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Published by Permar Publications • P.O. Box 20539 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 • 912-265-9654 • ssislander@bellsouth.net
April 27, 2009 Established 1972 Vol 37 Issue 17
Patrick honored by Boy Scouts
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Director Connie Patrick accepts the
Boy Scouts of America Golden Eagle Award from local Eagle Scout Nathan Potts at
the Okefenokee Area Council's Coastal District Golden Eagle dinner Tuesday, April 21.
Patrick was the honoree for the annual Boy Scout fund raising dinner held at the Jekyll
Island Convention Center. Flanking Ms. Patrick and Potts are Southeast Georgia Health
System CEO Gary Colberg (left), who chaired the dinner, and Okefenokee Area Coun
cil Scout Executive Vance Lackey. Colberg is the Okefenokee Area Council President.
The Southeast Georgia Health System (SGHS) sponsored the dinner. During the dinner,
attendees pledged $22,870 to bring the total raised for the dinner to $139,772. With a
goal of $157,500, the Coastal District has raised 89% of its goal. Lackey told The Islander
the overall fundraising goal for the three district, 10 county Okefenokee Area Council
is $305,1 75 and as of April 22 they have raised $252,492 (83%). Other Golden Eagle din
ners and the funds raised include: Jesup ($8,600), Folkston ($9,400), Baxley ($19,285),
Satilla ($28,200) and Osprey ($21,569), which was also sponsored by SGHS.
Islander Staff Photo
RECA students earn college credit; not college degree
By Matthew J. Permar
Liberty Harbor
facing second
lawsuit
• Fraud charged in
civil suit
By Matthew J. Permar
When William and Marilyn
Hall drove down to Brunswick
early this year from their home
in Mt. Airy, Maryland they
were, in all likelihood, excit
ed... excited because they were
coming to see how construction
was going on their new, Lib
erty Harbor condominium.
Or so they thought.
Upon their arrival they
found no walls, no floors, no
foundations. It appeared, in
fact, that construction had not
begun at all.
Of particular concern to the
Halls, was, that in addition to
the $56,000 in earnest money
they put up for the condo in
November of 2006, they had
more recently invested another
$62,000 for the unit based on
a letter from Gary Waxman,
chairman of Harbor Develop
ment, L.P.
The Halls received a letter
from Waxman dated August
11, 2008 that stated:
“Pursuant to that certain
Unit Purchase Agreement hav
ing an effective date of 11.8.06
by and between Harbor Devel
opment, L.P. and William and
Marilyn Hall, notice is hereby
given that construction of the
condominium has commenced
and in accordance with Sec
tion 2(a) of the agreement, the
additional deposit is now due.”
The letter went on to
instruct the Halls to remit the
$62,000 within ten days of the
notice.
The letter also said if the
$62,000 was not paid within
ten days, Harbor Development
had the right to terminate the
contract and the Halls would
forfeit their initial $56,000
down payment. The $56,000
was roughly 10% of the condo
cost of $590,000.
The Halls paid the $62,000
and upon arriving in Bruns
wick and learning their condo
was not under construction
they contacted the Gilbert,
Harrell, Sumerford and Mar-
Turn to Page 5
Liberty Harbor lawsuit
Gomto named
GICA Director of
HS Programs
By Matthew J. Permar
and Sarah Long
After serving as the Interim
Director of High School Pro
grams for the Golden Isles
Career Academy (GICA) since
last December, Dr. Ralph
Gornto has been now been offi
cially appointed Director.
Gornto has served the local
school system as Director of
Career, Technical and Agricul
tural Education since 2000. He
has been a part of the Glynn
County School System since
1982. His prior positions at
Brunswick High School were:
Agricultural teacher and Voca
tional Supervisor/Assistant
Principle.
During a special called
meeting of the Glynn County
Board of Education (BOE) on
Thursday, April 9, Dr. Gomto
was named Director of High
School Programs by a unani-
Turn to Page 6
GICA Director
BOE budget
woes
By Pamela Permar
Shierling
In an effort to keep the same
millage rate (15.230), use a
conservative 96% property tax
collection rate, zero property
tax growth, cope with a reduc
tion in ad valorem taxes, state
mandated salary step increas
es, and an increase in health
insurance rates, Glynn Coun
ty Board of Education (BOE)
members and staff are finding
ways to decrease expenses and
balance the 2009-2010 budget.
According to Andrea Pres
ton, school system Chief Finan
cial Officer, the final number
from the Glynn County Tax
Commissioner's office for rev
enue reduction due to Senate
Bill 486 is $1.8 million. With
out further adjustments this
would leave a $1 million bud
get deficit for FY 2010.
Passed in 2008 and effective
Jan. 1, 2009, Senate Bill 486
exempts homeowners over 65
Turn to Page 5
BOE budget
The 2008-09 school year
was the first for RECA - Risley
Early College Academy.
Once a middle school, RECA
will eventually serve students
in the 7th grade through high
school earning them credits
they can use toward classes
at College of Coastal Georgia
(CCG).
Last week it came to light
during the Glynn County
Board of Education's (BOE)
Finance Committee meeting
that students who graduate
from Risley Early College
Academy will receive two years
of college credit, but that does
not translate into a two year,
college associate degree.
The finance committee was
set to make a recommendation
to the full BOE on whether
to approve the Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU)
between the school system and
CCG, when board member
John Madala (Dist. 3) asked
about the college credit versus
college degree issue.
Madala said he had read
the MOU though and did not
see anything about a two-year
degree. Madala was concerned
that students and parents
may be under the impression
that two years of college credit
was equivalent to a two year
degree.
Member Mike Hulsey
agreed saying, "We talked
about tinning Risley Middle
into the early college acade
my for more than a year, and
when we did it a lot of people
opposed it saying they didn't
know about it."
The committee agreed and
decided to postpone action on
the MOU and invite RECA
principal Dr. Vallerie Cave to
the next board meeting to dis
cuss the issue. □
