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Savannah. GA
Permit No. 923
“GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY”
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
abannal) Crtbune
Week of April 22,2009 - April 28,2009 • Vol. 37 No. 9 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140
Elliott Named
State Above and
Beyond Citizen
The Congressional
Medal of Honor Foundation
today announced the Above
& Beyond Citizen Honors
state finalist for Georgia for
2009.
After a nationwide
search and selection process,
a panel of judges, consisting
exclusively of Medal of
Honor recipients, selected
Reverend Michael Elliott
due to his conspicuous self
lessness in service to his fel
low Americans by going
above and beyond the call of
duty to aid others.
Rev. Elliott has had a
positive impact upon fight
ing homelessness and pover
ty in Savannah and Chatham
County as President and
CEO of Union Mission, Inc.
He has built an organi
zation that provides housing,
healthcare and supportive
services to more than 600
Rev. Michael Elliott
people daily and improves
the lives of an estimated
10,000 individuals annually.
After considering hun
dreds of nominations, a panel
of judges consisting exclu
sively of Medal of Honor
recipients, selected one final
ist from every state, plus the
District of Columbia.
A complete list of the
51 finalists is available on the
Above & Beyond website,
See Above, page 14
Savannahians
Rally Behind First
Komen’s Race For
the Cure
Mark A. Goldstein, age
76 introduces himself by say
ing that he has been given an
opportunity and whatever
contribution he can make is
an effort to take advantage of
that opportunity.
Mark is a member of
National “Honorary Team
New Balance,” created by
New Balance Athletic Shoe.
Annually, he partic
ipates in many Susan G.
Komen “Race for the Cure”
events throughout the coun
try. He will “team up” with a
local Savannah survivor
who will be named as a
“local HTNB” member to be
announced and honored
Saturday morning at
Savannah's 1st annual Susan
G. Komen Race for the
Cure®.
Mr. Goldstein partici
pated in 14 races in 2008 and
thus far has participated in 1
in 2009. His total since 1992
is 190 races! Mark has run
See Race, page 9
Mercer Statue to be Placed in
Ellis Square
Diane Thurman, Chair, Johnny Mercer Centennial Committee, and Susie Chisholm,
sculptor are pictured with the statue.
T he life-size bronze
statue of Johnny
Mercer has been
granted a home.
Mayor Otis Johnson
and City Council voted
unanimously to approve the
statue’s placement in Ellis
Square.
On November 18,
2009 — the date that would
have been Johnny Mercer’s
100th birthday — his statue
will be dedicated in Ellis
Square.
During this celebra
tion, many events will be
held including the celebration
of West Broad Street in the
early 1900’s, and the African
American influence on
Johnny’s life.
Executives from New York,
Hollywood and London have
confirmed their attendance
for several days of festivities.
Based on the recom
mendation from the
Metropolitan Planning
Commission, the bronze stat
ue of John Herndon Mercer
will reside in the west quad
rant of Ellis Square, posi
tioned along the walkway to
welcome visitors to the
square.
On hand for the vote
was Steven Gerard, President
of The Friends of Johnny
Mercer, Inc., and statue com
mittee co-chairs Dianne S.
Thurman and Nancy Mercer
Gerard.
It was Mrs. Thurman
and Mrs. Gerard who spear
headed the statue approvals
through the MPC Technical
Advisory Committee, and
Sites and Monuments
Commission.
“It is the rare, once in a
lifetime opportunity that I
have to be involved with the
Johnny Mercer Centennial,
and also to help bring this
Johnny Mercer statue to real
ity,” shares Dianne S.
Thurman, chair of Mayor
Otis Johnson’s Johnny
Mercer Centennial Steering
Committee.
“Personal donations and
community support have
made this possible. I am
truly grateful for Mayor
Johnson’s and City Council’s
unanimous and heartfelt vote
of approval.”
“I believe Uncle Bubba
[Johnny Mercer] would be
very happy to be, yet again,
greeting Savannahians and
City Market visitors to the
square,” shared an elated
Nancy Mercer Gerard, the
devoted niece of Mr. Mercer.
“I can envision friends get
ting together for lunch or din
ner, and saying, ‘Where do
you want to meet?’ and the
reply will be, ‘Let’s meet at
Johnny,’ in Ellis Square.”
“Johnny Mercer dearly
loved his hometown. How
fitting it is that the Mercer
statue will reside in
Savannah's newly construct
ed Ellis Square, with new
vibrancy for new generations,
and Johnny is a part of it,”
Mrs. Thurman concluded.
Anitra Williams Crowned
Miss Mardi Gras
Williams, (( ) is pictured with 2nd runner-up India C amoiin(L), 3rd runner-up lamika
Patterson (2nd from the right), and Miss Mardi Gras 2008 Tasha Hall(3rd from right).
Also pictured is Basileus James “Slim” Melvin (3rd from the left), and the ladies’ escorts.
The Brothers of Omega Psi on Friday April 18 at the crowned Anitra Williams
Phi Fraternity, Incorporated Savannah Civic Center. Miss Mardi Gras. Second
held their Mardi Gras 2009 This year, the brothers runner-up was India
Calhoun, and third runner-up
was Tamika Patterson.
Anitra is currently
employed with the Savannah-
Chatham Board of Education
as a Career and Technical
Education teacher at Sol C.
Johnson High School.
In addition to her teach
ing duties, Anitra gives count
less hours to many extracur
ricular activities throughout
the school.
She has served as advi
sor to the Future Business
Leaders of America, and
DECA. She also serves on
the board of advisors for the
Jobs for Georgia Graduates.
Proceeds from this event
support the Mu Phi Chapter's
scholarship fund and other
programs such as American
Diabetes and the St. Paul
Boys and Girls Academies.
James “Slim” Melvin
serves as chapter Basileus.
•new branch and a proud tradition of service
7110 Skidawav Road - Savannah. Georgia 3140b
MW
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