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‘GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY”
afcannaj) tribune
Week of Dec. 24,2008 - Dec. 30,2008 • Vol. 36 No. 44 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140
City Mission hosts Christmas on the Comer
L-R: Executive Director of the Old Savannah City Mission, Rev. Jim Lewis; Mayor Pro Tem Edna
Jackson; Mission's Director of Operations & Facilities, Bill Stiles, and Carver State Bank President,
Robert E. James. Jackson is holding a special Christmas gift presented by Rev. Lewis.
O n Friday, December
19, the Old Savannah
City Mission cele
brated "Christmas on the
Comer-I" of Burroughs and
33rd Street. The Mission’s
Urban Training Institute stu
dents under the supervision of
Bill Stiles, the Mission's
Director of Operations &
Facilities, have completed
two phases of an improve
ment project they began in
July. In a press conference in
July, Rev. Jim Lewis prom
ised Mayor Otis Johnson and
Chairman of the County
Commission, Pete Liakakis a
special Christmas gift...an
improved neighborhood.
Rev. Lewis presented Mayor
Pro Tem Edna Jackson and
Robert E. James, President of
Carver State Bank, with a
See City Mission, page 9
Beach Cuyler Neighborhood Association Makes
Surprise Donation to Beach High Students
Beach High School’s administrators, staff and students accept a very generous gift from
representatives of the Beach Cuyler Neighborhood Association.
On Friday, December 19, the
Beach Cuyler Neighborhood
Association surprised the students
of A.E. Beach High School with a
$ 15,000 check to help pay for their
trip to Washington DC to witness
the inauguration of President-elect
Barack Obama.
"This is the largest single
donation outside of our school
budget; this is a wonderful show
of support of the work that we are
doing, the faculty, the staff and
the students have worked all so
hard to change the perception of
this school," said Beach High
School principal Dr. Deonn Stone.
The students will spend the
holidays getting ready.
Gadsden Fourth Grader Impacts Community
Left to Right: Mrs. Connell Stiles, Rev. Jim Lewis, Aaliyah Spellman with her Mother, Dr.
Deborah Jones and Kristen McAdams.
Aaliyah Shellman, a Gadsden Elementary School For Pizza” fundraiser at her
fourth grade student at led a school-based “Pennies school. Through her leader
ship, $500 were raised.
Aaliyah selected the Old
Savannah City Mission as her
charity of choice and the pres
entation was made on Friday,
December 19, 2008.
According to school offi
cials, Aaliyah had “behavioral
challenges.” Fortunately for
her, Kristen McAdams, a psy
chologist with the Savannah-
Chatham County Public
Schools crafted a positive chal
lenge which appealed to
Aaliyah. Her interest and
energy were re-directed to lead
the fundraiser. She put up pro
motional materials and visited
classrooms. Her campaign
resulted in much more than the
coveted prize of a pizza party.
Mayor Johnson
Considered a Strong
Contender to head up
Office of Urban
Policy
President
elect Barack
Obama has prom
ised to pursue a
serious urban
agenda, in part by
creating an Office
of Urban Policy to
coordinate federal
efforts to rebuild
cities and the met
ropolitan regions
they anchor.
Savannah’s own,
Mayor Otis
Johnson is consid
ered to be a strong
contender for the
position. The Mayor was named in a Detroit Free
Press editorial as being one of four people recom
mended to go to Washington, D. C. and become the
Czar of the Cities. However, Mayor Johnson has
indicated that at this time, he is not interested in the
position. He said he plans to serve as Savannah’s
Mayor for the next three years.
Mayor Johnson has worked for the Model Cities
Program, Economic Opportunity Authority and
Savannah State University. As mayor, he helped cre
ate Step Up Savannah and promoted environmental
and health programs. He has a master's degree in
social work and a PhD from the Heller School of
Social Policy and Management at Brandeis
University.
Mayor Otis Johnson
Sen. Regina Thomas
Ends Senate Term
ATLANTA -
Senator Regina
Thomas (D-
Savannah), will
end her term as
state Senator of
the 2nd District
on January 11,
2009. Sen.
Thomas has rep
resented District
2 for almost 15
years, first serv
ing in the House
o f
Representatives Senator Regina Thomas
from 1995 to
1998 and then in the Senate beginning in 2000.
Senator-Elect Lester Jackson (D-Savannah) will suc
ceed Thomas on January 12, 2009, when the legisla
tive session convenes.
“Nothing is forever, and it was time for me to
leave Atlanta,” said Sen. Thomas of her decision not
to seek re-election. “It has been my honor to serve
the people of Chatham County, and I am humbled by
their support and trust in me as their leader.”
See Senator Thomas, page 6
arverHtatelHank
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