About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2009)
500 JSLflND€R_ • Dave Barry -10 • Editorial Back Talk -16 • Health - 9 • Movie Review Hannah Montana: The Movie -11 • Pew News -14 • Sports -13 Surfin’ the News Published by Permar Publications • P.O. Box 20539 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 • 912-265-9654 • ssislander@bellsouth.net April 20, 2009 Established 1972 Vol 37 Issue 16 Federal money received for Brunswick Wood clean-up By Dawn Harris-Young, U.S. EPA (Atlanta, Ga. — April 15, 2009) - The U.S. Environ mental Protection Agency announced last week that $5-$10 million in new fund ing through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 has been designated for the Brunswick Wood Superfund site near Brims wick. The money will accelerate the hazardous waste clean-up already underway at the site. It will also jump start the local economy by creating jobs in the Brunswick area. This Recovery Act funding is part of the $600 million that Congress appropriated to the Federal Superfund remedial program. “EPA has an answer to these challenging economic times,” said EPA Administra tor Lisa P. Jackson. “Under the Recovery Act, we're getting harmful pollutants and dan gerous chemicals out of these communities and putting jobs and investment back in.” Brunswick Wood is a former wood-treating facility. ARRA funds will be used to acceler ate completion of the soil and groundwater cleanup. “These funds will allow EPA to continue its aggressive cleanup at the site,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Acting Regional Administrator. “As a result, the environment will be made cleaner and safer while provid ing a much-needed boost to the local economy through the creation of green jobs during cleanup and by returning the site to productive use.” The Federal Superfund pro gram was created in 1980 to clean up uncontrolled hazard ous waste sites that pose unac ceptable risks to human health and the environment. Super fund sites are often found in industrial areas hardest hit by the recession. Superfund cleanups are major construc- Turn to Page 5 Brunswick Wood site Public comment policy challenged by Coleman By Matthew J. Permar The idea of having a public comment period during Glynn County Commission meetings was originally Commissioner Bob Coleman's (At Large #2). Now that the commission has approved the comment period, Coleman is challenging the legality of the policy and seems to have sound reason ing. The commission originally rejected the public comment period policy that Coleman proposed during a March meeting. Several commission ers felt the punitive section of Coleman's policy was worded too strongly. During the April 2 meeting, Commissioner Don Hogan (At Large #1) presented another version of a public comment policy that was approved by all the commissioners except Coleman. Turn to Page 5 Policy challenged Church takes lead in raising food for needy By Matthew J. Permar America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia (SHCG), a charitable organization that provides food to churches, shel ters and other organizations who feed those in need is about to get a boost from a large group of local volunteers. A currently on-going food drive, spearheaded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Lat ter-Day Saints in Brunswick, will culminate in a ‘Day of Service Project’ this Saturday, April 25 providing food for SHCG. Last week the Brunswick City and Glynn County Com missions both passed procla mations designating April 25 as “Helping Hands and Link ing Arms Day” in the city and county in honor of the food col lection service project. Former County Commis sioner Shaw McVeigh, the Turn to Page 2 Food drive Tax Day Tea Party 2009 Organizers for Glynn County's Tax Day Tea Party 2009 last week expected about 150 citizens to turn out at the McKay River boat ramp parking lot to have their voice heard on the federal government's current spending policies. Held just off the F.J. Torras Causeway, about 600 people, young and old, par ticipated in the event. Organizer Dawn Forbes (center on truck bed, top photo) leads the crowd in the National Anthem. Islander Staff Photos Viet Nam veterans with a common cause - com bat veteran Eddie Rat- cliffe, 229 Team of 11th Pathfinder Company, 1st Cavalry Division Airborne (with flag, above), met and talked to fellow vet eran Jack Renfroe (left) and another unidentified vet at the tea party. The line of people want ing to sign petitions (right photo) asking Congress to return to the U.S. Constitution was long. The petitions were sent to Georgia 1st District Congressman Jack Kingston and Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson. More on the Tea Party see page 2.
