and hundreds of other details that make this enchanting village come to life. Ensconced in scenes depicting winter, spring, summer, and fall, Richard’s miniaturized slice of nostalgia is a work of art inspired by memories of his childhood.

“The Boston & Main was my favorite as a kid,” Richard said. “I would lie in bed at night and listen to the bells and whistles and I could hear the steam.”

Richard has his own miniature version of a steam locomotive that replicates the sounds he heard as a boy.

The intricate train vignette once took up his entire dining room and ran into the next room as well as he constructed his continued ...

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masterpiece. His biggest challenge, he says, is his wife Connie’s ongoing question, “When are you going to be finished?”

Though the village and trains now have a permanent place in their home, Richard maintains that it’s still a work in progress.

As a visual artist, Richard has mastered the aesthetics of a pastoral setting that makes you want to miniaturize yourself and step into the scene. You want to ride horseback through the plains; soar down the trails of a perfectly shaped ski slope; glide over an iced pond on skates; and sing songs by the campfire.

But most of all, you want to climb aboard one of Richard’s locomotives and pull the box cars and freight cars through tunnels, ringing the bell, blowing the whistle, and letting off steam.

Around every bend is a new story—the kind of story that Richard’s granddaughter, Madeline, delights in.

When Richard returns to his main home in Waltham, Massachusetts (where he lives six months out of the year), you wonder if he misses his train village and the stories it tells.

“The circus train goes right by my office,” Richard says. “And Amtrak and commuter trains as well.”

Train lovers reading this article might be inspired to create their own village. Hopefully, their wife will be as understanding (and as patient) as Ray Richard’s. Ray and Connie Richard are the parents of Mary Rose Cannistraro, owner of On the Green Salon and Day Spa. Mary Rose admires her father for his artistry and his diligence in perfecting such a captivating project.

“He’s an inspiration for his grandchildren and great grandchildren,” she said, “and a wonderful example of someone who lives a most vibrant and engaging life.”

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A RO U N D TO W N

Send your Around Town photos to Barbara@stmarysmagazine.com.

The 1st Annual St. Marys Kayak Race was sponsored by Knucklehead’s Bait Shop and Al Chapman’s North River Cabin Bait Shop and Meeting Room. Entrants slipped into the water at the Meeting Street boat ramp and raced to the St. Marys River waterfront boat ramp. The event was created to promote St. Marys as an outdoor activity hub. Stand-up boards, kayaks, and canoes participated with attendants later treated to a celebratory breakfast at North River Cabin. Proceeds benefitted Mo’s Kids, Justin’s Miracle League, and Shriners Children’s Hospital. Pictured: (left to right) Racers on river; The Strait Family, Gaven & Lloyd won first place in the tandem division; Jeff Berg won second place overall.

Joe and Terra Lucent at Habitat for Humanity Builders Ball at Horse Stamp Inn.

Kelly Davis poses with mascot at Love of Pets Halloween fundraiser event. www.StMarysMagazine.com

Straight from her nationally-acclaimed performances in Branson, Missouri, local resident Maggie Moore entertained a standing-room only audience on New Year’s Eve at Seagle’s Saloon in the Riverview Hotel.

St. Marys Railroad train crew presents David Bird with railroad lantern.

St. Marys hosted the annual St. Marys Conference in 2014 bringing in cities named St. Marys from 13 states. Activities included a train ride on the St. Marys Express, attendance at the Rock Shrimp Festival, and a Low Country boil. City officials from various St. Marys’ have gathered once a year since 1989 to discuss what makes a great town and ways to make their towns better.

Pictured at Shark Bite, left to right: Bill Muckenthaler (Kansas), Greg Freewalt & Laura McClellon (Ohio), Denny & Sally Long (Ohio), Wiley King, Melinda & Marty Jenkins (Ohio), and CeCe Muckenthaler (Kansas); Sadie (Dr. Kimberly Doherty), (center) Wiley King and Gary Sink (Iowa); (right) Laura McClellon, Sadie, Greg Freewalt (Ohio).

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St. Marys Magazine makes a great travel companion.

We’d like to know where you’re taking us.

To become one of our media darlings, simply have your photo taken in a distinguishable location, holding a copy of the magazine, and email the photo with names and location to info@stmarysmagazine.com.

Ralph Talbott and Suzi Plaine at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.

Jeanne Vaught at Kennedy Space Center.

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Kelly Davis at the Boston Harbor.

Ruth Campbell, Doris Stevens and Phoebe Conway in Pinehurst, NC.

Milo Alexander and Brad Hubbert aboard the cruise ship Carnival Fascination on the way to The Bahamas.

Vita Lesh and Joe T. at Vita’s.

Justin Jones and Deborah Maynard in Minneapolis.

Trident Lakes Golf Pro Kevin Doetch and assistant pro Tyler Long at Trident Lakes Golf Club.

Deborah and Fred Maynard with grandchildren at the Essex Steam train, Essex, CT.

Joyce Bason and Chuck Lanham in Nome, Alaska.

John Carroll at the Fisherman Bastion in Budapest.

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Mike & Sandy Lillis on a 10-day Thanksgiving cruise to the Bahamas.

Brenda and Woodie White celebrating 25th Wedding Anniversary in Tadoussac, Canada.

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The only magazine in America geared toward

helping people make retirement location decisions, “Where to Retire,” recently named St. Marys a top retirement destination—one of eight cities profiled in a featured article titled “Eight Tax-Friendly Cities.”

While economic considerations are integral to a person’s geographic retirement choices, according to experts, the criteria most often is prioritized by things that speak to a person’s heart more than to their pocketbook. And that is one powerful reason why St. Marys is becoming a Mecca for retirees, especially younger, vibrant retirees who plan to live life to its fullest now that they don’t have the day-to-day grind of working to tie them down.

Consider some of the frequently cited reasons that people give for choosing St. Marys as their “forever home.”

CLIMATE

No one wants to spend their golden years shoveling snow! With as many days of sunshine as Florida (after all the Sunshine State is just across the river), St. Marys boasts a mild climate while still retaining definitive seasons.

NATURE

The great outdoors beckons retirees to “stop and smell the roses” around every corner.

Magnificent oaks romanticize landscapes filled with fragrant jasmine. Stately magnolias canopy porched homes and meandering streets. Cumberland island lies in wait for an easy and enchanting day trip any time of the year. The antics of dolphins and river otter often greet you at the waterfront that has been declared one of the Low Country’s most beautiful. St. Marys’ sunsets rival Key West, and verdant marshlands give the entire area that feel of being somewhere unique.

QUALITY OF LIFE

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The edges of the day are a bit softer in St. Marys. Stress takes a back seat to “being in the moment.” Everything seems just a bit easier without the hustle and bustle of traffic, continued ...

harassed drivers, and endless stoplights. You know your neighbors. And they’ll look out for you. St. Marys has a sense of family where class distinction is less important than kindness. Which leads to the next most important element in choosing a place to retire.

PEOPLE

“Enter as strangers, leave as friends,” notes a small sign over the door of a St. Marys bed and breakfast. This message encapsulates the very heart of what St. Marys is all about—people. Those who retire here soon assimilate into a gentler way of life with gentler people whose generosity of spirit makes newcomers feel welcome. It is often said that living in St. Marys is like being a part of one big family—everyone taking care of everyone else.

St. Marys’ population is highly diverse and includes people of all races, creeds, religions, ages, and incomes. The CEO of a Fortune 500 company sits on the barstool next to an hourly paid maintenance worker, and they find out they are much more alike than different. A seeming lack of “class” distinction puts everyone on the same playing field and promotes unity among community. St. Marys City Councilman David Reilly, who retired from the United State Navy, agrees.

"Why choose St. Marys for retirement?” Reilly said.

“Great homes, reasonable prices, great marsh views, a quaint and historical city, great golf, easy access to the ocean, close to everything, great economic potential, and

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most important great people who provide exceptional hospitality to all who come to St. Marys to retire or visit.

So why would one go anywhere else to settle for life?”

THE WATER

Native Americans believe that for every day you’re around water, your life is extended by a day. If that is true, people who retire to St. Marys can expect to live a very long life.

St. Marys is virtually surrounded by water: three rivers, the Atlantic Ocean, and hundreds of tributaries feeding into the peninsula present not only breathtaking vistas but an abundance of marine activities as well. Boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, standup boarding, or simply lazing around a dock watching crabbers provide great opportunities to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

OTHER SPORTS

Lawn bowling is now on the horizon for St. Marys, joining virtually every sport imaginable offered through Camden County Leisure Services. With a plethora of parks including a great doggie park, St. Marys’ endless opportunities for recreational activity draws retirees who are looking to maintain a very active lifestyle. Camden County boasts three great golf courses—Osprey Cove, Laurel Island Country Club, and the Navy base’s Trident Lakes. There are numerous hobbyist clubs including Kings Bay RC Modelers where people come together to fly their own remote-controlled miniature aircraft. continued ...

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CULTURE

Art galleries, museums, live theater—they’re all part of the cultural landscape that entices retirees to stay immersed in the muses. People are surprised that St. Marys offers nearly a dozen museum experiences, several art galleries and an award-winning community theater that plays to standing ovations performance after performance. Less than an hour away is all the culture of a major metropolitan city in Jacksonville, Florida.

COST OF LIVING

With an enviable tax base that enables retirees to enjoy a higher standard of living than they might in more expensive areas, St. Marys continues to be near the top in a list of “affordable places to retire.” Housing, gas, and grocery expenses are also lower than many retirement places.

HISTORY AND HERITAGE

Everyone likes to point to their hometown with pride in its heritage. St. Marys is steeped in history. Although it is often mistakenly billed as “America’s 2nd Oldest City,” with a charter that dates back to the 1700s, it is definitely one of the nation’s oldest. From the first settlers—Guale and Timucuan Indians—spanning the French, Spanish, and English occupations, St. Marys has evolved through a tapestry of historically significant events that fascinate visitors and give residents bragging rights.

When the authors of “Where to Retire” Magazine put St. Marys at the top of their “Eight Tax-Friendly Cities” list, they looked at hard data and livability.

St. Marys is the perfect storybook setting to begin your new life together.

From breathtaking vistas and antebellum mansions for your ceremony to our charming bed and breakfasts and inns for a romantic honeymoon, your happily ever after is just a click away.

“Natural beauty, cultural opportunities, and favorable weather are staples for retirees,” they said. “With 700,000 Americans relocating to new towns to retire each year, cities are competing for this market segment—people who are, in general, healthier, better educated, and more affluent than those who choose to not relocate for retirement.”

Elaine Powierski, another St. Marys City Council person who chose St. Marys to retire, said, “When I retired to St. Marys from the Detroit area 16 years ago, I was looking for a small town away from the hustle and bustle of city life, where I could make new friends and become a part of a vibrant community. But I also wanted good weather, beautiful natural surroundings, a convenient international airport, and access to a major city. As time has passed, all of the physical attractions are still here, but what has truly made this the perfect retirement location for me has been the friendships developed, the opportunities to be involved in community, the sense of belonging. and the pride I can take in calling St. Marys home.”

“Calling St. Marys home” is becoming a trend for mobile retirees, it seems. She’s a retirement sweet spot that invites easy living and warm hospitality. She’s a peninsula of picket fences, sweet honeysuckle, and stately oaks. She’s snowy egrets and golden sunsets, and feels like a Norman Rockwell painting that’s easy to slip into. You may leave St. Marys, but St. Marys will never leave you. Then again, you may just never leave St. Marys.

Happily Ever Afters Begin in

Visit www.stmarysgaweddings.com for an informative resource guide on everything from caterers to photographers to ministers and more.

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St. Marys www.StMarysMagazine.com

February 14 ................................................

February 14, 15, 21, & 22 ..........................

February 15 ................................................

February 17-22 ...........................................

February 27-March 1 ..................................

March 13-15 ................................................

2015

Mardi Gras Festival & Ball Wild West Steam Express Train Rides George Washington Memorial Walk Bike Ride Across Georgia As the Tree Falls at Theater by the Trax Oliver at Theater by the Trax

March 21 .................................................... Royal District Auto Show/Kingsland March 28 & April 4 ..................................... Peter Cottontail Express Train Rides April 11 ....................................................... Annual Railwatch Day/Folkston April 17, 18 & 24-26 ................................... World Premier of Crippen

at Theater by the Trax April 24 & 25 .............................................. Crawfish Festival/Woodbine

May 16 & 23 .............................................. Pirate Express Train Rides May 23 ........................................................ Hello Summer Festival at Waterfront Park June 27 & July 4 ........................................ Ameriica’s Birthday Express Train Rides

July 4 .......................................................... Independence Day Festival & Parade

July 18 ........................................................ Super Saturday Yard Sale/Woodbine

September 5 ............................................... Catfish Festival/Kingsland September 12 .............................................. Revolutionary War Soldier Recognition

All Events in St. Marys unless otherwise noted.

September 18, 19 & 25-27 .......................... Phantom of the Opera at Theater by the Trax September 26 ............................................ National Public Lands Day Okefenokee Wildlife Reserve October 3 ................................................... Rock Shrimp Festival October 3 ................................................... Railroad Days Train Rides October 10 .................................................. Build a Scarecrow Day

October 13 .................................................. Scarecrow Scroll October 16-18 & 23-25 ................................ Wizard of Oz at Theater by the Trax October 23 .................................................. Haunted History Tour

November 6-10 ........................................... Downtown Merchants Open House November 28 .............................................. Santa Express Train Rides December 1 ................................................. White Lighting Parade & Ceremony December 5 ................................................. Christmas in the Park December 5 & 12 ........................................ Santa Express Train Rides

December 11-13 ......................................... Christmas Spectacular at Theater by the Trax December 12 ............................................. St. Marys Christmas Tour of Homes December 15 .............................................. Live Nativity at Orange Hall

Every Saturday ............................ St. Marys Community Market at Waterfront & Royal District Market in Kingsland Every Friday & Saturday Evening ... Woodbine Opry

For additional information about other area events, visit these websites www.stmaryswelcome.com (St. Marys) www.visitkingsland.com (Kingsland) www.woodbinegeorgia.net (Woodbine) www.folkston.com (Folkston) www.goldenisles.com (Brunswick and The Golden Isles)

www.mcintoshcounty.com (Darien) www.savannahvisit.com (Savannah) www.ameliaisland.com (Amelia Island) www.visitjacksonville.com (Jacksonville & surrounding area) www.floridashistoriccoast.com (St. Augustine & Ponte Vedra)

Train Ride information at www.stmarysrailroad.com www.StMarysMagazine.com

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By

Barbara Jackson Ryan

Awakening to a World of Possibility Terri Clements Dean, PhD rom the moment I began reading F Terri Clements Dean’s “Traveling Stories, Lessons from the Journey of Life” I was hooked. But when I got to page 94, I was awakened.

“I try to fall in love several times every day,” Dean said in the middle of the page.

“And on the days that I don’t, I know something is amiss with my spiritual self that needs attention.”

Imagine a world in which you “fall in love several times every day.” Think of how it feels to be in love— colors are brighter, the sky is bluer, there is joy in your heart.

Dr. Dean has inspired me to fall in love several times a day now. I fall in love when my golden lab grins at me when I come home. I fall in love when I see a butterfly in free flight. I fall in love with the sounds of children playing on the playground across the street from my home. Though these moments of love may be fleeting, they instill in me a sense of well being that all is right with the world.

But remembering to fall in love several times a day is just a morsel of the wisdoms and inspirations that line the pages of “Traveling Stories.”

One critic wrote, “There are so many beautiful parts to Dr. Dean’s writing, things to hold onto during the dark hours that just might be enough to see you through.”

Te r r i D e a n d i d n ’t b e g i n h e r writings with a book in mind. As an anthropologist, she learned to look at the “big” picture and always take into account that a person lives life in a 84

context. Her stories have taken shape out of personal experiences and reflect a deep understanding of the human spirit.

“I’m aware that my book is an

homage to story,” Dean said. “My hopes are that reading the book will inspire people to get closer to their own stories. My stories changed my life.”

In Dean’s practice as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Family Matters Counseling in Downtown St. Marys,

she has the privilege of sharing many people’s life journeys. “The journey is a teacher,” Dean said. “Life’s lessons are offered freely and waiting to be learned. All we have to do is show up and pay attention.”

In the book, and in her practice, Dean endeavors to motivate others to explore four important questions: Who am I? Where do I belong? What matters? How do I live my life? It is through that exploration, Dean feels, will come the awakenings for many.

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place,” was another aha moment that arose for me while reading “Traveling Stories.” Love is, in fact, a recurring theme in the book, woven through life stories of people who have touched Dean’s heart.

O n e o f D e a n ’s m o s t passionate loves is traveling.

She recently made her third trip to India, one of her favorite countries. When asked why, she said, “People in India live their spirituality out loud and in public and all day long.”

Dean is one of those authors who really “loves” writing, unlike most authors who love to “have written.”

“Many times I sat at the computer and cried tears of joy for the shape a story took,” Dean said. “Writing the stories deepened my understanding of life, of people, and of me. I write to learn.”

Dean confesses that it was her husband, Mark, who motivated her to turn her “stories” into a book.

“We have shared values for more continued ... www.StMarysMagazine.com

than 30 years,” she said. And clearly, she is enjoying her life’s journey with the man who continues to support her literary pursuits. Dean will soon debut a companion workbook to “Traveling Stories.”

I agree, wholeheartedly, with author Terri Wright, who describes Dean’s book as “captivating, enlightening, yet extremely entertaining.” I’m on my second read and continue to highlight passages that speak to my heart, like this one: “All of us are bigger than we realize.”

Wow! That’s something to think on.

“Traveling Stories, Lessons from the Journey of Life” will gently guide me, and thousands of other readers, as we take that next step into our own journey of life. We all have lessons to be learned. Life talks to us. Listen.

Editor’s Note: Terri Clements Dean, PhD, is a resident of North Florida, and a practicing psychologist and Director of Professional Education at Family Matters Counseling. “Traveling Stories” can be purchased on Amazon, at her website, www.terridean.us, or at The Blue Goose in St. Marys.

Tiki Shack at Pauly’s continued from page 97

or seafood. A local favorite is the Almond Encrusted Grouper. Salads and homemade soups round out a collection of signature dishes that will have you coming back for more. But be sure and leave room for a mouth-watering Tiramisu!

If you prefer sandals to stilettos and sandy beaches to metropolitan traffic, you’ll love the festive tropical setting at the Tiki Shack. Jimmy Buffet would find The Tiki Shack much to his liking with soothing sounds of classic southern rock and Parrothead songs wafting through the bar’s palm thatched overhangs. Even in cold weather, the smartly placed outdoor heaters promote a feeling of island warmth.

A fun atmosphere, great food, and friendly service beckon you through the gates of Pauly’s back to The Tiki Shack where it’s always 5 o’clock.

The Tiki Shack at Pauly’s is located just one door from the St. Marys Waterfront.

Call 912-882-3944 for more information.Q

Connections

cont’ from pg. 97

“Children don’t have the capability of communication like adults,” she said. “Play is a natural language for them, and play therapy

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allows children to use their imagination to express themselves.”

Williams’ Play Therapy tools include toys, a puppet stage, sand tray, circus tent, musical instruments, dance, paint, Play-Doh, and more.

“We create a playroom that resembles real life to give children an opportunity to communicate freely and naturally what pleases or bothers them,” Williams said.

Play Therapy is a way of being with a child that honors their unique developmental level, according to Williams. “It allows a therapist to enter into their world and achieve a good rapport with the child to the point that they feel safe to express themselves.”

Through “Filial Therapy,” Williams brings in the parents and teaches them skill-building in a non-judgmental way which, in turn, creates nurturing and a connection between child and parent.

Play Therapy is most appropriate for children as young as 18 months and up to about six or seven years old.

In addition to family therapy, Williams does individual and couples counseling as well.

“We are all about helping people connect,” she said.

Williams is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist while Susan Kenyon is a Licensed

Clinical Social Worker.

Kenyon began her professional life as a teacher and has more than 40 years experience, working with children, teens, parents, families, and individuals. She is well known for her work with the parent end of things, helping them identify their individual strengths.

“Sue always starts with the positive,” Williams said, “and teaches her families to use personal strengths to begin the healing process.” Kenyon also has specialized training in substance abuse evaluation and treatment.

Both Williams and Kenyon enjoy “working outside the box” to bring happy outcomes to their clients.

“The reward is watching the transformations,” they both agree.

“Therapy is not just for people who are identified as having a mental problem,” Williams explained. “It’s about having a safe place to process whatever’s going on in your life. We are ultimately happier and healthier when we feel connected to the systems and people around us.”

It seems Connections Family Therapy is doing a stellar job of creating safe environments as is indicated by the many referrals that come their way from current clients and other professionals.

For more information, visit their web site: www.connectionstherapyinga.com.Q

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By

Tom Raymond

rea residents have long touted the A “Eight Flags of Amelia Island,” said to be “… the only location in the United States to have been under eight different flags.”

Since the 1970s, the premise “400 Years Under 8 Flags” has been featured in the quarterly Amelia Now: the French, Spanish, British, Patriots, Green Cross, Mexican Rebel, the USA, and the C o n f e d e r a c y. A n u m b e r o f v e n u e s incorporate the theme in logos and letterheads including the City of Fernandina Beach, Fernandina Beach High School, and the annual Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.

Students of history and vexillologists take exception to the claim for several reasons. A close look at the city logo reveals one of the eight, the Spanish, as historically incorrect for Amelia Island.

The city adopted its current seal in 2011 but the Castile-Leon, with pairs of castles and lions, never flew here, as it did in St. Augustine, Spain’s territorial capital in the first Spanish period, 1565-1763. Only the continued ...

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87

Burgundy saltire, red diagonal cross on white, was posted here, an outlying garrison and mission.

Furthermore, Dr. Whitney Smith of the Flag Research Center (Billerica, MA), opined in 1991, “…one of the fundamental problems…is that the people on Amelia Island have grown attached to the idea that they are the only place in the United States to have been under eight flags. Aside from the fact that this is not true, it mixes the idea of flags and sovereign nations. The ‘Patriots’ flag was never (a flag of) a sovereign nation, even if it flew (here)…a great number of flags of the United States have flown over the island over the years. If the purpose is simply promotional hype, it doesn’t really matter, but to be historically correct one must decide whether the emphasis is on sovereign powers or individual flags.”

Four of the familiar eight are of sovereign countries then as now, France, Spain, Britain/UK, and the United States. The CSA came close, warranting honest inclusion in the island’s story, while the other three were borne by mutineers and crooks two centuries ago during the second Spanish period, 1783-1821. Each of these causes–the American Patriots of 1812, and Gregor MacGregor and the Mexican Rebels, both in 1817–quickly folded along with their flags, yielding colorful folklore if not enduring history. While Amelia Now and the shrimpers align to the museum’s archives, others around town display a loose grip on the record with anachronisms, flags out of time and place. Neither the British Union Flag (1801), the modern Mexican tricolor (independence in 1821, the banner adopted in 1968), nor the Confederate Battle flag ever saw Fernandina skies.

The first European flag recorded here was the familiar French fleurs-de-lis. On May 3, 1562, Huguenots evidently waded ashore, named this canopied sandbar Isle de Mai under this standard, and sailed off looking for settlement elsewhere. They shortly established Fort Caroline (wherever that was) until the Spanish slaughtered most of the intruders to their territorial claim. Spain continued to rule the largely indefensible island they called Santa Maria with the Burgundy flag until 1702 when they themselves were expelled by England. Though still Spanish, in 1736 Georgia’s James Oglethorpe named the island Amelia for the daughter of his king, George II. The King’s Colors (1606-1801) were raised in 1763 as England governed Florida throughout the American Revolution.

In 1783, the Treaty of Paris returned Florida to a diminished Spanish crown which sported a red and yellow tricolor like that seen today. The Revolution spilled into France to birth a new Republic–with its own triad flag of blue-white-red–as Spain struggled to control her deepwater port in an era of shifting attitudes towards trade with Europe and legal slavery. In fact, the bleu, blanc, rouge waved over Amelia for a time in 1794-95, followed by pirates, embargo runners, and the rebel 88

filibusters noted. Given the dramatic shift of governance of the two mother countries over the centuries–Spain’s once dominant monarchy was but a shell of its former self, and France now embraced democracy through the guillotine–the standards of the second Spanish and French periods here are recognized by historical purists.

Even Old Glory, with the period’s 15 stars and 15 stripes, flew (illegitimately) over Amelia, not once but twice, drawing protests from Madrid, including in 1817, but said to be “in trust” for Spain then as diplomats worked to transfer Florida to the United States.

The Stars and Stripes were raised for good above Amelia Island in 1821, Florida entering the USA as a federal territory until statehood was achieved in 1845.

The issues of states rights and slavery festered until December 1860 when South Carolina ostensibly left the Union followed by Mississippi, Florida, and the others.

After shots were fired on Fort Sumter in April 1861, a flag of the Rebellion was raised over Fort Clinch from 1861-62, the Stars and Bars, not the Confederate Battle flag.

In summary, a more fitting roll call of the “Historic Flags of Amelia Island” retains that of 1) the early French Crown of 1562-65; insists upon 2) only the Burgundy Saltire of the First Coast’s Spanish Crown under the Spanish Overseas Territories, 1565-1763; and 3) hoists the King’s Colors of 1763-1783. History buffs reluctantly yield to local story tellers and the three non-sovereigns: 4) the Patriots’, 5) the Green Cross, and 6) the Mexican rebel, yet gladly validate 7) the Confederacy’s Star and Bars. For 8) the USA, the most appropriate banner would be the 23 star flag of 1821. Consigned to the attic are the Castile-Leon, the Union Jack, Mexico’s eagle on green-white-red, and the Confederate Battle banner.

None of these ever snapped in the island’s breeze.

The two flags of the second Spanish and French tenures give Amelia Island a count of ten, rendering the notion of eight a bit sketchy. And what also of the buccaneers who ruled these waters in the 16th century; should the Jolly Roger make for eleven? While modern “pirates” stoke local treasure chests, few today advocate for the skull and crossbones to grace official government forms. It’s often said that history isn’t what happened, it’s what historians tell us what happened, and as the popular Amelia Island culture evidently remains undeterred with its fuzzy math of eight, it demands, “Don’t mess with our flags!” 400 or 500 years ago that may have commanded a duel in the sun: touché!

Editor’s Note: No matter how many flags flew over Amelia Island, it is truly an island of great beauty and intriguing history—well worth the visit. And it’s just a short drive from St. Marys. Visit www.AmeliaIsland.com for the rest of the story.

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On a crisp fall morning, Freeloading Freddie and

Rousseau are setting up camp by the railroad in St. Marys in anticipation of more than 1,000 visitors who will pass their way this day. The two iconic symbols of life on the rails are played by Fred Maynard and Tony Bell, actors for St. Marys Little Theatre. They have become endearing ambassadors for the railroad, teasing train passengers by trying to board without a ticket or singing “You Wonder Why I’m a Hobo” as engine 508 pulls out of the station. We listen in as the spirited duo recount their days of yore and life as a hobo. Their story begins….

“We’ve been called wanderers, drifters, and vagabonds.

But really we’re just people like you who have fallen on hard times. Well some of us. Some of us just love the thrill of hopping boxcars and seeing the world (on a budget so to speak).

“Hoboing can be traced back to the American Civil War (1860s), when many discharged veterans returning home began hopping freight trains. Others looking for continued ...

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work on the American frontier followed the railways west I remember: aboard freight trains in the late 19th century. In 1906, one ‘Slim Jim from Vinegar Hill. study estimated there were about 500,000 hobos that He never worked. surged to 700,000 in 1911. The number of hobos increased And he never will.’ greatly during the Great Depression era of the 1930s, of “You’d be surprised to learn of famous folks who rode the course. With no work and no rails. People like novelist Louis prospects at home, many decided L’Amour, TV host Art Linkletter, to travel for free by freight train oil billionaire H. L. Hunt, and and try their luck elsewhere. journalist Eric Sevareid. And “In 1908, when St. Marys rail Woody Guthrie, of course. Where service first began, we had do you think he got the inspiration ourselves some fun riding from for many of his famous songs? All, Kingsland to St. Marys, where the at one time, had been hobos, tracks went all the way down to looking for work. the waterfront. That’s the same “To be honest with you, we started year Theodore Roosevelt was in out riding the rails out of necessity, the White House teaching America but you know that way of life gets how to “walk softly and carry a big in your blood. Now, we just ride stick.” It was back when silent for the thrill of it. And every once Rousseau & Freddie movies were all the rage. in a while, we meet up with the “Back then, the trains were pulled by wood-burning spirit of a fellow hobo that hailed right here from Camden locomotives, and if you were riding one, you might find County. His name was Campbell Johnston. yourself on an open flat car, seated next to a barrel of fish “Campbell’s body is buried out there at Woodbine right or a stack of animal hides. by the railroad tracks. There’s a marker on his grave that “Life as a hobo was dangerous. In addition to the the Woodsmen of the World put there, and a nice little problems of being itinerant, poor, and far from home and picket fence around it. Campbell was only 31 years old support, plus the hostility of many train crews, we faced when he fell from a train in Woodbine and got himself the railroads' security staff, nicknamed bulls, who had a killed. reputation of violence against trespassers. Most hobos “We have a lot in common with old Campbell, except would hide along the tracks outside the yard. We'd run we’re still breathing. We were pretty much professional along the train as it gained speed, grab hold and jump into train riders. Today, we still listen out for the sound of the open boxcars. Sometimes, we missed. Many lost their legs train whistle. Though lots of folks think a train whistle or their lives. As the train was reaching its destination, we strikes a chord of melancholy, to us it’s always been a call had to jump off before a new set of bulls came to arrest us to adventure. or beat us up. But no amount of clubbing or shooting could “High adventure anchored our careers as hobos. But keep all of us hobos off the trains. In many cases, hobos please don’t confuse hobos with tramps or bums. You see, had no other choice but to hop a freight and look for work. the difference is that hobos work and wander. Tramps At least 6,500 hobos were killed in one year either in dream and wander. And bums drink and wander. accidents or by the railroad "bulls.” Finding food was a “Back in the old days, hobos used to lay a board across constant problem. Hobos often begged for food at a local the tracks to get a train to stop so they could sneak aboard. farmhouse. If the farmer was generous, the hobo would We liked to ride in the battery boxes, or in the water tank, mark the lane so that later hobos would know this was a or sometimes even on the cowcatcher. Our camps were good place to beg. called hobo camps, and we ate Mulligan Stew, which is “In fact, us hobos developed our own network of “any vegetables you can beg, borrow, or steal” with a little communication, using symbols to alert fellow travelers. meat or chicken (which was acquired the same way.)

We were the original graffiti champs, and many have “What a life we hobos lived. Yeah, we were pretty copied our style of marking on freight cars. Today, some colorful characters. A lot of you folks may never truly know people think of train graffiti as an art. Back then, it was a what it’s like to be a hobo. Well, let us tell you—it’s true way of survival. freedom. Of course, we’ll continue to count on the “In addition to writing on railcars, the town water towers kindness of strangers as we go from town to town. And also served as our communications center, and we’d leave sure, freedom comes with a price. But, it’s a price we’re each other messages there, written in code to tell other willing to pay. hobos where they could get handouts, and whose homes to “Think on it. Next time life starts gettin’ you down, avoid. We had our own language, too. A “stick” was a train and you hear that lonesome train whistle callin’, listen rider who lost a leg. A “blinky” was a train rider who lost carefully. It might just be callin’ your name. We’ll be an eye. A “dino” or “dynamiter” sponged food off fellow waitin’ fer ya.” hoboes. They had names like “Slim Jim.” 90

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Language is a gift that most people take for granted. But for 6 to 8 million people in this country alone, it is or has been a struggle at times.

Lucy Barlow, founder and owner of The Language Learning Center, tells us that the time between birth and 36 months is a critical developmental period in a child’s life; during this time children develop the majority of their speech and language skills. According to the National Institute of Health, the prevalence of speech sound disorder in young children is 8 to 9 percent. Barlow says it’s important that speech sound disorders be identified and addressed as early as possible.

“Early intervention has been shown to positively impact outcomes and decrease the possibility of future learning difficulties,” Barlow said.

“By the end of the first grade, children having difficulty learning to read begin to feel less positive about themselves,” she said. “Speech therapy can help a child achieve a greater ability to use and understand language, to communicate with others, continued ...

Lucy Barlow Founder and owner of The Language Learning Center www.StMarysMagazine.com

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and to express himself or herself to the greatest extent possible.”

How does one determine if their child can benefit from speech therapy?

The Language Learning Center’s practice brochure entails a list of milestones parents can expect of their child beginning with the first stage of life—birth to 5 months old.

“Often, it is the pediatrician who first notices a child’s need for help with language learning,” Barlow said. “In our town, military mothers are such a close group, they often observe their friends’ children and compare their advancement. “ No matter the source, when a need is identified, The Language Learning Center therapists go to work to design a custom program that addresses a client’s unique challenges to accomplish the most successful outcome.

“When I opened my office 18 years ago, I knew I didn’t want to offer ‘cookie-cutter’ solutions,” Barlow said. “We develop a treatment program around a child, often combining several different programs in order to customize the most appropriate therapy.”

Barlow has spent her entire career (32 years) in language pathology. Along with seven other therapists who comprise The Language Learning Center team, Barlow works under the guidelines of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

According to Barlow, the ability to express one’s self is paramount to development.

“Language learning can be a life-long journey, but the bulk of that journey takes place in the earliest years,” she said. “The brain is most elastic when young. We know that we can change the brain by exercising the brain. That’s where speech therapy comes in.”

Barlow said that the most rewarding time for her is often report card time when children who have had difficulty in school show significant progress after therapy.

“It’s a thrill for parents,” she said. “To see the tears in their eyes—tears of triumph, it’s so rewarding.”

The Language Learning Center is located at 69 Lindsey Lane, across from the hospital. Call 912-729-2294 for more information.

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Walt Disney did it. George Washington

did it. Sir Francis Drake was doing it when he was called to fight the Spanish Armada. And this spring, Stan and Sheryl Zuly hope that lots of folks in Camden County will be doing it—lawn bowling, that is, one of the world’s oldest sports.

“It’s called the sport for life because you can play it well into your senior years,” said Stan Zuly who, along with his wife Sheryl, has advocated bringing lawn bowling to St. Marys since they moved to their second home in Osprey Cove. William Brunson, who heads up Camden County Leisure Services, agreed that it would be a good addition to an already impressive menu of recreational opportunities for the citizens of Camden.

Come Spring 2015, a verdant bowling green will come alive near the tennis courts and Aquatic Center behind the St. Marys Library.

Dating back to the 13th century, lawn bowling is now played in 40 countries, continued ...

Photo: Lawn Bowling in Cobourg, Ontario www.StMarysMagazine.com

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most prolifically in the British Colonies. It is one of the oldest sports in the world, yet maintains popularity today among people of all ages. Lawn bowling was once so popular, the king banned it fearing it would jeopardize the practice of archery which was so important for battle.

The sport is usually played on a large, rectangular, precisely leveled and manicured grass or synthetic surface known as a bowling green which is divided into parallel playing strips called rinks. The object of the game is to roll grapefruit-sized resin balls, known as "bowls,” on a flat grass green and try to get closest to the target ball, better known as the "jack.” The person (team) who rolls their bowl closest to the jack scores a point. The fun part is, the bowls are slightly lopsided and curve when rolled, making it more challenging than you think.

A bowl may curve outside the rink boundary on its path, but must come to rest within the rink boundary to remain in play. Bowls falling into the ditch are dead and removed from play, except in the event when one has "touched" the jack on its way. "Touchers" are marked with chalk and remain alive in play even though they are in the ditch.

Similarly, if the jack is knocked into the ditch it is still alive unless it is out of bounds to the side resulting in a "dead" end which is replayed. After each competitor has delivered all of their bowls (four each in singles and pairs, three each in triples, and two bowls each in fours), the distance of the closest bowls to the jack is determined (the jack may have been displaced) and points, called “shots,” are awarded for each bowl which a competitor has closer than the opponent's nearest to the jack.

Interestingly, lawn bowling really took off after the patenting of the first power mower in 1830. That is what is believed to have been the catalyst for introducing the sport worldwide.

The Zulys believe lawn bowling should be an Olympic sport.

“In Australia, entire families get involved,” Stan said.

“We like to envision that five years from now, 40-50 people will be playing every day in St. Marys, and we will have little leagues for youngsters.”

Sheryl likes the sport especially because she says anybody can beat anybody at any given time. “ Yo u d o n ’t n e e d t o b e a t h l e t i c a l l y i n c l i n e d t o participate,” she said. “It’s great exercise, lots of fun, and a very sociable sport.”

Included in the Zulys’ vision for lawn bowling in St. Marys is to see area players compete on national teams.

“Unlike golf, lawn bowling is a very inexpensive sport,” Stan said. “We love the competitions and have participated in many tournaments.”

The Zulys have been practicing the sport for more than five years, and in Stan’s first competition, he beat a

Stan and Sheryl Zuly

provincial champion (state level).

Like chess, lawn bowling requires strategy wherein players try to anticipate the competitor’s next move.

It seems the location of the new outdoor lawn bowling green is perfect for many reasons.

“It’s right there at the Aquatic Center so lots of families will see it, and there’s irrigation, lighting, and grass—all requirements for a good green,” Stan said.

The plan is to have two rinks started by spring 2015 and grow from there as demand is measured. Brunson said that there are also indoor lawn bowling opportunities at the Recreation Center if people would prefer indoors. They simply roll out the mats.

For the Zulys, who still maintain their home in Newcastle, Ontario, Canada, but live in St. Marys four and a half months out of the year, local lawn bowling will give them the opportunity to get to know others who share a love of the sport.

And come spring, you might look forward to hearing conversations near the Aquatic Center that go like this: “shot, knock my opponent out with a wicked hospital pass, dunk the rock, chop the lob, spin a draw to the jacks, knock a strike as the anchor, rescue an eagle from casual water, rip an entry from a pike.” Then you’ll know for sure that the “sport for life” has arrived in “St. Marys, Georgia. www.StMarysMagazine.com

By

Holly Yurchison

A rtistic talent is evident during any stroll

down Osborne Street in St. Marys, with photography, paintings, sculpture, and jewelry adorning shop windows. Less visible, but no less numerous, are the treasures of artists whose medium is language.

Twice a month The Blue Goose on Osborne hosts the Camden Writers Workshop, a critique group for local authors. St. Marys’ authors’ literary creations cover the gamut from children’s books to inspirational fiction, from horror to science fiction. Children walk into a fairy tale through a door in a tree. Vampires invade a Cold War submarine. Forgiveness for an alcoholic mother is found. Local authors have published all of these stories, encouraged and motivated by the Camden Writers Workshop.

The Workshop includes a wide range of continued ...

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Photos (left to right) Christina Cody showing one of her children's books, with Win Strock in the background.

Christina Cody signing her children's book.

Winfield Strock.

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authors from diverse backgrounds. “We've had educators, mechanics, veterans and students. We have had writers too young to drive and one who served as a nurse in World War II,” says founding member Winfield H. Strock III. All levels of writers interested in honing their craft are welcome at the Workshop.

At meetings, Workshop members read in-progress works while others provide improvement advice and emotional impressions from the work. Everyone is encouraged to comment, even if they have no writing to share that day.

“The creativity, the processes, and the people” are what keeps Sabrina Sterling, technology writer and local technology educator, coming back to the Workshop month after month. “This group fills a void that I didn’t know I had until I became part of it,” she said.

Christina Cody, a St. Marys Middle S c h o o l t e a c h e r, f i n a l i z e d h e r award-winning book Ellcinder, a fairy-tale fantasy for middle-grade readers, with support from the Workshop writers.

“Fellow Workshop authors’ constructive criticism helped shape Ellcinder into a stronger story,” Cody said.

Jessica Errico, the Olde Towne Gallery’s spotlight artist in November, is a Workshop member. Her most recent book, Insights…Sensing God’s Touch In Everyday Life, is a compilation of her essays published in the Tribune & Georgian.

The Workshop “is a friendly and talented group of writers who meet simply for the joy of sharing,” said Karen Perez, a retired legal secretary, who writes adult Christian and historical fiction, faith-based plays, and devotionals.

Vincent (V.E.) Bystry, a Kings Bay submariner and author of SPIAR, a paranormal science fiction book, said the Workshop provides “encouragement and excellent, insightful feedback; we keep each other going and writing.”

Winfield Strock, a retired submariner who has returned to his love of writing, used the group’s suggestions to tighten his latest book, Red Sounding, a horror story focusing on how people treat those who are different.

Everyone’s invited to the Workshops, and if you go, you may be one of the first to hear a local author's newest work read aloud. Authors just ask that you please be kind in your critique!

Editor’s Note: For more information o n t h e C a m d e n Wr i t e r s Wo r k s h o p , contact Winfield H. Str ock III at SteamPunkDreams@yahoo.com.

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continued from page 102 Jacksonville and Savannah.” The club also works at Magnolia Manor with craft projects and window box plantings, and provides plants, labor, and expertise for the garden at the St. Marys Senior Center.

The most exciting new project for 2014 was the Earth Angels program led by garden club members Angel Bernier, Barbara Conner, and Karen Widing, each serving a different local school. The angels developed grade-appropriate educational units to teach children the value of recycling and environmental awareness. The units on composting, worms, and seeds taught students how composting and earthworms are important to plant nutrition. A unit on recycling tied Earth Day events to art. A fourth angel, Gail Steier, and several assistants, have joined the group. They hope to add another school soon.

President Abnee commended the club members for an excellent job, for which she hopes the group will win a state award.

While the spring and summer seasons are busiest for gardeners, with planting and propagating new growth, the changing seasons herald new activities for the garden club. In the fall, the Garden Club has their own creative display of a scarecrow vignette during Hay Days when local businesses line the streets of St. Marys with hundreds of themed scarecrows. Plant sales at the Rock Shrimp Festival in October earn the club the majority of its yearly budget, besides membership dues.

Christmas decorations at the Welcome Center and Orange Hall are done by garden club members. The annual Arbor Day event in February involves club members planting a new tree in the community. Orange Hall received two trees, a live oak, and a magnolia in 2014.

With help from the City of St. Marys, club members also trimmed and cleaned up the older crepe myrtle trees at Orange Hall, which then bloomed all summer.

Many of the club’s project ideas come from the Garden Club of Georgia. St. Marys Garden Club members decide on which projects fit the community and implement as many as they can based on club resources. One popular project

is the monthly beautification award, presented to a local business whose façade has been improved by plantings.

The business gets a plaque for inside and a sign to place outside to let passersby know they have won the award.

St. Marys Garden Club members have a lot to be proud of this year. With 22 members currently the St. Marys club is one of the largest garden clubs in Georgia, and won an award for having the most new members in 2014. The club was recognized at the Oleander District meeting with a plaque for welcoming 15 new members in one year.

Members are mostly women but men are welcome and encouraged to join.

The St. Marys club will be hosting the Georgia State Garden Club convention in April, held at Jekyll Island. Geri Shaw, St. Marys Garden Club Treasurer, is also a District officer, and the chair of the committee planning the 2015 state convention. The expected attendance is more than 300 gardeners from Georgia and surrounding states. In 2014 the St. Marys Garden Club served as the hosting club for the regional Oleander District convention, also held at Jekyll Island in October.

For anyone who loves gardening, floral design, landscaping or just having fun with friends, the St. Marys Garden Club may be a perfect fit. Stop by a meeting and see if you have bit of a green thumb.

You will be made welcome.

For more infor mation about the St. Marys Garden Club, visit www.gardenclubsmga.weebly.com, or call 859-608-9171.

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It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!

It’s All About Connecting!

Tiki Shack at Pauly’s

Connections Family Therapy

Just steps from St. Marys’ waterfront is the newly opened Tiki Shack at Pauly’s. If you take a slice of Margaritaville and meld it into a mini island oasis of relaxation, you can get a sense of what the Tiki Shack is all about.

Happily, the Tiki Shack adds a third choice to waterfront day and nightlife that already includes Seagle’s Saloon (just across the street), and Shark Bite, just around the corner. Now patrons can wander from watering hole to watering hole and enjoy great food at each venue.

Think of the Tiki Shack as a “fun zone.” Whether you’re looking for an afternoon repast or an evening “dine and wine” experience, the outside atmosphere revs up the appetite and encourages leisurely whiling away of time.

Enjoy a game of darts and the company of some right friendly folks as you peruse a menu noted for its Italian flair and affordable prices.

Pauly’s Mussels are to die for—not shy of spices and plentiful. Pasta selections including Lasagna, Tortellini, and Parmigiana dishes please the palate. There’s something for everyone on the menu whether your tastes run toward beef, chicken, continued on pg.85

Jennifer Williams and Sue Kenyon are making important connections at their new location in Osborne Village in St. Marys—connections that can make a big difference in the happiness and fulfillment of individuals, couples, and families.

When Williams founded Connections Family Therapy, she envisioned a private practice where the entire family’s needs could be served and every client could feel more connected to self and the systems in which they are members.

“Often people who are having psychological and emotional challenges exhibit symptoms because they don’t feel connected to people they care most about,” Williams said. “Anxiety is about feeling insecure.

Through therapy, we can help people feel comfortable and safe.”

Williams is most passionate about the transformations she has seen in her younger clients, and she attributes much of her success to the practice of “play therapy.” continued on pg.85

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By

Ross Kaufman

M egan Friese-Kaufman had a vision: year-round

theatre specifically designed for children’s participation.

In November 2013, that vision came to life when Friese-Kaufman founded St. Marys Children’s Theatre (SMCT) in a triumvirate that includes Lisa Allen’s Dance Works, Friese Studio of Music and Performing Arts, and St. Marys Little Theatre.

As director and owner of Friese Studio of Music and Performing Arts, Friese-Kaufman had the opportunity to help develop the talents of hundreds of youngsters who craved opportunities to show off those talents.

With the formation of SMCT, those talents are now widely displayed and hugely appreciated at Theatre by The Trax, the home to both St. Marys Children’s Theatre and St. Marys Little Theatre.

In addition to Friese-Kaufman, two wildly talented ladies are instrumental in the success of SMCT. Lisa Allen of Lisa Allen’s Dance Works serves as choreographer and co-director of SMCT. Jaclyn Taylor of the Friese Studio of Music serves as technical director for SMCT. The motivation for SMCT is to provide children 6-18 years of age the opportunity to display their wide range of talents on and off stage. SMCT enables children to discover their onstage or behind-the-scenes abilities with each performance showcasing children acting, singing, and/or serving as technical crew operating continued ...

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under the guidance of theatre mentors.

Performing with SMCT increases children’s confidence, builds self-esteem, teaches the importance of teamwork and goal-setting, and provides a method of self-expression.

SMCT’s inaugural performance of Peter Pan caused quite the positive commotion throughout the region with four sold-out shows.

In collaboration with Pam & John Kato of Body Works in Yulee, Florida, SMCT created a fun and refreshingly creative method of enabling Peter and all his friends to fly—much to the amazed delight of the audience.

“With SMCT’s first performance being so successful, they have truly set the bar high for future productions,” said Doug Vaught, owner of Theatre by the Trax.

Upcoming SMLT productions include fan favorites such as Oliver, The Wizard Of Oz, Seussical, The King and I, and Beauty and the Beast. Friese-Kaufman is looking forward to the continued success of SMCT. “It’s an honor to work with such a great cast of talented and professional child performers,” she said. “We look forward to delivering stunning performances that will captivate our audiences and leave them wanting more.”

SMCT’s upcoming production of Oliver is expected to exceed the high expectations that have been set from their rendition of Peter Pan. Megan Friese-Kaufman, Lisa Allen, and Jaclyn Taylor have formed a power-trio that aims to

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serve the local children of our community. Through their hard work and astounding leadership, they have provided a fun and creative method of building positive character traits for the children of St. Marys and the surrounding area. SMCT looks forward to continued success, and high quality productions for all patrons to enjoy.

SMCT 2015 Activities The Friese Studio of Music will be hosting Wizard of Oz Workshops on Wednesday nights at 6:15-7:15 from February 4 thru May 26. Children who participate in the Wizard of Oz workshops are guaranteed a role in the October 2015 production.

Oliver will be the next show performed by SMCT March 13-15. Tickets can be purchased at The Friese Studio of Music, On The Green Salon and Day Spa, Once Upon A Bookseller, and Lisa Allen’s Dance Works, or by calling 912-576-6801.

SMCT’s Summer Camp will be held June 15- - 27 at Lisa Allen’s Dance Works, and will provide a two week intensive workshop for Wizard of Oz, and Seussical.

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By

Holly Yurchison

along the St. Marys waterfront, or AdownwalkOsborne Street, reveals the talents and generosity of the St. Marys Garden Club.

P l a n t i n g s a t t h e Wa t e r f r o n t P a v i l i o n , St. Marys Welcome Center, Orange Hall, Our Lady Star of the Sea and the First Presbyterian Church are all designed and maintained by club members. New trees and flowers are planted regularly and brush is removed to enhance the natural beauty of the St. Marys community.

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The St. Marys Garden Club, founded in February 1999, is a fully federated club that focuses on gardening, conservation efforts and floral design. The group meets monthly at the First Presbyterian Church to educate members on ways in which they can further beautify their homes and the community, while encouraging conservation and preservation of natural resources. Meetings often include speakers who provide in-depth information on topics of interest to gardeners.

The club welcomes visitors at meetings.

Some people think of garden clubs, and gardening itself, as outdoor-only activities, which may make them shy away. “We are not just a go-outside-and-dig-in-the-dirt club,” President Barbara Abnee said.

“We present lots of programs throughout the year, including group outings to continued on page 96

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M I D T O W N Send letters to: St. Marys Magazine 511 Osborne Street St. Marys, GA 31558 barbara@stmarysmagazine.com

Congratulations on an excellent new issue of St. Marys Magazine!

Bill Bruce You did it again. That was a beautiful picture on the front cover. Erin Way wrote a nice article on the Tabby ruins, love that Ruins picture spread !

Steve Royer We got our copy of the St. Marys Magazine today!

Just wanted to tell you it looked great and the cover photo was BEAUTIFUL! Lindsey Monroe

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