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Surfin’
the News
Published by Permar Publications • P.O. Box 20539 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 • 912-265-9654 • ssislander@bellsouth.net
October 27, 2008 Established 1972 Vol 36 Issue 43
Old school gets new life
The Glynn County Rec
reation Dept, staff took
a moment last week for
a photo in front of their
newly renovated office
in the old Ballard school
library building on Old
Jesup Rd. Left to right are:
Vance Wayne, Steve Mel-
linger, Danny Baxter, Jerry
1oore, Director Wesley
Davis, Dot Harrison, Cristee
Kinstle, George Grovner
and Alysha Grafford.
Islander Staff Photo
County renovates
Recreation Dept
■- ■ ■■
Ballard school buildings for
and UGA Extension office
Island skateboard
park could be done
by Christmas
By Matthew J. Permar
When he was 12 years old
David Fendig stood before the
Glynn Comity Commission
and asked them to build a
skateboard park on St. Simons
Island.
At the time, Mark Bedner,
Jeff Chapman and David’s
father Cap Fendig were all
freshman comity commission
ers - the year was 2000.
David is now in his senior
year at the Georgia Institute
of Techonology in Atlanta and
last month the county commis
sion gave the go ahead for the
construction of the first of two
public skateboard parks.
The first park will be built
in Demere Park on St. Simons
Island, with the second to fol
low, most likely next year at
the North Glynn Recreation
Complex.
Construction on the Demere
Park skateboard park, which
will be done in two phases, is
set to being on Monday, Nov.
3.
County Recreation Direc
tor Wesley Davis expects it be
complete by Christmas bar
ring any unforeseen interrup-
Turn to Page 5
Island skateboard park
Beach sweep
volunteers needed
for Ga/Fla weekend
The Glynn County 4-
H Advisory Council and
Keep Brunswick-Golden
Isles Beautiful are looking
for volunteers, individuals
and organizations, to assist
with beach cleanups on St.
Simons over the Georgia /
Florida football game week
end November 1—2.
Trash bags and gloves will
be provided.
Join the efforts of commu
nity volunteers who strive to
keep our beaches and water
ways clean.
Volunteers can meet at
the Coast Guard Station
Beach parking lot at 8:00
a.m. either day or call KBGIB
at 279-1490 to sign up or for
further information. □
Confiscated
pot growing
gear put to
good use
• Police grant provides
$250K for traffic control
By Matthew J. Permar
It's rare that anything good
comes from illegal drug use,
but thanks to the Glynn Coun
ty Police department and its
forward thinking chief, Matt
Doering, a little bit of good has
come out of a drug raid on two
local houses.
During the raid, local police
confiscated what appears to be
two full sets of indoor, hydro
ponic plant growing equip
ment that was being used to
grow marijuana.
"The equipment itself is per
fectly legal," Chief Doering told
The Islander last week, "so, it's
not contraband. But its use,
growing pot, was illegal, so we
seized it."
Instead of just disposing of
the equipment, which Chief
Doering said is "almost brand
new," he had the department's
evidence technician contact Dr.
Ralph Gornto, the Director of
Technology-Career Education
for the Glynn County school
system.
Since Dr. Gornto oversees a
high school horticultural and
agricultural program, that will
be located in the new Golden
Isles Career Academy, Chief
Doering thought he might be
able to use the hydroponic
equipment.
Doering said, "The court
ordered us to dispose of the
equipment in accordance with
state law section 17-5-54,
which allows the police depart
ment to retain, sell or discard
the property."
"In this case," Doering con
tinued, "we retained the equip
ment to enhance the depart
ment's public relations in the
areas of drug awareness and
education."
"The police department has
met all conditions of Georgia
state law and the Court Order
concerning this equipment
and its donation to the school
system," explained the Chief,
Turn to Page 6
Pot growing gear
In early September the
Glynn County Recreation
Dept, moved in to their new
headquarters offices in a build
ing that was built in 1915 and
was the library for the original
Ballard Elementary School on
the Old Jesup Rd.
The local Board of Educa
tion turned the entire, dilapi
dated Ballard facility over to
the county several years ago.
The county commission
decided to demolish a couple
of buildings that were beyond
repair and renovate the two
that were still in serviceable
condition.
As part of an ongoing pro
gram of renovating its build
ings, Glynn County spent
By Matthew J. Permar
$208,000 of Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax 5
(SPLOST) funds on the Bal
lard library renovation.
The majority of the reno
vation, which took close to a
year, was performed by prison
ers from the Georgia Dept, of
Corrections' Mobile Construc
tion Crew out of Waycross,
according to Assistant County
Administrator Paul Christian,
who oversees many of the
county's renovation projects.
"Using prison labor saved
us a lot of money," Christian
told The Islander last week.
"We estimated this job
would have cost us about twice
as much if we had contracted it
out," Christian explained.
Christian added that some
of the work, such as electrical
and HV/AC, had to be subbed
out to certified contractors.
In addition, the county is
continuing with the renovation
of one of the Ballard classroom
buildings located right behind
the new recreation department
office.
The classroom was built in
1937 and is about 10,500 sq.
ft.
In about a year, at a cost of
$550,000 in SPLOST funds,
this building will be new home
of Glynn County's University
of Georgia Extension office
including the Glynn County
4-H program and some com
munity meeting rooms. □
