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SAVE MONEY Georgia Tax-Free Weekend July 31 s1 -August 5 lh Don’t Farget to VOTE! Run-off Election Tuesday. August 5 th PRSRTSTD U.S POSTAGE PAID Savannah. GA Permit No. 923 “GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY” abannah tribune Week of July 30,2008 - August 5,2008 • Vol. 36 No. 24 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140 New Board Steps Up to Lead Collaborative Step Up Savannah, Inc., draws on business, govern ment, service providers and residents to work toward positive change new board of direc tors has stepped up to lead the collabo rative’s effort to move Chatham County’s working poor toward economic self sufficiency. On July 16, Step Up Savannah Inc. held its first formal board meeting as a newly incorporated nonprof it organization. Members of its governing board reflect the range of Step Up’s col laborative partners: Business and government leaders, social service providers, and neighborhood leaders representing the high-poverty census tracts. The collaborative is focused on moving poor families toward economic self sufficiency by targeting education, workforce devel Jim Stevenson opment and training, and building wealth. “We asked ourselves what moves peo ple out of poverty?” said Daniel Dodd, Step Up direc tor. “Work, plus assets, as well as the support networks that are needed for all of us to move forward.” The organization remains committed to the fundamental premises that individuals and families need to step up and accept personal responsibility as well businesses and govern ment agencies. The new name high lights the core message of Step Up while signaling a move from its status as a short-term initiative to a community wide partnership working to doing business differently. Jim Stevenson, com munity volunteer and retired general manager of market ing and customer service, Savannah Electric, is chair of Step Up; Sr. Pat Baber, director of St. Mary’s Community Center, is vice chair; and Robert James, president of Carver State Bank, is secretary/treasurer. Step Up board mem bers and their affiliations: Sr. Pat Baber, St. Mary’s Community Center; Tina Bonifacio, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce; Mariaelena Bowden, neigh Sr. Pat Baber borhood leader; Yvonnia Brown, Chatham County, Department of Family and Children Services; Earline Wesley Davis, Housing Authority of Savannah; Micheal Elliott, Union Mission, Inc.; John Finney, Equal Opportunity Authorit; Deborah Goldwire, neigh borhood leader; Stephanie Gray, neighborhood repre sentative; Cathy Hill, Georgia Power; Bill Hubbard, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce; Robert James, Carver State Bank; Mayor Otis Johnson, City of Savannah; Cherith Jones, teacher and neighbor hood leader; Chairman Pete Liakakis, Chatham County Commission; Thomas Lockamy, Savannah- Chatham County Public Schools; Kathryn Martin, Medical College of Georgia William Oakley, Goodwill Industries; Barbara Oglesby, Ben Van Clark Neighborhood Association; Pamela Oglesby, West Savannah Community Organization; Millie Rivers, Cuyler Brownville Neighborhood Association; Gregg Schroeder, United Way of the Coastal Empire; Rochelle Small-Toney, City of Savannah; Jim Stevenson, community volunteer; Tyrone Ware, Woodville Neighborhood Association; Robert E. James Charles Wilhite, neighbor hood leader; and Rick Winger, Savannah Economic Development Authority. The board will meet on the second Tuesday of every other month. For more information about Step Up Savannah, call Suzanne Donovan at 644-6420, or Daniel Dodd at 644-6420. Savannah Native Celebrates Forthcoming Book Release Monica R. Parker, J.D. Savannah native Monica R. Parker, J.D., celebrated the forth coming release of her first book, The Unhappy Lawyer: A Roadmap for Finding Meaningful Work Outside of the Law (Sourcebooks, September 2008) with a book release party in Atlanta, GA on Saturday, July 19. Friends and relatives from Savannah, includ ing fellow Savannah Country Day School alumni Robert E. James, II and Frank Brannen, attended the event. See Book Release, page 2 Metro Police Welcomes 18 New Officers, a New Lieutenant, Captain and Major Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Chief Michael Berkow added 18 new officers to the department today, as graduates of Class 232 and 233 were pinned at a ceremony at Armstrong Atlantic State University Center. He also announced the promotion and appointment of three people to com mand staff positions within the depart ment. Lieutenant Ramona Famble, who most recently supervised the Recruiting Unit, was officially pinned. Lt. Famble is now a supervisor in Southside Precinct. Lt. Kerry Thomas was promoted to the rank of Captain. He will assume command duties of the Downtown Precinct. And finally, Chief Berkow introduced Major Mark Gerbino as the new commander of the Criminal Investigations Division (CID). Major Gerbino comes to the department from Cheney, Kansas, where he has been a law enforcement and public safety and security consult ant and Criminal Justice instructor for the past two years. Prior to that, Major Gerbino was an Acting Captain with the City of Rochester (NY) Police Department and has a great deal of experience in case management and working with decentralized detective squads, something Metro Police is implementing now. “I expect the addition of our 18 new officers to make a significant Lieutenant Ramona Famble impact on the streets of Central Precinct,” said Chief Berkow. “These new officers will be walking the beats around the clock for the next month in targeted high-crime areas, and I have set ambitious goals for crime reduc tion during that time.” In introducing the new com manders, Berkow stated, “The com bined experience, skill and leadership we are adding to our command staff today is extraordinary. We have pro moted two very deserving candidates See Metro Police, page 2 McCain and Obama to Present Urban Agenda at National Urban League Conference Senator John McCain Senator Barack Obama NEW YORK, /PRNewswire- USNewswire/ - The National Urban League has announced that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are confirmed to speak at its 98th annual conference, taking place in Orlando, Florida, July 30 through August 2. Both pre sumptive presidential nominees have accepted the invitation to share their individual plans for an urban agenda, and to comment on the National Urban League’s Opportunity Compact, the organi zation’s plan to increase opportu nities for underrepresented popu lations. “We look forward to having both Senator Obama and Senator McCain at our annual conference to present their plans to help bridge the economic divide between communities of color and mainstream America,” said Marc Mortal, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “This is an exciting and critical election year for our nation, so we proudly welcome the candidates to share their urban agendas with thousands of concerned citizens who support the Urban League movement.” Both presidential candidates See Urban League, page 10 ank tate arver ew branch and a proud tradition of service. 7110 Skidawav Road - Savannah, Georgia j 1406 Banking -1 P.M. FDIC