For months since last
writing about the Chatham County Transit Authority’s eagerness to tax
Tybee Island and not delivering consistent bus services, I have
attempted to set up a Town Hall meeting. The purpose of this meeting is
to allow those who effectively want to “tax you without representation”
to explain their perspective of value to you.
Every CAT board member has received faxes and hard copy letters and
follow up telephone calls to ensure a July 25th meeting would, finally,
be held and attended. The CAT board is composed of our county
commissioners. The “boss” of CAT is Scott Lansing, chief spokesman and
director.
All this work received the following responses. Four Tax reform advocate
and County Commissioner Jeff Rayno responded in the affirmative. Our own
County Commissioner, Frank Murray, was a “maybe” due to understandable
pending military obligations. For health reasons, Commissioner Priscilla
Thomas is highly unlikely. The loudest advocate for taxing Tybee, which
I’ve refused to allow for nearly eight years now, Scott Lansing must be
busier than the president of the United States. His schedule won’t
“allow” him to attend perhaps, maybe, hmmmm, dunno -- until August? He
didn’t want to respond to me personally because he knew the earful he’d
get from me. I’m convinced he doesn’t want to be accountable to you. A
Town Hall meeting is something he’s pledged to attend for many, many
years now, but steadfastly refuses to do. If we changed the world to
adjust his schedule, in all seriousness, I still doubt he’d show.
In short, July 25th meeting is dead without Mr. Lansing’s willingness to
attend and face the Tybee public. I don’t understand why the CAT board
doesn’t fire him. Then again, consider their own lack of responses.
This broaches another important topic involving the August 20th Primary
elections. It’s a matter of record.
Of the local delegation, only two State House members have
heavy-handedly refused to sign off on such taxation. My dear friend and
property tax co-hort from the westside, Rep. Ron Stephens, and me
(Stephens-Day Bill). All others believe Tybee should be taxed, period.
But, now that election season is, as of this writing, about six weeks
away, some attitudes might change. This change would be driven the four
candidates vying for a seat on the multi-member district (the 124th),
which takes in all of Tybee NORTH of Highway 80.
Now is the time to start asking these candidates what their position
would be, if elected. It’s now or never.
State Representative Burke Day
July 2, 2002
I Am Sandra Bullock's
Second Biggest Fan
By Judy O'Neill
Yep. I'm Ms. Bullock's
second biggest fan! I can't be her biggest fan because I haven't managed
to cross the bridge to go to an actual movie theater to see an actual
current movie since 1982 ! I rely on HBO and Chu's Video Rentals for
movie entertainment. I immediately liked Sandra Bullock because I'm from
Bulloch County and my brain is absolutely certain that there's some
connection... although one of her ancestors changed the spelling for
some reason.
I THINK I've seen all her movies. The first one I remember was SPEED. An
almost "chick flick" with action enough to keep the Couch Potato awake.
My favorite is Miss Congeniality because I am a former southern "beauty
queen" with big hair, painted nails, pageant experience and a tiara or
two. From that movie, which I have watched beaucoup times, I have
borrowed a new favorite word: "bizarro." Former local Chick Cop Renee K.
and I agree on this movie. She liked it because of all the detective
stuff; I liked it because of all the pageant stuff. And we both agreed
on bizarro...our new favorite word! How bizarro is that !!
I haven't seen the Ya-Ya movie yet, but I've read the book and I know
all the LOCAL REAL TYBEE Ya-Yas. The book has a few "tres serieux"
moments, so one of the Les Grandes Senior Real Ya-Yas and I have decided
that "The Charmante Miss B." needs to star in a movie made from Jill
Conner Browne's book The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love. If you are a
REAL southern woman over the age of 30, this is required reading!!!!!
And, if your a real man over 30 who's married to a REAL southern woman,
you gotta read this one too. My real man laughed out loud....'bout
scared me to death! { Attention "Real Men": Reading this book will NOT
cause you to eat quiche.} I e-mailed Author Browne about how much I
liked her book and how much I related to all the "Queens" and she
actually responded...yep, personally e-mailed me back. How wonderfully
bizarro is that also!!!
But, I digress. Since "The Charmante Miss B." has embraced our little
piece of paradise as her own, she now belongs to us, and we get to talk
about her just like we do everybody else in this Little Mayberry By the
Sea. We also get asked about her a LOT by outsiders and les touristes. I
answered the phone at the office a while back and was asked by a lady
making reservations for a week if in our check-in package we could
include a map that indicated ALL the homes of the stars. My first
inclination was to ask which version she preferred: The one with the
local famous folk; the one with the regional celebs; or the
all-inclusive, deluxe one featuring all the aforementioned AND the
national celebrities. However, I told her that we prefer to respect our
STARS' privacy. One of my relatives wanted to know if I saw and talked
to S.B. on a regular basis. Well, I started thinking {yes, that gave me
a headache} , cleared all the $$$ making possibilities from my
pageant-affected brain, and realized that not only had I not had a
conversation with S.B., I had never even laid eyes on her. Now, is that
not truly bizarro? Especially if I am her Second Biggest Fan. I know!
Maybe she can have her girl call my girl and we'll do lunch.
A Cat Diary
DAY 659 My captors
continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine
lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only
thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild
satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture.
Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.
DAY 662 Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet
while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of
the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors,
I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair... must try
this on their bed.
DAY 669 Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in
attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike
fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a
good little cat I was... Hmmm Not working according to plan
DAY 681 Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep
depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.
DAY 688 I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason
I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a
burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent
such a liquid? My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck
between my teeth.
DAY 690 There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was
placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise
and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More
importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of
"allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.
DAY 699 I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and may be
snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to
return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got
to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue (something
akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he
reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room
his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time.
Who Needs Air Conditioning?
by Lisa Scarbrough-Sinclair
I brush another hair out
of my eyes. It's three a.m. I should be asleep, like my mom and dad, but
I'm not. The breeze whispers by, keeping time with the running current
beating against the side of the boat. I hear the splish-splash to the
right and left of me. It's not rain, just my neighbors jumping around in
the water. I've counted more than 20 shooting stars tonight, as I lay
cuddled with my blanket, using my favorite teddy bear as my pillow. But
this time, I didn't make any wishes. Most fourteen-year-olds do nothing
but make wishes. Not me. But that's because I already got my wish. It
took five years and many letters to Santa, but it came true.
Earlier, my mom was upset with my dad that the air conditioning wasn't
working, but it has never bothered me. How could it? I sleep on top of
the boat, so I'm always cool and content. Yep, that's right, folks. For
the first seven months of my fourteen-year-old life I lived with my mom
and dad on a boat. And let's get this straight: we are not talking a
yacht or a sailboat, just a small cabin cruiser, which is even smaller
when three people have to live in it with no doors between them (except
in the bathroom). But when your dream comes true, you don't care much
about anything else, not even air conditioning.
I've been on boats since I was two weeks old. It was important to my dad
that I experience the finer things in life, like swimming, water-skiing,
eating shrimp and such. So, I grew up as a tomboy who would give
anything to be in the water. We traveled around as my dad moved our boat
or bought new ones in different places. When I was eight, he brought me
to Tybee Island.
As it is often heard, I fell in love with Tybee with my first encounter.
Having lived in Atlanta, an area where neighbors keep their doors locked
and their hospitality hidden, I immediately appreciated the Tybee
lifestyle. I could go anywhere with my mom and dad and play, without
worrying that someone was going to kidnap me or that the children were
going to be too stuck-up and not let me play with them. The local
children in the neighborhood would fill our boat (my dad called it the
Chimney Creek Daycare) to come play Nintendo or go swimming. For the
first time in my life, I had real friends and even admired them, envied
them actually. They were so carefree, spirited, living the life that I
had always wanted. I lived in an area that wasn't considered safe to
play outside without supervision, not to mention that it was about two
hours driving time away from the children at my school. But here, the
parents didn't have to worry about the children's safety, only if they
have enough Bandaids and Neosporin for when they came home.
So, tonight I stare up at the sky, thanking God for granting my greatest
wish. I now live at Tybee. I may not live in a fancy house, but I have
great neighbors. Tomorrow morning, before school, I'll wake up, get my
breakfast and sit on the dock to watch the sunrise. But I'll have
company. A dolphin (I called him Squeaky) comes by each morning and
plays around the dock. I don't mind the saltwater spray on my face as he
jumps up by me. When he's ready, he'll come up to the dock and smile at
me as I pet his rubbery head. He doesn't even mind my dogs watching,
although this is all new and intriguing for them. Behind him, just by
the swaying marsh grass, Mr. Loggerhead (turtle) pops his head up for a
few brief moments, just to check out the morning activities. Then my dad
will come get me to drive me to school, not even five minutes away,
accompanied by our two dogs in his red 1972 Volkswagon Thing. We always
drive with the top off, so we can all enjoy the saltwater smell and cool
morning air.
Now, take that morning routine, and compare it to getting up around
five-thirty a.m, groggily getting dressed and eating breakfast, crawling
into your mom and dad's car to go back to sleep for about two hours as
they battle through morning rush hour traffic on 285. Now, do that same
routine five days a week for eight years. Which would you prefer?
But these starry nights and cool friendly mornings are just the
beginning to my story. A wish came true, but a novel was about to be
written, one filled with fishermen, pirates, international travelers,
colorful locals, and little air conditioning…. What more could a girl
ask for?
Let Live Animals Live
by Lianne Pierrard
Visiting the beach is an
exciting time of discovery for all who wish to explore and learn about
the environment around them. Marine animals can often be found in tidal
pools and on the beach at low tide. Here at the Tybee Island Marine
Science Center we often have visitors bringing in live animals they wish
to “donate” to the center. Although we appreciate this gesture, it is
best to leave the live animals out on the beach where they may continue
to live freely. The animals we have in our science center aquariums are
obtained and maintained by an experienced staff aquarist. With the help
of selected local fisherman we are careful to receive animals that are
healthy and compatible with our other specimens. In addition, the
animals that wash up on the beach are often weak or perhaps even sick
and frequently die in captivity. Therefore, it is important to keep any
newly acquired animals in quarantine (by themselves) for a period of
time before introducing them into a tank where they will be with other
animals. This allows us to make sure new animals will not spread
diseases to otherwise healthy aquarium specimens. Quarantine animals are
not put on exhibit, possibly even for extended periods of time. This is
often a disappointment for those who bring in an animal and expect to
see it in a tank the next time they come in.
Injured marine animals are also often brought to us. Through a network
of local veterinarians we are able to assist in locating proper care, as
we are not equipped to treat or rehabilitate animals at the marine
science center. It should be noted that the Tybee Island Marine Science
Center should be called with any concerns involving injured or dead
marine mammals (i.e. whales, dolphins, manatees) or sea turtles. Calls
of this type may be made to 786-5917 from 8am-6:30pm everyday or by
contacting Tybee Department of Public Works at 786-4573 ext. 120.
Many of the animals a person would discover out on the beach can also be
found in our aquariums and touch tank. To see these animals up close,
come visit us at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center at the base of
the pier or call us at 786-5917.
