About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2019)
Page 16, September 2, 2019, The Islander What I did last week By Pamela Permar Shierling When someone asks me what I did this week, I hope I can remember. The end of the week brought good and bad. The good was going to Assistant Police Chief Scott Trautz’s retirement party. He is a quiet and very honor able man who has accomplished a lot in his law enforcement career. He has been a friend to us for many years and we will miss his competence and sense of humor. Friday evening I went to dinner with high school friends. We do this once a month, and this month it was Georgia Sea Grill. One word - excel lent. We shall return. I attended the Preliminary Hear ing and Bond Hearing for the son of a friend, and I simply ache for his family. At the end of the week Matt and I sat in on two Hurricane Dorian brief ings. Today I am at the point that I just want this storm over with. Can I hear an amen from all the emergency management and county, city, JWSC, school system, hospital, Health De partment, everyone involved in this life stalling event known as Dorian. Meanwhile, Matt and I are trying to finish the paper and our minds sim ply won’t focus on anything but that damn storm. Not to mention that my pet, Tom my Cat, hurt himself today -1 heard it but didn’t see it - and I can’t get him to the vet until Tuesday. So goodie - one more thing to worry about. Back to emergency preparations. Flushing is of utmost importance to me (yeah - tongue in cheek) but the JWSC has system shutdown proce dures in place. Everyone should be aware of this because a system shut down did not happen during Hurri canes Matthew and Irma. The Executive Director is respon sible for making the decision to shut down the system. I’m not saying it will happen but know that it could happen. Earlier in the week I attended the sparring match known as the SPLOST 2016 Oversight Committee meeting. I try to understand the frustrations on the committee’s part as well as staffs part. There is definitely a communica tion gap. I don’t believe the committee should rubber stamp everything, but they aren’t in a position to do any thing else. I realize information is slow in coming to these Oversight commit tee members. Information should be given to anyone who wants it on a timely basis - especially committee members. I see room for improvement on both sides, but then there’s always improvement room in any situation. Shades of St. Simons... there is an other rezoning issue brewing on the “other” island - Blythe Island. They Shierling - Editor The Islander EDITORIAL are faced with a rezoning for an event venue at the very end of Blythe Is land Drive on Fiddler Island. See the article on page one. This property is noted on the 2018 Glynn County Fu ture Land Use Map as Coastal Marsh lands. The rezoning request is for a Planned Development. I spent Saturday writing and Sun day putting the paper together, trying to buy a car, and making hurricane plans. Even though I am hoping against hope we won’t have to leave home and the Island, I am a realist. At my age I would hope so. Matt and I are a good team. I made plan A and he made Plan B. Plan A is Brunswick. Plan B is Jesup. Thank you Eric Denty for not even taking a deep breath when Matt called and asked that just in case question - may we stay with you if necessary? I am ever in awe of people like the Denty’s who effortlessly glide through life or at least make it seem like they do. We stayed with them during Hur ricane Matthew. They are lovely, gra cious people. We will be with friends for the du ration of Dorian. (Right now I feel like it will be the rest of my life!) Bobbie is cooking a chicken casserole, Patti has stocked up on goodies and has a gen erator, and Pam is bringing the wine - what else! We will have two dogs and a limp ing cat as well. During Hurricane Matthew Patti and I made “Cowgirl Coffee.” That’s about as outdoorsy as either one of us gg^S. What’s “Cowgirl Coffee” you ask. Well, it’s made with coffee packaged in what looks like a tea bag boiled in a frying pan - yes frying pan - of wa ter on a gas grill on a screened-in pool porch. I was just thrilled to be able to light the gas grill without blowing up the porch. Matt blessedly slept through this. He’s not a coffee drinker anyway. This year Patti has a generator hooked up to stuff but who knows, we might make “Cowgirl Coffee” this year just for the heck of it and just ‘cause we know we can do it. Bobbi is definitely a coffee person. I can’t think of two people I’d rath er be cooped up with than these two friends. Matt is just gonna have to put up with three girls. As I write this I am saying a prayer for everyone in the way of this weather and for those who have gone through it. We will see you on the other side. Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care • Skilled Nursing • Rehab MARSH’S EDGE ON ST. SIMONS ISLAND 136 Marsh’s Edge Lane • St. Simons Island, GA 31522 (912) 324-3028 • Marshs-Edge.com £=16.
