Newspaper Page Text
The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, April 12, 2023
3
Legendary Radio Programmer
Announces Legacy Heritage
Project
Theron “Ike” Carter
Retired Savannah
State University radio station
manager, Theron “Ike” Carter,
has undertaken a multi-media
music heritage and legacy proj
ect to help preserve the knowl
edge and stories he has shared
with listening audiences for
nearly three decades.
Mr. Carter, who also
headed the Coastal Jazz Asso
ciation for 10 years, has spent
more time behind the mic as an
interviewer than an interview
ee. However, in January 2022,
author-artist Aberjhani began
recording weekly interviews
with the music historian as the
primary subject. The result so
far, according to Aberjhani, has
been an unrestricted narrative
on the joys and pains of grow
ing up to a soundtrack of dif
ferent types of African-Ameri
can music in Savannah during
an overtly, racially oppressive
time.
“Any number of his
torians have given us some
vivid accounts of what it meant
to survive Jim Crow Savan
nah,” said Aberjhani, “but the
experiences Mr. Carter details
defines Black life in the city
as something framed by more
than just racial politics. The
racial realities of the times are
acknowledged but so are the
spiritual and creative dynamics
that transcend those political
ly-imposed boundaries.”
The video interviews
represent a crucial step in a
process estimated to take sev
eral more years to complete. A
GoFundMe page (at https://go-
fund.me/7fl6f250 ) launched
April 4 to help raise funds
for additional travel research,
archive access, digital equip
ment, and daily operations.
The launch date was planned
as one way to observe Jazz
Appreciation Month and the
campaign runs until the end of
June, which is African-Ameri
can Music Month.
“Not every city is
fortunate enough to have what
I call a music griot like Ike
Carter,” said Aberjhani. “The
music heritage legacy proj
ect gives us an opportunity to
share with the rest of the world,
and generations to come, the
amazing gifts he has bestowed
upon Savannah so devotedly
all these years.”
From Bright Skylark LP
Newsnotes
Port Wentworth Hires First
Director of Economic
Development
The City of Port
Wentworth is pleased to an
nounce the hiring of the City’s
first Director of Economic De
velopment, James R. Touchton,
who brings over fifteen years
of experience in a wide range
of issues, including economic
development, policy, govern
ment affairs, transportation,
and transit, planning and zon
ing and community relations.
As the City continues to expe
rience growth and new devel
opment, an increased focus on
current and future economic in
vestment within the City is vi
tal. With the impact of pending
significant investments and de
mand at the Port of Savannah
driving growth in the Region,
the City of Port Wentworth is
poised to see an increase in
population and investments,
driving the City to become a
model of the “live, work, play”
lifestyle that suburban cities
have experienced within the
Region and beyond.
“We are thrilled to
have Mr. Touchton at the helm
of our Economic Development
team, leading our community
through this exciting period
of commercial growth”, stated
City Manager Steve Davis. “He
will be instrumental in foster
ing innovation to advance eco
nomic growth and our compet
itiveness for small businesses
and large corporations as well
as foster positive real estate
development, tourism, transit,
arts and culture amenities for
our community.”
Mayor Pro Tern
Thomas Barbee stated, “this is
a critical time for Port Went
worth to capitalize on econom
ic development opportunities
to continue to lift the quality of
life and prosperity for our com
munity.” He continued, “James
brings a wealth of knowledge
and experience, we couldn’t be
more excited to welcome him
to our team.”
Mr. Touchton will serve as the
City’s first Director of Eco
nomic Development and will
be responsible for guiding the
City’s economic-development
activities, including, business
outreach, retention, expansion
and recruitment, among other
responsibilities.
“I am truly humbled
and honored to join the City of
Port Wentworth’s team and hit
the ground running,” Touchton
said. “The City has developed
a fantastic team and has laid
the groundwork for successful
partnerships throughout the
Savannah-Metro region and
James R. Touchton
beyond. Port Wentworth is a
growing, diverse, and well-po
sitioned City with a bright
future and incredible endless
possibilities. I look forward to
working with our City staff,
elected officials, local, region
al, and state partners to bring
quality and deliberate econom
ic development to the City.”
Touchton received
his bachelor’s and master’s
degree from Kennesaw State
University, where he graduated
Cum Laude and served both as
Student Government President
and as a member of the Delta
Tau Delta Fraternity. His ex
perience includes serving as a
Senior Policy Analyst with the
Georgia State Senate, longtime
Director of Policy and Govern
ment Affairs for the Council
for Quality Growth, represent
ing the growth and develop
ment community at the local
and state levels, a Director of
Economic Development within
the metro-Atlanta region and
served as a marketing consul
tant with a focus in social media
for the Georgia Department of
Labor. James is a proud gradu
ate of the Regional Leadership
Institute, Leadership Cobb,
Georgia Academy for Econom
ic Development and is work
ing on completing the Georgia
Certified Economic Developer
Program Certificate through
the University of Georgia’s
Carl Vinson Institute. Touchton
has served on several boards
and leadership committees,
including Kennesaw State Uni
versity’s Political Science and
Master of Public Administra
tion Board, Advance Atlanta,
the Policy Leadership Institute,
Leadership Cobb Economic
Development Day Committee
and worked to establish the
Council for Quality Growth’s
Emerging Leaders Initiative.
Thank You For Reading
The Savannah Tribune
In Print & Online!
Greenbriar Children’s Center Announces Grand Opening Of
Infant Center And Board Of Directors Annual Meeting
Greenbriar Chil
dren’s Center, a non-profit with
over 70 years of experience
helping children and families
in Chatham County, held the
grand opening of the Greenbri
ar Infant Center last Wednes
day, April 5, 2023, on its main
campus at 3709 Hopkins Street
in Savannah.
“We are so excited to
be hosting the Grand Opening
of our Infant Center The Sa
vannah Chamber joined us for
a ribbon cutting and we are
grateful to have the support of
our local community leaders
along with our non-profit part
ners”, said Gena P. Taylor, Ex
ecutive Director of Greenbriar
Children’s Center.
“The opening of the
infant center represents the
return of very young children
to the campus of Greenbri
ar”, said Dr. Connie Cooper,
the President of the Board of
Directors of Greenbriar. “For
many years now, our early
learning centers have been off
site, at our Windy’s Preschool
at 429 Tattnall Street and at our
WW Law Learning Center at
909 East Bolton Street. While
we will continue to operate
those quality-rated early learn
ing centers for children ages six
months to five years of age, this
new infant center will care for
children ages six weeks to 18
months. All three centers will
accept CAPS and scholarships
will be provided for those who
need additional assistance.”
The Board of Direc
tors’ Annual Meeting followed
the grand opening. Greenbriar
shared their 2022 accomplish
ments with the community.
For more info visit
www.greenbriarchildrenscen-
ter.org or call 912-234-3431.
Step One Automotive Group Celebrates Teacher Appreciation
Week With Inaugural Learning Legacy Award
Step One Automo
tive Group celebrates Teacher
Appreciation Week (May 8th -
May 12th) with their Inaugural
Learning Legacy Award. Gift
ing $9,000 in $3,000 awards to
three teachers in the Georgia,
Florida and Alabama area, Step
One is accepting applications
from April 1st to April 21st and
will award the winners on May
3rd, 2023.
“At Step One Au
tomotive, we always support
teachers and education in the
communities we operate. This
year we decided to celebrate
Teacher Appreciation Week
with the Inaugural Learning
Legacy Award. Step One Au
tomotive will give $9,000 in
$3,000 awards to three teachers
who are innovating the class
room experience and trans
forming the lives of their stu
dents .We encourage everyone
to apply and spread the word so
we can all support our teachers
and everything they do for our
students!” states STEP ONE
Marketing Manager Maja Cir-
ic.
Learning Legacy
award recipients will be re
quired to provide updates in
cluding receipts, photos, and
videos of the funded project’s
progress at monthly intervals
until completion. Recipients
will have 6 months to complete
the funded project. Step One
Automotive will give $9,000 in
$3,000 awards to three teachers
who are innovating the class
room experience and trans
forming the lives of their stu
dents. There will be one award
each granted in Florida, Geor
gia, and Alabama and the win
ner will be announced via so
cial media on May 3rd, 2023.
All information can be found
on our landing page https://
www.steponeautomoti ve .com/
learning-legacy-awards/ and
on social media.
* All projects sub
mitted for consideration must
be approved by the appropriate
supervisory entities before ap
plying for an award.
After chest pain and
shortness of breath
began making peanut
farming difficult forTerry,
he was diagnosed with
ischemic cardiomyopathy. His
heart was functioning at half
capacity and was deemed
too diseased
fora bypass.
Terry was referred to Dr, Papoy, a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Joseph's/Candler.
Specially trained to perform coronary endarterectomies, Dr. Papoy was able to remove
the diseased pa rt of th e coronary artery and reconstru ct it. A rap Ed recovery after the
operation was made possible by the Impelta 5,5 heart pump, Terry's
heart is now fully working. And to his delight, so is he.
"The St* Joseph's/Candler team not only saved my life, they
allowed me to get back to work and spend
quality time traveling with my wife and being
with my grandkids." - Terry Reese
with SriiarlAssisf
Terry Reese - Baxley, GA
"THAT'S WHY I CHOOSE ST. JOSEPH'S/CANDLER”
- Andrew Papoy, M.D. - Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Z SJCHS.ORG
5J ]oseph’sfCandIer
The Heart Hospital ^