Out of the Box – July 2010

An Unsung Hero

By Mary Anne Street

Mary Anne Street

Last week, Oprah had a hairdresser on her program who coifs the stars. He’s French (that helps) and he has a flair for hair. He also charges around $750 for a cut, shampoo and style. That is outrageous, but he’s completely booked and you have to wait in line to get him.

Kevin Grant (pictured below) charges $12 per shampoo and style.  Yes, you read that right–$12; of course, you have to be in a nursing home.  Kevin has a successful salon of his own in Savannah called KG’s Salon & Productions. He charges $55 and up for shampoo, sets, and so forth. He’s busy, and he has 3 assistants working with him—Ciera, Glenice, and Clrona. But he gives his time to nursing homes, doing the grooming for those who can’t afford regular salons and/or can’t get out to have their hair done.

My mother is in Oceanside Nursing & Rehab Center (912-786-4511). She’s limited in what she can do—she’s in a wheelchair and can’t walk, she has diabetes, and on and on. Her ONE pleasure is getting her hair fixed once a week. She’s lucky—she’s got family who helps with expenses, but many people get an “allowance” from Social Security and it’s very small, making it difficult to afford the “extras.” One shampoo and set could wipe out a person’s entire monthly stipend.  Kevin to the rescue!!

I asked Kevin why he does it, why he devotes so much time helping these people.  “I took care of sick grandparents,” he said. “I spent lots of time with them and I saw their needs and how much doing my grandma’s hair made her spirits rise, and I just wanted to do that for other elderly people.” He contracts to eight different nursing homes, spending a few hours at each per week, cutting hair, shampooing hair, setting hair, giving perms—just about anything residents need in the way of grooming.

And Kevin gives so much more than the hairstyles. “I feel so old and ugly if I don’t get my hair done,” said one resident; “Getting my ‘do’ makes me feel pretty and part of the world.” My mother says it’s about the only thing that she has some “control” over. “I can get my hair done and feel like a real person, and pay for it myself; I even give him a tip.” Kevin gives residents a tie to the world beyond the nursing home walls, and for many who have no family, no outside contacts, no way to feel good about themselves, Kevin gives humanness, kindness and a way for them to feel beautiful.

When asked what motivates Kevin to continue, he said he actually learns many things from the residents. “My mom always said I was an ‘old spirit’—I love the stories of the past, the way of life, the ways of another time. I can listen to these people, hear their stories, and it’s fun and interesting to me. They get to share their stories and I get to hear them—a win-win for all of us.”

Kevin’s been doing this work for ten years and when I asked him how long he’ll continue, he said, “I love what I do and I guess I’ll continue until I become a senior.” He’s now 33. Kevin is one of those un-sung heroes we never know about; one that makes a difference in many lives.

We thank you, Kevin.

Mary Anne

Mary Anne lives on Tybee with husband The Tybee Handyman. Contact her at:  MaryAnne@tybeevacationremtals.com

Think Before You Toss

“Out of the Box”

with Mary Anne Street

Think Before You Toss

Recently I visited the UGA Marine Science Center on Skidaway Island. It’s a great little gem, worth a visit especially if children are with you. They have a wonderful set of aquariums, featuring over 200 animals that represent 50 species native to Georgia’s coastal waters, where you can see and study marine life up close and personal, and they have a touch tank where guests can pick up and touch marine animals.

Their displays include a nurse shark, a loggerhead sea turtle and seahorses. They are located on the Intercoastal Waterway, and you can bring a picnic lunch and sit at the picnic tables and lull away an afternoon watching the water. Birds land a take off there, so if you are a bird watcher, it’s great, for that as well. I sat under a pear tree, enjoying the breeze and reading a book while I waited for my group. They do special programs for groups using microscopes, marsh walks and films to illustrate marine life and to teach guests about environmental issues; I was the tour leader for one of those groups.

They have a myriad of posters that are FREE, some of which make wonderful works of art, if framed (Georgia’s Salt Marsh Official Habitat). Some are great for kids rooms (Marine Fishes of Georgia), and they have a great map of the Coast of Georgia. We framed the latter and have it hanging in our rental unit—it always gets interesting comments. We also have a framed copy hanging in the Concierge’s office at Tybee Vacation Rentals.

One particular poster caught my eye.  It was titled “Marine Debris from Land and Sea—In the Environment a Long, Long Time.” I was appalled at the information it provided. It featured a beach and shore, and the shore water had items one might commonly find in the ocean—that is, those things that people toss away–and how long it took for those things to break down.
Did you know that those plastic beverage holders take 400 years to “breakdown” to nothing? Four hundred years!!!!! And people toss these out all of the time. Disposable diapers? 450 years! Glass bottles and jars “undetermined!” That’s incredible.

We need to stop and think about what we are doing to our environment when we just toss something or let it blow around. Even a paper towel takes 2-4 weeks to decompose.

Here’s a list:

Foamed plastic cup – 50 years
Wool socks – 1-5 years
Photo-degradable beverage holder – 6 months
Plastic bottle – 450 years
Plastic beverage holder – 400 years
Foamed buoy – 50 years
Plastic grocery bag – 1-20 years
Plywood – 1-3 years
Monofilament fishing line – 600 years
Glass bottles and jars – undetermined
Paper Towel – 2-4 weeks
Newspaper – 6 weeks
Cotton rope – 1-5 months
Apple core – 2 months
Cardboard box – 2 months
Cotton gloves – 1-5 months
Waxed milk carton – 3 months
Disposable diaper – 450 years
Aluminum can – 200 years
Tin can – 50 years

SO THINK before you toss away!
Until next month,
Mary Anne

UGA Marine Education Center & Aquarium 9:00 am – 4:00 pm weekdays;
10:00 am – 5:00 pm Saturdays
Closed Sundays & holidays;
Adults & children 13 & up – $4
Children 3 – 12 $2; under 3 – Free; 912.598.2496

Poster info: scdhec.gov/environment/ocrm/outreach/marine_debris.htm

Mary Anne lives on Tybee with husband The Tybee Handyman. Contact her at: MaryAnne@tybeevacationremtals.com

Future Filmmakers, Heed the Call!

“Out of the Box”

with Mary Anne Street

Now that Miley has brought Tybee to the movie scene people are abuzz with ideas. John Potter and Eric Thomas were sitting around Huc-a-poos, throwing out ideas about movies they could make, and finally they decided to take action rather than just talk about it. They officially set up the 1st Annual Savannah Beach Film Festival and Awards Show taking place on Saturday, October 2, 2010. They also decided that they wanted the money to go to a good cause, and they chose the Savannah Beach/Oceanside Nursing Home. The proceeds will go toward getting a gazebo built on the Home grounds.

John Potter used to work on movies in California, mostly for Universal Studios, and has some experience about their production and promotion.

“Now that film making is relatively easy with computers and such, I thought it might be feasible for locals to just do their own movies,” Potter said. “In fact, I have a couple of scripts ready and will do two films myself; one an animated cartoon and one a foreign ‘artsy’ film.” Potter said that one person is doing a surfing movie about surfers on Tybee, another is doing one about a bank heist, and yet another is doing one about a lighthouse.

Award-winning actress Kathy Bates is scheduled to come, and Potter is contacting several other stars and TV personalities to see if they will appear. Potter said that many famous people like to see independent films and are interested in attending small film festivals, so he thinks we’ll get some response. So far he’s sent an invitation to David Letterman, among others, and believes it’s just interesting enough to get Letterman to appear or send his sidekick. “Letterman likes these kinds of things, so we’re hopeful,” he said.

Huc-a-poos is the central location for information, tickets and questions about the films.

If you think that you are the next Spielberg, you can prove it by making a short film and entering it. Proceeds will go to the Oceanside/Savannah Beach Nursing Homes, and who knows, a Hollywood producer may see your work and whisk you away to Tinsel Town.

The rules are easy.

• No Porn! Keep it PG-13.
• Start Date is April 1st and all films must be in by September 1st. The awards show is Saturday, October 2nd at 8:00 at Huc-A-Poos. (The Tybee Times will soon have more on this.)
• Film length is not to exceed 20 min.
• Fill out the application form. There is a $20.00 entry fee for each production (includes 2 free seats).
• Festival tickets are $5.00. Reserve your seats now!
• The judges have the right to limit the number of films entered and it’s first come, first served. In the event your film won’t or can’t be screened, a refund will be issued.
• There will be movie stars and production people attending.
• Audience members will vote for the best films and who knows, you may win a “Pabstie” award.
• There will be Pabst Blue Ribbon blue carpet interviews.
• We are here to make movies, help out some of our neighbors and have a fun time.
• Application forms, tickets and information available at Huc-A-Poos, 912.786.5900.
• Festival Seat Tickets can be purchased anytime at the Ticket-Tron Vending Machine in Huc-A-Poos.

Until next month,
Mary Anne

Mary Anne lives on Tybee with husband The Tybee Handyman. Contact her at: MaryAnne@tybeevacationremtals.com

Out of the Box

When I first arrived in Savannah, I couldn’t get over the huge ships coming into that skinny river. I sat on River St. in Savannah and marveled at their might and tonnage, and how in the world they maneuvered in such a small space. This is a wonder for adults and kids alike, and it is one of the things I recommend to my guests.

We currently take 98% of the world’s ships into our harbor, and we’re the second largest container port on the East Coast and fifth in the nation; that’s pretty impressive and it surprises many people. Our cable-stayed, Tallmadge Bridge (named after a governor of Georgia) is 185 ft. clearance at high tide and allows the big ships access to our ports. There is talk of dredging our river six more feet so we can handle the grandest ships of all, allowing 100% of the world’s ocean monsters into the Georgia Ports. There is controversy, of course, as it may upset the delicate balance of marshes, creeks and rivers, and I respect that, but I’d love to be able to view the largest container ships in the world. I’ll leave it to the experts to duke this out.

My friend, Bev loves ships. She loves the magic of them, the wonder of where they’ve been and where they’re going. She comes to Tybee and stays at Lighthouse Point. When she sees a big ship coming, she jumps in the car and heads to River St. where she can usually be in time to see the ship come into the river where she can view it up close and personal. It is thrilling for her. Often, she’ll begin early in the day, and repeat the process as many times as she can. Once she was able to “chase” 4 large ships in a day—from Tybee to Savannah, and then back to Tybee to be on the lookout again.

It makes me think that one could play a “game” with kids in that you’d watch for a big ship, jump in the car and head to River St. to see it. Kids would particularly love the watching, the chasing, the “seeing it up close and personal,” and the involvement of the family, and if you don’t count the cost of gas, it’s FREE.

Every Friday, the Savannah Morning News publishes a shipping schedule for the week. They list the ship name and date of arrival and you’d be surprised at how many ships come in in a day. For example, this week we had five each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; three on Monday; eight on Tuesday; three on Wednesday and eight on Thursday; total for the week was 37! That’s a lot of ships, and a lot of action.

Thinking about the ships makes me wonder about Florence Martus—the Waving Girl whose statue is on River St. in Savannah. She lived with her brother on Elba Island (he was the lighthouse keeper), and beginning at age 18, she waived at every single ship that came into Savannah for 44 years!! Forty-four years!! Never missed one!! She’d wave her towel or apron in the day, and wave her lantern at night. The sailors loved her and brought her many gifts from overseas. I always embellish the tale for my tours—she fell in love with a sailor who promised to return, and she waved at the ships hoping it would be her love. He never returned (aaawwwww is usually heard hear). This tale may or may not be true, but it’s a nice story.

Watching the ships also gets me wondering where they’ve been. It reminds me of Conrad Aiken, a Savannah native and famous writer buried in Bonaventure Cemetery. He was a poet and novelist, writing or editing some 50 books, and in 1930 he won a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. He eventually became Poet Laureate of the United States. He used to sit on the banks of the Savannah River, sipping martinis, and watching the ships go by, wondering where they were from and where they had been. One afternoon he saw one with the name Cosmos Mariner on the bow. That delighted him. (The word “cosmos” appears often in his poetry.)

That evening he went home and looked for mention of the Cosmos Mariner in the shipping news. There it was, in tiny type on the list of ships in port. The name was followed by the comment ‘Destination Unknown.’ That pleased him even more. So, his instructions for his tombstone were to make it a bench as an invitation for visitors to stop and enjoy a martini at his grave, and the inscription was to say, “Give my love to the world, Cosmos Mariner—Destination Unknown,” and that’s exactly how his grave is today.

Until next month,

Mary Anne

Mary Anne lives on Tybee with husband The Tybee Handyman.
Contact her at: MaryAnne@tybeevacationremtals.com

Out of the Box

Tybee, we did you proud!

Many entities came together to make the Porcelain Painter’s event a smash success. In case you forgot or didn’t know, we had 160 guests come onto Tybee (many of them teachers of porcelain painting in their communities) to attend 4-day classes on various methods concerning porcelain hand-building and painting. We also had 12 world-class teachers from such places as Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and cities in the U.S. to participate in the GA Seminars by the Sea Porcelain Art School.  One teacher is said to be THE finest portrait painter on porcelain IN THE WORLD—here on Tybee!

If you’ve never seen this work, you should take a look on line. It is absolutely fabulous and the skills and artistic expression these people put into their art is amazing. The door prize piece the World Organization gave us for our drawing is exquisite—so many commented that it looked like a photograph, but it wasn’t. It was hand painted on porcelain and fired by Manuel Filipe Pereira, one of the more colorful teachers Filipe is founder of the International Centre of Porcelain Painters in Venezuela (1985), and collaborator of the Bolivian Association of Porcelain Painting. He was delightful and made us all laugh; and his art …..Wow!

This was the 3rd year for the event, and as it’s been growing steadily, the organizers asked the Tybee Arts Association (TAA) for help. We wanted to make the artists feel welcome, so they would want to come back to Tybee so we started planning our part in the Seminars last fall. Many other Tybee entities came together for this as well.

We decided to give the artists tote bags filled with goodies.  Lindsay Fruchtl, Tybee Tourism Marketing Coordinator got us most of the Tybee totes (wonderful black bags with lime-green writing on them); and Sandy’s By the Shore and Tybee Vacation Rentals filled in with the rest. Greg Stoeffler of the DeSoto Hotel gave us delightful bookmarks for the totes; and several shops contributed coupons for discounts.

The TAA wanted to give each guest a “bit of Tybee” so we had a “turtle- making” evening where we made mall turtles. Rebecca Rice, a TAA leader, fired and painted them, and they were part of the welcome bags. We assembled small bags which held sand, a few shells, and a sign that said, “Take a little of Tybee with you.” We also became volunteers to help the director, Ms. Suzanne Painter with details and things she needed.

The Tybee Island Light House opened on Tuesday—their normal day off—to let the people see one of our star attractions, and Linda Odom of Tales of the South and myself did a free tour of Savannah and Tybee for the guests.

A highlight of the ten-day event was a welcome dinner held Friday, Feb. 26th at Stayce Jarrell’s home (she’s the owner of Oceanfront Cottages and most of the guests were staying in her properties). Her home showcased some of Tybee’s finest views of the marsh and water, and we witnessed a breath-taking sunset.

What a way to show people Tybee’s natural beauty. Lannie Jarrell cooked a low-country boil—a southern “special” tradition, other southern fare, and we wowed the people with our southern cuisine. The Tybee Arts Association brought delectable desserts, wine and beverages, and served as hosts and hostesses for the special guests. I was present, and had more than just a few people come up to me and say how welcome they felt, and how wonderful Tybee was.

Evidently, Ms. Painter waits years for some of the premier teachers to come to teach. We now have several of them keeping dates open because they love Tybee. One teacher canceled an appearance in Japan for next year, just because he loves Tybee so much, and wants to be here again for this event.

Another highlight was when we presented Ms. Suzanne Painter with a Proclamation from Mayor Buelterman. Ms. Painter has brought much business to Tybee in the last three years, and is helping to secure Tybee as an art destination, something the TAA is striving for.  She is delightful, full of life and vigor, never tires, always smiles, and works long, hard hours on these Seminars. She fought hard to get the Seminars going here because she felt it was so wonderful, and the TAA felt she deserved recognition.

Rebecca Rice and Chantel Morton, Tybee’s Better Hometown Coordinator, wrote a terrific proclamation and our Mayor attended the dinner and was charming in presenting the award. Ms. Painter was very pleased and so were her colleagues and peers. (She is quite a fine porcelain painter herself.)

The Porcelain Painters gave us four scholarships to award as we saw fit. We gave two to the Savannah Arts Academy, and Ms. Ang and Ms. Taylor accepted the “hand-building classes”—a thrill for the young, gifted high school artists. We offered the other two scholarships to SCAD, but as it was the end of the semester, and students really couldn’t afford four days off at that critical time, we instead offered them to TAA members. Ms. Alice Gerber and Mary Lou Vandenberg were the recipients. It was great that the Tybee Arts Association could reach out into the community and include Savannah Arts as well as our own artists.

The Poreclain Painters’ Art School opened its doors on Sunday February 28th to allow the public a peek at the actual classes, the art pieces, and to watch the masters at work. This was also a fund-raiser for TAA to help build our coffers for future art events and classes. The event was a smashing  success and many were able to see the heart and soul of porcelain art; plus, there was a drawing for two fabulous pieces: one a porcelain piece done by Manuel Filipe Pereira, and a piece done by TAA artist Rebecca Rice.

All around, this year’s Georgia Seminars by the Sea Porcelain Painter’s Retreat was amazing; we had these fine, WORLD-class artists on our island, and our community worked TOGETHER to make them feel welcomed and appreciated—a win-win for everybody.

Mary Anne

Mary Anne Street is Concierge for Tybee Vacation Rentals. She may be contacted for comments at: tybeeconcierge@tybeevacationremtals.com

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