During the shoot of Mr Bags – the TV pilot there was also a music video filmed in downtown St. Marys by our friend Lisa Huguley. This video includes cast from the TV pilot, actually a few of them are Camden County residents.

Take a look below.

Folkston, Georgia, is known for its trains and every year trains are celebrated during the railwatch days.

The City of Folkston’s Railwatch Days bring train aficionados from all across the country into this quaint town to observe, record and enjoy the romance of yesteryear at a junction that sees more trains passing through than any other railroad junction on the eastern seaboard. Activities include: films, networking, lunch and evening cookout, train artwork displays and photo contest.

To download a PDF map of the rail routes going through Folkston, GA, just click on this link.

Watch a live webcam at the Folkston Funnel here!

For more information, contact the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, 912-496-2536 or www.folkston.com.

Railwatch Day
Saturday, Apr 2, 2011

The largest National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern United States just got a little bigger.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, located in southeastern Georgia, spans more than 402,000 acres. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) recently purchased 1,046 acres adjacent to the edge of the refuge from Rayonier Inc., and then immediately donated the land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge.

Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge

The land, three separate tracks on the northwest edge of the refuge, will be returned to a longleaf pine forest starting this year when TNC plants trees on 200 acres. The area will be managed for threatened and endangered species, such as the red cockaded woodpecker and Eastern indigo snake, but it will also serve a very human purpose: fighting wildfires.

In recent years, the property has been impacted by wildfire, including 2007 when more than 564,450 acres burned in Georgia and Florida. The newly acquired land rounds out the refuge boundary and provides the Service with some extra room to maneuver to fight future wildfires.

Restoring Longleaf Pine
Many partners played a role in adding these acres to the refuge. Through strong relationships with Rayonier, TNC negotiated the specifics of the purchase. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was awarded federal funds for this project. Those funds, in addition to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, were used by the Conservancy to purchase the property. The two grants, totaling about $1 million, will also fund efforts over the next three years to restore an estimated 500 acres from industrial timber land to longleaf pine forest.

“We are so pleased to have played a role in adding these critical acres to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, a storied landscape that is a local and national treasure,” said Shelly Lakly, state director for TNC in Georgia.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded TNC and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources the Southern Region Director’s Conservation Award in 2010 to commemorate this transaction, noting that this transaction offered a rare opportunity to reestablish longleaf pine forest and gain a wide array of conservation benefits on lands that are now part of the refuge.

“This land acquisition is a wonderful example of what can happen when conservation-minded agencies and landowners come together to improve our natural resources,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Supervisor Pete Jerome. “Thanks to The Nature Conservancy, the state of Georgia and Rayonier, we are better able to prevent wildfires, and we can continue restoring the longleaf pine forest for the benefit of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker and other wildlife species.”

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was established by Executive Order in 1936, and encompasses the approximately 7,000-year-old Okefenokee Swamp, a vast peat-filled bog inside a huge, saucer-shaped depression that was once part of the ocean floor. The Okefenokee Swamp derives its name from Choctaw Indian words meaning “quivering earth” or “Land of the Trembling Earth;” Native Americans occupied the Okefenokee Swamp as early as 2500 B.C.

There are 621 species of plants found on the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. 233 species of birds have been identified in the refuge, along with 49 species of mammals, 64 species of reptiles, 37 species of amphibians and 39 species of fish. Endangered species found on the refuge include the red-cockaded woodpecker, American bald eagle, and the wood stork.

The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public year-round. Visitation at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is approximately 400,000 people per year.

The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plants. Since President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida’s Pelican Island as the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to more than 150 million acres, 552 national wildlife refuges and other units of the Refuge System, plus 37 wetland management districts.

Give your dog a special treat this weekend and come to St. Marys Aquatic Center for a day of fun. On Sunday, September 19 from 3:00-5:30 PM your dogs can come and play at the St. Marys Aquatic Center. Dogs are free – but owners pay $3.00. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets.

Call 912-673-8118 for more information.

After weeks of research and discovery of potential film locations for Braveart’s filming of “Eye of the Hurricane,” Hollywood Producer Susan Johnson has announced the project will be filmed in St. Marys, Georgia.

“Eye of the Hurricane” writer and director Jesse Wolfe said it was more than the beauty of the area that helped make his and Johnson’s decision.

Actor Campbell Scott will play the leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” Son of Hollywood icon George C. Scott, more than 20 movies comprise his film dossier including the poignant “Dying Young” that co-starred Julia Roberts. Jose Zuniga also plays a leading role in “Eye of the Hurricane.” His credits include the film “Twilight” and others, as well as starring roles in television series “Law and Order,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

A plot synopsis of “Eye of the Hurricane” describes it as: “A compelling family drama about a small Florida community struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of a devastating hurricane. In the spirit of ‘Stand by Me’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ is told through the eyes of a determined child, a troubled adolescent, a wounded parent, and a loyal friend.”

With filming set to begin in August, Writer/Director Wolfe sees “Eye of the Hurricane” as a prequel to much more filming in the Southeast.

“I originally wanted to shoot the film in Florida, as it is a story based in Florida,” Wolfe said. “But from the moment we drove into St. Marys, I knew I would change my mind. Potential locations leapt out at me each time we turned a corner, and the hospitality, enthusiasm and charm of the townsfolk, sealed the deal. I will be making my ‘Florida film’ in St. Marys, Georgia.”

“We are thrilled to be shooting ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ in St. Marys, due in no small part of the folks at the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance. Initially we were looking for a location that could match the Florida Everglades, but once we saw St. Marys, the possibilities were endless,” Johnson stated. “We saw every location we needed in the span of four hours and became so enamored of the look of St. Marys that the script has been rewritten to utilize the entire town. And we could not have received a warmer welcome. By the time we finish production, I’m sure one of us will have moved in permanently!”

Janet Brinko, Director of the St. Marys Convention & Visitors Bureau, sees the economic effect impacting long after the production is finished.

“People love to visit places where movies were filmed,” Brinko said. “After the filming of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ in Savannah, their area tourism soared. Having ‘Eye of the Hurricane’ filmed here will be like having a two-hour picture postcard for St. Marys distributed all over the world.”
To see the kind of picture postcard Brinko envisioned, one can visit www.havensfoot.com and view the location visuals posted by the production company showing the beauty of St. Marys and the surrounding area.

For more information about “Eye of the Hurricane,” visit www.havensfoot.com.

For more information about the Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, visit www.coastalgeorgiafilm.org.

The Isle of Eight Shrimp festival kick off on Thursday April 29th with a Pirate Parade at 6 p.m. in downtown Fernandina. Come watch this fun parade showcasing everything from pirate ships to a gigantic shrimp. The theme for this year’s parade is “Name that tune”, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to be performed. We will be at the parade to film this year, so if you happen to see me, make sure to come up and say hello.

On Friday it’s time for the official opening ceremony of the festival and the Invasion of the Pirates takes place on Friday night, April 30th.

Then the big festival continues over the weekend with lots of fun for the whole family, including a variety of contests from Best Decorated Boat, Best Decorated Pirate to the Miss Shrimp Festival pageant. I’d have to admit that the only contest where I stand a chance would be the ice cream eating contest, which should we say is the “icing” on this year’s festival.

For the complete program, visit the website at www.shrimpfestival.com

Cumberland Sound Ferry will run a special ferry all day, every hour on the hour service from St. Marys, Georgia, to the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in Fernandina on Amelia Island on May 1 – 2, 2010. This is an excellent way to visit the popular shrimp festival without having to deal with traffic and parking.

May 1st, and Sunday, May 2nd, three boats running all day to ferry passengers out of St. Marys, GA to the heart of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in the historic district of Fernandina Beach, FL.

Service will run as follows:

Saturday, May 1: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. out of St. Marys, GA.
Final return from Fernandina Beach will be 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Sunday, May 2: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. out of St. Marys, GA.
Final return from Fernandina Beach will be 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Ferry service is $20 roundtrip. No reservations are required and cash payment is preferred.
Call for additional information at 904-261-9972 or visit www.ameliarivercruises.com.

If you ever thought about building your own raft and racing down the river, now is your chance. This year it’s the second time around for the event Fun in the Sun Expo, which includes the popular raft race. If raft racing is too much excitment for you, there is also a duck race which one assumes is much less demanding – at least for the human participants.

The event is scheduled for Saturday May 29, 2010 from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.

The 2nd annual Fun in the Sun Expo is a celebration of the start of summer held at Howard Gilman Memorial Park on the river in historic downtown St. Marys. The event features a 5K Fun Run, the 12th Annual Rotary Club of Camden County Charity Duck Race, the 2nd Annual St. Marys River Raft Race, the 2nd Annual Pet Fashion Show, the 2nd Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, a free concert by Sound of Freedom, kids amusements and music.

Admission is free for this day of family fun.

Apply for the raft race now, click here for the form!

To participate in the 5K, click here to download the application.

We wish everyone a wonderful Easter Weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather and spend time with family and friends.

According to Jacksonville’s Channel 4 News it’s a strong possibility that Kingsland, Georgia, can get a new Mega Mall. Kingsland is in a perfect location for a mall, right next to interstate 95. The new development could bring thousands of jobs to Camden County as well.

What do you think? How would a shopping mall of this size impact Kingsland and Camden County in general? Will it change Camden from small town to Jacksonville suburb, or is it something we need to get more jobs and more money to the county?

You can post your comments below.

Here is the link to the news video

America’s 2nd Harvest will be providing us with another mobile food pantry on April 15th. Forms will be available at the REC center beginning March 22nd and will be due back by April 7th. You must meet income requirements set forth by The Emergency Food Assistance Program to receive food. You will be given a time to pick up your food when you turn in your form. If you have any questions, please give us a call.