THE
^ISLANDER
Published by
Permar Publications
www.theislanderonline.com
ssislander@bellsouth.net
March 4, 2019
Established in 1972
Vol 47 Issue 9
Headed to Atlanta
During a going away party of sorts, former Glynn County Chief Magistrate Judge Alex Atwood (left)
took a moment to pose with his family, wife Cynthia, (left to right) mother Louise and father James
Atwood. The former judge, who also served as state representative, has been appointed to a state
job by Governor Brian Kemp. Islander Staff Photo - Shierling
Magistrate Court Judge Alex Atwood resigns to
accept state position
By Pamela Permar Shierling
Historic Society
presents final
beach park plan
By Matthew J. Permar
Sherri Jones, Executive Di
rector of the Coastal Georgia
Historical Society (CGHS) and
Scott McQuade, Executive Di
rector of the Golden Isles Con
vention and Visitors Bureau
(CVB) presented the draft of
the “final master plan” for the
Coast Guard Station Beach
Park and parking lot at the
Glynn County Board of Com
missioners (BOC) work ses
sion late last month.
The original concept for the
beach park master plan was
approved May 3, 2018 by the
BOC.
A few changes have been
made since the plan was pre
sented to the BOC at a previ
ous work session.
Noting the area was “eight
acres of valuable, premier
beach access,” Jones said since
getting the go-ahead last May
the two groups, CGHS and
CVB, have completed the fi
nal design, which includes re
scaled building locations and
footprints to best serve com
munity needs.
They also included a mod
ern lifesaving station that will
be located close to the beach
on the southern portion of the
property. It will be tall in or
der to give life guards a much
wider range of vision than
they currently have at ground
level.
Note: In a recent presen
tation to the BOC by Glynn
County Parks and Recreation
Manager Lisa Gurganus, she
also supported the idea of
a central life guard station
at the Coast Guard Station
beach.
Jones said, “We have
worked cooperatively with
Glynn County staff to enhance
the final site plan and ensure
complete compliance with all
local and state laws.”
Also since the plan was
Turn to Page 12
Coast Guard beach park
Last week in front of fam
ily and friends, Glynn County
Chief Magistrate Court Judge
Alex Atwood announced he
was resigning his judgeship
to accept a senior executive
position offered by Gov. Brian
Kemp.
Judge Atwood was ap
pointed Commissioner of the
Georgia Department of Ad
ministrative Services (DOAS)
by Gov. Kemp last week.
The DOAS oversees busi
ness services in Georgia in
cluding Risk Management,
State Purchasing, Fleet
Management, Surplus Prop
erty, and Human Resources
Administration.
Judge Atwood has had
distinguished careers in law
enforcement, the military, le
gal profession, and as a state
representative.
His wife, Cynthia, shared a
story about his dedication as a
public servant.
After the most recent hurri
cane to skirt the Golden Isles,
there was only one way out of
the Atwood’s home and that
road was blocked by water as
well as a tree.
Judge Atwood got a call
from local law enforcement
asking if he was available to
sign a warrant.
He said yes but told the of
ficer there was water and a
tree in the way but, “meet me
at the tree.”
The story goes the judge,
wearing shorts and waders,
waded to the tree and signed
the warrant so the officer
could go about his business.
Judge Atwood made it clear
that he was not leaving Glynn
County.
“Glynn is my home,” he
said. “I have lived here longer
than I have lived anywhere.
I will always be a resident of
Glynn County.”
Judge Atwood graduated
from Georgia State Univer
sity with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Criminal Justice.
He went on to earn his Mas
ters of Arts degree in Interna
tional Relations, followed by a
Juris Doctorate in Law (Cum
Laude).
He was elected to the Geor
gia House of Representa
tives in 2010, representing
the citizens of House District
179 which includes parts of
Glynn County, Brunswick,
St. Simons Island and Jekyll
Island.
He spent his early profes
sional years serving with the
Atlanta Police Department,
Turn to Page 5
Atwood
Impact fee info
given to new
BOC members
By Matthew J. Permar
Last year Bill Ross of the
Ross & Associates consulting
firm gave the Glynn Coun
ty Board of Commissioners
(BOC) a review of the “Nuts
and Bolts” of development im
pact fees.
He made the same presen
tation to the BOC again for
the benefit of the two fresh
men commissioners, David
O’Quinn (At Large #1) and
Wayne Neal (Dist. 3), during
the February 9 work session.
Ross explained that his
firm was involved in compre
hensive planning, zoning and
land use codes and implemen
tation and financing for such
things as capital improvement
programs; impact fees; water
and sewer connection fees;
and community improvement
Turn to Page 6
Impact fees
Oyster farming
bills pass
senate & house
committees
By Pamela Permar
Shierling
Last week Rep. Jeff Jones
(Dist. 167) removed his name
from all legislation he was
sponsoring including an oys
ter mariculture bill (HB 450)
which he has been working on
since June 2018.
The oyster mariculture
bill, now called HB 501, was
presented by Rep. Jesse Pe-
trea (Dist. 166) to the House
Game, Fish and Parks Com
mittee Thursday. The commit
tee voted to move it along.
HB 501 verbiage is the
same as HB 450 however the
bill sponsors have changed so
the bill number was changed.
Wild oyster harvesting is
already legal and regulated
Turn to Page 11
Oyster legislation
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
Page 2 - Soccer group balks at park fees
Page 3 - First Kia Telluride crosses
Brunswick docks
Page 4 - Paper ballot system cost $224 million
Page 8 - Christ Church Tour of Homes
Page 14 - Pew News
Page 15 - 7th Annual Plein Air Affair
Page 16- Back Talk
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