when you wish upon a star...

"Dear Faustina,

I’m so grateful for your generous contribution of 4,000 points. 

It’s friends like you who make it possible for Wish of a Lifetime from AARP to grant wishes to so many deserving older adults. 

As a part of this community, you are helping thousands of older adults to age with hope and joy.

Thank you for choosing to use your AARP Rewards points to help those in need. 

We truly value your support.
 

Warm Regards,
 

Tom Wagenlander
VP & Executive Director" 

Playing games and watching videos to better the world...

yes, that's me!

(smile!)

future of public art in savannah... and i helped

The City of Savannah is asking its citizens, and visitors, to chime in on how the dollars collected in property taxes and tourist fees should be spent.

Happy to oblige!

I declined to use the QR code, but I did respond to the 20-question survey which I received via email, taking time with each response.

That meant I spent almost 40 minutes on the survey.

Here are my suggestions for public art in this town I have loved all my life.

 

Q1: What characteristics, places, and/or values are unique to Savannah?

 

Item 1: plethora of downtown parks

Item 2: more than 200 years of history

Item 3: welcoming nature as a port city to diverse people

 

Q2: Public art in Savannah should feel like (put in order of importance).:

 

1. Representative of Savannah's people, history, and natural surroundings

2. Historical

3. Local

4. Attractive

5. Educational

6. Inclusive

7. Entertaining

8. Worldly

Q5: Where would you like to encounter public art in Savannah? Rank the following in order of priority.

 

1. As part of any new building projects in the area

2. Neighborhood gateways and gathering spaces

3. City parks and spaces

4. Major intersections and/or roundabouts

5. Government buildings or community-owned facilities

6. Unused or vacant parcels

7. Roads, sidewalks, and other pedestrian areas

8. Commercial or retail areas

Q6: Name three places in Savannah where you want to see public art.

 

Place 1: south of Victory Drive

Place 2: north of Largo Drive

Place 3: in medians on Abercorn Street

Q8: If you had a space to create a large symbol of your culture and identity, what would you put there?

 

Answer: A directional sign with arrows pointing to various countries in the United Kingdom and in Africa, where original immigrants (by free will or forced) came to the 13 colonies.

Q9: What is the role of monuments in our public spaces?

 

Answer: To educate the public about important moments in history, about important inventions, and about important artists in this area.

Q10: What is the role of public art in our public spaces?

 

Answer: To generate conversations about past history, about diversity, and about the world around us.

Q11: Identify a place in Savannah that makes you feel a sense of belonging. What were its characteristics?

 

Answer: Forrest Hills Park. An abundance of trees, a playground for neighborhood children, sports activities for adults of all ages.

Q19:  General comments.

 

Answer: Thank you for this survey. The questions gave me an opportunity to reflect upon what "art" means to me.

 

(Note: Not all questions were conducive to taking screen shots, as they contained images of types of art which might be preferred, types of settings for art, and other things of that nature. Thus, I have only included those questions on the survey for which a screen shot resulted in a capture of the question and my answers in their entirety.)

fundraiser down at tybee!

What a wonderful evening I've had at Tybee Post Theater!

I'm so glad I finally decided to go there.

Tonight, the Coastal Cohorts held a 40th anniversary reprisal of their classic storytelling concert, "King Mackerel & The Blues Are Running", and every dollar went to the theatre.

It was a sold-out show, too!

That means the $26 ticket fee I paid, and that the majority of the patrons paid, went to help this venue bring more such shows here.

I'm all in favor of that!

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places for films, concerts, musicals, and plays.

Keep up the good work!

farewell to thee, red dye 3

Consumer Reports sent me an email: the October campaign had been successful!

No longer would that carcinogen be used for foodstuffs... including straws.

I met someone at the cinema who could not use red straws in her drinks, as she was deathly allergic and had ended up in the hospital the last time she did.

Scary stuff!

Now it was time to go after other artificial dyes the food of ourselves and our children.

 

"Much like Red Dye 3, this group of six synthetic food dyes are used in a wide range of food and drinks, but haven’t been reviewed for safety by the FDA in decades, despite recent studies that link the chemicals to serious health problems.

California passed a landmark bill that would ban these dyes – Red 40, Yellow 5 & 6, Blue 1 & 2, and Green 3 – from foods served to school kids in the state. Recent studies found these dyes put some children at higher risk of hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral issues that interfere with learning. And one, Red Dye 40, has been linked to cancer. Despite these risks, the safety of many of these dyes haven’t been reevaluated by the FDA since the 1970s and 80s.

It’s time for the FDA to catch up with the latest science and get these harmful chemicals out of everyone’s food. Sign our petition, and let’s get another big win when it comes to toxin-free food!
 
Sign the Petition »

 

Please share our petition with friends and family, and post it on your social channels to help amp up the pressure. We want the FDA to hear loud and clear that consumers expect safer food now.

Thank you,

Meg Bohne
Consumer Reports"

 

Done, Meg!

Dear Reader, won't you join in this campaign?

Many thanks!