History, Mystery and Stuff That Goes Bump in the Night

When I was a kid, my grandmother lived in an old farmhouse with her two bachelor brothers. The elder of the two, Uncle Charles, delighted in telling us kids that an undertaker had once owned the house, and that someone had killed themselves in one of the front upstairs bedrooms.

The house, which was about 100 years old then, had all sorts of creaks and dark corners – perfect for terrorizing a skittish five year-old. Throw in an electrical storm, with its thunder reverberating through the surrounding hills, and I was a complete basket case. My mother must have loved it.

As a teenager, my bedroom was in the basement at the far end of the house. On nights when I had watched a particularly scary episode of “The Twilight Zone” or “Night Gallery,” I had a special drill for getting safely from one end of the house to the other.

I would turn on all the lights between the stairs and my room. After turning on the lights in my room I would backtrack, turning off the lights between safety and certain peril. Sometimes I’d whistle, just to ward off any malevolent beings that might be lurking behind the water heater.

These days it takes a bit more than a gruesome TV show or movie to give me the Heebie-jeebies. But there are times, when the night is especially dark and the house is especially quiet, that I can–and sometimes do–let my imagination get the best of me.

Truth is, people love a good ghost story. And no matter where you go, there are plenty of stories waiting to be told.
Jenny Strauss has been sharing tales of “the history and mystery” of the Golden Isles for the past six years, during evening ghost tours in the St. Simons Island Village. The tours begin at 9:00, at the foot of the St. Simons Island fishing pier. After a brief welcome and introduction, Jenny leads her groups on a 90-minute journey through the past.

Along the way, she shares the tales that have been handed down through the generations: of the ghost ship that plies the waters of St. Simons Sound, a disagreement that ended in murder, and the young millionaire who built a church as a memorial to his bride. Visitors learn of the Indian village that once occupied a dark and quiet portion of Mallery Park, and of the mysterious spirits that dwell among the crooks and boughs of live oak trees throughout the island.

The legends are mesmerizing, and after awhile you begin to notice sights, sounds and smells you might ignore under different circumstances. “Was that pipe tobacco I smelled in the parlor?” you ask yourself. “Did you see something move through the shadows? Did I hear someone say, ‘Get out of my house’?”

Jenny says that’s not at all unusual. “I wasn’t a believer until I began doing these tours,” she says. “I’m constantly hearing from people who have seen, felt, heard or smelled the things I’ve described. It’s especially interesting when people mention new encounters with ghostly beings.”

Jenny offers two different tours from March through October: the “Ghost Walk” tour and the “Ghost Encounter” tour. The latter includes a stop at the St. Simons Lighthouse and the keeper’s dwelling. “The people at the lighthouse offered to make it available for the tour and I couldn’t pass it up,” she explains. “It has been very, very popular and it adds a really special element to the tour.”

During October, Jenny will offer the “Ghost Encounter” tour on Saturday nights. Tickets are available at St. Simons Island Bait and Tackle on Mallery Street; or they may purchased prior to the beginning of the tour. Jenny also will do private ghost tours for groups of 10 or more. For information, visit www.ghostwalkofstsimons.com or call Jenny at 638-2756.

September 11

It has been a long time since I've posted anything here. 

Not that there hasn't been lots of interesting stuff going on; more about that later -- especially the ongoing saga of the downtown jail that doesn't want to move and the County Commissioners who refuse to budge.

Rather, I want to acknowledge the anniversary of those terrible events that took place seven years ago in New York, Washington DC and Pennsylvania. 

It was a beautiful fall day here on the Georgia coast, just as it was elsewhere along the eastern seaboard. As I began my day, preparing for a meeting, there was no inkling of the tragedy that was yet to come. 

The scenes on television, of the first jet crashing into the World Trade Center, were unbelievable. Subsequent scenes of the second, third and then fourth crashes were inconceivable, as were the images of the towers' collapse. "When will it end?" I asked myself. "Is this the end?"

Suddenly, my problems became insignificant. I was afraid, for my family and friends and for mankind as a whole. The world seemed to become a quieter place, albeit a lot scarier. I was on hyper-alert during the drive home. I began to notice others, especially those who were different. Anything that seemed even remotely out of the ordinary became suspect.

It was a long time before things started to feel "normal" again. A long time before I would even consider getting on a commercial jet, a long time before I could watch the movie about those brave souls aboard Flight 93. A long time before I could look at people from the Middle East and not wonder ...

It's hard to believe it's been seven years. I learned a lot from the events of September 11, about myself, what's important and what's not. Many other tragedies have befallen us since then.

Innumerable words will be said, thoughts expressed and prayers offered today. Most will be far more eloquent than anything I could come up with.

The Rev. Kerry Nelson is pastor of Covenant Lutheran Church in Houston, TX. He writes a daily devotion that more often than not hits me right where I live. Today's devotion is no exception. You can read it here.

All I can say is, Thank God for heroes, for life, love and amazing, amazing grace.

Way to go, Johnny!

Harry Kicklighter says it should have happened long ago. I, and probably thousands of Jekyll Island golfers, would have to agree.

Kicklighter was referring to his friend and colleague, Johnny Paulk, who will be inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in January. The announcement appeared in this morning's Brunswick News. 

Paulk was among the very first people on Jekyll Island with whom I worked after moving here in August 1998. JIA was planning a celebration in recognition of 100 years of golf on the island. The event was to be a blowout, complete with a tournament (played in costume with hickory shaft clubs and gutta percha balls) and dinner at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. 

I had the pleasure and privilege of working with Johnny to help plan the media tour for the event. I haven't worked directly with Johnny for several years. Yet every time I run into him it's as though I just saw him five minutes ago.

No one would argue that Johnny is Mr. Jekyll Island golf. He came to the island in 1968, when the current golf clubhouse and courses were being built. As head pro and director of golf--positions he held until 2006--he helped organize hundreds (thousands?) of golf events for visiting business groups, associations and other organizations. 

The most well-known of these is the annual Georgia-Florida Invitational, which brings scores of golfers to Jekyll Island for several days of fun and fellowship prior to the big game in Jacksonville. 

His contributions to golfdom aren't limited to the coast, however. 

Since 1979, Paulk has served as an announcer at the Masters in Augusta. He began as a greenside announcer at the ninth hole, and moved to the 18th hole in 1998. There, he has had a front seat view to some of golf's greatest finishes. 

Paulk says the Georgia-Florida and The Masters are "two highlights" of a long and distinguished career, one that has not gone unnoticed.

In 2007 he was presented with a "Faithful Service Award" by Gov. Perdue. In 2003 he received the Georgia PGA's first "President's Award" for service and contributions to the game. That same year, the state senate passed a resolution making March 27 "Johnny Paulk Day" in Georgia. Other kudos have included the "Governor's Award" in 1985, three Georgia PGA "Public Merchandiser of the Year" awards, and a "National Merchandiser of the Year" award from PGA of America, as well as two Georgia PGA Eastern Chapter "Golf Professional of the Year" awards and a southeast region "Professional of the Year" award from Spalding.

They say that behind every successful man is a woman, and Johnny Paulk will be the first to tell you that's true. His wife, Virginia, has been at his side every step of the way and she is as well known and beloved among golfers as he.

Even though he has retired as Jekyll Island's director of golf, Johnny isn't resting on his laurels. He can be found most days in his office at the Jekyll Island golf clubhouse, where he continues to manage the pro shop retail operation and organizes golf tournaments.

Kicklighter, the current director of golf, says that people expect to see Johnny when they come to play golf on Jekyll Island, and that they worry when he's not there. That aspect -- the thousands of friendships created over a 41-year career -- is Paulk's greatest legacy.

Congratulations, Johnny and Virginia. You deserve it.

So long, old friend. Godspeed.

If things have gone as planned this morning, Dylan the sea turtle has been returned to the wild and is (I hope) happily exploring her new home in the waters off Jekyll Island. I suspect she had plenty of friends to see her off and wish her well.

Dylan's release marks the end of a chapter in a story that began 10 years ago, about the same time I came to the Georgia coast. She and a sibling, Bob, were rescued as hatchlings and were being cared for at what was then Coastal Encounters Nature Center (now Tidelands Nature Center). Cathy Tobler and Georgia Graves, who ran the center, were among the first people I met. (I still run into Georgia here and there on the island -- hi, Georgia!)

Dylan responded very well to the care and attention, which was considerable. She grew so much, in fact, that she was moved briefly from Jekyll Island to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta where she made thousands of new friends, aquatic and human. She returned to Jekyll Island last May, as one of the first residents of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. 

Her residency was not intended to be permanent. Rather, the staff at the Sea Turtle Center began preparing Dylan for life on her own, independent of humans. When her carapace, or upper shell, reached more than 50 centimeters long and she could hunt and capture live food, it was determined that she was ready.

Thus began the preparations for her release. Newspapers throughout Georgia and, I presume, the rest of the country have been telling Dylan's tale in preparation for this day, which has been called "bittersweet" in some headlines. There were even rumors that ABC's "Good Morning America" would be covering the event. 

In this day of what seems to be a never-ending stream of bad, depressing or simply depraved news stories, it's nice to read a story that has some heart and soul.

I wasn't there for Dylan's release, just as I wasn't there when she was rescued. Nonetheless, I and countless others, have some connection with this magnificent creature. 

Take care, Dylan. Safe travels. God bless you.

If you want to know more about Dylan and her friends at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, just click here. They do great work and are worthy of your support.

Savannah: A not-so-hidden treasure

My friend from Japan, Noriko, visited our family last month. It was a real treat, in that we haven't seen her in 16 years. We met her as a college student, who stayed in our home as part of a cultural exchange program. We've stayed in touch over the years, which strikes me as a not terribly common thing, especially when the participants live in different countries on opposite sides of the world. 

Noriko wanted to visit Savannah while she was here, so we treated ourselves to a road trip. I must say, I haven't been to Savannah just 'for fun' in quite awhile. Last time I was there, it was to attend the annual weiner dog race, which turned out to be something less than fun. 

We began our sightseeing jaunt with lunch in the City Market. If you're not familiar with it, the City Market is cool little enclave of shops, restaurants and galleries, located between River Street and Broughton Street. It's not quite as crowded as the waterfront and definitely worth a visit. 

While she was in Savannah, Noriko wanted to find and photograph the park bench from "Forrest Gump." After asking around (yeah, just paint 'tourist' on my forehead) we determined the bench was located in the Savannah Visitors Center, which was some distance away. We took two pedicabs, which turned out to be a nice way to get from point "A" to point "B." It's a pretty good deal, too, because the 'drivers' work for whatever you're willing to give them. 

We went into the Visitors Center, which is located on MLK Boulevard in the old train station. We learned that the bench was in the museum, which was (conveniently) located in the old train shed. After paying our admission, we proceeded into the museum which was filled with exhibits illustrating various aspects of Savannah history. 

Honestly, given the depth of Savannah's long history, this museum doesn't quite do it justice. I am, however, a tad bit biased having worked for one of the country's best museums.

One thing that intrigued me was the exhibit that showed a dentist's office from 50 or 60 years ago. It brought back memories of visiting my aunt's dentist near Claysburg, PA as a small child. Same ominious-looking chair, implements of dental torture and the neat porcelain sink where you got to spit (That was the best part of going to the dentist for me). 

As an aside, I'm not sure I want to know what it means when you visit various scenes from your life in a museum. Hmmmmm.

We found "the bench." It was roped off, of course. God knows we wouldn't want anyone to actually place their butts on the same piece of furniture as Tom Hanks. 

We maneuvered around to try and photograph Noriko with the bench, in such a way as to make it appear that she was sitting on it. Ultimately a rather lame and fruitless effort. So we headed to Chippewa Square, where the scenes were filmed. There, we found a similar bench and took a picture of it. 

We walked around on Broughton Street and visited this very cool store that has imported furniture and stuff from Asia. Can't remember the name of it, but it's in the old Woolworth's Building (I think). One of the women there had a HUGE male St. Bernard -- more childhood memories. 

We visited the shops along River Street and then headed to Forsyth Park to see the fountain. It was the first time I had been back to the fountain since we visited Savannah during our honeymoon 25 years ago. And I've been here in Georgia for ten. Go figure. Anyway, it was beautiful and I managed to get some pretty neat shots including some where the water spray makes kind of a rainbow effect.

It was a great way to spend a spring day, here on the Georgia coast.

Beach Week a great way to learn about our coastal environment

Ever since I was a kid, one of my favorite parts of going to the beach has been collecting seashells and other items washed upon the shore. In my mind there is nothing more impressive than God's handiwork and no better memento of these good times. Intact, unbroken sand dollars or conch shells were among the "holy grail" of shorefront finds. 

Hermit crabs have long been a popular beach souvenir. I remember, as a nine year-old, going to a friend's house and marveling at the hermit crab -- replete with its own plastic hermit crab house -- brought home from the Jersey shore. They're still popular. You can buy your own hermit crab -- and varying sizes of plastic hermit crab homes -- in the village on St. Simons Island.

According to a local ecologist, some of our treasure-seeking may be doing more harm than good.

Jill Andrews, manager of ecological resources at the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, says beachgoers typically make several mistakes when they visit the shore. Among their top mistakes are picking up sand dollars for souvenirs, walking on sand dunes, and taking hermit crabs home for pets.

During DNR's annual Beach Week, Andrews and her colleagues will show why something as simple as taking a sand dollar home as a souvenir can harm our coastal ecosystem. 

Beginning June 30 and continuing through July 4 weekend, DNR staffers will set up educational exhibits and informational sites on the beaches of St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island and Tybee Island. The goal of the Beach Week program is to help visitors and local residents understand and appreciate the importance of caring for our beaches and their inhabitants. 

To learn more about the Coastal Resources Division and its programs, visit them online.

Up, Up and Away (in my beautiful naturist airliner)

More news on the recent cancellation of the nude airline flight. 

The Financial Post of Canada reports:

German travel agency nixes nudists' plans

Posted: May 27, 2008, 4:01 PM by Jamie Sturgeon

German nudists seeking to take the experience to the skies had some cold water thrown on their vacation plans last week after their chartered flight to the Baltic Sea island of Usedom was cancelled.

Citing "moral objections" from the media and some negative comments from customers on the company's Web site, online travel agency OssiUrlaub.de terminated what was to be the first of many nudist packages to the island retreat despite being fully booked for the inaugural disrobing. 

The agency aimed the packages at Germans "nostalgic for the naturism that was authorized and extremely popular under communist rule," according to the news Web site, Deutsche Welle.

"In the former East Germany, naturist holidays were a much-loved way of spending the best weeks of the year," the founder of OssiUrlaub.de told dw-world.de. "We want to make that freedom possible above the clouds, too."

The agency has offered a full refund to the 50 customers.

# # #

Wow. Who knew about those crazy East Germans? Perhaps they should consider Jekyll Island. It's not 'above the clouds,' but there are plenty of isolated spots along the beach where they could probably enjoy nature as God intended, and few people would notice. 

Did I say that?

Cheers!

Dude, Where Are My Pants?

This has not one single thing to do with the Georgia Coast, but I found it intriguing anyway. And it's my blog. So there.

This just in via Google NewsAlerts:

Nudist German flights scrapped

BERLIN (AFP) — Despite being fully booked by naturists wanting to take off and strip off, a German travel company said Thursday it has decided to scrap a special nude flight that had been scheduled for this summer.

The July 5 flight was due to be the first of many and was aimed at east Germans nostalgic for the naturism that was authorised and extremely popular under communist rule.

But OssiUrlaub.de, the firm organising the service to a picturesque Baltic Sea island, said it has had second thoughts after "moral objections" in the media and from visitors to its Internet portal, a spokesman said.

The 50 people with tickets would have boarded the flight in the eastern city of Erfurt fully clothed, but once on the plane would have been free to undress and enjoy the rest of the journey as nature intended.

They will now receive a full refund as well as a voucher for other products offered by the company, whose core business caters to holidaymakers who keep their clothes on, it stressed.

# # #

There's a lot that intrigues me about this story. First, that "naturism (nudism to us non-Europeans) ... was authorised and extremely popular under communist rule." Really? Wonder why? Perhaps the powers that were figured out that if they let their citizens run around in the nude, they would forget how truly bad life was under an authoritarian regime. 

Then there are the "moral objections." Please. It's not my thing personally (and won't be until I develop a bod like Charles Atlas), but I have a hard time seeing what is immoral about being unclothed. What you choose to do while you're larking about in all your glory may be immoral, but that requires a bit of imagination now, doesn't it?

Perhaps some people need to get their minds out of the gutter.

Finally -- and this is truly a niggling point -- the writer notes that after the plane is airborne, the passengers would have been "free to undress and enjoy the rest of the journey as nature intended." 'Zat so? Being enclosed several miles in the air inside a large metal cylinder with wings seems to go against nature.

Then again, what do I know?

There once was a handsome young dude

who liked to fly in the nude ...

Oh never mind.

We're not in Kansas ...

... but you might have thought so Mother's Day afternoon.

A "small" tornado (relatively speaking, they think it was an F1) crossed the marsh from Brunswick and came onto St. Simons Island up around Sea Palms. There was a lot of damage, though most of it seemed to be tree-related. From what I read in the paper, no buildings were destroyed on the island.

Not the case in Darien, about 20 miles north of us. There, several large buildings were destroyed including a shelter for women and  children. Thankfully, there were no deaths or serious injuries.

Tornadoes are nothing new to me, having grown up in the midwest. My hometown, in fact, was struck by seven tornadoes in one evening back in 1980. People were killed and many, many homes and businesses were destroyed. It made a huge impact on the town and the people who lived there -- whether they suffered directly or not.

There is a big difference, however, between life on St. Simons Island and on the prairie. 

Except for the marshes, much of the island is covered by trees. If a tornado is heading your way, you might not know it until it is practically on top of you. 

Not so in central Nebraska, where you can see storms coming from miles away. There, you can watch them from a safe distance (my wife would say the safest distance in that situation would be in another galaxy.)

Another difference -- and this is a HUGE one -- is that there is no reliable early warning system in place here in Glynn County. Many cities and towns in the midwest -- and here in Georgia -- have sirens to warn of approaching storms and other dangerous conditions.

According to the Brunswick News, Glynn County has a system -- an emergency "phone tree" of sorts that can dial 60,000 calls in an hour. It was essentially useless, however, on Sunday because the EMA staff "didn't have time to activate the system," according to the EMA director. 

That's not a surprise, but when you think about it that points to a MAJOR WEAKNESS of the program (dubbed the CodeRED System).  Actually, two come to mind:

- People may not be near a phone when "the call" comes in to advise of danger.

- Fast-moving storms (such as tornadoes) can render the system useless. A funnel could be here and gone by the time the first number is dialed.

This doesn't strike me as the best situation, and frankly I wouldn't want to rely on EMA or the local media (radio, in particular) to be of much help. Sunday, our information came from the police scanner which provided a real-time report on things as they happened.

Sirens might not be a bad idea. I hope our intrepid County Commission and staff will give this the attention it deserves. Next time we might not be so lucky.

Gone With the Wind, indeed.

(Thanks to Wayne Rentz for allowing me to post this photo. Had I seen something like this approaching me, I would have been cowering in the closet.)

Fun with Windows

For the past week, I've been dealing with computer stuff.

To keep a long and somewhat complicated story short, we bought a new wireless mouse for the Mrs.' laptop. The software that came with the mouse apparently included a bonus -- a virus! 

Evenings have been spent in Task Manager, stopping rogue processes; running Norton Antivirus (which freezes when it hits the "bad" files); deleting junk files (except of course the "bad" files -- they won't let me erase them. Cute.

I've come to the conclusion that the only way to overcome this sucker is gonna be to reformat the drive and start over from scratch. What a PITA. 

I can think of lots and lots of ways to spend an evening, and this ain't one of 'em.

That brought to mind a collection of "Computer Haikus" that someone sent me years ago. Some of them are actually pretty funny. I suggest you print them out -- or just a few of your favorites -- and post them near your computer. Then, when the little darling starts to give you a hard time, you can pause and reflect.

Order will return. Even if it takes a sledgehammer.

And now, without further ado, Computer Haikus:

Windows NT crashed.

I am the Blue Screen of Death.

No one hears your screams.

------------------------

A file that big?

It might be very useful.

But now it is gone.

------------------------

The Web site you seek

Can not be located but

Countless more exist.

------------------------

Chaos reigns within.

Reflect, repent, and reboot.

Order shall return.

------------------------

ABORTED effort:

Close all that you have worked on.

You ask way too much.

------------------------

Yesterday it worked.

Today it is not working.

Windows is like that.

------------------------

First snow, then silence.

This thousand dollar screen dies

So beautifully.

------------------------

With searching comes loss

And the presence of absence:

"My Novel" not found.

------------------------

The Tao that is seen

Is not the true Tao, until

You bring fresh toner.

------------------------

Stay the patient course.

Of little worth is your ire.

The network is down.

------------------------

A crash reduces

Your expensive computer

To a simple stone.

------------------------

Three things are certain:

Death, taxes, and lost data.

Guess which has occurred.

------------------------

You step in the stream,

But the water has moved on.

This page is not here.

------------------------

Out of memory.

We wish to hold the whole sky,

But we never will.

------------------------

Having been erased,

The document you're seeking

Must now be retyped.

------------------------

Serious error.

All shortcuts have disappeared.

Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

------------------------

She's back ...

Bev the sea turtle is back.

Bev was among a group of sea turtles found on a beach along the Gulf of Mexico last year. According to an article in today's Florida Times-Union, Bev and the others suffered from an illness that prevented them from opening their jaws. Many of the turtles died, but Bev was kept alive by being hand-fed tiny bits of fish at a marine park in Panama City.

Because she was unable to eat normally, it was though that Bev would remain in captivity. Then someone suggested she be sent to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

The GSTC staff worked with Bev, providing physical and behavioral therapy until she could fully open her mouth and eat on her own. Fitted with a radio tracking transmitter, she was returned to the wild in November, from Panama Beach. 

Due to genetic differences between Gulf Coast turtles and those found along the Atlantic, scientists believed Bev would remain in the Gulf. Satellite transmissions showed that to be the case.

Then she 'fell off the radar,' so to speak.

When Bev's signal was detected again, she was found to be swimming off Florida's east coast, heading north with the Gulf Stream. When she reached colder water around the South Carolina border, she headed south again -- right back to Jekyll Island.

Bill Irwin, director of the Sea Turtle Center, says this was completely unexpected and highly unusual. Some scientists think she may have nested previously on Jekyll Island. Irwin says that may be true, given that Bev is behaving that way. They'll know for sure if she shows up on the Jekyll Island beach later this year.

In the meantime, Irwin and his staff will 'keep an eye' on Bev and she meanders about in the marsh behind Jekyll.

Stay tuned.

-- JB

Learn more about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island.

Now What?

In yet another example of "I don't give a shit what you think" representation, our county commissioners voted last evening to pursue eminent domain in their quest for domination of downtown Brunswick. Question now is, will this be another case in which the people have to go to court to have their voices heard?

"Da guys" tried to pull one over on the folks on St. Simons Island a couple of years ago when they voted to give away public land to the local Boys and Girls Club. This generated lots of protests, which the commissioners pooh-poohed. It took a credible threat of legal action to get them to back down.

It appears the gantlet has been thrown for those who believe that expansion of the county jail downtown is a bad idea. And, it has become more complicated. They've said, in effect, "if you don't play, we'll just take your land and go home."

That, in a nutshell, is what eminent domain means. Your government gives itself the right to take your land if it deems fit to do so. Sure, you get paid for the privilege. But it is guaran-freakin'-teed that the compensation you receive won't come anywhere near covering the disruption to your life, your business, etc. Neat, huh?

I went to the protest at the Courthouse last night. There were 'bout 300 folks on hand, making their voices heard, and their viewpoint known. MOVE THE JAIL. It's tempting to say there should have been a lot more, but I'm really not sure it would have mattered. The commissioners' votes were cast long ago. Last night's meeting was just a formality.

So, is it over? I'd like to think not. That being the case, what's next? 

As I see it, this is going to go one of two ways. The people are going to rally and stand up to these bullies in court. Or, they'll skulk away and let 'em have their way. I hope it's the former and not the latter.

Stay tuned.

-- JB

Let's Try This Again...

Defend Downtown Brunswick, LLC has announced that it will stage a protest march outside the Glynn County Courthouse, Thursday April 17 at 5:30 p.m. The march will precede the Glynn Commission's meeting. During that meeting, the commissioners will discuss whether to exercise their power of eminent domain in acquiring property for the proposed jail expansion.

DDB organizers, who have been outspoken foes of the Commission's proposal, claim the event will be the "largest gathering of protestors EVER in Glynn County's history!"

"Our County Commissioners have NOT listened to the voice of the people of Glynn," the group says in an email blast. "We MUST MOVE THE JAIL and we MUST MOVE THE COMMISSIONERS!! If you have an ounce of OUTRAGE at the proposed use of EMINENT DOMAIN by the County Commissioners, then come protest!

Protestors are asked to wear red to show solidarity, and to bring along their "Move the Jail" signs, friends, and family members. According to an article in The Brunswick News, the march will take place "rain or shine." Good thing; the last march was cancelled because of rain.

This issue is important. If you agree, please be sure to join in the march. If you want to know more, visit DDB's website.

-- JB

What's Good for the Goose ...

I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it seems that it has. 

The Jekyll Island Authority has opened the door to discussion of whether private homeowner leases should continue. According to an article in this morning's Georgia Times-Union, JIA will consider the issue of whether to extend resident leases beyond 2049. The State of Georgia extended the Authority's lease in 2007; however, the JIA has not made a decision about whether it will extend private homeowners' leases similarly.

Jekyll Island homeowners and hotel operators* have an interesting situation, in that they own the structure itself (the "bricks and mortar") but NOT the land. They lease the property from JIA, which administers the island for the state. In other words, they are at the mercy of decisions made by the Authority.

The discussion was begun at Monday's Authority meeting, by Finance Committee Chairman Bob Kreuger. He was inspired, the article notes, by Sen. Jeff Chapman who sponsored a bill during the recent legislative session, banning construction of any new permanent residences on the island. 

Residents are claiming retaliation. Others suggest they should have seen it coming, given their outspoken role in challenging new development on the island. They won the beach. Now they're making noises about challenging alternate plans. 

That's their right, of course, and they should stand up for what they believe in. At the same time, though, they might want to carefully consider their battles. Like it or not, new development is probably going to take place on Jekyll Island. 

Sometimes you can have it both ways.

Stay tuned.

JB

* The exception is the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. As part of the National Historic Landmark District, the main clubhouse and other historic hotel structures are owned by the state and leased to the hotel operators.

Barrier, huh?

More bitter irony, from the Georgia Times-Union:

(See "WJDLT" below) 

Alcohol, speeding factor in collision

The lead investigator says a Brunswick woman was at fault.

By Teresa Stepzinski, The Times-Union

BRUNSWICK - Police suspect alcohol and speeding contributed to a head-on collision that killed two people and injured three others, including a child, Monday night on the F.J. Torras Causeway.

WJDLT

It started out as a joke, a recognition of the subtle and not-so-subtle irony that surrounds us each day. Unfortunately, it's no longer funny and the irony has become bitter indeed.

WJDLT. The inspiration came to me one day as I drove the St. Simons Island Causeway. There were the usual drivers in a hurry to get from here to there, tailgating, weaving back and forth between lanes, cutting in and out and generally driving in an aggressive and not-especially-neighborly manner. The humor -- and irony -- came as I noticed some of those vehicles bearing fish (ichthus), rainbows and other symbols of the occupants' Christian faith.

Perhaps they were in a hurry to meet Jesus before everyone else.

This is not to suggest that Christians are the only people who drive badly on the causeway. Far from it. There's no shortage of speeding, tailgating, cutting back and forth between lanes, talking on cell phones, etc. by all sorts of people in all sorts of vehicles. Kind of reminds me of lining up in grade school, when many of the more outgoing students insisted on "me first."

This morning's paper brought news of yet another head-on crash on the causeway, resulting in two deaths and untold grief for the survivors. It was the third such crash in as many months, with a total body count of five.

There has been a lot of talk about the need to do something on the causeway to keep opposing lanes separate from each other. Some folks think a barrier is needed. Build a wall right down the middle of the causeway.

Other folks -- myself included -- disagree.

What is needed, not just on the causeway, but everywhere is a focus on driving and a sense of respect. Respect for the power contained within that several-thousand-pound vehicle that is, one hopes, under your control. Respect for the other drivers who are sharing ( and I emphasize SHARING) the road with you. Respect for yourself in the realization that you are no more important than anyone else, and that the extra 30 seconds or so you gain really aren't that important.

I know someone out there is going to say, "What the hell do you know, you've never lost a son or a daughter, wife or husband on the causeway." You're right. I haven't. And I never want to.

But...a barrier is no substitute for proper behavior behind the wheel.

Four years ago my family was involved in a five-car pileup on I-95, on the Savannah River bridge going into South Carolina. Traffic was stopped on the bridge. We stopped. The person behind me, driving the Yukon, didn't. I'll never know how he managed to squeeze that behemoth between me and the side of the bridge, but he did. Tore the hell out of the side of my vehicle along the way.

Then the fun began.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Three more cars plowed into the back of us and each other.

God was there that day. No one in our vehicle -- a large, heavy conversion van -- was seriously hurt. No one in the other cars was seriously hurt. There were several totaled vehicles and a lot of shook-up drivers, but we all walked away from it.

Besides opening my eyes to the grace of God, that experience kinda messed me up a bit. I get just a little antsy when I see other people doing really dumb things on the road. And I'm no longer in any hurry to get there before everyone else.

It comes down to this. WJDLT. It's a variation on WWJD, in case you haven't already figured it out. It may seem funny at first, but it really isn't.

Be careful out there.

-- JB

Jekyll financials not completely bleak, auditor says

Jekyll Island's financial situation may not be as bad as suggested by some, according to a state auditor. That's the conclusion of an article by Dan Chapman in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In it, state auditor John Thornton discusses various discrepencies between financial results reported by the Jekyll Island Authority in its annual reports during the past 10 years, and audited financial results.

Chapman is careful to point out that the Authority is not accused of misappropriating funds. Thornton and others -- notably state senator Jeff Chapman -- suggest, however, that the numbers -- as reported in JIA annual reports -- do not present a clear or easy-to-understand picture. Sen. Chapman asked the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts to review JIA's books in response to his and others' concerns about plans for redevelopment of the island's hotels, convention center and other visitor facilities. 

It's a good read for anyone who is following the Jekyll Island story.

-- JB

And we pay these guys for ???

This is what I came home to last night. I was not in a happy place. I don't know which made me madder -- that our crack team of waste disposal professionals spread my recycling around the yard, or the fact that they neglected to pick up my recyclables for the second week in a row. Not to mention the issue of the tipped garbage dumpster. 

Yeah, I know. 'Do you want some cheese with that whine?' Right.

We are not the only ones in the neighborhood to enjoy stellar service from our county-appointed waste management firm. During my evening walk -- through our and several adjacent neighborhoods -- I noticed a lot of the same thing: haphazardly placed dumpsters and still full (forgotten or ignored?) recycling bins. 

Not at every home, mind you. The sloppiness was much more random. Perhaps these were the homes that didn't leave a tip during the holidays. 

Thing is, we pay a lot of money for the privilege of being served (serviced?) by this particular disposal firm--the same firm, by the way, that held the county at ransom prior to being awarded this monopoly. Kinda makes one wonder whose palms got greased over that deal.

Guess the garbage isn't just on the ground.

JB

Hooray for Public Discourse!

The ongoing discussion regarding the future of Jekyll Island has been getting hot and heavy, at least in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Want to get an idea of the public pulse -- or at least those who bother to express an opinion? Read these recent entries and comments from the AJC's "Political Insider" column. 

Good Stuff.

JB

"Chapman has a defender on the Jekyll Island Authority," Friday Feb. 29

"An election-year heckle from the Jekyll Island contingent," Monday March 3

Methinks he doth protesteth too much...

...or something like that. This morning's paper had a rather amusing article about a man on St. Simons Island who was arrested for obstruction of a police officer.  

Seems the man thought the officer, who apparently was lost, was trespassing and wanted the officer to arrest himself as part of a citizen's arrest. According to the Glynn County Police chief, the fact that the officer drove past a "No Trespassing" sign did not warrant an arrest. A person must be given a verbal request to leave, he said. If they return, they can then be arrested. 

Hmmmmmmmm ... and the rest of the story?

Stay tuned.

JB

Privatization of Jekyll Island: A 'fair' solution?

benjycompson said:

I agree it is not a simple issue, but there is a simple solution that IMO is practical, and moral.

Jekyll Island does not belong to the people. JI belongs to the State. the state bought it in '47. The State should sell JI, by open auction, fee simple, back into the private free market from which it was taken. 

Conservation groups, that belive, as you seem to believe, that the ideal JI should be pristine, would be allowed to bid, just as anyone else, on all or parts of the island. The amount of support for this kind of conservation would be reflected in the amount of money raised toward the effort. This would give an instant guage of the demand for every conceiveable type of land use imagineable, and would equitably allocate the Island to each group.

This is the only "fair" solution, and would be far superior IMO, to the Communistic arrangement now in place.

Very interesting idea. Can you imagine the money that would be generated by the State of Georgia if it was to sell Jekyll Island? Can you imagine the lawsuits that would take place? The fights in the legislature? What would a privately owned (a la St. Simons Island or Sea Island) Jekyll Island look like? 

How about this idea -- Keep the 65 percent that is supposed to be preserved (pristine), but sell the remaining 35 percent to private owners. Someone would have to figure out which parts could be sold, and which would remain undeveloped. Perhaps the parts that are already developed could be sold, and the undeveloped parts remain under state ownership as a nature preserve. It would likely involve many lawsuits and much consternation, but may in fact be a sensible idea.

I am intrigued by your opening statement: "Jekyll Island does not belong to the people. JI belongs to the State." Taken literally, one might interpret that to mean that the state -- or its agents (Jekyll Island Authority) -- should be free to do whatever it pleases with the island. Further, that the people really have no say in what happens to Jekyll Island. 

Hmmmmmmm....... Can't wait to see what kind of response that generates. Stay tuned.

JB