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"County-Wide News Read County-Wide JSIAND€R_ Surfin’ the News • Dave Barry - 8 • Editorial Back Talk - 20 • Football Contest - 14 & 15 • Health -11 • Movie Review The Informant -12 • Pew News -18 Published by Permar Publications • P.O. Box 20539 • St. Simons Island, Ga. 31522 • 912-265-9654 • www.theislanderonline.com • ssislander@bellsouth.net September 28, 2009 Established 1972 Vol 37 Issue 39 2010-11 school year start date under review • Vote open to public on Oct. 1 By Matthew J. Permar Since early this month the Glynn County Board of Educa tion (BOE) has been consider ing changing the school sys tem's starting date for classes next year. This year Glynn Coun ty public schools started on Thursday, August 6. During the BOE's meeting on Tues day, September 8, Superinten dent Howard Mann presented the board with three proposed options for different starting dates for next year. Option A has Thursday, August 5, 2010 as the first day of class, which is based on the current start date. Option B's first day would be Monday, August 16, while classes under Option C would start Thursday, August 19. Turn to Page 6 School start date CoastFest set for Oct. 3 Over the last 13 years, one of the more popular events in Glynn County has been the Department of Natural Resources' CoastFest. This year CoastFest will be held on Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DNR Regional Headquarters, Con servation Way at U.S. Hwy 17 South, Brunswick. CoastFest is an educational and interactive festival that allows children to explore and learn about Georgia's natural resources with exhibits from over 70 area coastal, envi ronmental, educational, and resource organizations. Activities and exhibits include: building bluebird houses and terrariums, live history demonstrations from Ft. King George and Fort McAllister, a mobile aquarium with a full-size inflatable baby right whale, new shrimp pool, 'Touch-tanks' with live marine creatures, 500 gallon shark Turn to Page 2 CoastFest 2009 Glynn recognized for literacy On hand to accept the resolution and road signs naming Glynn County a Certified Literate Community (CLC) last week were: (left to right) Diane Doster, Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF) Donor Services and Grants Officer; Karen Byrd, Executive Director of the Coastal Ga. CLC Program; Mary Flanders, Chairman Georgia Board of Adult Education; Dr. Josephine Reed-Taylor, Assistant Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia's Adult Education program; Brunswick Mayor Bryan Thompson; and Lorette Hoover, president of Altamaha Technical College. Islander Staff Photo Handel makes campaign visit to St. Simons By Matthew J. Permar With the gubernatorial pri mary election set for July 20, 2010, Georgia Secretary of State Karen made a stop on St. Simons Island last week in her pursuit of the Republi can nomination for Governor of Georgia. Hosted by her campaign chairman Fred Cooper along with local supporters Mark Bedner, Joe McCutcheon, Diana Murphy, Steve and Tina Bostic, Trey and Eliza beth Brunson, Mark and Paula Hennessy, Gene and Cindy Rackley and Eric and Mary Tanenblatt, the ‘meet and greet’ event was held Thurs day, Sept. 24 at the Frederica Golf Club Boat House on St. Simons. Before taking questions from the small crowd, Handel talked about what she called the “tough challenges” facing Georgia in the near future. Those challenges include jobs and job creation, transpor tation issues, water resources, taxes, education and what she called “bloated state budgets.” Turn to Page 5 Handel CCGF brings literacy program to local community One of the programs spon sored by the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation (CCGF), a local non-profit orga nization, is the Coastal Georgia Certified Literate Community Program (CLCP). Last week, after a rigorous, one year application process, Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties have been accepted into Georgia's CLCP, joining 75 other counties across the state. During a ceremony in Brunswick’s Historic City Hall last week, Karen P. Byrd, Executive Director of Coastal Georgia CLCP, Diane L. Doster of the CCGF, and Bruns wick Mayor Bryan Thompson received a resolution and road signs from State CLCP Direc tor, Billie Izard and Dr. Jose phine Reed-Taylor, Assistant Commissioner of Adult Educa tion, Technical College System of Georgia. "The ceremonies, which were held in McIntosh and Camden as well as here in Glynn county, mark the cul mination of over a year of rig orous application processes which included eight criteria and a site visit by state officials in order for Glynn, McIntosh, and Camden to join 75 oth ers in the State of Georgia’s Certified Literate Community Program,” said Doster. Coastal Georgia CLCP’s stated mission is to promote literacy in Coastal Georgia by mobilizing every available resource into a literacy cam paign that will result in liter ate communities. “Our goal is to marshal all of the literacy and education Turn to Page 6 Literate Community Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel (center) was on St. Simons Island last week at a 'meet and greet' to talk to local residents about her candidacy for the Republi can nomination for Governor of Georgia in next year's election. With Ms. Handel were her Campaign chairman Fred Cooper and local attorney Desiree Watson, who is a Handel supporter. Islander Staff Photo