JSLANDCR-
• Dave Barry - 8
• Editorial
Back Talk -20
• Health -14
Surfin’
the News
• Movie Review
The Taking of Pelham 123 -12
• Music Review
Friedman's Ear Food - 7
• Pew News -18
Published by Permar Publications • P.O. Box 20539 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 • 912-265-9654 • ssislander@bellsouth.net
June 22, 2009 Established 1972 Vol 37 Issue 25
Glynn “Radio
Hams” join
national program
• Emergency program
June 27 - 28 at SSI
Coast Guard Station
Glynn County “hams” will
join with thousands of Ama
teur Radio operators who will
be showing off their emergency
capabilities June 27 and June
28.
Over the past year, the
news has been full of reports of
ham radio operators providing
critical communications dur
ing unexpected emergencies in
towns across America includ
ing the California wildfires,
winter storms, tornadoes and
other events world-wide.
During Hurricane Katrina,
Amateur Radio — “Ham radio”
- was often the only way peo
ple could communicate, and
hundreds of volunteer “hams”
traveled south to save lives
and property.
When trouble is brewing,
Amateur Radio’s people are
often the first to provide rescu
ers with critical information
and communications.
Turn to Page 2
Ham radio operators
Corrections Dept, chief visits Glynn
Georgia Dept, of Corrections (DOC) Commissioner Brian Owens (second from right)
toured the Glynn County Recreation Department's newly renovated Ballard head
quarters building last week. Joining Commissioner Owens were (left to right) County
Recreation Director Wesley Davis, Assistant County Administrator Paul Christian, DOC
Director of Public Affairs Joan Heath and DOC Director of Engineering & Construction
Services Bob Plemons. The group also toured the old Ballard school building to the rear
of this building, that will be the home of the Glynn County UGA Cooperative Extension
office when the renovation is finished in August. Islander Staff Photo
UGA Extension expected to be in
Ballard facility by August
By Matthew J. Permar
In recent years
Glynn County has
been saving taxpay
ers' money by using
inmate labor crews
from the Georgia
Department of Cor
rections (DOC) to
work on renovations
to county buildings.
Buildings renovat
ed by DOC inmates
include Office Park,
the Coastal Georgia
Regional Develop
ment Center, the
Maritime Museum
.. ... .. . .. , . . that is housed in the
Along with the county recreation department, Glynn s UGA Coun- f ormer Simons
ty Extension office is also being relocated to the historic Ballard Island Coast Guard
school building. Joining the Ballard tour last week were: Agricul- Station at East Beach
ture and Natural Resources Agent Dr. Don Gardner (left to right), m °strecently the
County Extension Coordinator-4-H Agent Robi Gray, UGA Extension library and classroom
renovated Oglethorpe Park in
downtown Brunswick for the
city commission last year.
Last Thursday morning,
June 18 DOC Commissioner
Brian Owens and two staff
members visited Glynn Coun
ty where the County Commis
sion hosted them and several
Brunswick city officials at a
reception in the Historic Coun
ty Courthouse.
"This has been a true part
nership with the county, work
ing together on these projects,"
Owens told the crowd, "This
program helps these inmates
give back to the community
and they take pride in it. They
can look at these buildings and
say they did that. We appreci
ate the chance to work with
the county and their support of
this program."
Southeast District Director Lannie Lanier and Family and Consumer buildings.
Science Agent Deborah Jones. Islander Staff Photo ^ ie DOC
also
Turn to Page 2
Ballard renovation
Perdue to
speak at GICA
grand opening
Governor Sonny Perdue
will headline a large contin
gent of state and local officials
and community stakeholders
at the Wednesday, June 24,
grand opening of the Golden
Isles Career Academy (GICA).
The proram begins at 11:30
a.m. The event will be catered
by the Culinary Arts students
at the College of Coastal Geor
gia.
Invited guests expected
to attend the grand opening
ceremony in addition to Gov
ernor Perdue include: Sena
tors Eric Johnson and Tom
mie Williams; Representatives
Jerry Keen, Roger Lane, Cecily
Hill, Jay Roberts, Chuck Sims,
Tommy Smith and Mark Wil
liams; Ron Jackson, Commis
sioner of the Technical College
System of Georgia; and Kathy
Cox, State School Superinten
dent.
Turn to Page 5
GICA grand opening
Neptune Park
pool use heavy
By Matthew J. Permar
Several years ago, the St.
Simons Island Pier Village
master plan steering commit
tee voted to recommend that
the Glynn Comity Commission
demolish the old Casino swim
ming pool.
Some committee members
maintained no one swam in
the old pool, while others,
those in the minority, said if
the county would replace the
building that was demolished
and build a nice, new pool facil
ity, people would use it.
The general public also
voiced strong support of keep
ing a public pool at the St.
Simons site and the county
commission listened.
The commission compro
mised by removing the old
pool and building a whole new,
multi-use pool facility, and
man, are people using it!
Not even a month into its
inaugural summer, the new
Neptune Park swimming pool
Turn to Page 6
Pool is popular
