Published by
Permar Publications
ssislander@bellsouth.net
May 13, 2025
Established in 1972
Vol 52 Issue 20
Park is first of it's kind in Glynn
Above: Cutting the ribbon last week at the Grand
Opening of Glynn County’s new, All-Inclusive
playground at the Blythe Island Regional Park
(BIRP) were: (rear, from left to right) BIRP board
member Danny Hickey, BIRP board member Danny
Harvey, County Commission chairman Wayne Neal
(Dist. 3), County Commissioner Sammy Tostensen
(Dist. 1), BIRP board member Gary Altman, County
Commissioner Walter Rafolski (At Large #2), and
BIRP board vice-chairman Dane Hutchison.
Right: County Recreation and Parks Director Lisa
Gurganus spoke to the crowd about the new park,
thanking the County Commission for their support.
Islander Staff Photos - Permar
All-inclusive playground opens at Blythe Island
Regional Park
BOE takes second
look at FY budget
By Pamela Permar-
Shierling
The Glynn County Board of
Education (BOE) took a sec
ond look at the tentative fis
cal year 2025 budget at last
week’s work session (Thurs
day, May 9.)
Avery Coty, Executive Di
rector for Finance, told the
board that based on the pre
liminary growth and infla
tion report received from the
Glynn County tax assessor,
she reduced the property
tax revenue increase by $1.2
million.
Coty said she recalculated
the FY 2025 property tax rev
enues using a 4.5 percent di
gest increase instead of the
7% digest increase used in the
first budget estimate.
However the state funds
increased more than expect
ed and that increase of $1.8
Turn to Page 10
Board of Education
County Finance
committee okays
all agenda items
By Matthew J. Permar
With nothing controversial
on their last agenda (Thurs
day, May 2) Glynn County’s
Finance Committee recom
mended approval of all 22
items during their regular
meeting.
Their recommendations
included:
• Accepting funding assis
tance for the roundabout on
Canal Road at Glynco Park
way from the Georgia De
partment of Transportation
(DOT).
According to a letter from
Bill Wright, the DOT’s Local
Grants Administrator, the
state highway agency has
agreed to fund up to $3.2 mil
lion or 70% of the project cost,
whichever is less.
Turn to Page 12
Finance committee
Last week (Tuesday, May
7) Glynn County commission
ers, county employees, Blythe
Island Regional Park board
members, and a ton of chil
dren turned out for the official
opening of the county’s All-In
clusive playground at Blythe
Island Regional Park.
The playground is the first
of its kind in Glynn County
which means it is for all chil
dren of all abilities. Prior to the
By Pamela Permar-Shierling
creation of this playground,
parents with handicapped
children had to take them out
of Glynn County to find an all
inclusive playground.
Glynn County Board of
Commissioners Chairman
Wayne Neal said, “I look for
ward to the laughter and
smiles from children using
this playground.”
District 1 Commissioner
Sammy Tostensen, proud to
have the playground in Blythe
Island Regional Park which
is also in his district, called it
‘spectacular.’
The playground, which was
paid for with Bed Tax funds,
cost $450,000 plus $7,000 for
the fencing.
“We saw a need in Glynn
County for this type of
Turn to Page 4
BIRP
County meets
with media
By Matthew J. Permar
Glynn County Police Chief
Scott Ebner batted leadoff
during last week’s (Wednes
day, May 8) Media Roundta
ble meeting.
The County and the Board
of Commissioners (BOC) hold
the monthly meetings to give
local reporters a chance to get
information and ask questions
about a variety of topics.
Chief Ebner opened with an
update on the bicycle patrol
that he and his department
are currently organizing.
The original announcement
about the bike patrol was
made last fall when the coun
ty announced they had been
approved for a $23,925 grant
from the U.S. Department of
Justice to purchase four bicy
cles for the new patrol.
Ebner said at about $4,000
per bike, the grant covered the
Turn to Page 5
Media roundtable
BOC asks for state
help with Little
Buffalo bridge
By Matthew J. Permar
During their May 2 meet
ing the Glynn County Board of
Commissioners (BOC) unani
mously approved a resolution
asking for state assistance
with the Georgia Dept, of
Transportation’s (DOT) Little
Buffalo Creek Bridge replace
ment project.
The resolution, which will
be sent to the Georgia Gen
eral Assembly, asks that the
DOT “consider and include a
bypass or temporary bridge
in its plans as an alternative
to a full bridge closure and
detour.”
The bridge, built in the
1960s, is located on Ga. Hwy.
32 / 99 a short distance from
where the two roads split with
Hwy. 32 going to the right and
Turn to Page 4
Buffalo Creek
Surfin’
the
News
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
Page 2 - Kratom HB 181 now law
Page 6 - Brunswick Kiwanis celebrates 100 years
Page 7 - Ga Pacific Inti Business of Year award
Page 8- How CASA serves Glynn County
Page 11 - Local upcoming events
Page 13 - Port City Page
Page 14 - CCGA partners with Caribbean school
Page 16- Back Talk
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