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The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, January 21, 2009 - 15
Georgia Days ••• Continued from page 9
Sports With Walter Moore
with a memorable, very
romantic night out on
February 14, Valentine's
Day.”
“In addition to fine din
ing and dancing, and the
music of Johnny Mercer,
political commentators
James Carville and Mary
Matalin - Washington's most
captivating couple - will
keynote the event with a talk
entitled All's Fair in Love,
War and Politics. The
evening will also include
Governor Sonny Perdue
inducting the first new
Georgia Trustees since 1749,
part of an exciting new part
nership between the GHS
and the State of Georgia that
will annually recognize in
perpetuity selected
Georgians who have made
outstanding contributions to
our state's history.”
Born in downtown
Savannah in 1909, young
Johnny Mercer absorbed the
rich musical culture of
coastal Georgia. He spent
time in his youth at the Pin
Point Oyster Company on
the Back River, later
renamed Moon River, listen
ing to songs in the Geechee
dialect that would later
inspire his world-famous
lyrics. He wrote his first
song at age 15 and, without
formal musical training,
went on to pen over 1,000
songs; collaborate with such
well-known musical talents
as Hoagy Carmichael,
Harold Arlen, Marvin
Hamlisch, Bobby Darin, and
Andre Previn; and win four
Academy Awards®. As a
co-founder of Capitol
Records, he was instrumen
tal in discovering and
launching the careers of Nat
“King” Cole, Stan Kenton
and Peggy Lee, among oth
ers.
Johnny Mercer's music
will be featured throughout
the Georgia Days schedule.
Less well known are his tal
ents as an illustrator and
painter, and the public is
invited to view examples of
his drawings and paintings,
hear his music, and enjoy
champagne and sweets at the
Georgia Days Kickoff event,
Pardon My Southern Accent:
The Life and Legacy of
Johnny Mercer in Word,
Song, and Art, to be held
February 3 at Wesley
Monumental United
Methodist Church on
Calhoun Square in down
town Savannah.
Georgia Days Kickoff
Event, Pardon My Southern
Accent: The Life and Legacy
of Johnny Mercer in Word,
Song, and Art, will be held
on Tuesday, February 3,
2009.
In this family-friendly
event, professional entertain
er Jim Wann explores the life
and contributions of
Savannah's own Johnny
Mercer by providing biogra
phical information inter
spersed with musical selec
tions from Mercer's exten
sive body of work, as well as
personal reminiscences of
Johnny collected from local
Savannahians. A reception
that will include a rare view
ing of several of Mercer's
original watercolors, as well
as a display of Mercer's
childhood art will continue
the exploration of this multi
talented artist. Enjoy a live
concert of the music of 2009
Historic Honoree Johnny
Mercer.
Free and open to the
public.
Check www.geor-
giahistory.com for the latest
information.
H.E.A.T Provides $1.02 Million to
help Georgians Pay Heating Bills
ATLANTA (GA) - The
Heating Energy Assistance
Team (H.E.A.T.), Inc., an
Atlanta-based nonprofit
organization that provides
energy assistance statewide
to low-income Georgians,
announced today that it has
provided $1,020,649 to the
Georgia Department of
Human Resources (DHR) to
assist qualified families who
are unable to pay their heat
ing bills.
“Georgia's low-income fami
lies live on extremely tight
budgets; they often are
forced to choose between
buying food or medicine or
heating their homes,” said
H.E.A.T. Board Chairman
Chris Strippelhoff. “This
donation will help reach the
Georgia households in most
need of emergency energy
assistance this winter.”
One Georgian's story
Until January 2008,
Woodstock resident Patrick
Hlavaty was a full-time
musician, playing and teach
ing piano and guitar. But a
sudden diabetic seizure
caused him to fall, leaving
him unable to walk normally
and no longer able to use his
left hand to play musical
instruments. He was forced
to retire without enough
resources to make ends meet.
At the time of the seizure,
“Mr. Pat,” as he likes to be
called, was the sole bread
winner for his family. His
wife was not able to work
after having hip replacement
surgery. Their only income
was a small teacher's pension
and a limited amount of
Social Security.
“five been an independent
person all my life,” Hlavaty
said. “I've always worked.
But that one day forced me
to depend on other people
and organizations. It both
ered the heck out of me.”
Concerned about
mounting energy bills,
Hlavaty applied for energy
assistance and received
much-needed help to pay his
heating bills. “I want to
thank all contributors to
H.E.A.T.,” he says, “because
without caring people like
them, anyone in my situation
would not know where to
turn.” Hopeful that surgery
will help correct his condi
tion, Hlavaty looks forward
to playing music again in the
future. “I want to be back at
work and be self-sufficient
again,” he says.
Qualified families can
get energy assistance
H.E.A.T. funds are distrib
uted by DHR through local
community action agencies.
Qualified families apply for
assistance at the agency that
serves their county.
Households must meet
established guidelines that
include income eligibility.
During the past 25 years,
H.E.A.T. has distributed
nearly $17 million to
approximately 82,000 fami
lies.
The recent H.E.A.T.
donation will be an impor
tant addition to federal funds
available for energy assis
tance. “We appreciate this
donation so much, “said
Mark Washington, assistant
DHR commissioner,
Division of Family and
Children Services, “because
we never have enough funds
available to help the tremen
dous number of families in
need. H.E.A.T. is an impor
tant part of addressing this
problem.”
Private citizens and
natural gas companies made
the financial contributions to
H.E.A.T. that resulted in the
$1.02 million distribution.
Georgia Natural Gas,
SCANA Energy, AGL
Resources, Gas South,
MXenergy, Stream Energy,
Infinite Energy, and
Blossman Gas all participat
ed. In addition, some of the
funds were provided to
H.E.A.T. by the Georgia
Public Service Commission.
About H.E.A.T.
Established in 1983,
H.E.A.T. began as a program
of Atlanta Gas Light
Company. With the deregu
lation of Georgia's natural
gas industry, H.E.A.T.
became a separate 501 (c)(3)
nonprofit organization in
May 2000. The organization
helps address the energy
needs of low-income
Georgians by joining forces
with concerned citizens,
businesses and state and
local governments. For more
information about H.E.A.T.,
or to donate online, go to
www.heatga.org.
AASU to Host African American
Read-In February 13
Armstrong Atlantic
State University (AASU)
will host a session of the
2009 National African
American Read-In, on
February 13, from noon to 3
p.m. in Fine Arts Hall 206,
on the AASU campus, 11930
Abercom Street. The event is
free and the public is invited.
AASU students, facul
ty, and staff will read from
selected works by various
African American authors,
such as Langston Hughes
and Barack Obama, as well
as Caribbean, Cuban, and
Jamaican writers. The event
will include a reproduction
of a scene from Lorraine
Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the
Sun,” and a dramatic reading
of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I
a Woman.” Music and a nar
rative by Kalenda Eaton,
AASU’s assistant professor
of African American litera
ture, will weave the pieces
together.
This year marks the
20th anniversary that the
National Council of Teachers
of English (NCTE) has spon
sored the African American
Read-In, dedicated to the dis
cussion and reading of books
by African American writers
with the goal to make the cel
ebration of African American
literacy a traditional part of
Black History Month. For
this year only, the NCTE has
extended the read-in for the
entire month of February.
Across the nation,
schools, churches, libraries
and community organizations
will host similar events in
support of the read-in, which
See AASU, page 16
Tigers Rally Past
Talladega
Savannah State out-scored
Talledaga 11-3 in overtime as
the Tigers won 78-70 on
January 12 in Tiger Arena.
Talladega led 67-59 lead with
1:06 remaining in the game
before SSU scored the final
eight points to force overtime.
Jovonni Shuler and Tracy
Rankins had 13 each for the
Tigers while Rashad Hassan
added 12 and Pat Hardy
chipped in 10. Talladega's 7-1
center Jerel Davis had 19
points and 10 blocks. SSU fell
to 9-9 on the season with a 86-
76 loss at Longwood on Jan.
17. SSU trailed by four with
less than two minutes left but
the Lancers finished the game
with a 9-3 run. Anthony Jones
tied his career-high with 21
points for SSU. Rankins
scored 12 and Shuler had 11
points.
SSU Women Lose
The Savannah State women's
basketball team traveled to
Athens on January 15 and
came back with a 74-28 loss
from the Bulldogs. UGA
jumped out to a 27-8 lead and
led 43-12 at the half. The
Bulldogs had all-1 run late
in the game and held SSU
without a field goal the final
3:30. Crissa Jackson had eight
points for the Lady Tigers (3-
14). Charleston Southern
defeated SSU on Jan. 13 on
Charleston, 74-43. CSU led
19-4 in the early going and
41-21 at the half. The Bucs
stretched their lead to 40 with
just under six minutes left.
Raven Fields led SSU with 12
points, five blocks and four
rebounds.
NC A&T Hires
Football Coach
North Carolina A&T State
University has hired Alonzo
Lee Sr. as their new head foot
ball coach. Lee comes to
A&T after spending three sea
sons as Morgan State’s defen
sive coordinator. Lee is no
stranger to Aggie football
where he once served as the
assistant head coach. He
served as A&T’s defensive
coordinator and linebackers
coach during the 2003-05 sea
sons. Prior to coaching at
A&T, Lee also served as an
assistant at Howard, Florida
A&M and Hampton. He won
his first MEAC championship
as an assistant head coach at
Walter Moore
Howard in 1987. Florida
A&M won three MEAC titles
during Lee’s tenure (1990,
1995, 1996), and Hampton
won two (1997, 1998) under
the defensive leadership of
Lee.
Former Tuskegee
Coach Dies
James (Jim) Martin, Sr.
passed away January 14 in
Huntsville, AL. Martin, who
graduated from Alabama
A&M in 1966 and played
running back for legendary
coach Louis Crews, served as
the A&M athletics director
from 1997 to 2005 and helped
usher the Bulldogs through
the transition from NCAA
Divsion II to Division I and
entry into the Southwestern
Athletic Conference
(SWAC). Beginning in 1970,
Martin coached football and
baseball at Tuskegee. As head
baseball coach, Martin guided
the Golden Tigers to 10 SIAC
championships in 18 years,
placing three pitchers in the
major leagues. After 13 years
as an assistant football coach
at Tuskegee, Martin was
given the head job in 1983.
He compiled a 44-42-2 record
over nine years, winning two
SIAC championships. In
1988, Martin made his entry
into athletic administration as
the Director of Athletics at
Tuskegee. He also served as
the athletics director at South
Carolina State (1993-95) and
Long Island (1995-97) before
returning to his alma mater.
Martin is survived by his wife
Joyce, and three adult chil
dren, Jay (James, Jr.),
Jennifer, and Joy. Jay current
ly serves as the head baseball
coach and assistant football
coach at Alabama A&M.
Oglethorpe
Robert "Bab" Bess
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204 West Hall Street
Call Day or Night
Business Phone: (912) 233-2175 or (912) 233-2176
Fax Number: (912) 234-9343
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Mrs. Frenchye M. Bynes, President
Mr. Raleigh D. Bynes, Vice President / General Manager
Mrs. Frenchye Bynes-Jones, Treasurer / Secretary
Mr. Alfred L. Mullice, Manager
Mrs. Olga F. Williams, Senior Director of Administration
Mrs. Tara Bynes-Jackson, Human Resources Director
Mr. Edward Musgrow, Funeral Service Apprentice