About The Islander. (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2019)
Page 12, September 23, 2019, The Islander A lot going on and to think about There’s some interesting things go ing on in Glynn right now that people are going to need to think about... or should. First I want to plug something for my cop and firefighter buddies. This Saturday, September 28, the Glynn County Police Department and the Glynn County Fire Department will host the “First Annual Battle of the Badges” softball games between the two departments. The games will be played at Glover Field / Mallery Park on St. Simons with Game 1 starting at 5:00 p.m. and Game 2 at 6:15 p.m. All proceeds will be split between the “Cops & Kids” (formerly “Shop with a Cop”) and the “Shop with a Firefighter” charities for the upcoming holiday season. This will be a great event for two great charitable causes, so let’s all show out and support the firefight ers and police who protect us every day and the kids they support at Christmas. SPLOST 2020 One of the things I mentioned that is coming in the next couple months will be the Glynn County Commis sion’s decisions on what to put on the SPLOST 2020 referendum. My front page article covers a lot of what is on the list of potential projects - and I hesitate to even call them ‘po tential projects, because the vast ma jority will not make the final cut. So before you go ballistic on your commissioner and yell and scream about how you’re not going to support the SPLOST because of all these proj ects, wait until they come up with final list - which, as I said won’t look any thing like their... uh, let’s call it their ‘talking points’ list. One key item will likely be the ex pansion and upgrade of the Court house. I believe the Superior Court Judges that say, while their situation is not yet critical, it is time to start thinking and planning for the future of the almost 30 year old building so they don’t get caught in a critical situation. Remember, back in the 1980s, the county got caught in a critical situa tion in the old jail and a federal judge ordered the county to build the now- demolished Detention Center. My suggestion to the county com mission would be to open this up... hold some town hall meetings and let people talk about what they’d like to see on the SPLOST list. Don’t just decide on your own what’s best for us. Because I can tell you right now a lot of people are up set about some of the current SPLOST spending and if you don’t right the ship, this could be the second SPLOST to go down in flames. Just sayin’... Publisher The Islander EDITORIAL In closing... ... I wanted to print something my good friend Hal Hart, Brunswick resi dent and St. Simons business owner, sent us on Saturday - it’s not apropos of anything in particular, just some outstanding words about Friday’s foot ball game and this country... “Glynn beats Wayne tonight. Great game, lots of scoring, but I think the best part of tonight, other than win ning, was the G.A. Band. Before the game started, they played ‘America the Beautiful.'' People stood up, most took their hats off, oth ers covered their hearts with their right hand and again America was a country to be proud of. It just took over the crowd. It was electric. It wasn’t just me. The group I was with all sang a song like it had a new meaning. When the band finished, I realized what a beautiful song I had just heard ... this truly is a great country. After the game both Wayne County and Glynn Academy’s bands hit the field to perform. The kids stayed, listened and cheered for both bands. Coach Rocky and the Terrors sat in their end zone and watched and listened to the bands, and not until both bands had played did they hit the locker room. Our kids, our band, our team, and coaches, and our school are truly a class act... you should have been there. Once a Terror, always a Terror. 1788 Hal” I should have been there and wish I had. Late during the season last year, I started going to the Glynn Academy games with a couple of life long friends. I went the first time because they told me how much fun it was. It only took one game and I was hooked as well. Part of it was the group of 4 or 5 friends, former G.A. football players, with whom we sit: the writer of what you just read Hal Hart, Gene Wheeler, David Kent and Duncan Shelby. I’ve known these guys since high school if not junior high. Gene and I have been very good friends for years, even though he was one of the scarier guys I knew back in the day. That was only because he was one big, bad mam ma jamma football player. But he has a heart of gold, a great sense of humor and is a stand up guy. I made it to the G.A. scrimmage a few weeks ago against Valdosta but couldn’t get to last Friday’s game due to some last minute issues. I would have loved to have been there for what Hal described and I thank him for writing it and letting us use it. 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
