St Marys Earthkeepers honor Rolf Rawl of St Marys with new bench on fishing pier

Rolf Rawl loved the Georgia Bulldogs, and he loved St. Marys. When he passed away in 2008, he left a hole in the hearts of the many people who were drawn to his hearty laugh and laissez faire disposition. To honor his memory, the St. Marys EarthKeepers and friends of Rawl have constructed a bench in his memory at the end of the fishing pier at St. Marys’ Waterfront.

“He would have appreciated this,” said Jerry Brandon, a fellow UGA alumnus and close friend of Rawl’s. “I think he would enjoy knowing that people could sit here and watch the sunset or cast a line into the water.”

Cindy Deen, another close friend of Rawl, said, “So many people loved him so much. Rolf is missed every day, and we still share laughs remembering how he so often lit up a room.”

In addition to the St. Marys EarthKeepers efforts, materials were donated by Farmers & Builders, and construction services were donated by Frank Woods of R&W Construction and Sammy Brooks.

“This stuff don’t bother me,” was Rawl’s often refrain when life got hard, even during the final days of his long battle with cancer.

The newly installed pier is located at the end of the fishing pier at the waterfront park and is the perfect spot to sit quietly with your thoughts, witness Coastal Georgia’s stunning sunrises and sunsets, or simply enjoy the natural beauty of the St. Marys Harbor.

A nuclear pipeline welder has hooked a winner. Joseph Bezy, a resident of Kingsland, is one of two players each to win a $29,921 jackpot prize from matching all five winning numbers in the Feb. 17 Fantasy 5 drawing.

“I’m in shock. I’m still in shock,” said Bezy, 55. “It’s like getting struck by lightning.”

He discovered his lottery win on the Georgia Lottery’s Web site. Winning numbers from the Feb. 17 drawing were: 2-15-20-33-37. The second winning jackpot prize was purchased in Alto.

ABC Food Mart, located at 100 May Creek Drive in Kingsland, sold the winning ticket.

“I started hollering for the wife to come and read what I was reading because I wasn’t sure if I was reading it right,” he said of his wife, Doris. “I took her to dinner to celebrate.”

The couple anticipate paying off bills and sharing the remainder of the prize with their children and grandchildren.

Georgia Lottery retailers selling winning Fantasy 5 jackpot tickets receive a retailer incentive bonus of $2,000. The retailer incentive bonus increases by $2,000 each time Fantasy 5 rolls. If more than one winning jackpot ticket is sold, the retailers selling the winning jackpot tickets will share the bonus. ABC Food Mart will receive a $1,000 retailer incentive bonus.

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned more than $11.4 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. More than 1.2 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

Organizers of the St. Marys Film Society are working on developing a mini Film Museum in Downtown St. Marys and are reaching out to residents for ideas and contents for display.

To be housed at 300 Osborne Street in the Film Society office space provided by Joseph and Terra Lucent, the Film Museum will be an added attraction to St. Marys’ already impressive list of museums including the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum, Orange Hall House Museum, the St. Marys Submarine Museum, and the display galleries at the Cumberland Island Visitors Center.

Vintage Hollywood items are already starting to line the walls of the Film Society office, but Donna Boyett, Film Society board member and benefactor of several displays, said there is much left to be done.

“We’re looking for anything of interest connected to the film industry, and that includes Hollywood, of course, but also items relating to television and video production,” Boyett said. “When the museum is complete, we’re confident it will not only be an asset for our city, but will also be an engaging experience that will help boost our share of tourism.”

Boyett said the donated and loaned props, old film reels, film tools (like old projectors), posters, scripts, and other types of memorabilia will comprise the museum’s exhibits. Film Society board members are working along with Express Scripts to build display areas as well.

Anyone who has an item they would like to donate or lend to the St. Marys Film Museum should call 912-729-1103.

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. In celebration of Valentine’s Day this year the Camden County Public Library will host a “Valentine’s Day Craft” on Wednesday, February 10th at 4:00pm in the Community Room. Participants will make Chocolate Roses.

The class is free and open to the public. We welcome adults and children, but request that all children be 10 years of age or older. Please sign-up for the class at the Circulation Desk in the library or call (912) 729-3741.

Christmas comes early in St Marys! The St Marys Merchants Christmas Open House is held from 5pm – 9pm. Located just minutes east of Kingsland, the annual open house event is an evening of holiday shopping in the historic district when all merchants are open extended hours, providing shoppers ample time to get a head start on the Christmas season to begin your holiday shopping.

Bring your best four-legged friend to Yappy Hour at Seagle’s Saloon Patio on the waterfront in St Marys. The event takes place the 4th Thursday of every month September – April from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Cost is $10.00 per person, Dogs free, includes complimentary glass of wine and appetizers.
Well-behaved owners and dogs are welcome. Proceeds to benefit the Humane Society.
For more information visit www.humancamden.org

ST. MARYS AD HOC GROUP TEAMS UP WITH AMELIA ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL TO LAUNCH ST. MARYS FILM SOCIETY

ST. MARYS, GA—In the wake of Amelia Island’s recent success as a film magnet, executives from the Amelia Island Film Festival met with St. Marys residents recently to discuss a “sistership” in the advancement of film production and promotion for both areas. According to Tony McAdoo, president of the Amelia Island Film Festival, the collaboration is a natural.

“With the Cumberland Sound Ferry bridging the two towns, it makes a lot of sense to piggyback on each other’s resources,” McAdoo said. “Here we have two states separated by a mere river and each having its unique characteristics. We’re proud to offer our visitors and residents another dimension of entertainment and historic exploration by supporting the development of a St. Marys film organization.”

St. Marys Film Society organizers’ ultimate mission is to position St. Marys as a valuable location option for filmmakers. Toward that goal, they plan to begin by getting acquainted with film industry movers and shakers—producers, directors, writers, and actors, and building a portfolio of resources for the industry. One of the St. Marys Film Society organizers, Doug Vaught, said that Savannah has nothing on St. Marys when it comes to being an attractive location to make a movie.

“We trump them on cemeteries. Our diversity of geography and our water realm including Cumberland Island presents filmmakers with an excellent backdrop for drama, comedy, and adventure films.” Vaught went on to cite the recent filming of Resurrection Fern in St. Marys and on Cumberland Island as a good beginning toward getting the word out. He also went on to say that our proximity to the Jacksonville International Airport and technical talents available in neighboring Jacksonville will add to St. Marys’ appeal as a film location. Donna Boyett, proprietor of The French Quarter in Downtown St. Marys agreed.

“St. Marys and our surrounding area has much to offer, and as a business owner I’m eager to reach out to the film community and show them how easy we are to work with,” said Boyett, another Film Society organizer. “The economic advantages of having film crews in our town spending money are evident, but the residual benefit of boosted tourism like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil brought to Savannah has even greater positive ramifications.”

Thus far, two events are in the planning stages as part of the St. Marys Film Society launch. On February 18, one week before the 2010 Amelia Island Film Festival begins, the Film Society plans to host a screening of one of Amelia Island’s entries at a downtown St. Marys location. Then during the actual Amelia Island Film Festival (February 25-March 1, 2010), the St. Marys Film Society will host a “meet and greet” in St. Marys. Guests of the “meet and greet”—film execs and artists—will come from Amelia Island by ferry and visit with several businesses in order to familiarize themselves with what St. Marys has to offer.

“We have to walk before we run,” said Vaught. “This year we see ourselves as an ‘appetizer’ for the Amelia Island Film Festival. Future years will hold bigger things and bigger returns for our city.”

Looking to the future, Vaught and other Film Society organizers endeavor to form a film commission and take advantage of an official affiliation with Georgia Economic Development and all that they offer local organizations.

“More than 600 films and television projects have been shot in Georgia,” said Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau. “It’s good for tourism, and that means it’s good for our economy. There’s no reason why St. Marys can’t capitalize on our natural beauty and our business-friendly environment.”

According to industry statistics, for every $1 spent in the promotion of filmmaking on a local basis, $7 is returned to the local economy. Georgia Senator Jeff Chapman said that “In a time when cities around the nation are searching for ways to rejuvenate their economy, community leaders who are thinking outside of the box can add great value to a city’s long term plans. The organizers of the St. Marys Film Society are to be commended for their vision and their willingness to do the heavy lifting to make things happen.”

Anyone in the community who would like to get involved in the St. Marys Film Society is urged to call 912-882-4000.

St. Marys, GA— The St. Marys EarthKeepers announce the commencement of the construction of the Memory Garden on the corner of Bartlett and St. Marys Streets beside Oak Grove Cemetery. This area, with its gazebo, landscaping and brick pathway, will be used for pre-and post service funeral gatherings as well as an enhanced greenspace for the pleasure of residents and visitors.

Inscribed bricks – to be included in the Memory Garden’s Tribute Pathway – are now available, in limited quantities. All members of the community are invited to purchase a brick that is engraved with the names of loved ones (pets included). According to St. Marys EarthKeepers Chair, Alex Kearns “This is an opportunity for everyone to pay tribute to both those who went before us and those still in our lives. The inscribed bricks make a wonderful and heart-felt gift of love, respect and honor.”

For more information, visit www.stmarysearthkeepers.com or call 912-729-1103.

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