Chatham County Living - June 2018

summer 2018

chatham county

ROBERT BYRD City Manager, City of Pooler B.S., 2002, Georgia Southern University

“As an alumnus, I am extremely excited about having this great institution located in Chatham County.”

All in the Family

Changing hearts & lives

One man’s recovery leads to helping others through Heartbeats for Life - GA.

Carey Hilliard’s employee Billy Gunn reflects on his 50-year career.

Duchess of State

Known for her chic and lavish parties, Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor has been named to the Salonniere 100.

Language of Love A fun and beautiful plan took Kay’s language of love to the streets of Savannah.

STATESBORO • SAVANNAH • HINESVILLE • ONLINE H o m e t o w n L i v i n g at i t s B e s t

Helping residents of Chatham, Effingham, Bulloch, Bryan & Liberty with their legal needs for over 30 years!

BEGINNINGS MATTER Southeast Georgia’s Only Level I Trauma Center

Galloway & Galloway, PC A T T O R N E Y S

A T

L A W

R. Brandon Galloway • Robert W. Galloway

Experience

Personal Injury • Family Law • Real Estate • Bankruptcy Criminal • Wills and Probate • Corporations and Contracts

Quality Care.

“Whether you’re a school or a business, embracing change is the key to success.”

Inside this building, lives change every day. Last year alone, 3,501 people were rushed here with injuries so extreme, they required the region’s only Level 1 trauma center. Within walls, surgeons, nurses, and Markthese Weeks Asset Black - Telecommunications, Owner emergency professionals provide lifesaving care, 24 hours a day, 365 St. Andrew’s Class of ‘84 days a year. In fact, this facility’s trauma care was ranked among the Top 100 in the Nation for Patient Safety by CareChex®.* We hope you never need our trauma center. But if you do, we’re always here.

Experience Excellence. Memorial Health.

memorialhealth.com

Age 3 - Grade 12 International Baccalaureate World School

*

CareChex—an information service of Quantros, Inc.

601 Penn Waller Rd, Savannah, GA 31410 | (912) 897-4941 | www.saslions.com

A senior living community where neighbors ultimately become family

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Savannah Square, a senior living community conveniently located in midtown Savannah, is proud to offer its residents a full continuum of care with no buy-in. “Our residents frequently tell us that they never knew senior living could be this fun,” explains Kelli Hartley, Savannah Square’s Sales Director. “We take pride in the fact that our staff really take the time to know each resident and their family members by name.”

Located just three miles from St. Joseph Candler Hospital, Savannah Square provides convenient access to all the best dining, shopping and cultural attractions that historic Savannah has to offer. There are always events and activities planned in the community, such as weekly musical performances from local artists.

Savannah’s only continuum care community with no buy-in, Savannah Square offers comfortable and elegant residences for seniors who have an array of diverse lifestyles and requirements. With their spacious one and two bedroom cottages and apartments, Savannah Square’s independent living accommodations are perfect for active seniors, while the

Savannah

Square

senior community also features Palmetto Inn, a personal care residence complete with an on-site health center.

Situated on several acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, Savannah Square proudly offers an abundance of intellectual, physical and spiritual wellness activities that are sure to please everyone. Plus, there is gated access to the senior community, as well as a concierge on hand to respond to any needs of the residents. Some of the community’s many amenities include a full-service beauty salon, clubhouse, a fitness studio, and a library. Residents can also enjoy five-star restaurant-style dining with a menu prepared by an on-site chef, and the friendly staff is on hand to help with any of the needs of the residents. And in addition to laundry and housekeeping services, a car service is provided every day of the week as well.

Savannah Square is located at 1 Savannah Square Dr. in Savannah, Georgia. To schedule a tour of this beautiful community, please call (912) 927-7550 and ask to speak to a member of the Sales Team. Visit our website at www.savannahsquareretirement.com Hometown Living At Its Best

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Creating long-term

relationships

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In the treatment of such diverse digestive and liver conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastrointestinal malignancy, inflammatory bowel disease and hepatitis, the members of the Center for Digestive and Liver Health proudly serve the residents of coastal Georgia and South Carolina. The physicians are on the staff of Memorial University Medical Center as well as Candler and St. Joseph’s Hospitals in Savannah. Their goal is to provide university-level gastroenterology care in a personalized community setting. Dr. Ryan Wanamaker, who has practiced at the center for the past 12 years, emphasizes the personalized care that he and his colleagues provide. “The most important interaction in life is relationships. I am lucky to have the additional privilege of having long-term, rewarding relationships with my patients. Being able to smile and laugh with my patients and their families every

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day is what makes medicine fulfilling. That is truly the art of medicine.�

Founded in 1994 by Drs. Mark E. Murphy and Edward Rydzak, the practice opened The Endoscopy Center, its in-office endoscopic procedure suite, in 2003. Today, with nine Board-certified gastroenterologists and five mid-level providers, the CDLH is the largest gastroenterology practice in the state of Georgia outside of Atlanta. The group focuses on providing state-of-the-art care for patients with digestive and liver disease. Its physicians hold leadership positions in the medical community of south Georgia and teaching faculty positions with Mercer University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Georgia. The CDLH physicians have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, as well, further enhancing their ability to deliver the bestquality care. The group previously introduced

such new technologies as endoscopic ultrasonography, Botox injection for achalasia, Barrx ablation therapy and wireless capsule pH monitoring to coastal Georgia, among others. This year, the group performed the first successful endoscopic mucosal resection of an esophageal cancer in coastal Georgia, a complete removal of a cancer without incisional surgery.

Half of the doctors in the CDLH have been selected for “Best Doctors in America” recognition, a physicianselected honor bestowed on less than 5% of the doctors in the United States. Their fellowship training in gastroenterology comes from places as diverse and well-recognized as The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of Michigan, the University of Virginia and George Washington University Medical Center, among others.

The Endoscopy Center, the group’s state-of-the-art four-room procedure suite, is fully accredited by AAAHC. It also recently received special recognition from the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy for the quality of its care. Only three other centers have received similar commendation in the entire state of Georgia.

“My general advice to patients is to be ‘vested’ and be an owner of your health,” Dr. Wanamaker explains.

“Whether (it’s) exercise, diet, education or prevention make it an important focus of your life. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the responsibilities that we face every day. A ‘time-out’ is often needed for both our physical and mental health.”

Gastroenterology is a field which entails a wonderful balance of primary disease prevention, problem-solving and myriad opportunities for discovery. The team at the Center for Digestive and Liver Health is excited to use their extensive education and collaboration for problem solving to provide each of their patients with the highest level of care. “We strive to bring the qualities of academic medicine, including those that are evidence-based, and quality metrics to the practice of gastroenterology,” says Dr. Wanamaker.

“My general advice to patients is to be ‘vested’ and be an owner of your health,” Dr. Wanamaker explains. “Whether (it’s) exercise, diet, education or prevention - make it an important focus of your life. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the responsibilities that we face every day. A ‘time-out’ is often needed for both our physical and mental health.”

Savannah Office: 1139 Lexington Ave. | Savannah, GA 31404 Pooler Office: 140 Traders Way | Pooler GA 31322 Okatie Office: 40 Okatie Center Blvd, South Suite 210 | Okatie, SC 29909 www.savannahgi.com | 912-303-4200 The Board-Certified Gastroenterologists of CDLH: George C. Aragon, MD; Steven Carpenter, MD; Rodney S. Cohen, MD; Charles W. Duckworth, MD; Mark E. Murphy, MD; Mark R. Nyce, MD; Edward Rydzak, MD; Brent W. Acker, MD; Ryan C. Wanamaker, MD

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contents 10

Language of Love

A fun and beautiful plan that took Kay’s language of love to the streets of Savannah.

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The Wannabe Ironman

To honor his parents, Graham Whiteside decided to take on one of the most grueling challenges in all of sports.

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One Love, One Heart for Animals

The staff of One Love Animal Rescue diligently work to provide care for animals in the Chatham County area; their work is strenuous, yet rewarding.

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64 About the Cover Featured on the cover is a refreshing glass of cold water with lemon. The photo was taken by Leslie Hand Photography. Turn to page 96 to read about one man’s journey to health.

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From Savannah to Broadway

Savannah’s own Broadway star Turner Birthisel is finishing his second tour in Network’s Finding Neverland.

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Duchess of State

Known for her chic and lavish parties, Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor has been named to the Salonniere 100.

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Music to Lift Your Spirits

At nearly 96, Anita Lippitt Clay continues a passion for accordion which began more than 80 years ago.

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Changing Hearts, Changing Lives

One man’s recovery from what was considered a terminal diagnosis leads to helping others through Heartbeats for Life-GA.

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Poised for Greatness

Two Academic All-American athletes are looking to make their marks both in and out of the sports arena.

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Camp Aloha

Hospice Savannah’s annual camp has been helping children cope with death for more than 20 years.

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All in the Family

Carey Hilliard’s employee Billy Gunn reflects on his 50-year career at the restaurant as well as his deep admiration for its late founder.

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Growing the Foxy Family

Coffee meets art meets Tex-Mex for a unique “family” of businesses in Savannah.

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Doing More Than His Fair Share

As Chief Operations Officer for Senior Citizens, Inc., Michael Solomon dedicates his time to giving something back to the community.

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Creative Inspiration

The Unsusual Dress Project.

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On Target

The Savannah Area Dart Association is competing in eight divisions ranging from novice to expert and share a love for playing the numbers.

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Summer is here.

And with the change in seasons comes a fresh approach to looking vibrant and youthful.

We’re RenewalMD, a team of physicians, nurses, aestheticians, and clinicians who take a holistic approach to anti-aging.

And to celebrate the summer months, we’re offering discounts on all injectables and fillers, including $9 Botox.

We’re also offering 20% off all Ultherapy treatments.

Ready for renewal?

Go to MyRenewalMD.com.

912.920.2090 | MyRenewalMD.com

From the Publisher

Chatham County Living

P u b l i s h e r With You In Mind Publications Jay and Patti Martin

e d i to r Renee Corwine C r eat i v e | D e s i g n Caffeine Generated Graphics, LLC

Mandi Spivey Stacey Nichols o f f i ce M a n age r Nikki Burkhalter

U

Upon hearing that our good friends are moving their family

to Italy for the next two years, I sent a quick text asking how soon we could visit?! There is something so romantic and poetic about the sound of Italy… the food, the history, the art.

In the middle of thinking these thoughts, I was reminded how often we overlook the romance and poetry we have in our own back yard. I remember how intriguing, charming and

Julie Braly P h otog r ap h e r s Amanda Elliott Dream Weaver Photos Leslie Hand Photography More Than Words Photography Painting with Light Photography Rebecca Galloway Photography Ryan Lee Photography Sandra M. Elliott

quaint Chatham County can be. It is a cornucopia of amazing food, history, art and best of all – our people.

Where else can you find people like the Duchess of State, Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor or our very own soon-to-be Iron Man, Graham Whiteside from England? Along with her family, Kay Heritage with Big Bon Pizza rocks wood fired brick-oven pizza!

Yes, I still plan to visit our friends in Italy, but I will remember to celebrate each day’s amazing beauty and richness right here in our very own Chatham!

Live Life Fully,

Jay and Patti Martin Psalm 34:8

Sales: (912) 654-3045 Email: jay@wyimpublications.com withyouinmindpublications.com 8

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A s s i s ta n t M a n age r s June Dixon

C ov e r P h oto Glass of water with lemon,

by Leslie Hand Photography Sale s Landon Spivey

Patti Martin Tiffanie Livingston

Contributing

Wri te r s Cathy J. Sakas

D. Annette Sasser David Pena Lesley Dixon Sandra M. Elliott Stephen Prudhomme Tera Jones Teri R. Williams

Chatham County Living© is published three times a year by With You in Mind Publications. withyouinmindpublications.com P.O. Box 55 • Glennville, GA 30427 (912) 654-3045 All rights reserved. Copies or reproduction of this publication in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without expressed written authorization from the publisher.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein.

Advertising is subject to omission, errors, and other changes without notice.

Pooler

PLASTIC SURGERY

Jennifer Hogan Licensed Aesthetician, Georgia Laser Certified, Revision Skincare Specialist.

Jennifer works along side plastic surgeon F. Christopher Pettigrew M.D. who has been practicing in Savannah for over 20 years. Jennifer specializes in personalized treatments and skincare needs, with years of medical aesthetics she remains on the cutting edge of innovative technologies, latest skincare treatments and products, laser procedures and coolsculpting.

POOLER PLASTIC SURGERY 1000 Towne Center Blvd.

Suite 501 Pooler, GA 31322 912-988-1781

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Story by Teri R. Williams Photos by Leslie Hand

After twenty years in the food service business, Kay sensed a changing of the season. From the outside, a new season can seem like a sudden event. Leaves change colors, and overnight the yard is full of fallen leaves.

But on the inside, change has been a long time in the making. Kay’s new season began with an idea for a combination catering and pizza food truck. “I thought it might be something fun and beautiful,” she said.

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As soon as she woke up, she knew she had turned a corner. For the first time, Kay had dreamed in English. She was thirteen-yearsold when she left South Korea for California with her mother, step-father, and two older sisters. With only one year of English from an international school in Seoul, South Korea, Kay began eighth-grade in the United States. By the time she graduated from high school, her name would be listed on both the National Honors Society and the California Scholastic Federation.

Kay had what it took not only to excel, but to shine. With amazing tenacity and courage, she could have pursued anything she wanted. But what she wanted, what Kay has always wanted, was simply to serve. Her first act of service was to her new homeland.

She enlisted in the Army and became an oral surgeon’s assistant. Kay spent all four years of her enlistment in Heidelberg, Germany.

When she returned home, she decided to visit a friend stationed at Hunter Army Airfield Base. In addition to Savannah’s antebellum architecture, beautiful historical squares, and spectacular food, Kay found love. “Kevin Heritage was in Savannah to apply for a job at Gulfstream as an aerospace engineer, and we just happened to meet,” she

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“Everything about our pizza is handcrafted.�

In order to set Big Bon Pizza apart, Kay knew her choice of ingredients was critical. A great pizza had to begin with exceptional ingredients.

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said. In 1992, the two married and Savannah has been home ever since.

Even though Kay was dreaming in English, the language with which she felt most comfortable was food. “It’s my ‘love language,’” she said smiling. It’s one thing to love something, and quite another to work at the thing you love and create something you can share with others. What she didn’t learn from her mother, she learned from the enjoyment of trying new recipes for herself. Kay became the Food Service Director at a local church, which involved meal programs for the community and a “family meal” each Sunday for about three hundred people. In addition, she also started her own catering business.

After twenty years in the food service business, Kay sensed a changing of the season.

From the outside, a new season can seem like a sudden event. Leaves change colors, and overnight the yard is full of fallen leaves. But on the inside, change has been a long time in the making. Kay’s new season began with an idea for a combination catering and pizza food truck. “I thought it might be something fun and beautiful,” she said.

“Fun and beautiful” became the criterion, a plan that would soon take Kay’s language of love to the streets of Savannah. She contacted Marra Forni and purchased a “one of a kind” red domed handmade wood brick oven. “Marra Forni is owned by two Italian brothers who came to the United States over twenty years ago,” said Kay. “All the tiles and bricks used to make the oven are imported from Italy, but it’s completely assembled here. Our trailer design is a prototype. There’s not another one exactly like it in the United States.”

When the 4,000-pound wood brick oven arrived, Kevin rented a forklift and called a few friends over to help. But getting the oven was only the beginning. “The mortar is not quite dry when the oven arrives,” said Kay. “It takes about ten days of slowly building the fire hotter and hotter until it’s completely dry inside.”

Fortunately, Kay’s aerospace engineer husband also enjoyed chopping and splitting wood. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, they gathered piles of wood and let it sit for three months to dry out.

In addition to wood splitting, it seemed Kevin also enjoyed a good bonfire. “He’s a Texas Aggie Alumni, so, of course, he loves bonfires,” said Kay followed by a slight pause. “When he builds a bonfire, he gives it a name. A big bonfire is a ‘Big Bon’ and a little bonfire a ‘Baby Bon.’” She leaned in closer. “And when there’s a full moon, he calls it a ‘Luna Bon.’” Kay sat back against her seat. “Kevin’s nickname is ‘Big Bon,’ so the company is named after him.”

With a name and an Italian wood-brick oven, the only thing left for Kay to do was learn how to make great wood fired brick-oven pizza. “I wanted to bring a specific style to Savannah. A

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Neapolitan Pizza. So, I went to Chicago and trained with Pizza Chef Gianni Gallucci.”

In order to set Big Bon Pizza apart, Kay knew her choice of ingredients was critical. A great pizza had to begin with exceptional ingredients. “Everything about our pizza is handcrafted,” said Kay. “We use Italian 00 flour and plum tomatoes imported from Italy.

The dough goes through a two-day fermentation in a cold storage,” a process called “cold fermentation.”

When it’s time to actually cook the pizza, “The deck is about 800 degrees.

The pizza goes in and comes out in 90 seconds.”

All Kay needed now was a team—the right team. With her incredibly talented daughter Anna as Marketing Director, she felt confident. “Anna really knows how to speak the language of the millennials. She connects so well with them,” said Kay. And connecting with millennials was important.

For three or four years, Kay had

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Another vital skill Kay teaches the Big Bon Pizza team is the practice of communicating praise. “We emphasize speaking positive feedback to one another. When someone does a great job, people don’t typically acknowledge it. But we encourage each member of our team to find ways to encourage one another. For example, one person might say, ‘Hey, I love the way you sliced that pizza perfectly. Keep it going.’”

made it her goal to learn as much as she could about how to develop communication skills with a generation characterized by digital technology and social media’s illusion of connection. In fact, Kay researched and read everything she could find. “I listened to every podcast and read every book I could find. You don’t always need a degree,” said Kay. “If you really want to learn something new, there’s a lot of free information out there.”

When Kay came across Nick Sarillo’s book, “A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business,” she decided to fly out to Chicago with her daughter, Anna, and attend his three-day course on Business Leadership. “It changed me and my daughter forever as leaders,” said Kay. The whole purpose for her new business venture became clear: “Our purpose is to coach our team members in business and life skills and to create memorable experiences around great food.”

Kay’s heart to serve and impact this generation was admirable. But could she find enough young adults that wanted this level of personal accountability for part-time work? The answer was obviously, “Yes.” With an age span between 17 to 25, “Other than my wonderful Pizza Chef, Luke Smith, this is not a permanent job for my team members. I have them for a year, maybe two. One is studying to become a doctor. Another is going to school to be a physical therapist. One is preparing to be a graphic designer. If I instill and coach them with life and business skills, it’s transferable. They can take the skill and character development they learn with me wherever they go.”

Even though her tone was gentle, she spoke with authority. “If someone on my Big Bon Pizza team has a bad day, when they get to work, their bad day is over. They’re going to have a great day because they are about to serve the best pizza in town,” said Kay. There’s no time for “victim mentality” on her Hometown Living At Its Best

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team. “Young people sometimes don’t recognize they’ve come to work with a bad attitude. Maybe the car wouldn’t start. But a bad attitude is not an option here. I teach them how to start over. When he or she gets ready to go to the job of their profession, no one is going to care if they had a bad day. They’ve got to perform and do what they have been taught to do.” If the world was to embrace this concept of “starting over,” imagine how differently the world might be.

Another vital skill Kay teaches the Big Bon Pizza team is the practice of communicating praise. “We emphasize speaking positive feedback to one another. When someone does a great job, people don’t typically acknowledge it. But we encourage each member of our team to find ways to encourage one another. For example, one person might say, ‘Hey, I love the way you sliced that pizza perfectly. Keep it going.’”

Kay’s new idea was never just about selling pizzas. “We are teaching the next generation character and business skills. They can take everything they learn and go into a career prepared for the future.” Big Bon Pizza might be the best disguise for a business school out there.

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Equipping a team of young adults to simply show up on time, deal with personal and external conflict, work together as a team, persevere in difficulty, speak affirmation and encouragement to one another – could quite possibly change the world.

The quality of service and food along with an atmosphere of fun, (just as Kay imagined), keeps Big Bon Pizza booked at least two-months in advance. (And that was before they appeared on The Today Show in May). When Big Bon Pizza sets up for an event, everything needed to create the atmosphere of a real pizzeria is supplied from white canopies, globe lights, and plants. “We are a full pizzeria that just so happens to also be mobile,” said Kay. There’s also an entertainment aspect that people can enjoy. The proficiency of the team is truly like an orchestra of wonderful aromas intermingled throughout the night, a perfect performance where each instrument provides its part.

In between events, faithful followers watch Big Bon Pizzas Facebook for announcements of their next location. “We can park the trailer just about anywhere and start baking. It’s really fun. The atmosphere is just something fun and special.” Kay pointed to a picture of an event and said, “That’s

my twenty-one-year-old son, Kevin [Jr.], baking.”

The mobile pizzeria stays booked for everything from weddings and birthday parties to weekend get togethers and charity events. Menu options are enough to make you want to throw a party. In addition to a wide range of wood fired pizza options, salad and appetizer choices include bruschetta, oysters Rockefeller, wood-fired shrimp skewers, avocado hummus and fruit displays.

And to bring things to a sweet close, gelato, tiramisu cups, and a seasonal fruit crisp are just a few of the options on the dessert menu.

Part Two of Kay’s business school/food service is called Big Bon Bodega. “We’re working on setting up a wood fired brick and mortar bagel shop,” said Kay, “which we plan to open within the year in Savannah’s Starland district. The wood brick oven used for cooking bagels is larger than a pizza oven and rectangular rather than round. It has a very large deck so you can bake dozens at a time. We will make a Montreal-style bagel, which will be a little bit sweeter because it’s boiled in honey-sweetened water before its baked. We plan to use the bagel shop as a training ground for our team.”

Pointing to a picture, Kay said, “That’s me holding Anna. My daughter, Anna, and her best friend, Charlotte Masters, created the brand for Big Bon Bodega. It speaks of the strong women who contribute to the lives of their children in the community.” Whether you like bagels or not, the message alone promises a great experience.

It’s easy to focus on the loss of important values in changing times. But for Kay, changing the world means something fun and beautiful. And what better way to prepare our future nurses, doctors, teachers, mothers, fathers, writers, poets, and aerospace engineers than with a mobile pizza truck. It’s a language of love everyone can enjoy.  CCL

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Soul Mates

Maureen and Hilary Craig return to their Southern roots with their downtown Savannah restaurant Alligator Soul.

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Among all the familiar downtown eateries is a truly unique blend of sophistication, warmth and soul, with the operative word being “soul.”

The brainchild of Maureen and Hilary Craig, Alligator Soul is entering its sixteenth year as a funky, cozy yet upscale answer to the chain restaurants and posh staples that pepper downtown Savannah.

Maureen, a New York native, says she met Hilary, or Hilbo as he was called, in Vancouver, BC. They soon relocated to Washington state, where they opened two restaurants, also named Alligator Soul. However, they yearned to return to his roots. “He needed to come back to the south, where he was from, and I wanted to come back to the east coast as well,” she says.

When Maureen’s close friend Danny Mangold, a former bass guitarist for the band Heart, told them about Savannah, they were intrigued and made the cross-country trek.

Maureen says she instantly fell in love with the beauty of the hostess city while her husband was fascinated with its history.

“It took us two years to find the right space for our new Southern venture. Originally, there was no stairwell to go down to the restaurant; you had to go through the lobby,” explains Maureen. However, when the city finally started constructing the external stairwell, the couple knew they had found the right location. “I’m so glad we did, and we quickly made the space our own.” Hilary designed the bar on a napkin, and the restaurateurs also added a lounge with a fireplace. “I wanted a place where women could have a drink while waiting on their husband or date without feeling uncomfortable at a bar. We also added a coat room so you wouldn’t have to drape it on the back of your chair.” There’s also a private dining room, and Tennessee blue stone slate floors surround the impressive bar.

“It’s a very cozy yet unpretentious restaurant,” says Maureen. Its walls are adorned with artwork by mostly local Southern artists like Bellamy Murphy, Carol Hartley, Fran Thomas, and Angela Coonce. In the main dining area, Bellamy’s painting of two large alligators circling one another is representative of the restaurant’s founders.

Hilary, who passed in 2007, was also a naturally gifted musician as well as a chef with a tremendous love for food. “He was actually our first musical act,” Maureen says with a laugh. “He would cook for a while and then take a break to jam in the restaurant with friends, who included the late Ben Tucker.” Indeed, when you enter the restaurant, you’ll likely hear the sounds of B.B. King, Etta James, Van Morrison and Buddy Guy emanating over its sound system. “You can hear and feel the soul of our restaurant through the music we play.”

From the outset, Alligator Soul placed a high premium on not being your stereotypical Southern dining establishment. “Hilary was insistent on having ‘flights of fancy’ from other parts of the world.” So whether it’s vegetables from China, spices from India or some Middle Eastern influences, the couple made sure to pay homage to other cultures in their menu.

“When our guests come to us, they’re not looking just to fill their belly,” says Maureen. “They’re needing some respite from their day.

You can fill your stomach anywhere, but for a graduation dinner, birthday or even marriage proposal, we’re the perfect place.” And one can’t help but feel that Hilary’s watchful eyes are beaming with pride right about now. “I’m just happy to continue my husband’s legacy,” says Maureen, holding back a tear. “His spirit is truly alive and well in Alligator Soul.”

114 BARNARD ST | SAVANNAH, GA 31401 (912) 232-7899

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“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it’s lethal.”

- Paulo Coelho

The Wannabe Ironman To honor his parents, Graham Whiteside decided to take on one of the most grueling challenges in all of sports.

Story David Pena |Photos by Ryan Lee Photography and provided by Graham Whiteside 24

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There’s a quote attributed to Paulo Coelho that says, “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it’s lethal.” Given the health issues that seem to now plague our society, particularly in our nation’s youth, this quote seems quite apropos with respect to the foods we eat and the ways in which we treat our bodies. So when 50-yearold Graham Whiteside realized he was a prime example of a health disaster waiting to happen, he didn’t simply sit around waiting for the predictable outcome; he chose the adventurous route instead.

Originally from York, England, Graham came to the United States in 2008 in order to help run a small Savannah company called Limbs & Things.

“It was a company I worked for in England, and they sent me over on an executive visa. They wanted me to use my background as an intensive care nurse to help develop the company here.”

Limbs & Things is a UK-owned company that

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Graham knew that to accomplish his goals, he’d have to truly challenge himself. “I’m pretty much like every other human being. If I can find an excuse not to do something, even if it’s good for me, I’d go that route.”

Given his extensive medical background, it’s ironic that Graham would find himself in such dire straits in terms of his health. “I knew that my weight was out of control. I was up to around 270 pounds and felt slow and constantly tired,” he recalls. “I knew that all of this was my own doing, but I simply refused to use medication to address issues that being healthy can improve naturally.”

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Limbs & Things is a UK-owned company that develops, manufactures and distributes Task Trainers for clinical and surgical skills development. “Basically it helps students and practitioners to improve their technical clinical skills and promote safer patient care,” Graham adds.

develops, manufactures and distributes Task Trainers for clinical and surgical skills development. “Basically it helps students and practitioners to improve their technical clinical skills and promote safer patient care,” Graham adds.

Given his extensive medical background, it’s ironic that Graham would find himself in such dire straits in terms of his health. “I knew that my weight was out of control. I was up to around 270 pounds and felt slow and constantly tired,” he recalls. “I knew that all of this was my own doing, but I simply refused to use medication to address issues that being healthy can improve naturally.”

One fateful day in 2015, Graham received a stern warning from his family practitioner. “He politely told me that my blood pressure was too high, I was grossly obese, and that because of my poor diet and lack of exercise, I was at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.” If this sounds familiar, it should. Nearly three-quarters of American men and more than 60% of women are obese or overweight. When Graham first came to the states he weighed around 200

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pounds, but the weight started to build with an American diet. “Gradually I got heavier and heavier. You don’t recognize the daily changes in yourself and before you know it, you’re in trouble,” he explains.

This health scare hit a nerve particularly hard with the Brit since Graham tragically lost his mother to cancer when she was only 50, his current age. “My mother led a wholesome life. She wasn’t overweight, she didn’t smoke, but out of the blue she contracted an aggressive form of bowel cancer and died just six weeks later in January, 1995. I actually helped to care for her in her final days, washing and dressing her and administering medication under the supervision of her medical team,” he recalls. Around this time, Graham’s father unbelievably suffered from a cardiac arrest while undergoing some routine tests on his heart for a hip replacement surgery. He thankfully survived but the shock from both events essentially scared him into a healthier lifestyle. “What struck me was that I got this health warning when I was three years away from my mum’s age when she died,” he says. “I had the training to provide terminal care for my Mum, but did not apply my training to managing my own health! I have two young kids, and they’re way too young

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For those who are overweight and would like to give triathlons a try, Graham offers some sage advice. “I would advise anyone taking up triathlons to really be sure since every extra pound you carry can be more damaging to your knees and hips.”

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to have to deal with me dying. So to honor my mother and respect my father as well as safeguard my children’s future, I decided that I had to get myself in gear and get healthy.”

Graham knew that to accomplish his goals, he’d have to truly challenge himself. “I’m pretty much like every other human being. If I can find an excuse not to do something, even if it’s good for me, I’d go that route.” Around this time a co-worker had told him about some triathlons that he’d competed in. “Lucas was similar to me - middle-aged and slightly overweight. To see the positive changes in him was compelling, to say the least. It reminded me that, as a teen, I was a champion runner in the 1500 meter race, so I was amazed at how much I’d let myself go. I decided then and there to take up triathlons, with the ultimate goal that in my 50th year, I’d run an Ironman.” Ironman competitions generally consist of a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and culminate in a 26.2 mile marathon run, raced in that order and without a break. “You usually have from dawn to midnight to finish, and there are strict cutoff times,” Graham adds. The pinnacle of the Ironman competitions is the yearly World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, held in October every year.

“I began my transition if you will by playing a little soccer, but a ligament injury sidelined that idea. So I started biking six miles a day at first, and then slowly built up to 10 then 20 miles,” he says. In addition, Graham took up yoga for relaxation, and he began to slowly see results in a couple of months. “It’s hard to motivate yourself to get up when you’re aching and unhealthy but I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I also found that being accountable to another athlete was helpful.” Then in June of 2015, Graham was challenged by his co-worker to do a “half” triathlon,

“I began my transition if you will by playing a little soccer, but a ligament injury sidelined that idea. So I started biking six miles a day at first, and then slowly built up to 10 then 20 miles,” he says. In addition, Graham took up yoga for relaxation, and he began to slowly see results in a couple of months.

which ran a total of 70.3 miles. He finally took the plunge in Raleigh, North Carolina on June 4th, 2017, and Graham says there was definitely some room for improvement. “My time was 7 hours, 36 minutes, which is slow. I went too hard on the bike and totally blew the run. I ended up walking the majority of the 13.1 miles, except where I ran past my sister, wife and kids,” he says with a laugh. Since then, however, Graham has competed in no less than 20 events including triathlons, running and bicycling competitions. He even placed first in the “Clydesdale” division of the Heels and Wheels Sprint Triathlon in Waycross in August of 2016. “I have my first Ironman competition booked for September 30th in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It includes a fast 2.4 mile river swim, a 116 mile ride (the longest bike in any Ironman event) and a challenging, hilly marathon to top it all off.”

The cost of competing was yet another “hurdle” to overcome. “Ironman is probably the most expensive of them all, but overall it’s not a cheap sport. You have the cost of the equipment for three disciplines, and the entry fees for competitions can range from about $100.00 to about $650.00.” This is in addition to the time needed for training.

During weeks for training, competitors have a minimum of two training sessions for each discipline with only one day off for rest. “You really have to take it seriously and work the training into your schedule. My wife, Helen, and my kids, Ellie and Charlie, have been great about it,” he says.

“I arrange my training so as not to cut into family time, and now that I have my own business, I can juggle my time more easily.” Earlier this year, Graham launched his own company, Anatomic Excellence, that seeks to improve the established training methods in the anatomy education field.

For those who are overweight and would like to give triathlons a try, Graham offers some sage advice. “I would advise anyone taking up triathlons to really be sure since every extra pound you carry can be more damaging to your knees and hips. I would also suggest finding a mentor or coach. Many of the athletes on the Savannah Triathlon Team as well as Coaches Jennifer Walz, Dan Condell and the Perry Rubber Team have been instrumental in my success.” He also stresses that you need to get the right equipment and start small. “You’ll be glad you did, and your body will certainly thank you for it.”  CCL

The cost of competing was yet another “hurdle” to overcome. “Ironman is probably the most expensive of them all, but overall it’s not a cheap sport. You have the cost of the equipment for three disciplines, and the entry fees for competitions can range from about $100.00 to about $650.00.” This is in addition to the time needed for training. During weeks for training, competitors have a minimum of two training sessions for each discipline with only one day off for rest.

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GOING ABOVE

AND

beyond medications

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Interventional Pain Management is an often misunderstood concept, according to the staff at Optim Pain Management. “So many people have the misconception that pain management simply involves managing their pain medications,” says Kerry Norris, Office Manager at Optim, “but it actually involves treating the pain with a series of injections rather than through medications.” Norris should know, as she was actually a patient at Optim at one time. “In the end, I avoided having to take medications to help relieve my pain, and I’m still pain-free to this day.”

The pain management team at Optim works collaboratively with their physical therapy team to optimize patient functionality and lifestyle. “When someone is in pain, the last thing they want to do is move around,” continues Norris, “so our goal is to relieve pain in order to allow our patients to get back

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up and moving again. Our multi-modal team design is a superior approach to achieving this endpoint.”

Some of the most common symptoms that Optim Pain Management’s patients suffer from is acute pain extending down their arms or legs or a constant pain that occurs after back or neck surgery. Additionally, anyone experiencing pain in the back or neck despite undergoing therapy or those suffering from a burning, tingling, or shooting pain should also consider making an appointment with a pain management specialist.

Thus, if you have a decreased quality of life due to pain, you may be a good candidate for an office visit to Optim.

The physicians at Optim Pain Management include Joseph Hegarty, M.D., Andrew Pandya, M.D., Gregory Spellman, M.D., and Markus Neiderwanger, M.D. These specialized pain physicians look beyond

Some of the most common symptoms that Optim Pain Management’s patients suffer from is acute pain extending down their arms or legs or a constant pain that occurs after back or neck surgery. Additionally, anyone experiencing pain in the back or neck despite undergoing therapy or those suffering from a burning, tingling, or shooting pain should also consider making an appointment with a pain management specialist.

medication to help our patients deal with pain relying instead on a vast array of cutting edge treatment options to help diagnose, reduce, and if possible, completely relieve a person’s pain. Some of their interventional therapies involve epidural steroid injections, spinal cord stimulation, implants, radio frequency ablations, sacroiliac and trigger point injections, as well as nerve blocks, all of which help relieve the patient’s pain without them being dependent upon the usual medications.

Dr. Pandya adds, “At Optim we have the most experienced Interventional Pain Specialists offering the latest and most cutting edge treatments. In short, we’ve got your back...and your neck, and knees, hips, etc. So if you are tired of pills and false promises, you need to come and experience the Optim difference.”

Optim Pain Management is located at 322 Stephenson Avenue, Suite A . Call them today at (912) 721-2262.

322 STEPHENSON AVE, SAVANNAH, GA 31405 | 912.721.2262 | OPTIMHEALTH.COM

A REPUTATION

built on integrity and an unwavering commitment

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LEX CANFIELD, Associate Broker for Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners, wants you to know that for over a century now, his company has built its reputation on integrity and an unwavering commitment to the ethical practice of real estate. “Coldwell Banker has been voted as one of the most ethically sound companies to do business with. Believe me, I’ve worked with a lot of real estate agents, and what our company stands for is what I believe in my heart,” he says.

Born and raised in central West Virginia, Canfield obtained his bachelors degree in chemistry with an associate degree in emergency management. In 2005 Alex relocated to Savannah to help his wife Angela start her dental business. At this time Canfield also began working in real estate after a stint at the local fire department. “During the years when I was a firefighter and paramedic, I had the honor to work alongside many military servicemen and women. I developed great friendships with them. Now that I’m in real estate, I have the opportunity

and distinct pleasure to help them as best I can with all their real estate needs, which has been a real honor for me. Among other things, I make sure that they are aware of the benefits that are available to them.”

When he’s not helping his customers with their real estate needs, Canfield says that he’s usually catching some exciting college football or the playoff games during March madness. He also likes to hit the links in his spare time. “I do enjoy playing golf but rarely play as often as I would like,” he says. Canfield and his wife of fifteen years have a twoyear-old daughter named Reagan.

“Our child is the most exhausting yet exhilarating aspect of my life. She’s constantly on the go and surprises me daily with the things she comes up with. My wife Angela has done a wonderful job raising both of us.

She’s our greatest joy.”

In business for himself since 2010, Canfield obtained his brokers license and is now an associate broker at Coldwell Banker. He has received various awards for his work in the field of real estate and has served in various leadership roles

within the realtor community. “If you’re dealing with me at Coldwell Banker, you’re going to be treated in the most ethically and morally way possible. That’s something that I happily extend to all my clients,” adds Canfield. “Regardless of the negotiations and all the numbers, that’s the number one factor that sets us apart from everyone else in real estate. Personally, what’s exciting for me is that I get to help good things happen to good people. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS, CONTACT ALEX CANFIELD AT (912) 398-5414. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT

www.alexcanfield.com

ALEX CANFIELD BROKER, GRI, ABR, SRS

Phone: (912) 398-5414 Savannah: (912) 352-1222

Stor y by Lesley Dixon | Photos by Painting with Light Photog raphy a n d O n e L ove A n i m a l Re s c u e

One Love, One Heart for Animals 36

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The staff of One Love Animal Rescue diligently work to provide care for animals in the Chatham County area; their work is strenuous, yet rewarding.

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A pet is a friend for life.

There have been many days in which I have become overly saturated with human contact and sought solace in the company of my dog. I have developed a healthy admiration of, and respect for, those who selflessly devote their lives to the care and preservation of animals in any form.

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I am an animal lover; I always have been. As a child, I collected an assortment of snakes, frogs, dogs and cats, much to the chagrin of my family.

As I have grown older, I have been drawn to animals even more through my experiences with wildlife photography.

My best friend, daughter, and therapist is a Belgian Malinois named Bella. I call her my therapist because having her present has actually brought me through many struggles in this life ranging from the loss of a former adopted police K-9 to the loss of close friends. Healing is found in time spent with a good dog.

There have been many days in which I have become overly saturated with human contact and sought solace in the company of my dog. I have developed a healthy admiration of, and respect for, those who selflessly devote their lives to the care and preservation of animals in any form. I was excited to hear about an opportunity to meet with, and write about, a group of individuals who have devoted their lives to providing care for local animals.

My wife and I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dana Bertagnolli and Patty Davis of the One Love Animal Rescue in Savannah,

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Georgia for the purpose of penning this article for Chatham County Living Magazine. Our meeting was facilitated by the organization’s co-founder and president, Karrie Bulski. One Love Animal Rescue is a nonprofit organization that was started in 2013 due to the need for more progressive ways to save animals.

Its founding members were three volunteers at the Chatham County Animal Control who worked through another rescue service in the community. One Love utilizes a foster home based network with the support of the service of its volunteers. They provide services to include trainers and training assistance, vouchers for pet needs, referrals for specialized cases, and assistance with adoption.

Animals are pulled out of the Chatham County shelter, as well as other “high kill” shelters in southeast Georgia, and placed into foster homes. Spaying or neutering, veterinarian visits, and microchips are covered by One Love under their foster program; food,

Animals are pulled out of the Chatham County shelter, as well as other “high kill” shelters in southeast Georgia, and placed into foster homes. Spaying or neutering, veterinarian visits, and microchips are covered by One Love under their foster program; food, crates, preventative medications, and treats are also covered.

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crates, preventative medications, and treats are also covered. A voucher system assures the pet is provided with the care it needs while in the foster home. Saving the animal is their primary concern.

A trainer is available to work with dogs to help with any behavioral issues while under foster care. Many potential parents may not fully understand that animals are often traumatized by previous negative experiences or abuse and need some help with adjustment to a new environment or to a new owner. Their trainers are more than willing to work one on one with foster parents to facilitate a smooth transition for the animal.

Part of the adoption agreement with One Love includes follow up contacts for one year to assure that the animal and owners are a good fit. The company has a standing policy that they will always take an animal back into its care to avoid the animal being “rehomed” or dropped off at a shelter. They often provide foster care for “special needs” animals to include those suffering from the mange, heartworms, broken bones and other ailments. Hospice care is a service that is also 42

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Help for the healing process.

“A person may not be willing to commit to having a pet in their life full time, but the act of fostering or even babysitting can provide healing for both the animal as well as the person involved in care,” says Patty.

provided. When discussing special needs and special care animals Dana said, “Many resources are consumed; however, we are blessed with people who are willing to provide care for these animals in that they have the patience, love and compassion for the job.” She also said they currently have approximately 110 foster homes, but have a distinct need for more foster parents who are willing to open up their homes.

As I mentioned earlier, the rescue is a volunteer based organization; there is only one paid (minimally) staff member who handles administrative work and responds to the hundreds of emails which the organization receives on a daily basis.

There are over 200 active volunteers with approximately 40 working on a daily basis. They have a flexible schedule for volunteers which allows them to invest their time in activities to include bottle feeding puppies and kittens. Currently, they are providing care to approximately 54 cats and 55 dogs, with over 100 animals in foster care on a daily basis.

Members of the organization work diligently to bring the animal rescue community together; they have provided referrals to other, more specialized facilities for animals such

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as a flying squirrel, a tortoise, and a rabbit.

Talents and resources are pooled for the greater good through the Savannah Rescue Alliance; community oriented projects for education on topical areas such as responsible pet ownership and spaying/ neutering are accomplished through these combined efforts. Presentations for students in pre-K up to high school have been conducted through these efforts; as a result, many teens often volunteer to assist in the rescue operations.

One Love Animal Rescue cannot accept “found” or stray animals per Georgia Department of Agriculture guidelines.

These animals must be taken to Savannah Animal Services. After five days, these animals can be transferred to a rescue.

Exceptions include injured or small, bottle fed animals or owner surrendered animals.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to meet Mike Eldridge who has been volunteering with the organization. The weekend prior to Hurricane Matthew’s arrival, he found an abandoned dog in Daffin Park; this dog was skittish, but appeared to get along with his other dogs.

He felt a great deal of empathy for this dog and wondered what exactly would happen with it; he wanted to help. Long story short, he was told about One Love by the employees of TailsSpin on Habersham and reached out to them to volunteer as a foster parent.

Mike says he ultimately fell in love with the rescue, and its many opportunities to make a difference. It took four days for

During our visit, we had the opportunity to meet Mike Eldridge who has been volunteering with the organization. The weekend prior to Hurricane Matthew’s arrival, he found an abandoned dog in Daffin Park; this dog was skittish, but appeared to get along with his other dogs. He felt a great deal of empathy for this dog and wondered what exactly would happen with it; he wanted to help. Long story short, he was told about One Love by the employees of TailsSpin on Habersham and reached out to them to volunteer as a foster parent.

the animals to allow him to approach them as they were scared of this new human in their territory. When Hurricane Matthew made it way towards Savannah, Mike was released early from work, and loaded up his Chrysler 300 with two dogs, a rabbit and a cat, then headed west to safety. Present with Mike were Daffney and Finn Lander, both dogs affiliated with One Love, and both madly in love with Mike.

Patty is the Adoption Coordinator for One Love. She submitted a foster application and Karrie says, “We reached out and dragged her in.” She has been involved with the organization for more than three years and has fostered over fifty dogs and cats for the organization.

“A person may not be willing to commit to having a pet in their life full time, but the act of fostering or even babysitting can provide healing for both the animal as well as the person involved in care,” says Patty.

She told us that there is a special team, Team Ellie, which provides baby sitting and special care needs for animals in the custody of One Love. As we discussed Team Ellie, glimpses of the heart of the organization become apparent; Patty and Dana both agreed, “You celebrate the ones you save, and mourn the ones you cannot.” An even greater view of their motivation came with the following statement, “The tears which have been shed could fill the Savannah River.”

Patty and Dana both say that One Love has been richly blessed with support of donations from local businesses and its many volunteers. The organization’s biggest fundraiser is Paws for a Cause held yearly at The Foundery Coffee Pub on the first Saturday in December. It offers plenty of entertainment which include live auctions, music, dancers, raffles, baked goods, arts, and crafts.

They also sponsor “Puppies and Pilates” which is held at Woof Gang Bakery on Bull Street in Savannah on the fourth Saturday of each month at 9:30 AM. Bring your yoga mat, water bottle and a $20 donation to enjoy

a therapeutic workout with the puppies of One Love Animal Rescue!

“Painting with a Twist” is another fun event which helps provide financial support for high medical costs.

One Love is trying to host four per year. There are also rumors of a pub crawl planned for the future! Fundraisers and events are listed on the organization’s web page, as well as volunteer opportunities.

Persons wishing to help can also make donations of goods. Critical needs for One Love Animal Shelter include the following: puppy food, to include soft and dry kibble; kitten pate food; cat litter; treats for dogs and cats; as well as dog chews. One Love has an Amazon wish list to assist those who are interested in helping out: http://a.co/5tOZprk. Why should you provide this assistance one might ask? Well, since their inception, they have saved well over 2000 animals with the help of individuals just like you!

For more information on One Love Animal Rescue and how you can get involved, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, visit www.oneloveanimalrescue.com or email them at info@oneloveanimalrescue.com.  CCL

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W

e are lawyers you can trust at your most difficult moments. Whether you have been seriously injured in a car or truck accident, or you have recently been charged with a DUI, or you hope to gain custody of your children, or you need advice about a business contract, our team of lawyers and professionals has the experience and patience to pursue the result you seek. No one ever wants to be in a situation that requires a lawyer’s assistance, and we know that this may be the first time you have ever had to work with an attorney. It is our hope you will see us as a legal team that you and your family can trust now and in the future.

OUR MISSION

We seek to provide quality legal service to clients with competency, integrity, zealous representation, within the bounds of law and responsiveness to our clients’ needs.

PRACTICE AREAS

Our firm practices law in a variety of areas, including: · Personal Injury · Business Litigation · Counter Dispute · Wills and Probate · DUI

· Producers Liability · Domestic Relations · Criminal Law · Fraud

Duffy & Feemster, LLC is located at 236 East Oglethorpe Avenue and is part of what is known as “Marshall Row.” This row of townhouses was developed in the 1850s

by Mary Marshall, a female architect who also built the Marshall House Hotel and whose portrait hangs in the Marshall House. Legend has it that in the 1960s the entire row of four townhouses was owned by a brick broker who was going to demolish the buildings for their Savannah Grey brick. Robert Duffy and others were able to raise the money to buy the dilapidated townhouses from the brick broker and renovate them. The one at 236 was turned into Robert Duffy’s law office in the mid 1960s and has been the home of Duffy & Feemster, LLC since 1982.

EST. 1951

DUFFY & FEEMSTER, LLC (912) 236-6311

Duffy & Feemster, LLC has been taking care of Savannah and Coastal Empire area residents and businesses, providing them with professional legal representation since 1951.

236 East Oglethorpe Avenue | Savannah, GA

www.duffyfeemster.com Call today to schedule a consultation.

More Than a residential realty company

S

Since opening the doors to her first office in 1995, Connie Farmer Ray has continued to develop the award-winning Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners into one of the premier residential real estate organizations and the first to offer full-service real estate services in the coastal Georgia and South Carolina region. After 45 years in the real estate profession, Connie has earned a myriad of awards and distinctions along the way. Last year, however, Connie chose to step down as CEO, opting to pass the torch to her daughter and son-in-law, Christy Farmer Woiwode and Tom Woiwode. They will continue the legacy of Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners and uphold the foundation of integrity and stability that Connie Ray began.

Connie continues today as the CEO of Coldwell Banker Commercial Platinum Partners, a sister company to Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners.

The commercial department is a full service commercial real estate company which covers the Southeast from Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head, South Carolina, through the greater Savannah area to Brunswick and St. Simons Island in southeastern Georgia. The company is backed by Coldwell Banker Commercial’s dynamic national and international networks.

“We’ve always had a commercial department, but everyone tends to know us primarily as a residential realty company,” says Kim Iler, Sales Manager for Coldwell Commercial Platinum Partners. “Our commercial brokers come with wide-ranging and diverse backgrounds, covering specialties such as assemblages, warehouse sales, unique historic properties, planned unit developments, mixed use developments, leasing, and port-related acquisitions.

We provide our clients with unique tools and access to the leading commercial websites in the industry.”

With over 70 years combined experience,

Coldwell Banker has been providing unique real estate service for over 70 years

Coldwell Banker’s brokers come with an abundance of talents and diverse backgrounds. Michael Mark was the top listing and sales agent in 2017; he also received the designation of CCIM in 2016.

Linda Soliman, a graduate of the Realtor Institute, received the CBC International Bronze Award in 2016 as well as the Top Diamond Award.

Additionally, Kim Iler is a licensed securities advisor and finance advisor with over 40 years in real estate and financing himself, Buddy Bullard, who has a family in the timber business, specializes in timber and farms and estates.

Whether you are looking to acquire, sell, lease or develop commercial property, CBC associates can provide professional advice and market knowledge to help find the best solutions for your commercial real estate needs. “There is so much going on in the commercial real estate market today within the industrial, retail and hospitality industries going; there are lots of opportunities in Savannah and the surrounding counties,” Kim explains.

Founded in 1906, Coldwell Banker was built on a commitment to professionalism and customer service, which continues to be their business philosophy today. Coldwell Banker Commercial’s dynamic national and international networks include over 700 companies with over 1000 real estate professionals; a proven track record servicing all property sectors; and highly educated professionals to assist you in making informed decisions. Services include acquisition, disposition and leasing, asset and property management, market research and analysis as well as corporate services. The company’s corporate offices are located in Savannah, Georgia. For more information, call toll-free at 1-888-232-7120 or email Kimberly Iler at kim.iler@coldwellbanker.com

“We’ve always had a commercial department, but everyone tends to know us primarily as a residential realty company,” says Kim Iler, Sales Manager for Coldwell Commercial Platinum Partners.

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From Savannah to

Broadway 50

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S T O R Y B Y D AV I D P E N A | P H O T O S P R O V I D E D B Y S C O T T B I R T H I S E L , D R E A M W E AV E R P H O T O S , A N D W I L L I A M A U S T I N S M I T H

Savannah’s own Broadway star Turner Birthisel is finishing his second tour in Network’s Finding Neverland.

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At first glance Turner Birthisel seems like your typical American preteen. With his captivating smile and wideeyed enthusiasm, he enjoys hanging out with friends, snapping some pictures, or simply spending quality time with his family. However, Turner is anything but typical.

The youngster has been performing in local or national theatrical shows since he was five years old, and for the past seven months, he’s been traveling around the world with the cast of Finding Neverland in his second tour.

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His first tour was with Disney’s Newsies in 2016.

And along with an avid interest in photography and songwriting, the accomplished Broadway star is poised to make his creative mark in the world. Not bad for an eleven year-old kid from Savannah.

Turner was named after his maternal grandfather, who was a renowned musician himself. Turner’s mother, Dr. Claudia Gaughf says, “We think Turner’s talent primarily comes from my father. My father’s nickname was the ‘Music Man of Macon.’ He performed in traveling Broadway shows, played in the Atlanta and Macon Symphonies, and taught music

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for over 50 years.” Although Dr. Gaughf’s father didn’t live to see his talented grandson perform, Dr. Gaughf believes he would be proud to see what Turner has accomplished in his short life. “I feel that my father’s legacy has really come full circle through Turner, and I love that my son has his same passion to perform.”

Turner’s illustrious theatrical run started about six years ago, as Turner’s father Scott Birthisel recalls. “At that time, the Savannah Theatre was holding auditions for their annual Christmas show.

Turner and his sister, Claudia Marie, both tried out

Turner was named after his maternal grandfather, who was a renowned musician himself.

Turner’s mother, Dr. Claudia Gaughf says, “We think Turner’s talent primarily comes from my father. My father’s nickname was the ‘Music Man of Macon.’ He performed in traveling Broadway shows, played in the Atlanta and Macon Symphonies, and taught music for over 50 years.”

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“He’s always been very charismatic on and off stage, He’s a performer that instantly captures your attention.”

For the next few years, the talented thespian/singer continued to perform for the Savannah Theatre but yearned for other opportunities that could showcase his budding talent. Thus, at age nine Turner and his parents opted to branch out first to nearby Hilton Head Island

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and were ultimately selected for the show.” Like her younger sibling, Claudia Marie is an excellent singer with over seventy-five shows under her belt. They successfully continued performing in the Savannah Theatre for the next five years, and as a result, the director asked Turner to perform in several other shows. Around that time Turner also began taking lessons at the Wilde School of Music under Julie Rose Wilde.

In addition to coaching Turner on his singing and audition materials, Wilde and her partner produced and filmed Turner’s audition videos,

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a star is born

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“I knew it was inevitable that he would be discovered, so I tried to cast him in as many things as I could at the Savannah Theatre before that happened.” Turner continued to do the Christmas shows, and was also cast as Tiny Tim in the production of A Christmas Carol. Additionally, he was the featured performer in Return to the Fifties, Viva Vegas, and Broadway on Bull. “I really like being on stage in front of an audience. It feels natural to me for some reason,” says Turner.

Once the current tour of Finding Neverland is over, Turner says he wants to take a well-deserved hiatus from the road. “I’ll probably take a short break and then audition for other roles,” he says. As far as Turner’s future in show biz, his proud mom says that the family will support him no matter what he decides.

which would play a critical role later in his career. “He’s always been very charismatic on and off stage,” says Claudia,Turner’s mom. “He’s a performer that instantly captures your attention.”

One person who noticed right away was Savannah Theatre director and co-owner Michael Meece, who says he almost instantly knew that the young talent was destined for greatness. “I knew from the first time I auditioned Turner at age five that he had what it takes to make it in show business. He possesses a stage charisma that won’t let the audience take their eyes off of him.”

Meece, who is also a producer and director of shows in both Dallas and Branson, wanted to use Turner in as many productions as possible. “I knew it was inevitable that he would be discovered, so I tried to cast him in as many things as I could at the Savannah Theatre before that happened.” Turner continued to do the Christmas shows, and was also cast as Tiny Tim in the production of A Christmas Carol. Additionally, he was the featured performer in Return to the Fifties, Viva Vegas, and Broadway on Bull. “I really like being on stage in front of an audience. It feels natural to me for some reason,” says Turner.

For the next few years, the talented thespian/singer continued to perform for the Savannah Theatre but yearned for other opportunities that could showcase his budding talent. Thus, at age nine Turner and his parents opted to branch out first to nearby Hilton Head Island.

“Instead of doing the Christmas show, we told Mike (Meece) that Turner was going to audition for the role of Michael Banks in the production of Mary Poppins,” recalls Turner’s mom. After securing the role, his on

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About once a month, Turner’s mother and sister fly out to meet the rest of the family, but Turner says it’s the downside of being a Broadway star. “Not being with your family is really hard. I miss my friends too.” Scott echoes his son’s sentiments, saying, “The hardest thing for me is missing my daughter growing up, so we both really get excited when they fly out to visit us.”

stage presence impressed even his family, who had seen him perform many times before. “I started bawling my eyes out; I couldn’t believe that was our Turner,” says his mom, Claudia.

By the end of the show’s run, the Birthisels asked the director, who was from New York, about other performing opportunities for Turner.

He referred them to a New York agent, and within a week Turner was auditioning in the Big Apple. “He loved Turner and asked if he would audition the next morning for The Sound of Music,” remembers his mom. Amazingly, Turner was one actor away from securing the role, but another boy was cast. However, without missing a beat he landed the coveted role of Les in Newsies, a national Disney Broadway production. Turner performed in the musical for eight months in 2016, traveling across the country as well as in Canada.

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“Between the two productions, Turner and I have spent nineteen of the last twenty-six months on tour,” says Scott.

With attendance at the shows numbering 2000 or more, the young performer says that big crowds don’t faze him. “It’s strange but I’m really never nervous; I just love to perform,” he says. It was during this time that his agent encouraged him to audition for a role in Finding Neverland, a musical based on the Academy Award-winning film that chronicles the relationship between playwright J.M. Barrie and the family that inspired Peter Pan. Turner, however, had other ideas.

“When the producers from Finding Neverland wanted to see him, he really didn’t feel up to going on the road again,” recalls Scott. “Performing is truly a grind, along with all the meetings, rehearsals and media obligations. It really takes a lot out of him.” A typical week has eight shows from Tuesday to Sunday and Monday is a travel day. He also has to attend school at the theater for four hours a day during the week. In fact, when discussing his upcoming audition, Turner tearfully confided to his folks he really wanted to go home. After a hiatus that lasted several months, Turner was ready to hit the stage again. After securing three roles in Finding Neverland, Turner began the grueling eleven-month tour across the country as well as a stop in Tokyo, Japan.

As far as Turner’s earnings from his various performances, his parents allow him a seventy-five dollar allowance each week. “We made a deal with him because he does work

really hard. He can spend the money on anything he wants, but since he’s really into technology that’s usually where his money goes,” says Scott. “He’s also really into photography; he has a great eye for photographing people, architecture and landscapes, so he can always save to buy a new camera or something more expensive.”

About once a month, Turner’s mother and sister fly out to meet the rest of the family, but Turner says it’s the downside of being a Broadway star. “Not being with your family is really hard. I miss my friends too.” Scott echoes his son’s sentiments, saying, “The hardest thing for me is missing my daughter growing up, so we both really get excited when they fly out to visit us.”

Once the current tour of Finding Neverland is over, Turner says he wants to take a well-deserved hiatus from the road.

“I’ll probably take a short break and then audition for other roles,” he says. As far as Turner’s future in show biz, his proud mom says that the family will support him no matter what he decides. “Actually, he’s become really passionate about photography and has a great eye for photos. However, his first love is singing, so I see him getting more serious about composing as well,” she says. “It takes such discipline to accomplish all he’s done; he has learned at a young age how to keep a regular job, listen to constructive criticism, as well as be on time for a commitment. We’re all just amazed and so very proud of him.”  CCL Hometown Living At Its Best

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Story by D. Annette Sasser | Photos by Rebecca Galloway Photography

Duchess of State Known for her chic and lavish parties, Alexandra Trujillo de Taylor has been named to the Salonniere 100 64

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Alexandra Truillo de Taylor greeted me warmly. She was elegantly dressed – a perfect reflection of her sitting room’s tasteful décor and the exquisite paintings that grace the walls of her lovely, midtown Savannah home.

“I commissioned all of the paintings except one,” she said. “I like artwork to capture a period of my life for different reasons, feelings and purposes. It begins in my mind with visual pieces of a painting I want, and then I go to Alexander Hall when they have their open studio and wander around looking until I see an artist’s style that blends with my latest idea for a painting.” With a connection made with an artist’s work, she commissions the artist.

“But every detail is guided by me from different experiences in my life.”

Born into an influential family in Mexico City, Mexico, pursuing work outside the home was not the norm, according to Alexandra. “By the time a girl is 15, she is expected to behave as an adult – knowing

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all the rules. She must be able to conduct herself with social grace. By the time I was 15, I could carry on an intellectual conversation with any adult.

I could walk into a room with any class of people and intermingle,” she said.

Alexandra came to Savannah 25 years ago to spend the summer with her sister, who was pregnant at the time. Her sister’s husband, an engineer, was here for a temporary job. Although two years older, Alexandra’s sister was not as extroverted as she was. “She was lonely in Savannah so I came strictly for her,” she said. Even so, Alexandra missed the social life to which she was accustomed in Mexico: “In the evenings I would go out looking for places to socialize and make friends.”

One evening at a cocktail party hosted by Alvin Neeley, Alexandra was introduced to an export manager of a

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carving her own path

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The manager insisted that she would be perfect for the position and made her an offer that he thought she would not refuse – but she did just that. “I gave him a higher amount and added in moving expenses. I didn’t really expect him to agree,” said Alexandra. The company accepted with one stipulation: She must start work the following Monday. “I had to make an immediate decision,” she said. “My mother was adamant that I not take it. I was only in my 20s, and she wanted me to come back home.”

freight forwarding company. The company had placed a multi-million dollar bid to build a plant in Mexico, but there was a requirement involved: Someone bilingual had to be included in the contract. “When the man learned that Spanish was my first language and I spoke good English, he asked me if I wanted the job,” she said. “I didn’t hesitate to inform him that I didn’t need or want a job, but he spent the rest of the night trying to change my mind.”

Alexandra said she was “amused” by the manager’s persistence. Preparing to return to Mexico because her brother-in-law’s job was nearing completion, a few days later she received a phone call from Alvin that would bring Alexandra to a crossroad – one that would ultimately change her life forever. “The export manager had not given up. He called Alvin continuously trying to

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reach me,” she said. “Finally, I gave in and called him back.

I told him that I didn’t know anything about his industry, and I had only just finished school, and had not planned on working in the world of business.”

The manager insisted that she would be perfect for the position and made her an offer that he thought she would not refuse – but she did just that. “I gave him a higher amount and added in moving expenses. I didn’t really expect him to agree,” said Alexandra. The company accepted with one stipulation: She must start work the following Monday. “I had to make an immediate decision,” she said. “My mother was adamant that I not take it. I was only in my 20s, and she wanted me to come back home.” Alexandra enjoyed her life back in Mexico. But she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what life might look like outside of the world she knew. With little time to spare, she said, “I just decided, ‘I’m going to do it!’”

That was 25 years ago, and Savannah was totally different from today. “It was a small, quiet place then,” she said.

When her sister left, life in a new country with no family and only a few friends quickly lost its luster. Alexandra missed home and the world she grew up in. “I missed the rhythm of that life. I only knew one way forward and that was to stop waiting for an opportunity to come change things for me,” she said.

Alexandra realized that if she wanted things to be 72

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different, she would need to take action. Every small step was like an “ingredient in a recipe” in her mind.

As she added one step to another, she created her own change.

The first ingredient was a party. Because of her upbringing, Alexandra easily connected to people older than herself. “Most of my new friends were retirees living in beautiful homes in downtown Savannah,” said Alexandra. “I invited them to cocktail parties and dinner parties.” The guests were astounded by the elaborate, formal parties given by their young hostess, who quickly became known as the “Duchess of State,” a name by which she is still known today.

For 10 years, Alexandra continued to work for the freight export company, where she learned everything she could about logistics and international trade. She traveled frequently, meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life – including ambassadors from other countries. “I had been around internationals throughout my childhood in Mexico, which proved beneficial. The job was really amazing.”

The majority of people Alexandra came in contact with during her 10-year tenure with the export company were those with influence and means. She developed a great rapport with people from all over the world, not only as a businesswoman, but as a great hostess.

One such acquaintance was a man from Barcelona, Spain, looking to expand his export region to Europe and potentially to the United States. Impressed with Alexandra’s ability to handle all the logistics of his business, he offered her a job.

“It was an amazing opportunity. I sold my condo on State Street and took the job,” she said. “Until then, I had been casually dating Daniel (her future husband) for about three months. One evening, we ran into a friend. She seemed surprised because she thought I had already left to take the new job. I explained I had only just sold my condo and did not plan to leave Savannah for a few months more.”

It was the first time Daniel heard about her decision. “I explained that I had been offered a great opportunity,” said Alexandra. But he had another opportunity to offer. “He said, ‘Ask and see if they will give you a few more months before taking this job.

Give me a chance. If it doesn’t work out, then go.’”

Recalling the moment, Alexandra broke into soft laughter. “It was another fork in the road,” she said. “I Hometown Living At Its Best

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In March 2018, the indomitable and vibrant Duchess of State turned the eyes of the social world to Savannah when she was named as one of the 2018 annual honorees for the Salonniere 100. The Salonniere 100 spotlights honorees from 34 cities and 28 states and represents a diverse and creative group of men and women who share one common trait: an exceptional ability to leverage the power of parties to enhance the lives of others.

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told him ‘Okay, I guess I will.’” She never took the job. Alexandra and Daniel will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary in January.

A painting of their wedding is like a picture in a book of fairy tales. Daniel stands as a brave knight beside the beautiful and elegant Duchess of State. Noting my look as I observed her bare feet in the painting, she said, “It signified to me that my husband keeps me grounded.”

Alexandra continued hosting cocktail and dinner parties locally, but it wasn’t until 2011 when she met Adam Turoni at a dinner party that she found herself stepping out into the broader social arena. “When I tasted the truffles he had personally created and brought to the host, I was amazed. I couldn’t believe he had created such exotic chocolates in his kitchen at home. Adam had great potential.”

With Adam’s culinary, artistic gift and Alexandra’s proficient business ability, they were soon working and planning together.

Two years later, they co-founded Chocolat by Adam Turoni, and the rest, as they say, is history.

In March 2018, the indomitable and vibrant Duchess of State turned the eyes of the social world to Savannah when she was named as one of the 2018 annual honorees for the Salonniere 100.

The Salonniere 100 spotlights honorees from 34 cities and 28 states and represents a diverse and creative group of men and women who share one common trait: an exceptional ability to leverage the power of parties to enhance the lives of others.

The Salonniere 100 is a way of honoring those who are continuing the tradition of hosting parties with a purpose. Whether they’re welcoming guests to support causes, advance ideas or unite people, the Salonniere 100 honorees are America’s most gifted and influential cultural connectors.

“I am so flattered and consider it an incredible honor to be listed among this year’s Salonniere 100,” said Alexandra. “It’s the only time my name will follow Oprah Winfrey’s name – I am sure,” she said with a laugh.

Next spring is the target date for her coming book entitled, “High Drama Tablescapes.” “It is a passion project, a book devoted to table settings,” she said. “I believe I have something to contribute on this subject.” Indeed, she does. Alexandra once lined tables in rice to create the sense of pea gravel for a Tuscan garden theme.

The table was filled with terra cotta pots and evergreens. Another time, she used a birdcage with live parakeets.

“I love table setting and decorating, and my approach is unique and theatrical. I create a stage upon which the world can dine.”

Alexandra’s book will be focused on, “elevated chic dining.” Chic, I might add, like the Duchess of State herself.  CCL

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Music spirits to lift your

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STORY BY CATHY J. SAKAS | PHOTOS BY JAMIE WEAVER PHOTOS

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Anita Lippitt Clay rolled into our Crabette gig at Buckingham South just before Christmas with her accordion carefully perched on the seat of her spiffy red walker. Remarkably, she looks and moves much younger than her 95 birthdays belie.

Without as much as a hello, Anita looked at me and shot rather straightforwardly, “Where’s your vest and hat?” As in, “Where’s your uniform, soldier?” We, the World Famous Crabettes, of local musical group fame, affectionately call her “The General,” a nod to her two years in the Women’s Army Air Corps. She tries to keep us in proper military order.

I dutifully pulled out my hat and vest from my Crabette tote bag and donned them for inspection.

She smiled broadly, her gorgeous blue eyes twinkling as “The General” retreated and the funloving Anita stepped forward. She handed me a lovely gold and black spiraled scarf she had knitted as my Christmas present. All was right in her world – and now in mine.

At nearly 96, Anita Lippitt Clay continues a passion for accordion which began more than 80 years ago.

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The General Without as much as a hello, Anita looked at me and shot rather straightforwardly, “Where’s your vest and hat?” As in, “Where’s your uniform, soldier?” We, the World Famous Crabettes, of local musical group fame, affectionately call her “The General,” a nod to her two years in the Women’s Army Air Corps. She tries to keep us in proper military order.

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Anita, born near The Hague, Netherlands, on April 23, 1922, shares her birthday with Shirley Temple Black and Shakespeare. Her father, Maxwell Lippitt, originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, whisked his bride, Mary, from Vicksburg, Mississippi, off to the Netherlands for their honeymoon in 1920. The couple ended up staying six years in The Hague for his work with an American branch of a cotton business. Just over a year later, Anita was born in the seaside resort of Scheveningen; her

brother Devereux arrived two years after that.

Anita doesn’t remember much about her early years in the Netherlands, but remembers well from the time she turned 5 and the family moved to Savannah, where Maxwell went into the cotton business with his Uncle Henry Walthour, who lived on Wilmington Island. Maxwell later founded Colonial Oil Company with partner Raymond Demere.

The Lippitt family – which now included Anita, younger brothers Devereux and Maxwell and baby sister Ashby – set up

residence on Drayton Street right next door to what was then Fox and Weeks Funeral Home.

Today it is the high-end hotel The Mansion.

Although she didn’t know him then, her future husband, Thomas Clay, lived right across Forsyth Park in what is now known as Magnolia Inn. At just 12 years old, Anita already had developed an ear for music. She became hooked on the accordion while listening to a street musician playing on Broughton Street and asked her father to buy her one. He made her a promise that if she came up with half of the money, she could have an accordion. She doesn’t remember how she raised the $25 to make the purchase, but she did. True to his word, her father put up the other half.

She’s been squeezing the cream-colored bellows, pressing the white and black keys and mashing the silver buttons ever since – and all at the same time, too. Playing an accordion is the ultimate in multitasking. It’s akin to doing jumping jacks while whistling Dixie, gargling water, patting your head, rubbing your stomach and chewing gum all at the same time. It’s complicated.

Nobody gave accordion lessons back then so Anita taught herself. She played all over town wherever anyone would listen. In her married years and on into widowhood, she played at nursing homes and at senior centers. Now in her mid-90s, Anita still entertains with the World Famous Crabettes, and has performed at big public events on River Street, in St. Patrick’s Day parades and at private parties.

As youngsters, the entire Lippitt family enjoyed music. While Anita squeezed her accordion, Devereux bowed a violin and a musical saw to make eerily lovely music. Maxwell strummed and picked guitar, while Ashby played piano.

Anita and her siblings attended Pape School, which later became Savannah Country Day

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An Early Ear

For Music

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At just 12 years old, Anita already had developed an ear for music. She became hooked on the accordion while listening to a street musician playing on Broughton Street and asked her father to buy her one. He made her a promise that if she came up with half of the money, she could have an accordion.

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Life At The Top Standing at 5-foot-10-inches tall, statuesque Anita led her platoon in Westover Field’s dress parades proudly carrying their platoon flag. She reflected, “I was always the tallest woman around, which is why I carried the flag.

I towered over my dates. Tom was the only one I ever dated who was taller than me.”

School. Many years later, Anita’s children also would attend Savannah Country Day School.

After graduating from Pape, Anita pursued a music degree at Sweet Briar College in Virginia.

She might have become a music teacher or a professional musician. However, as World War II raged on, in 1944 she gladly joined the Women’s Army Air Corps to fulfill her patriotic duty. Anita ably served first as a statistician and then transferred into public relations at Westover Field Air Force Base, where she had a most enjoyable time writing for Westover Field’s newspaper.

Located near Springfield, Massachusetts, Westover accommodated overflow air traffic from LaGuardia Airport. On occasion, she and a photographer would hop into a Jeep to meet and interview VIPs stepping off of incoming flights.

She reminisced, “It was fascinating to work at the newspaper because I never knew what my 88

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story of the day would be nor whom I would meet.” One of those VIP’s she interviewed was the sister of India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Standing at 5-foot-10-inches tall, statuesque Anita led her platoon in Westover Field’s dress parades proudly carrying their platoon flag.

She reflected, “I was always the tallest woman around, which is why I carried the flag. I towered over my dates. Tom was the only one I ever dated who was taller than me.”

When WWII ended, Anita opted to end her Air Corps career and return home. Not too long after, Anita met Thomas Clay – very tall and handsome, too – and within a year they were married. Even though Tom’s career kept the young couple moving, they began to start a family. Baby Stuart was born while the family was stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. When Tom was reassigned to Naples, Italy, Anita and baby Stuart joined him there, where the family lived from 1952-1955.

Even though the Neapolitans were very friendly and welcoming, that first year was tough since Anita didn’t speak the language. Anita recalled that the Italians were fun loving and happy in spite of their severe poverty after the war. Anita remembered fondly, “They’d Hometown Living At Its Best

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spend their last dime to rent a boat just so they could row out into Naples Bay and sing.”

While in Naples, the family welcomed their second child, Caroline. Tragically, Caroline died at just 10 days old. Anita never got to hold her newborn, and so a part of her will always be in Naples. A year later, while still in Naples, baby boy Henry bounced into their lives. Soon, new orders sent the Clays to Key West Naval Base at the southernmost tip of Florida. While there, baby Margaret arrived.

In 1962, after 22 years in the Navy, Tom retired at the rank of lieutenant commander. He moved the family back to Savannah, where they bought a house in Ardsley Park on 48th Street. Anita lived for 50 years in that house, which was tastefully populated with paintings, statues, signs and other memorabilia featuring crabs, as well as a large brass crab knocker on the front door.

Tom worked from home in the investment business for many years after his Navy retirement, but not nearly long enough; he passed away in 1989. After his death, Anita fervently threw herself into music while she watched her children embark on their own adult journeys.

Stuart enjoyed a career in the Air Force as a C-130 pilot and later as a Delta pilot. Now he’s happily retired and living with his wife, Carla, on Tybee Island.

Henry grew up to be a missionary, and he and his wife, Wendy, are based out of Columbia, South Carolina.

They travel all over the world on mission assignments.

Margaret, in true conch style, grew up to be an artist, author and tutor. She still lives in Savannah.

With an empty nest, focusing on music offered structure to Anita’s day-to-day routine. And so, Anita, along with two other native Savannah ladies, Polly Wylly Cooper and Dr. Linda Ann Hollis McCall, formed a musical group called the Crabettes. Today, the World Famous Crabettes consists of 17 members.

Anita and Polly, along with Betsy Hollis, Jane Naismith and Sue Staten, squeeze their accordions.

Linda Ann and Pam McCaslin tickle the ivories. Sandy Champion, Ted Eldridge and yours truly warble and ham at the mics. Laura Lawton tootles her clarinet.

The string section includes Joyce Murlless on her onestringed wash-tub bass, Jack Diamond on ukulele and banjo and Judy Williams and David Alley on guitars.

Ben Warsaw amazes on his melodica and keyboards, while Ryan Holloway beats out time on drums.

Anita will be the first to tell you that music is where she turns to life her spirits. And so, at soon to be 96, Anita is still coaxing happy, upbeat music out of her accordion, something we all hope she will be doing for many more years. With those beautiful blue eyes still sparkling and twinkling, it’s clear she still has a lot of music left to make.  CCL

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Changing Hearts, Changing Lives

STORY BY SANDRA M. ELLIOTT | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SANDRA M. ELLIOTT

One man’s recovery from what was considered a terminal diagnosis leads to helping others through Heartbeats for Life-GA

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Life changes often take us on unexpected journeys forward, forever changing how we view our lives. Sometimes, these miraculous journeys affect us so deeply that we are impelled to impact the lives of others as well.

Lifelong entrepreneur Jeff Adams chose to take his eyeopening experience with a life-threatening diagnosis to a new level by using his skills – and his renewed sense of life’s precious value – to make a profound difference in the lives of others in Chatham County. Heartbeats for Life-GA is the result of Adams’ journey forward, and his organization works diligently to inform, educate and inspire those who venture into new territory with Adams and his team.

Adams was given a “prepare to die” diagnosis more than 15 years ago, when he was told by his doctor that the seriousness of his heart disease warranted a heart transplant. However,

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Adams learned that while the waitlist for transplants exceeded 12 months, his heart condition was so severe that he only had four to six months to live. A second opinion was even worse: three to four months to live. The diagnosis included six new medications, which, according to his doctors, could possibly lessen his suffering.

At the time, Adams resided in Rochester, New York, where he owned a retail and wholesale book business. Not satisfied with his terminal diagnosis, Adams searched the many books he had through his business for answers – for even a sliver of hope that there was something he could do.

Next, he contacted his doctor friends, who allowed him to search medical journals for the latest in scientific research related to his diagnosis. It was through this search that Adams discovered there was a scientific basis to support a plant-based lifestyle as it related to heart disease. Adams immediately changed his lifestyle and his diet, telling his wife, Nel, that he was “taking charge of the kitchen, and the cooking.”

Within months, Adams happily watched his blood numbers and his weight plummet. He lost 30 pounds and his blood cholesterol dropped from 280 to 138. He also eliminated all medications. His recovery astounded his

Adams was given a “prepare to die” diagnosis more than 15 years ago, when he was told by his doctor that the seriousness of his heart disease warranted a heart transplant. However, Adams learned that while the waitlist for transplants exceeded 12 months, his heart condition was so severe that he only had four to six months to live.

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doctors and the medical community. He said he was often referred to as “a modern medical miracle!”

In 2001, Adams joined a support group called Heartbeats for Life. He continued to increase his knowledge about the positive effects of a plant-based lifestyle through the group’s meetings and pot lucks, where he also was able to expand his list of healthy food options. While still living in Rochester, Adams purchased a second home on Skidaway Island, initially one he called a “winter escape.”

About the same time of Adams’ diagnosis, his business suffered a huge blow, leaving he and Nel financially devastated. “In 2004, we just decided to leave Rochester and come to the Savannah area to live what most likely would be a very short time before I would leave this world,” Adams said.

Although, thanks to the change in his diet, Adams is still very much alive and thriving.

Adams soon discovered that in the Savannah area, a healthy diet and lifestyle was not the norm, and he realized that with his new lease on life, “I could help lots of people, and decided to devote the rest of my life to helping as many as I can.”

He quickly moved to establish Heartbeats for Life-GA, and began reaching out to the medical community – and the community at large – to share the message about how a plant-based diet could be life-changing.

The road to spreading the word was, and continues to be, a difficult challenge for

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Adams and his Heartbeats group members. Adams said he didn’t expect the resistance by the medical community to his sharing the benefits of a heart-healthy, plant-based diet.

Not deterred by the rejection, Adams did find success with some physicians. “Over the years, I have been contacted by a few doctors to whom I offer information on the research,” he said. “Some of them have been willing to begin to share the emerging research and information with their patients, and thus have seen excellent outcomes.”

Some of the doctors have referred patients to the Heartbeats meetings and classes. “Many of the doctors themselves have had personal improvement in their own lives with a whole-foods, plant-based diet,” he said. “Doctors, in general, receive almost no instruction in nutrition while in medical school, and this lack of

Adams takes pride that Heartbeats for Life-GA has been able to help so many people since it started in 2006. His program relies entirely on scientific research, and Adams has had direct contact with some very well-known medical doctors whose books and online programs are changing the way people think about food.

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information and research on the benefits of a plant-based diet on health must be gotten outside of medical school.”

Adams willingly shared his unbelievable success statistics from the Savannah area: “Type 2 diabetes is completely cured in about seven weeks for more than 90 percent of those who do what we suggest and teach. Heart disease is prevented or completely reversed. High blood pressure and high cholesterol return to normal in only a few weeks. Weight loss: Many of our program attendees have lost more than 100 pounds, and some more than 200 pounds.”

Additionally, Adams said there are many other overall positives from adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet.

Changes that Adams said, “make life worth living, again!

And the cost-savings, when a person no longer needs all of the medications for their disease, is astounding.”

Adams takes pride that Heartbeats for Life-GA has been able to help so many people since it started in 2006. His program relies entirely on scientific research, and Adams has had direct contact with some very well-known medical doctors whose books and online programs are changing the way people think about food. Among these, Dr. John 102

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McDougall and Dr. Michael Greger have lately dominated the plant-based landscape with their award-winning books, websites, seminars and events.

Each of them has been featured in multiple documentaries, one of the most popular being “What the Health?” Adams hosted a local large-scale showing of this documentary in June 2017. “What the Health?” and many other documentaries are available on Netflix.

There are also a growing number of local support groups and organizations that offer opportunities to connect with other like-minded people and exchange ideas, recipes and challenges. New restaurants such as Fox & Fig A PlantBased Café and Natural Selections offer a wide variety of healthy, plant-based options.

Adams and his team host a free monthly class on the third Tuesday of each month at White Bluff Presbyterian Church, located at 10710 White Bluff Road in Savannah. The monthly meetings may feature personal or Skype interviews with award-winning authors or interviews with plant-based chefs or organizational leaders. Attendees can ask questions and share their personal successes.

Adams also brings his vast library of books on the subject to allow attendees to view the variety of information available about plant-based lifestyles. One of the best parts of the meetings, however, is that Adams and his wife provide a sampling – complete with recipes – of some of their tasty plant-based dishes.

Many people are surprised at the variety of foods that one can easily prepare without sacrificing taste.

What began as a personal journey, a “medical miracle” success, has since blossomed into a lifetime mission of sharing the good news about how food is actually medicine – medicine that can provide dramatic, life-changing results.

Adams realizes that diet preferences are some of the most difficult habits to change, but knowing that doesn’t deter Adams or his team. The results they have personally witnessed speak for themselves.

To learn more about Heartbeats for Life-GA, visit their Face Book page or contact Jeff Adams at jeff@ heartbeatsforlife-ga.org.  CCL

What began as a personal journey, a “medical miracle” success, has since blossomed into a lifetime mission of sharing the good news about how food is actually medicine – medicine that can provide dramatic, lifechanging results.

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Ron Fraiser and his three brothers were raised in Yazoo City, Mississippi. He and his family were a “baseball family” and he played all four years in high school and pitched a year in college. “I never miss a Braves game.”

For over 50 years he worked in the radio business, mostly as a deejay. “It was the only job I ever had. I got into radio by accident, in between baseball seasons. I started out in my hometown of Yazoo City.” Later he worked in Jackson, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, and Mobile.

“I was in Mobile for 14 years, off and on, in rock and roll radio, then moved to other markets and formats in Cleveland, Baltimore, Tampa, Mobile again, Orlando, Syracuse. I did other jobs in radio including sports announcer, news broadcast, programming director, weather for The O’Reilly Factor, and covered Hurricane Katrina.” In addition to his busy career, he was also in several movies including Close Encounters of Third Kind, Jaws 2 and Cocoon.

“I have two daughters, a son, and six grandkids.

My daughters, Jade and Brandy, both married with families, live in Richmond Hill. When I was retiring from radio, they started looking for a place for me to stay without my knowing. They found and suggested Savannah Commons and I’m glad they did. It was the best choice that was ever made for me!

“I am very happy here. It feels just like I am home because I feel comfortable, safe, and my family is close by. I would tell the average person, come! I have made more friends than I could have ever imagined, it’s really like a small town. There are plenty of activities, things to do, places to go close at hand like Atlanta (Go Braves!) and Florida.

Come, you will feel at home.”

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chatham county Shear Elegance Ashley is a success in the business world because she was willing to make sacrafices and work hard to pursue her dream.

At the Table

Behind the great food at Chef Randall’s kitchen is a strong spirit and a heart of gold.

Through the Eyes of Art

The Fiber Guild offers something for everyone who loves to explore their creativity.

At the Table

Behind the great food at Chef Randall’s kitchen is a strong spirit and a heart of gold.

H o m e t o w n L i v i n g at i t s B e s t

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Story by David Pena | Photos by Ryan Lee Photography

Poised for

Greatness

Two Academic All-American athletes are looking to make their marks both in and out of the sports arena.

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“My sons are truly my heroes. They are my heart and I look to them every day for inspiration,” says Beth Hall, entrepreneur and proud mother of Destin and Dillon, two Academic All-American athletes who have both garnered swimming scholarships to their respective schools.

Beth opted to home-school her sons from an early age. “Because we decided to home-school, we knew that it would be important to expose the boys to other children through athletic opportunities,” Beth says. Thus, the young athletes took to the gridiron, the baseball field, the golf course and the basketball court before finally finding their niche almost a decade ago in Brunswick, Georgia. They moved to Savannah in 2010 to swim with GCAT, (Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team).

Ironically, when her oldest son Destin first began to swim, he actually had an ulterior motive that really had nothing to do with excelling in the sport.

“I was pretty obese as a kid, so I started swimming as a way to lose the weight,” Destin says, “but I ended up sticking with it when I realized there was something in me that loved the competition. My mom and younger brother also had a lot to do with encouraging me to stay with it.”

Predictably, when his older brother showed some interest in the sport, it wasn’t long before Dillon

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was asking his mother if he could try out for the team as well. Beth was happy to oblige, but she learned exactly what sparked his interest in the sport about a year later. “Destin had qualified to swim in a state swim meet, and the team was making little cards of encouragement.

Dillon’s card thanked his older brother for making him swim. That’s when I learned that Destin told him he couldn’t play his X-Box unless Dillon joined the league as well,” she says with a laugh.

Beth was sold on the idea of homeschooling her boys after seeing firsthand the positive impact it had on other children. “My brother and his wife had done it, and I definitely learned from their experiences, but I was truly inspired after meeting a woman named Kathy McMinn in Brunswick when I was 13,” Beth says.

“The day that I met her, she had finished helping her kids with their classwork, and they were going crabbing after lunch.

I thought it was a neat way to have the extra time to spend with your children.

a different motive at the start Ironically, when her oldest son Destin first began to swim, he actually had an ulterior motive that really had nothing to do with excelling in the sport. “I was pretty obese as a kid, so I started swimming as a way to lose the weight,” Destin says, “but I ended up sticking with it when I realized there was something in me that loved the competition. My mom and younger brother also had a lot to do with encouraging me to stay with it.”

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“Whatever success that my sons have had, or will have, comes from a collective effort and not just one individual. We’ve had the most phenomenal tutors and coaches who’ve worked with my boys, and I could not have done it without their help.”

I also got to know her kids very well and saw what a phenomenal job she did with them.”

Beth and her mother, Mary, have been in business together for over 28 years. Together they run Kicklighter-Hall Salon and Elizabeth Lee Makeup in both Savannah and Brunswick. “We specialize in designing hair and makeup to enhance your bone structure and magnify your natural beauty,” says Beth.

Using her makeup line, Elizabeth Lee Makeup, Beth and her mom became instructors in salons and hair shows throughout the Southeast. Homeschooling also afforded her time to schedule work, school, and play.

Destin says that homeschooling has helped both him and his younger brother become more mature. “It

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was really awesome while still being challenging,” he says. “(Homeschooling) enabled me to become more independent by allowing me to make my own schedule. As long as I got my work done, I had time to train and do other things.”

Currently a senior at Texas Christian University, Destin is majoring in Sports Broadcasting with a minor in Economics. As a former state champion, he was named to the 2013 Swimming All-America Team and was a USA Swimming national qualifier. In addition, he is a former member of both the Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team (GCAT) and the Junior National Team.

While Destin has enjoyed the accolades he’s earned for his swimming, he’s excited about the next chapter

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in his life. “I’m really excited for all the possibilities that await me postgraduation.”

Dillon is currently dual-enrolled at Armstrong State University and has committed to swim at Florida State University next year. Having been a two-time state record holder with more than 20 state championship gold medals, Dillon is also a scholastic All-American with his sights set on breaking records at the collegiate level. “I want to leave a legacy to remember,” says Dillon.

“I’ve worked hard all my life, because I’ve come to the realization that without hard work you will go nowhere. I’ve had many successes in my life so far, and I can trace each back to hard work.

My greatest fear is to live an average life. Film has always captured my interest, so I hope to work in the field of cinematography after I finish school.”

So what’s the secret of the Hall brothers’ success? If you ask them, you’ll hear an abundance of accolades about their family, teammates, as well as their GCAT coach, Bill Forrester. Beth echoes their sentiment, saying that it has been a combined effort that has allowed them to do great things, both in and out of their sport. “Whatever success that my sons have had, or will have, comes from a collective effort and not just one individual. We’ve had the most phenomenal tutors and coaches who’ve worked with my boys, and I could not have done it without their help,” she says.

Indeed, from the beginning of their very first swimming league, Beth says she was amazed at how quickly their coaches began developing their character. “They were teaching them the importance of self-control, selfmotivation, as well as healthy life habits. I watched in amazement as they grew to love the competition and the

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swimming and their ability to overcome life’s difficult challenges as they constantly move forward. I have seen them take so much of their time to encourage and to help younger swimmers, telling them to never quit or lose focus. And while we are very proud of all the accomplishments they’ve achieved through swimming, we are most proud of the leadership and life skills that the sport has given them.”

Destin agrees, but is quick to add, “My mom is the most amazing woman, and there’s never been a time when I’ve ever questioned whether she was going to support us. She’s just the nicest lady; always smiling and kind to everyone she meets. She has really inspired us to be who we are, to be more like her.”  CCL

camaraderie they had with their teammates, who all became part of our extended family,” she says.

Always quick to praise his younger brother, Destin marvels at Dillon’s potential for making his own indelible mark in the sport. “He’s really a beast in the water, and I love watching him compete. He’s so fast that he’ll probably beat all of my records; I’ll be happy for him if he does,” Destin says.

While both athletes shy away from accepting praise for their successes, the brothers make sure to credit their mother, who they say always made time for them, cheering her sons on during every meet. “She’s really been our biggest fan,” says Dillon. “At one point, she was driving over an hour each day to take us to practice, and it’s been incredibly heartwarming to see her in the stands at every one of our meets.”

While Beth says she and her family are grateful for the educational scholarship opportunities that swimming has brought, she feels that, more importantly, the sport has instilled integral core values in her sons. “One of my favorite scriptures says, ‘There is no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the Truth.’ This sums up the reason that I’m so blessed to be their mother,” she says proudly. “I am most proud of their choices and ability to make course corrections when they get off target, their self-discipline from their chosen sport of

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So what’s the secret of the Hall brothers’ success? If you ask them, you’ll hear an abundance of accolades about their family, teammates, as well as their GCAT coach, Bill Forrester. Beth echoes their sentiment, saying that it has been a combined effort that has allowed them to do great things, both in and out of their sport.

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If your questions are not answered here on our site, feel free to give us a call or drop by. We’re open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. or by special appointment.

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Hometown Living Living At At Its Its Best Best Hometown

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Aloha

Camp

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Hospice Savannah’s annual camp has been helping children cope with death for more than 20 years.

Dealing with the loss of a family member or close friend is undoubtedly one of the most painful experiences that we all have to face in life. In addition to the inevitable grief involved, there is a whole gamut of emotions that comes with it, which can often include guilt, regret, shock and even anger.

This can be especially difficult for a child who may not have the tools needed to cope with such an intense, traumatic event.

Thus, for the past 22 years, Hospice Savannah has held an annual retreat for children ages 6-17. Camp Aloha helps provide much needed support and grief counseling for young people who have experienced the death of a loved one.

Jennifer Fell, a school counselor and camp volunteer said, “I’ll be returning for my ninth year this May, and I love the fact that the camp offers a safe place for children to process their grief. They learn coping skills,

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make new friends, share memories and have fun doing it.”

The camp takes place every year during the first weekend in May at New Ebenezer Retreat on the Savannah River in Rincon.

It is open to any child residing in Chatham, Bryan, Long, Effingham and Liberty counties, who has experienced the death of a loved one within the last 24 months.

From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, about 60 trained volunteers and bereavement counselors meet with as many as 90 children to help them cope with their loss. “At camp they learn that they’re not the only ones who are feeling this way; they’re a part of a group who is experiencing the same things they are,” said Barbara Moss, a bereavement counselor with Hospice Savannah’s Full Circle Grief and Loss Center.

Camp Aloha was primarily designed to help children find their own healthy ways to deal

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Day Camp The first version of the camp, aptly named “Hold My Hand,” was a one-day camp held in May 1995 on Tybee Island. It was the result of a desperate need for services that Espina said were lacking at the time.

with the feelings they experience after their loss. “Kids tend to grieve honestly and naturally, but as adults we tend to convolute their process,” said Jamey Espina, vice-president of service excellence with Hospice Savannah. “So our aim is to help children really explore their grief and realize it’s both normal and healthy. We also give them some tools to aid in their process.”

The first version of the camp, aptly named “Hold My Hand,” was a one-day camp held in May 1995 on Tybee Island. It was the result of a desperate need for services that Espina said were lacking at the time. “Hospice Savannah has always provided bereavement services to families who experienced a loss, but the board felt that the community needed more support. Family members whose

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loved ones were the victims of a sudden or unexpected death, such as suicide, homicide or fatal accident, simply were not receiving the same bereavement support that our Hospice families were getting,” Espina said.

Thus, in the mid-1990s Hospice Savannah started the Full Circle Grief and Loss Center, and one primary goal was to focus on the needs of children who had lost loved ones. “While our camp can be fun, it is important to note that it’s therapeutic-based,” said Moss. “We try to provide them with the tools they need to move on from the devastating loss in their lives.”

At the camp, the children are initially divided into groups by age, where they are assigned a camp counselor, or leader. The camp officially starts with an opening ceremony that both honors their loved ones and also sets the tone for the

A Growing Need In the mid-1990s Hospice Savannah started the Full Circle Grief and Loss Center, and one primary goal was to focus on the needs of children who had lost loved ones.

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“One of the most gratifying aspects of being involved (with the camp)is that it provides an opportunity for children who may not get the grief support they need to express their grief in a healthy way and to acquire the tools to move forward.”

- Jamey Espina

camp. From there, the children separate into their teams, where they learn to talk about their grief and the memories of their loved ones.

“There are basically five sessions with a onehour break,” said Moss. “They rotate through all the various sessions, which are designed to help them cope with their loss in specific ways. For example, one session may involve memories of the deceased, while another class may be about their own coping mechanisms.”

In some of these sessions, the children take part in “expressive arts” activities such as song composition and dance steps with a musical therapist, designed to help them express what they’re feeling. They’re also given recreational

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time where the children can swim, play games or simply reflect.

“This gives them the necessary time to process the experiences they’ve had in therapy or just have fun and relax,” said Moss.

One of the most poignant parts of the weekend involves a letter that each child writes to their deceased loved one. “The older children will write, while the younger ones may draw a picture of the person,” said Moss. The children then bring their letters to the campfire on the final night, where each letter is rolled up, tied with ribbon and placed into the fire, allowing the smoke to send their messages to their loved ones.

Children can then choose to share memories of their loved ones. “Without question, it’s the most powerful and emotional part of the camp, and afterward many of the children have very heightened emotions and energy,” Espina said. “To diffuse this, they can choose to participate in three activities: basketball, karaoke or private time in their cabin to meet with their counselor.”

On Sunday the children take part in two final activities. First, they create a pillowcase, on which they write a message to their loved one. Afterward, they attend a session with Medical Director Julia Johnson, where they can ask questions about the process of death, disease or any other related topic. The camp culminates in a closing ceremony, which affords each child a final opportunity to honor their loved ones or express anything they’ve experienced during the weekend. “After the camp is over, we follow up with the kids through the grief groups or one-on-one counseling, should they need it,” Espina said. The bereavement counselors also meet with the parents prior to the children’s dismissal from camp in order to inform them about ways in which the children may react or respond to their experiences.

“One of the most gratifying aspects of being involved (with the camp) is that it provides an opportunity for children who may not get the grief support they need to express their grief

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in a healthy way and to acquire the tools to move forward,” said Espina. “They come to understand that they’re not alone in this process, and by giving them the tools to cope, it really helps them to say goodbye. In fact, we changed the name of the camp in 2001 to Camp Aloha since ‘aloha,’ like life, means both hello and goodbye.”

In addition to the yearly retreat, Hospice Savannah offers weekly counseling groups at its Full Circle center, but Espina said that the camp is the main bereavement program for children. With operational costs of about $18,000, the camp is underwritten through the generosity of the Kaminsky Automotive Group as well as community donors. The next camp will be held in May. There is a non-refundable registration fee of $25 per child, which holds a spot for them at the camp.

To learn more about grief support for children, as well as information about Camp Aloha, call the bereavement counselors at Full Circle at 912-303-9442 or visit HospiceSavannah.org/CampAloha. For information about becoming a volunteer at the camp, contact Holland Morgan at 912-6291096.  CCL

Counseling Year Around In addition to the yearly retreat, Hospice Savannah offers weekly counseling groups at its Full Circle center, but Espina said that the camp is the main bereavement program for children.

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Carey Hilliard’s employee Billy Gunn reflects on his 50-year career at the restaurant as well as his deep admiration for its late founder.

A

Ask any self-respecting Savannahian about where to find a great seafood or barbecue restaurant and most likely they’ll point you in the direction of Carey Hilliard’s. “It’s really a great place to take your family. It’s always been about people before profits with Hilliard’s,” said Billy Gunn, who should know a thing or two about the popular restaurant.

Remarkably, he’s about to celebrate his 50th year at the iconic eatery, where he’s held pretty much every job title you can imagine.

However, if you ask Gunn, he’ll say that he’s just the “common sense person” who oversees the restaurant’s day-to-day operations, helping managers to be more effective in their duties. “I basically try to help them always treat customers fairly and to get the most out of their employees,” he said humbly.

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Server Jessica Wilcox has worked with Gunn for years.

“He’s really like a father figure to a lot of us here,” she said. “You can always count on Mr. Billy when you need him.” Manager Tiffany Barnett added, “I call Mr. Gunn my ‘work husband.’ I always love working with him because he’s one of the hardest working people you’ll ever meet, and our customers just love him.”

Born and raised in Savannah, Gunn attended Savannah High School, where he graduated in 1958. Shortly thereafter, he enlisted in the National Guard, and when his father died that same year, Gunn assumed his father’s position as printer at the Savannah Morning News after his time in the Guard.

“It was a good job with decent wages, and I had 10 successful years there,” Gunn said. To help make ends meet, Gunn also worked nights at Bill Hilliard’s seafood restaurant on Victory Drive as a part-time bartender.

As luck would have it, Hilliard and his late brother Carey would regularly play cards at the restaurant, and one day in 1968 Carey approached Gunn with a life-changing offer. “He asked me to be his assistant manager,” Gunn recalled. “(Hilliard’s wife) Kathleen was planning to stay 134

Chatham county Living

Throughout the decades, Gunn has marveled at the societal changes that have taken place.

When he began his career at Hilliard’s in the late 1960s, there was still an innocence that permeated the country, which was reflected in the family-friendly restaurant.

home in order to raise their son Timmy (who now runs the company), and he needed to fill her position.”

Interestingly, Gunn refused Hilliard’s offer at first. “I had a nice union job and didn’t want to leave, and the extra money I made from bartending was enough. Then Carey offered to double my pay from both jobs. Well, it took me about three seconds before I called the paper to give my notice,” Gunn said with a laugh, “and I’ve been with the company ever since.”

In fact, Gunn met his wife, Debra, at the restaurant 35 years ago when she was a server. “We had to date in secret since they had a policy that restricted dating among employees. When they found out, she just quit and we got married shortly after that,” he said with a wink.

The location of the first Carey Hilliard’s

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on Skidaway Road was born out of humble yet tenacious beginnings. “It was a small barbecue place that the Hilliards had operated since 1960, but he just ran out of money and had to shut down,” Gunn said.

However, after working in the corporate world for a time, Carey tried his hand again in the restaurant business and the rest, as they say, is history. “I think the (second) location became a success partly because we catered to the churches in the neighborhood. The church folks needed a good place to eat after services were over, and we filled that need,” Gunn said. “And although we served beer and wine (as we do now), we didn’t list it on the menu because we didn’t want to offend our church-going customers.”

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As far as Carey Hilliard is concerned, Gunn said his late mentor taught him just about everything he knows in terms of how to treat co-workers and customers.

“He made everyone feel as if they were special.

He was really great to his employees and would do anything for them. In fact, when the original restaurant burned down, the first thing he thought about was how his employees would pay their bills while the new restaurant was being built,” said Gunn.

The problem was solved when Hilliard rented the nearby Larry’s Restaurant during the construction.

“You see, Carey was raised by his aunt in Odum, Georgia, while his father was a coon hunter who basically lived in the woods. He never once forgot

“You see, Carey was raised by his aunt in Odum, Georgia, while his father was a coon hunter who basically lived in the woods.

He never once forgot where he came from and was grateful for every success that he had. In fact, Carey and I would often go coon hunting with his dad.”

- Billy Gunn where he came from and was grateful for every success that he had. In fact, Carey and I would often go coon hunting with his dad,” Gunn said.

Besides hunting, Gunn’s friendship with the late Hilliard allowed him to experience recreational activities more befitting a jet setter than a hunter.

“Once the restaurants were doing well, Carey and I would regularly take his boat out after work around 2 in the morning,” he said with a laugh.

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“We’d call the Thunderbolt marina and tell them to put his boat in so we could go fishing or water skiing. Then we’d end up at his home on Dutch Island where his wife, Kathleen, would make us breakfast. Mind you, we had to be at work by 9 that morning! It was nice to be young then.” The pair would also vacation together, flying in Hilliard’s private turbo-prop airplane to see Elvis in Las Vegas or to the Bahamas for a spell.

Throughout the decades, Gunn has marveled at the societal changes that have taken place. When he began his career at Hilliard’s in the late 1960s, there was still an innocence that permeated the country, which was reflected in the family-friendly restaurant.

“You have to remember, this was a time where you didn’t lock your doors at night,” Gunn said. “And at Hilliard’s, each table had its own jukebox where you

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would put a dime or quarter in to play the latest hits.

We had cigarette machines and pay-phones in our lobby, things you don’t see too much anymore. From the beginning, though, we always made sure that customers and staff were treated as family, and now it’s no different. You can come in wearing flip-flops and T-shirt or a coat and tie. Either way, we’ll make you feel welcome.”

After all this time, Gunn said he still looks forward to going to work each day. “I once told Carey, who was like a brother to me, that I’d work for him for nothing at all or 50 years. Well, when his plane crashed, I knew I couldn’t work for nothing at all, but I can still work for 50 years. I just respected him so much and how he treated everyone, from the cooks and servers to the customers themselves,” he said. “Personally, I just

After all this time, Gunn said he still looks forward to going to work each day. “I once told Carey, who was like a brother to me, that I’d work for him for nothing at all or 50 years. Well, when his plane crashed, I knew I couldn’t work for nothing at all, but I can still work for 50 years. I just respected him so much and how he treated everyone, from the cooks and servers to the customers themselves,” he said.

love meeting new people and helping them enjoy their experience (at Hilliard’s). I probably spend more time there than with my wife and kids at home.”

In fact, during his long tenure at the restaurant, Gunn said that he’s never once thought about quitting. “I retired one time when I was 65, and they gave me an expensive watch. That lasted for about nine days,” he said. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll just give me a pink slip when I hit the 50-year mark.”

Like his mentor before him, Gunn said he helps the staff understand who the most important people are in the restaurant. “I try to help (the staff) realize that the customer is paying our salary, and every time a customer comes in, they need to treat them as family,” he said. “They should try to be fair with everyone, and watch not only what they say, but how they say it. I find that it’s a great way to live your life as well.”  CCL

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912.224.9313

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Foxy Family

Growing the

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[ Story by Sandra Elliott | Photos by AMANDA ELLIOTT ]

Coffee meets art meets Tex-Mex for a unique “family” of businesses in Savannah

Imagine you are in downtown Savannah, and you are craving not only a great cup of coffee, but also a memorable experience. You wander into The Coffee Fox on Broughton Street and discover a carefully brewed coffee, along with a rather unique menu featuring kolache pastries and the signature Foxy Blend, designated as “rich and sassy for all you foxes!”

It’s then you realize you’ve discovered so much more than coffee. You encounter a group of friendly, knowledgeable

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staff members who not only know what they do each day is special, but also that their extended “Foxy Family” is just as amazing. You instantly realize that your quest for java has led you to a most incredible combination of food, coffee and connection – a memorable start to your day.

What began as a journey to discover why the first of the Foxy family businesses, the Foxy Loxy Cafe, was so successful, has morphed into exploring all of the Foxy businesses: The Coffee Fox, Henny Penny Art Space & Cafe, and the newest member of the family, Fox & Fig Plant Based Cafe.

Meeting and talking with members of the Foxy family team, one discovers that although the family has grown, the personal connection of the individual staff members continues to improve and flourish – something that is palpable to each of their customers.

I started to ask myself, what is the key to the Foxy family success? Just where did the Foxy dream begin?

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How do a Tex-Mex menu and coffee successfully work together?

These were questions I could not have imagined I would be asking until I met Jennifer Jenkins, the founder of Foxy Loxy Cafe and the inspiration for the other businesses. What started out as Jenkins’ dream to bring the best cup of coffee to Savannah has grown into more than she ever imagined. Jenkins and her talented team members have expanded their reach into Savannah with exciting creativity, not only through coffee, but also food, music and fun – an adventure that only seems to improve with time.

Jenkins’ youth as a military brat based in Guam – her father served in the Navy – allowed her to travel to exotic places such as Australia, South Korea and the Philippines. The various locations helped shape her opinions about food, flavor combinations and creative presentation. Jenkins is also a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, having received

Foxy Loxy’s success is based on Jenkins’ careful guiding hand, and her initial disappointment in not being able to “find a quality espresso, properly brewed, or a well-crafted macchiato,” she said. Jenkins knew she did not want to add food, “unless the menu included tacos,” she said with a smile.

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“Tex-Mex is my comfort food, what I grew up eating, Even if we lived outside of Texas, my mom was a true Texan home cook.”

The magic of Foxy Loxy, which opened in September 2011, is more than just the food, coffee and kolache. It is a fascinating combination of the welcoming and friendly Foxy Loxy staff, the eclectic events and local music concerts that take place in the courtyard, and the unique décor and layout. Foxy Loxy is the kind of place that offers its visitors a place to connect, work on their computers, or celebrate life’s victories with friends.

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a Master’s degree in Fine Arts with a background in print-making and fibers. Her distinctive stamp of creativity is evident in every Foxy location – not only in its design, but in the art that decorates the walls.

It was also her roots that influenced the original menu for Foxy Loxy. Both of her parents are Texans, with her mother hailing from Kingsville and her dad from the Dallas area. Jenkins would spend summers in Lake Travis, Texas, and it was there that she grew to love the alluring flavor combinations of Tex-Mex food. “Tex-Mex is my comfort food, what I grew up eating,” she said. “Even if we lived outside of Texas, my mom was a true Texan home cook.”

The name of the cafe is even a nod to her roots. Foxy Loxy, a character in the famous children’s story “Henny Penny,” was also the email address of Jenkins’ maternal grandmother, Tutu.

Foxy Loxy’s success is based on Jenkins’ careful guiding hand, and her initial disappointment in not being able to “find a quality espresso, properly brewed, or a well-crafted macchiato,” she said.

Jenkins knew she did not want to add food, “unless the menu included tacos,” she said with a smile.

The Tex-Mex menu was developed over the business’ first six

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A Sense Of family

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One employee, Mary Grace Comber, now the front of the house manager for Henny Penny, explained her favorite thing about working there. “I have never seen such a combination of professionalism and family atmosphere. There is this amazing sense of family, because we care about each other. But we also bring professionalism to the table, and are able to get the job done effectively,� Comber said.

To grow the Foxy family, Jenkins expanded her inner circle of winning team members. Clay Ehmke is now co-owner and general manager of the most recent Foxy business, Fox & Fig Plant-Based Café.

months, after Jenkins hired Skye Hoyt, a Spanishinfluenced chef who currently co-owns Fork & Dagger. Jenkins believed whole-heartedly that there were many people in Savannah who would understand and even embrace the connection between coffee, Tex-Mex menu items and the Czech-inspired kolache pastries, which are famous in Texas.

The magic of Foxy Loxy, which opened in September 2011, is more than just the food, coffee and kolache. It is a fascinating combination of the welcoming and friendly Foxy Loxy staff, the eclectic events and local music concerts that take place in the courtyard, and the unique décor and layout. Foxy Loxy is the kind of place that offers its visitors a place to connect, work on their computers, or celebrate life’s victories with friends.

Within months of opening of Foxy Loxy, Jenkins was surprised with an offer from a loyal out-of-town customer, who frequently visited Foxy when he was in Savannah. Jenkins recalled her surprise when the man walked up to the counter and let her know that he wanted to be part of the growth of the Foxy Loxy concept. His idea included expanding the coffee concept closer to the center of downtown Savannah. The perfect location, on Broughton Street, became available and The Coffee Fox opened in December 2012.

To grow the Foxy family, Jenkins expanded her inner circle of winning team members. Clay Ehmke is now co-owner and general manager of the most recent Foxy business, Fox & Fig PlantBased Café. Ehmke, who has been a vegan for six years, moved from Austin, Texas, and opened The Collins Quarter, but is now with Fox & Fig. After

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Lee said she loves being a part of the Foxy family and its recent growth. She believes their menu items offer something for everyone, and the selection of vegan baked goods have expanded their reach in the community. “Vegan baked goods actually help to bring out the flavors in the various items they offer,” she said.

joining the team at The Coffee Fox in 2014, which he managed for just over two years, Ehmke served as the front of the house manager of Henny Penny, the Foxy family’s third location, which opened in April 2017.

Jenkins’ winning team also includes her significant other, Markus Kuhlmann. Now the Coffee Fox shift supervisor, local musician Kuhlmann first met Jenkins while he was the drummer for the band The Train Wrecks. Instead of music, these days he devotes his time to The Coffee Fox, and the couple’s now 3 1/2-year-old child Ison, aka “Baby Fox.” Anjel Lee, the bakery manager and co-owner of Henny Penny’s bakery, joined the team in 2013 as baker at the Foxy Loxy location. Lee initially worked the night shift, since the kitchen was used during the day to prepare food for the Tex-Mex menu served at Foxy Loxy. Now, Lee and her team of bakers operate seven days a week, and the bakery serves all of the Foxy businesses.

Lee said she loves being a part of the Foxy

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family and its recent growth. She believes their menu items offer something for everyone, and the selection of vegan baked goods have expanded their reach in the community. “Vegan baked goods actually help to bring out the flavors in the various items they offer,” she said. Lee added that she loves working out of the Henny Penny space. “I feel our cafe has just popped out of Pinterest,” she said, referring to the charming décor and layout.

Indeed, the art space, managed by Scribble Art Studio’s Casey Gainey, complements the food.

Scribble Art, whose main location is at 37th and Abercorn streets, offers art kits and special art programs for kids of all ages right there in Henny Penny’s cafe.

In visiting each of the four Foxy businesses, there was a tangible and engaging sense of family.

Customers and Foxy team members seemed deeply content to be in that particular space, and the palpable connection among all of them was authentic and quite satisfying.

One employee, Mary Grace Comber, now the front of the house manager for Henny Penny, explained her favorite thing about working there. “I have never seen such a combination of professionalism and family atmosphere. There is this amazing sense of family, because we care about each other. But we also bring professionalism to the table, and are able to get the job done effectively,” Comber said.

There is definitely something special about the Foxy family, both in terms of the unique businesses themselves as well as the family of employees who work at each location. Although separate, each café is uniquely “Foxy.” Jenkins wouldn’t have it any other way.  CCL

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Hello

I

In June, the Chamber presented our fourth Sip & Savor/Casino Night. More than 200 people attended this fun filled event. We had samples of great wine, whiskey, vodka and then…the fun began at the tables.

Great prizes were given away to our top winners. Food from Savannah Bell Catered Affairs, music by Five Point Productions and sponsors, Comcast Business, WRHQ, WJCL, The Ayres Group made this evening a success.

Preparation has already begun for our August Economic Outlook Luncheon. Economically, we will be looking into Pooler’s past, present, and what the future opportunities for our wonderful city. In

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from YOUR Pooler Chamber of Commerce.

September, the City of Pooler will hold the annual Patriot Weekend, at the park on Rogers Street. The weekend will include, music, vendors, great food, rides for the younger attendees prior to ending the evening with a “bang” at the fireworks display. Coming in September and the location is TBD,will be the “First” Pooler Food Truck Festival. In October, the Pooler Chamber will host the 2nd Pooler Day Festival, location and date TBD. These opportunities will provide great family fun days. Stay tuned for more information.

At the Pooler Chamber of Commerce, we are dedicated to providing leadership to companies and making your business a priority. Through networking

events, fundraisers, workshops, and other activities, all with a target of connecting local business owners and meeting the needs of its members. Our purpose is to provide quality service, improve economic development, while protecting and promoting our member businesses in the local community.

With our team of professionals, we can help shine the spotlight on your business and can give it the attention it deserves. Perhaps you have a business that needs effective advertising, or maybe you want to create an avenue for more networking opportunities? The Chamber is here to assist you in many avenues.

The Chamber cares about the community and businesses. Each month, we spotlight a business on the billboards along Pooler Parkway, and the billboard at Benton and Pooler Parkway. We want our businesses to “shine”, as well as our community. If you are interested in being on one of the billboards, please call the chamber office at 912-7480110. We will make it happen.

We invite you to visit our website…www.

Poolerchamber.com for information and our facebook page…https://www.facebook.com/ PoolerChamberOfCommerce/ for information on upcoming events, new members and other pertinent information. Please stop by our office for coupons and brochures.

Pam Southard Executive Director

404 US-80, Pooler, GA 31322 (912) 748-0110 poolerchamber.com Hometown Living At Its Best

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STORY BY

David Pena

PHOTOS BY

More Than Words Photography by Beanna Readon

Doing More Than His Fair Share As Chief Operations Officer for Senior Citizens, Inc., Michael Solomon dedicates his time to giving something back to the community.

F

For Michael Solomon, giving back to his community has always been a given, so when a job promotion brought him to Savannah with no friends or family nearby, his next move was a fairly obvious one. “I really didn’t know a soul,” he explains, “but one thing I did know was the United Way.” Solomon began volunteering with the organization immediately after settling into his new position at Suntrust’s regional headquarters, utilizing his background in corporate banking with his responsibilities at the nonprofit. “I’ve always felt that everyone has a responsibility to give their fair share back,” says Solomon, who is now the Chief Operations Officer for Senior Citizens, Inc. “I learned this from my family at a very young age. That ‘fair share’ can be defined in different ways to different people, and different things drive people. However, whether it was (during his stint) as a banker or in my current position at SCI, I’ve always felt a need to help others in any way I could.”

Originally from LaGrange, Georgia, Solomon became very involved with United Way while still working for Suntrust in his hometown. “The president of United Way back home is a good friend of my family,” he says. “It’s always made me feel really great to give back in some way, and (my involvement with) United Way has allowed me to do just that.” After moving to Savannah, Solomon says he felt at home

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with the organization, soon becoming a member of the Board of Directors and working with Community Investments, specifically the Health and Wellness Panel.

Being a member of the board for United Way proved to be quite beneficial, as it gave Solomon a unique perspective of all the local agencies, including his future employer, Senior Citizens, Inc. “A friend of mine was on the board for SCI, so they asked me to join their board as well,” he recalls. “I ultimately agreed to because anyone who knows me can tell you that I don’t do anything half-way; when I commit to something, I actually do it.” Solomon explains that what drew him to the nonprofit was its reputation as a ‘second to none’ agency in addition to its president’s drive. “I had also heard about (SCI President) Patti Lyons’ reputation, which speaks for itself. SCI is one of the best nonprofits in the Coastal Empire, and it’s mainly due to her vision and diligence.” Once Solomon arrived for his board orientation, he took part in a meal route and began to get acquainted with the inner workings of the organization, meeting with some of its Program Directors. “Patti then mentioned that their Chief Operating Officer position was open, and after a few more discussions, I told her I was interested,” he recalls. When Lyons offered him the job, Solomon says he was immediately faced with a difficult choice:

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continue his work as a corporate banker or venture into the nonprofit world. “I accepted her offer and made the absolute right decision,” he says. “Now I get a chance to help someone every single day. I get to change their lives, but the reality of the situation is that they change mine more. I’ve been with SCI for a little over a year, and it has truly been a phenomenal experience.” As far as Patti Lyons is concerned, she feels extremely pleased with her decision as well. “I saw Michael’s compassion for those who want to get the most out of life, for their 162

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entire lives. He also brought experience in the area of operations, so he was the perfect fit. Plus, he’s just a great person to work with each day.”

Deb Thompson, Chief Business Development Officer, echoes Lyons’ sentiments, adding, “Michael is an incredible team builder. With his background in the banking world, he has a great understanding of how to run an organization efficiently and effectively.

But it’s really not about the dollars with Michael; it’s truly about the people. He spends a great deal of his

“Michael is an incredible team builder. With his background in the banking world, he has a great understanding of how to run an organization efficiently and effectively. But it’s really not about the dollars with Michael; it’s truly about the people. He spends a great deal of his time working side by side with our volunteers and employees he manages, coaching and mentoring them, which is important to him.”

time working side by side with our volunteers and employees he manages, coaching and mentoring them, which is important to him.”

Senior Citizens, Inc. is one of a handful of organizations in the country that provides multiple services for the aged. “We call it ‘wrap-around care,’ which encompasses sixteen different services to more than ten thousand older adults across four counties,” says Thompson. “It doesn’t just involve a singular service like Meals on Wheels, for instance; we actually provide almost every type of support that one might need at an advanced age.

Our mission is to help people age successfully. We are the umbrella organization for anyone to contact when they have to make (those) critical decisions about their future.” There are numerous programs and services that SCI provides, which include the Meals on Wheels program, a Senior Companion program, the Learning Center and Comprehensive In-Home Care services. In addition, the nonprofit also operates three neighborhood centers in Thunderbolt, Port Wentworth and Liberty County as well as two adult Daytime Care Centers.

Thompson says that it takes the combined efforts of over 70 employees and hundreds of volunteers to make it all work. “We could not do what we do without the help of hundreds of volunteers. For example, we deliver about 1800 meals a day, and you cannot do that across four counties without volunteers who generously give of their time. It’s really mind-boggling when you think about the number of lives that we touch on a daily basis,” she says.

The organization was founded nearly sixty years ago by one man, Harley (Nippy) Morrison, who simply wanted to help his fellow neighbors. “He happened to notice that some of his coworkers were not eating, so he got together with a handful of volunteers to start providing lunches for them,” explains Thompson. “Then it branched out to (others in) the community. Now almost sixty years

later, we have expanded to meet the increasing needs of the growing older adult population. In fact, SCI has actually become a national benchmark for the range of services that we provide. We just completed our first capital campaign in our history and will be adding on to our facilities and increasing our capabilities as a result.” By the year 2025, the organization plans to double its current capacity and serve 20,000 older adults. “We’re really thrilled about our tremendous growth.

It’s truly because of Patti Lyons’ vision, as well her willingness to bring in people like Michael, who are from ‘outside the box’ of the nonprofit community, to help us reach new heights.”

For Solomon, he says that the opportunity to give Hometown Living At Its Best

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For Solomon, he says that the opportunity to give something back has always been the impetus that has driven him to succeed. “At SCI, all of us own the responsibility of giving our fair share back, and as a result, we get to make a difference every single day by helping seniors who may not have anyone else,” he says. “It’s not just a meal; it might be the only socialization or wellness check that a particular senior will get. Personally what has always driven me is being able to help people who truly need it. I mean, how many of us have the opportunity to do that? I’m just so fortunate because every day I get that chance through my work with SCI.”

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something back has always been the impetus that has driven him to succeed. “At SCI, all of us own the responsibility of giving our fair share back, and as a result, we get to make a difference every single day by helping seniors who may not have anyone else,” he says. “It’s not just a meal; it might be the only socialization or wellness check that a particular senior will get. Personally what has always driven me is being able to help people who truly need it. I mean, how many of us have the opportunity to do that? I’m just so fortunate because every day I get that chance through my work with SCI.” If you are interested in getting involved with Senior Citizens, Inc., or want more information about the nonprofit, please visit their website at www.seniorcitizensinc.org.  CCL

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Story by Tera Jones Photos by Two Crafty Cats Photography and Simply Southern Photography

I would love for this unusual dress project to inspire people to be creative, think outside the box, and see items laying around their house in a different way. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money or need to be super crafty or creative to create a masterpiece of your own. Have fun with it, experiment and try something unique.

Tera Jones (Unusual Dress Project Creator, Designer, Photographer) I am the owner of Two Crafty Cats Photography. I started taking photos professionally about seven years ago. In the beginning I focused on kids and family portrait photography, but started to work more creatively with models in 2017. I’m always looking to come up with unique ideas and themes for photo shoots.

While out one day I saw a dress that was made of a bunch of artificial flowers, I sent a picture to a friend/model and said I’d love to make a dress like this. The cost of artificial flowers is pretty expensive so I started looking for alternatives. I had made paper flowers in the past, so I thought I could use that instead. While looking for other ideas, we found dresses made out of unusual items that we really liked. We were going to do a whole series on the dresses. I mentioned it to another model and she loved the idea and wanted to create a dress of her own. We decided to see if other models would

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“I was extremely excited...�

I joined the Unusual Dress Project in order to creatively expand and explore the world of fashion design. As a local professional seamstress, I was extremely excited by the opportunity to create dresses out of everyday materials. I believe this project ignited an otherwise dormant flame of creativity and has since inspired me to create more dresses out of unusual materials.

[ Megan Williams ]

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be interested too and we received a great response and decided to start the project. Some models admitted to not being very crafty or artistic at the start of the project, but they gave it a try and realized that they are more creative than they had previously thought. It’s been a fun project and we’ve all helped each other make this project a success.

I would love for this unusual dress project to inspire people to be creative, think outside the box, and see items laying around their house in a different way.

You don’t have to spend a bunch of money or need to be super crafty or creative to create a masterpiece of your own. Have fun with it, experiment and try something unique.

Leslee Brown (Paper flower and leaf dress) I am a huge fan of shows like project runway, so when I heard about the unusual dress project I was all in. I thought it was really cool to see the drafts up to the finished product. The dresses made a lot of progress in a short amount of time. My favorite part of the process was definitely the shoot itself. It was such an amazing and creative atmosphere. As a model it is really important to me to be able to step outside of the box, but this went above and beyond.

Vanessa Tedder (Shopping bag dress) For my project I chose to think outside the box and went with plastic bags. I wanted to recycle the bags I had at home and try to be as original as possible.

I knew it wasn’t going to be prefect or the greatest dress but I put my artistic hat on and I am really proud that it turned out awesome!!

Miranda Clifton (Paint Swatches Dress) When Tera and I collaborated to do this project I knew I had to do something colorful and unique. Paint swatches (sorry Home Depot) were the best way to bring springtime and Earth Day together all in one.

I had such a blast making the dress and modeling, I can’t wait for next year’s Unusual Dress Project.

Megan Williams (Tarp dress) I joined the Unusual Dress Project in order to creatively expand and explore the world of fashion design. As a local professional seamstress, I was extremely excited by the opportunity to create dresses out of everyday materials. I believe this project ignited an otherwise dormant flame of creativity and has since inspired me to create more dresses out of unusual materials.

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Sarah Cuda (Hair/makeup artist) I love pushing myself creatively when I have the chance, and this project was perfect for that.

Molly Dow (age 17) (Cardboard & newspaper dress) I have always enjoyed dress designing since the time I was small, and would like to continue it with my ultimate goal being to get into SCAD in the fall of 2019. I immediately had the dress drawn out. The lack of time and lack of materials made it a fast-paced and fun project. I was so happy with it and excited to get into the photo shoot. Being a certified model from Barbizon, I was anxious to put my skills to the test. I was happy to see everything come together, have my goals accomplished, and have some fun along the way.

Alexis Lorbecki (VHS tape dress) I really enjoyed being a part of the unique dress project. I am very thankful Tera asked me to model one of the dresses she created. My favorite part of the shoot was being able to hang out with everyone there. It’s nice to have people in your life who are kind and supportive and share the same interests as you. I think we all did a great job coming together and making the shoot a fun and successful one.

Models & Dresses Model: Alexis Lorbecki (www.alexislorbecki.com) VHS Tape Dress Design and creation: Tera Jones @ www.facebook. com/twocraftycats Hair/makeup: Kathleen Duvall Model: Megan Williams (www.megmodel.com) Blue Tarp Dress Design and creation: Megan Williams @ www. facebook.com/creationsbymegwilliams Hair/makeup by: Sarah Cuda Model: Bella Betters (age 6) Princess Book Dress Design and creation: Tera Jones @ www.facebook. com/twocraftycats Hair/makeup: Sarah Cuda Model: Leslee Brown (www.instagram.com/ thissgirlleslee) Paper Flower and Leaf Dress.

Design and creation: Tera Jones @ www.facebook. com/twocraftycats Hair/makeup by: Kathleen Duvall

Model: Lane Swanson (www.facebook.com/ uniquelylane) Book Feather Dress Design and creation: Lane Swanson Hair/makeup by: Kathleen Duvall Model: Vanessa Tedder Plastic Shopping Bag Dress Design and creation: Vanessa Tedder Hair/makeup by: Kathleen Duvall Model: Julia Wadman Paper Clip Dress Design and creation: Megan Williams @ www. facebook.com/creationsbymegwilliams Hair/makeup by: Kathleen Duvall Model: Miranda Clifton (https://mclifton328.wixsite. com/model) Paint Sample Dress Design and creation: Miranda Clifton Hair/makeup by: Sarah Cuda Model: Molly Dow Cardboard & Newspaper Dress Design and creation: Molly Do Hair/makeup by: Sarah Cuda Model: Leila Beasley (age 7) Coffee Filter Dress Design and creation: Tera Jones @ www.facebook. com/twocraftycats Hair/makeup by: Sarah Cuda Model: Haven Dixon (age 10) Pokemon Card Dress Design and creation: Tera Jones @ www.facebook. com/twocraftycats Hair/makeup by: Sarah Cuda Makeup & Hair Kathleen Duvall: www.facebook.com/ kathleenanneartistry Sarah Cuda: https://hairyougosalon.com/ Photographers Tera Jones: www.twocraftycatsga.wixsite.com/photo or www.facebook.com/twocraftycats Meredith Ball: www.facebook.com/ssouthernphoto or https://simplysouthernphot9.wixsite.com/ simplysouthernphoto  CCL

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The Savannah Area Dart Association is competing in eight divisions ranging from novice to expert and share a love for playing the numbers.

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Story by Stephen Prudhomme

Photos by Dream Weaver Photos

Men and women, young and old, athletic and nonathletic, all share a quest for hitting specific numbers and a circle, measuring about the size of a half dollar, on a board. Standing a little more than seven feet away and armed with pointed projectiles, the difference between a good throw and an errant one, quite often, is a millimeter or less.

They ply their avocation in one of the largest organizations of its kind in the country, the Savannah Area Dart Association (SADA), competing in eight divisions ranging from novice to expert and chasing tons, bulls and trip 20s. Playing the numbers takes on a whole new meaning with these modern day William Tells, called "archers" in darts parlance, featuring a quick, smooth throwing style that points to productive board meetings.

Joe Efter's darting prowess has offered him the opportunity to compete against some of the top players in the world. Efter, 50, is a member of Steel Bad, which plays in the top A Division of SADA. According to SADA president and fellow competitor Steve Sweeney, Efter is the best player in a league of about 600 competitors.

Efter has had plenty of time to hone his skills, "falling in love" with the sport when he first started playing in 1988. Remarking he was a natural at the game, Efter had plenty of excellent competition as he played in leagues and luck of the draw tournaments. And when he wasn't competing, Efter was practicing.

Men and women, young and old, athletic and nonathletic, all share a quest for hitting specific numbers and a circle, measuring about the size of a half dollar, on a board. Standing a little more than seven feet away and armed with pointed projectiles, the difference between a good throw and an errant one, quite often, is a millimeter or less.

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Success in darts, Sweeney said, comes down to practice and developing a good throwing motion. “It’s keeping your wrist in the same way and lots of focus,” he said. “You can’t let anything bother you. You have to put in the time and practice darts. That’s how you get better.”

Efter eventually moved up to the American Darts Organization (ADO) tournament circuit in the Northeast. In 2006, he qualified for the World Series of Darts and played Dennis Priestly, ranked 11th in the world.

"I lost the match 6-1, but no matter the score, to make it there was awesome," said Efter, who is married and has three children. Since spring 2016, Efter, ranked 22nd in the ADO, competed in the Singles Cricket Championship in Las Vegas, the 501 Singles Championship and East-West All Stars match in Stamford, Conn., and the Winmau World Masters National Qualifier in Cleveland.

Competition in the SADA is quite different than what he's used to, Efter said, but he's adjusting well to the format and the new faces. He remarked it's a challenge to play at a high level when you don't know the players. Efter said he likes the way the

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city playoffs are held on one weekend, making all teams compete as hard as they can.

Efter also plays basketball and recently picked up golf, but darts remain his passion. "The thing that I like the most about the sport of darts is that I control my own destiny," said the Massachusetts native, who discovered darts while playing pool. "Competing in tournaments is where I excel. There are so many great players. You have to bring your best. " Efter attributed his success to a desire to succeed, and laser-like focus. "My opinion on this may differ from others, but I think focus is the most important thing when it comes to excelling at darts. Focus is hard to control as it affects your nerves, due to the pressure your opponent puts on you. Control your focus and practice, practice, practice."

Jesse Allen knows all about the benefits of practice. It finally paid off in April when he won the SADA City Championship. He said it was worth the wait. "It's been a milestone I've been chasing for 27 years," said Allen, a member of the A Division Point Stars.

"I can only tell people it's like winning the World Series or a gold medal at the Olympics. It's exhilarating. I felt that I was on top of the world and nobody could touch me."

A native of Savannah who played football and baseball while growing up, Allen became involved with SADA through a friend, Tony Vickery.

He started at the lowest division and worked his way to the top one.

Following each 10-week season, the top two teams from each division move up to the next level, while the bottom two teams move down.

“The friends I have met and will meet make throwing so much fun,” said the Rincon resident, who is married and has a daughter and two granddaughters.

“It’s the competitive spirit that makes it tough and a little trash talking that makes it so much fun and keeps me coming back for more. There isn’t anywhere in Savannah I can go and not see someone from the SADA. It’s the camaraderie and friendliness of the darters that I like. There are people willing to help you learn better strategies and techniques to get better.”

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ABOVE Original founders: Frank Ray, Craig Mathews, Thurman Watts, Kenny Goff, Kirk Hall, Dennis Cooper. They ply their avocation in one of the largest organizations of its kind in the country, the Savannah Area Dart Association (SADA), competing in eight divisions ranging from novice to expert and chasing tons, bulls and trip 20s. Playing the numbers takes on a whole new meaning with these modern day William Tells, called “archers” in darts parlance, featuring a quick, smooth throwing style that points to productive board meetings.

Allen is an enthusiastic participant in the weekly dart matches. He exchanges barbs and jokes with teammates and opponents, and frequently uses colorful language.

"The friends I have met and will meet make throwing so much fun," said the Rincon resident, who is married and has a daughter and two granddaughters.

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"It’s the competitive spirit that makes it tough and a little trash talking that makes it so much fun and keeps me coming back for more. There isn’t anywhere in Savannah I can go and not see someone from the SADA. It’s the camaraderie and friendliness of the darters that I like. There are people willing to help you learn better strategies and

“The thing that I like the most about the sport of darts is that I control my own destiny,” said the Massachusetts native, who discovered darts while playing pool.”

techniques to get better."

SADA president Sweeney was a judo champ in the Marines and dabbled in darts. He retired after 20 years and moved with his family to Ridgeland, S.C., and started a handyman business. Sweeney started playing darts again and said he thought he was pretty good until he played in the annual Savannah Open. "They beat me hands down," said the genial Sweeney, who possesses a distinctive and contagious laugh. "I saw the light."

Unfortunately, he saw less light after being struck in the eye with a golf ball and being left with blurry vision. But that wasn't going to deter the competitive 56-year-old, one of seven children adopted by a career Marine officer who would make them run 3 miles on the way to judo practice. "He was hardcore," Sweeney said.

Sweeney started out in the C Division of SADA and eventually moved up to the A Division. He plays for the Point Stars, which won the City Championship in April.

Sweeney said he likes the competition and the camaraderie. "It's great to see good people," he said. As to having only one good eye in a sport where vision is especially crucial, Sweeney said he's learned how to adjust. "I focus with one eye," he said.

Success in darts, Sweeney said, comes down to practice and developing a good throwing motion. "It's keeping your wrist in the same way and lots of focus," he said.

"You can't let anything bother you. You have to put in the time and practice darts. That's how you get better."  CCL

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Index of Advertisers A Vintage View Market …….................................…………………. 175

Habersham House …......................................……………………. 121

Alligator Soul ……………………...........................................…. 22-23

Hospice Savannah ……………........................................…………. 78

Anatomic Excellence, LLC ……............................…………………. 176

Innovative Orthodontics ……………………......................…. 129, 143

Andy’s Lawn Machinery ……………...............................…………. 167

Marche De Macarons ………....................................………………. 92

Camping World ………............................................………………. 131 More Than Words Photography ……………...................…………. 120 Carey Hilliard’s …………............................................……………. 159

Optim Pain Management ……………………........................…. 32-33

Caring Man in a Van …………….....................................…………. 177 Planters Inn ………………….............................................……. 62-63 Case Veterinary Hospital ………….............................……………. 167

Pooler Chamber of Commerce …………............……………. 154-155

Catnip ‘N Biscuits & At Home Pet Sitters …………….....…………. 177

Pooler Day Spa ……………..............................................…………. 77

Chatham Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, P.C. …………….…………. 143

Pooler Pharmacy ……….........................................………………. 158

City Market ……………..................................................…………. 165

Pooler Plastic Surgery ….....................................……………………. 9

Coastal Canvas Products ……………............................…………. 107

Quick RX Drugs ……………............................................…………. 117

Coastal ENT …………….............................................…………. 60-61

Rebecca Galloway Photography ….....................................……. 175

Coldwell Banker Commercial …………..................……………. 48-49

Renewal MD ………................................................………………. 6-7

Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners ……………..............…………. 95

Ryan Lee Photography ……………................................…………. 140

Coldwell Banker Platinum Partners - Alex Canfield ……….…. 34-35

Salacia Salts / Cari Clark ……............................…………………. 165

Counter Fitters …...............................................……………………. 79 Savannah Cigars Inc. …………..................................……………. 159 Country Financial ……….....................................………………. 20-21

Savannah Commons ...................................………………………. 105

Dental Designs of Savannah ….........................……………………. 80

Savannah Floor Covering Co., Inc ……………................…………. 157

Dream Weaver Photos ………….................................……………. 130

Savannah Framing Company, Inc. ……...............…………………. 118

Dream Weaver Photos 3D Virtual Tours ……...................……….. 166

Savannah Pain Management …........................……………………. 91

Duffy & Feemster, LLC ……………..............................…………. 46-47 Savannah Square …………............................................……………. 1 Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates of Savannah, PC …......………. 104 St. Joseph’s/Candler Immediate Care ……………..…….........…. 158 Endodontic Associates of Savannah …………………….....…. 93, 142

St. Andrew’s School ………………………................ Inside Back Cover

Enmarket ……….......................................................………………. 94 Stein Accounting, CPA …….................................…………………. 176 Fyzical Dizziness & Fall Prevention Centers ................................. 61

The Center for Digestive & Liver Health ……………........…………. 2-3

Galloway & Galloway A Professional Corporation ……………..... 156

Tracy E. Durham DDS P C ……………....................…………. 142, 157

Galloway & Galloway Attorneys at Law ………....... Inside Front Cover

Visit Pooler ………..........................................………………. 154-158

Georgia Dermatology & Skin Cancer Center ………………………. 174

Whelan Chiropractic ……....................................…………………. 177

Georgia Southern University ………………….......……. 81, Back Cover

Yates-Astro Termite & Pest Control ………………..............………. 174

Godley Station ………………….....................................……. 142-143

Zaxby’s …………........................................................……………. 119

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