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“GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY”
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Week of March 3,2010 - March 9,2010 • Vol. 38 No. 2 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140
President Obama Visits Savannah
By Shirley B. James and
Tina A. Brown
For The Savannah
Tribune
President Barack
Obama offered a glimmer of
hope for the nation’s handy
men and arms of industry
that manufacture energy effi
cient materials, such as win
dows, doors, heating, solar
and air conditioning equip
ment.
During his visit Tuesday
to Savannah Technical
College, Obama was well
received by standing ova
tions. He talked to an invita
tion-only group of about 300
local politicians, students,
staff, members of the busi
ness community and the
Longshoreman ILA Local
144 about the most pressing
issues facing the state of
Georgia and the nation: the
disappearance of jobs and
job creation.
Obama was greeted at
Air Force One by Gov.
Sonny Perdue, Savannah
Mayor Otis S. Johnson, Brig.
General Jeffrey Phillips and
Ginger Cucolo, the wife of
Major General Tony Cucolo,
who is head of the 3rd
Infantry Division in Iraq,;
and Command Sgt. Major
Jeffrey Ashman at Hunter
Airfield shortly before noon.
“Unemployment in
Georgia is still above 10 per
cent. That doesn’t include
folks who’ve had to accept
part-time jobs; or in some
cases have given up finding
a job
altogether,” Obama said.
"When it comes to domes
tic policy, I have no more
important job as president
than seeing to that every
American that wants to
work and is able to
work can find a
job,” he told the
group at
Savannah
Technical
where 200
to
300 stu
dents are
current
ly being
trained
i n
trades
that
might
make
the
Obama
adminis
tration’s
HomeStar
program
a success.
“(Job cre
ation) was my
focus last year
and that is my
focus this year,” he
said, "to lay a founda
tion for economic growth
that creates jobs.”
Obama acknowledged
that “it's tough out there,’’for
people who haven’t found
work. He said that he hopes
that
the HomeStar program may
revved up a segment of
the economy that needs to
get going.
selves to be
the
Obama ’ s
talk also focused on
the Youth Build program at
Savannah Technical College
and he visited with students
who are preparing them-
n e w
workforce in
clean energy and con
struction. He then proposed
the “Home-Star” energy
saving program - an instant
rebate program for home
owners to encourage them to
use energy efficient materi
als and appliances when
making improvements in
their homes; a program that
will not only save the
approximately 40%
consumption of
energy in our
homes, but also
boost the econ
omy and cre
ate more jobs
for those
companies
in the U.S.
that pro
duce the
materials.
The
White
House
estimates
that 2-to-
3 million
house
holds in
the U.S.
will partici
pate in the $6
billion pro
gram.
His chal
lenge was to
embrace the kind of
educational training
programs that were being
offered at Savannah
Technical College.
Dr. Dorothy Stoneman,
founder of the Youth Build
program, which originated in
Harlem (New York City) in
1978, applauded the
President for supporting the
Youth Build programs
nation-wide with a 17%
increase in funding through
the stimulus package. The
city of Savannah provides
25% of this funding.
Twenty-five students,
former high school dropouts
from all across Chatham
County between the ages of
16 - 24, are enrolled in the
program at Savannah Tech,
she said. It is a frill nine-
month program where stu
dents spend 50% of the time
in classes taught at the col
lege in construction manage
ment and H-VAC, and 50%
of the time utilizing their
skills building homes Their
current project is at 2112
Love St.
Jim Wheeless, Vice
President for Academic
Affairs at the Technical
College lauds the program.
He said it provides opportuni
ties for students who need
that “second chance” to
progress into the future world
of work and careers that will
be in green energy.
Obama made an indelible
impression upon people in
the audience.
Patrick Shay (D), a
Chatham County
Commissioner and also an
architect with Gunn
Meyerhoff Shay, who along
with a select group of busi
nessmen had an audience
with the President. Shay
described our Obama as a
very bright and intelligent
leader whom he was glad to
meet, but he also mentioned
that he was even more glad
See Obama, page 4
President Obama exiting Air Force One Photo courtesy of D & D Photography
Hope Jones, Melinda Simmons and Dr. Dorothy Stoneman
Audience Members at today’s speech
ILA Local 1414 Willie Seymore, Tim Mackey, Greg Eady, Eddie Me Bride, Jr.
