protection for Glynn County, Georgia

Dear Mayor Johnson, City of Brunswick Commissioners, and Glynn County Commissioners,

We the undersigned support the City of Brunswick Commissioners and the Glynn County Board of Commissioners adopting a resolution that acknowledges the legacy pollution left behind by former industrial operations and the impact it continues to have on our community. We further support that this resolution should URGE:

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate and finalize effective remediation plans of the two active Superfund sites in Glynn County;
    The Georgia Department of Natural Resources to complete the corrective action plans designed to remediate contaminated soils and groundwater on the former Hercules/Pinova plant, so the site can be reused as a beneficial brownfield;

Private and public investors to donate funds to enable Emory University School of Public Health to expand the pilot research project and further investigate the health of residents of coastal Georgia exposed to the contaminants from Superfund sites in Glynn County;

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the trustees representing the public resources and citizens of Georgia, to assess the natural resource damages and file a claim to help Glynn County residents effectively address the challenges caused by legacy contamination.

* * * * *

Here's hoping the addressees will listen to those who petitioned them.

My thanks to One Hundred Miles for bringing this to my attention.

Let's try to keep the land where my Aunt Barbara lives free from pillaging by industry.

give them back their jobs, congress!

Can you believe that our current POTUS and Congress are eliminating jobs?

In particular, can you believe they are canceling jobs that our oceans depend upon?

So, when the email came out to save those jobs at the National Marine Sanctuaries, I made sure to sign the petitions!

Now, it's time for more action to preserve those vital jobs.

That's why I responded to the email alert by writing to my elected officials!

Their terms are coming up for a vote and if they want to be re-elected, they need to listen!

Here are my words to  U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senator Raphael G. Warnock, and U.S. Representative Earl L. "Buddy" Carter.

"These marine sanctuaries don't have theme park glitz and rides, but they have something far better for our families: life! Nowhere else can we and our children swim among other creatures and observe life forms that have been on this planet for longer than people have a history. These underwater parks also nuture our planet, providing oxygen for our lungs as well as healthy food for our bodies. Please help save these underwater treasures!"

Here's the link for those who wish to join me in this effort!

saving salt marshes from construction damage

Honestly, it boils down to this: people's selfishness.

One Hundred Miles is watching out for that, too, especially when such actions threaten the salt marshes of Georgia, and the flora and fauna that call those areas home.

 

I again answered the call to action!

Please consider doing the same, using this link.

Many thanks!

 

Here is what I wrote.

------------

Dear Ms. Jill Andrews [of the Coastal Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources],

I write to voice my concern regarding the Coastal Resources Division (CRD) proposed changes to state regulations regarding the upland component of projects affecting our coastal marshlands (Chapter 391-2-3-.02).

The buffer areas of our coastal marshlands are critically important to the overall health of Georgia’s salt marsh. I support CRD’s continued regulation of the 50-foot buffer for marinas, community docks, commercial docks, fishing piers, boat ramps and bridges over coastal marshlands. But I believe CRD should continue to regulate or oversee smaller projects that affect our marshes—especially shoreline stabilization projects.

Buffers play in an essential role protecting the form and function of marshlands. Buffers allow the marsh to migrate as sea level rises, they filter pollutants, and they defend our uplands from storm surge and rising seas – important ways to protect upland property and structures. Hard shoreline stabilization projects like bulkheads, however, separate the marsh from the uplands and can cause major problems for neighboring property owners who choose not to harden their shoreline.

The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act states activities must be regulated to ensure the values and functions of the coastal marshlands are not impaired. CRD should continue to play a role in permitting shoreline stabilization projects within the 25-foot buffer behind the marsh.

Please do not proceed with the proposed rule change until:
- The amended rules offer greater clarity on the diverse roles of regulatory responsibility for protecting our marsh buffers,
- CRD retains some oversight of approving activities that will affect the health of the marsh, such as shore stabilization projects.
- The agency convenes a task force to develop recommendations to present to the DNR Board.

Do not leave the health of our marshes and the security they offer at risk by rushing forward with this rule change.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

[ CC: GA Dept. of Natural Resources Board of Directors ]

saving salt marshes, again

I could hardly believe it when One Hundred Miles told me that HB 370 was again up before the House of Representatives in Congress.

Of course I'd let my Congressperson know my stance again!

Perhaps you will, too?

Here is the link to make that action easy-peasy!

Thanks!

Here's my letter to Edna Jackson.

-----------

Dear State Representative Edna Jackson,

House Bill 370 is a direct threat to more than 50 years of salt marsh protection in Georgia.
As someone who values this unparalleled public resource, I ask that you vote NO on this terrible bill. 

Please consider the following: 

- It is relatively common to possess a Kings Grant. It is extremely uncommon to be able to prove clear title from the time of the issuance of the Kings Grant to the salt marsh. Since state legislators decided that State ownership was the best way to protect Georgia's salt marsh, it is always presumed that the State owns all salt marsh until an individual proves otherwise. In other words, the burden of proof falls on the individual. 

- HB 370 establishes a process whereby an individual merely needs to present a Kings Grant (not the accompanying documentation) to the State Properties Commission (not the Attorney General’s office) and assigns a time period of 180 days for the state agency to verify the Kings Grant. If the State Properties Commission cannot do this within 180 days, it is presumed that the individual's Kings Grant is valid. This bill flips the burden of proof to the State of Georgia. 

- 180 days is NOT enough time to properly scrutinize the legitimacy of the additional titles, deeds, and other evidence a person must present to the State Attorney General (AG) to prove all the conditions of the Kings Grant have been met and maintained. It is the AG's responsibility to authenticate and verify these documents, and that takes time. 

House Bill 370 is a workaround to allow individuals the ability to avoid the necessary scrutiny associated with verifying centuries of paperwork. The result could be a massive giveaway of one of the state's most notably protected natural resources--our salt marsh. Please do not vote in favor of this bill. 

If you are concerned about arguments in favor of HB 370, consider placing the bill in a study committee. There has not been a recent audit of the Attorney General's process for validating Kings Grants. There has been no analysis of how many Kings Grants exist. We do not have a clear understanding of the perceived problem. Before a bill is proposed that could have disastrous ramifications for our salt marsh, more study is needed to ensure that the right solution is proposed. 

Please do not pass HB370. It goes too far and could destroy coastal Georgia's most iconic landscape. 

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

helping horseshoes

When the message came in from One Hundred Miles to help out these marine creatures with the prehistoric flair, I jumped at the chance!

Maybe you will, too?

Just go to this link by January 31 and fill in the information... many thanks!

 

Here is the letter I sent.

------------

Dear Leslie Furr [of the United States Pharmacopeia],
I want to express my strong support for the adoption of Chapter 86, the proposal that would grant competitive status to endotoxin tests that use synthetic horseshoe crab reagents.

Horseshoe crabs have a vital purpose in providing a renewal food source for other coastal species.

More than 360,000 migrating shorebirds use Georgia’s coast as an essential stopover site as they migrate thousands of miles to and from their nesting grounds in the Arctic and wintering grounds in South America. Some threatened species, like the Red Knot and Whimbrel, fly thousands of miles before stopping. When they do, horseshoe crab eggs provide an essential food source that fuels the birds’ migration and mating.

I applaud the work of the Microbiology Expert Committee in developing this new proposal. It will provide a reliable and sustainable source for endotoxin testing material that does not use the blood of a wild animal. Further, based on real-world evidence with medicines already on the market, the recombinant agents have been shown to be as good as, or better, than traditional testing using limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL).

Finally, we would encourage the United States Pharmacopeia to expedite the process of adopting the new chapter to facilitate earlier adoption by companies that want to convert to recombinant reagents prior to November 2024.

Thank you for considering my comments.

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith

doing good as a horseshoe crab

It's that time again!

One Hundred Miles beckoned to me, sending an ocean wave to lure my Horseshoe Crab to its side.

Of course I went!

Helping to protect Georgia's coastline is dear to my heart, especially during the time when sea turtles are nesting on these shores.

Thanks for the lovely sticker, y'all!

(smile!)

hellyfish approaching shore!

"I'll wait.... I want it ALL!!!
Wishing y'all continued success!"

That's the message I left for Pat Longstreth and Rob Maclean, the makers of the award-winning, terror-of-the-ocean, short film, "Hellyfish". The kickstarter project stalled for a while, as the creators had moved and life had intruded, as it will.
Then a flurry of action ensued!
The film was accepted into several festivals and proceeded to win awards like crazy!
That led to distribution deals and subsequent delays in fulfilling rewards to their backers.
Like me.

But on the 11th of this month, the newest updates were quite hopeful!
"Awards and Festival Roundup
With the fall film festival circuit officially over and a new year beginning, this seems like a good time to reflect on the adventure of our film so far. “Hellyfish” has been an official selection at 25 film festivals spanning the globe including America, Canada, France, England, Belgium and Australia. Unfortunately we could not make it to every one of them, but the ones we did attend included sold out screenings, filmmaker Q&As, and world-class hospitality. It was everything we hoped it would be and we met amazing filmmakers along the way.
Every festival was truly a magical experience, but my favorite was the Crystal Palace Film Festival near London. The “Sci-Fi and Horror Night” was a week after Halloween and patrons were asked to arrive in costume. So, dressed as swashbuckling pirates, my cousin and I took shelter from the driving rain at St. John’s Cathedral. Festival director Neill Roy, dressed as Beetlejuice, offered us a glass of champagne. The church was awe inspiring and the acoustics were out of this world. “Hellyfish” played to an enthusiastic audience and I had a Q&A with Neill afterward. Also I was able meet up with our main animator, Pryce Duncalf, who lives near London. We have been working together for two years, but this was the first time we met in person!
And we won a few awards:

Best Comedy Short
Buffalo Dreams Film Festival 2014
Buffalo, NY

Best Short Film
Scare-a-Con 2014
Verona, NY

Best Local Film (Golden Shovel)
Buried Alive Film Festival
Atlanta, GA

The festival circuit was a big success by our standards and we’re excited to see the online presence continue to grow. The entire 12 minute film was posted on Youtube just before Halloween and the response has been encouraging and entertaining. We’ve enjoyed fun comments, emails, reviews and we especially love this video from Tony of the Dead.
HUGE thanks again to everyone who helped pull this film together and make it a success!"

Then, a little later that day, came Update 17:
"You may be wondering about your DVD with special features. Unfortunately the festivals have pushed back production by a few months. I can't give you an exact date, but they are coming and they're gonna be really awesome! In the meantime you can watch the film on Youtube..."

The video is also posted on their website. So, if you're curious about the effect of radiation from an unexploded WWII nuclear bomb, buried in the waters off Tybee Beach, on the invertebrate sea life, go ahead and take a look at the movie.
I've done so several times.
Can't wait to get it in my hot little hands!!!

muralcle block party!

I was asked to promote this event, so here we go. Please note that all of the following italicized words were written by the folks at SeeSAW. I have added my photographs in lieu of using theirs.

For Immediate Release
SeeSAW Block Party and David Ellis
Who: SeeSAW (Savannah Art Walls) and Savannah artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, Adolfo Alvarado and visiting artist David Ellis
What: Block Party
Where: SeeSAW Mural Wall | 34th and Habersham Street | Savannah, GA
When: Sunday, October 14 , 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Social Media Feed: Twitter @SavArtWAlls
Follow SeeSAW’s collaboration with David Ellis with the hashtag #EllisSAV on twitter and instagram October 14 - 19.
For info please email info@savannahartwalls.org

SeeSAW (See Savannah Art Walls) is excited to announce a block party this Sunday, October 14 in celebration of a year’s worth of art and community support at the mural wall at 34th and Habersham Street in Savannah, GA. In December of 2011 SeeSAW secured approval from Savannah’s Metropolitan Planning Commission to oversee the first designated rotating mural wall in Savannah. To fund a years worth of murals SeeSAW successfully raised over $7,000.00 on the crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. Most of the money raised was locally sourced from individual Savannahians and local businesses that support the amplification of public art.
In order to stay in line with the curatorial standard of creating work that is Savannah-centric in nature, SeeSAW selected prominent local artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, and Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado. These three artists were selected to tell a visual story of Savannah because of their consistent history documenting and interacting with the diverse people and geography of Georgia's first city.

Starting on the coldest day of the year in February 2012, Katherine Sandoz painted an abstract landscape of Turtle Island, a hammock off the Georgia coast directly due east from the wall at 34th and Habersham. The landscape spanned the length of the 8 ft x 100 ft wall.

In June 2012, rather than obliterate Sandoz’s landscape, Troy Wandzel decided to add a field of flowers along the lower third of the wall. Often in contorted positions, Wandzel painted over 70 portraits from life of everyday Savannah citizens that willingly suffered the June heat with smiles on their faces.

Staying in the theme of adding
to the wall rather than starting
over, in September of 2012
Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado synthesized Sandoz’s landscape and Wandzel’s portraits by painting a centrally located female figure with a crown formed out of seashells and waves. The woman represents
the feminine qualities of Savannah as a city, from its natural and architectural beauty to its motherly embrace.
“La Madre” of Savannah is flanked by two bearded horn players derivative of the fountain in historic Forsyth Park.
To close out the year with a bang, SeeSAW will be bringing in world-renowned NYC-based artist David Ellis for a week of painting “large, mobile, 3D” objects placed on the lawn in front of the wall on 34th Street. SeeSAW co-founders James “DrZ” Zdaniewski and Matt Hebermehl were inspired to create SeeSAW based upon previous experiences assisting Mr. Ellis on projects in Savannah and the Wynwood Walls neighborhood of Miami, FL. David Ellis will be in Savannah October 14 - 19.

Let me tell you, this was quite a block party, too! People from the neighborhood, people from all over Savannah, even people from other cities, all came together to admire the Muralcle and to watch the New Yorker create his motion-based paintings on the side panels of cargo trucks. It was almost like he was dancing! He may well have been, as the crowd was entertained by the sounds of Vinyl Appreciation while slurping Italian ices to stay cool in the sunshine.
Remember how Fliss had her portrait painted in June by Troy Wandzel? Well, the evidence points to his having an influence on Adolfo Alvarado's design. Perhaps he asked that my visage be preserved; perhaps he did not. Whatever the case may be, Fliss remains with "La Madre", peeking out on the lefthand side. Is it mere coincidence that has me nestled near "The Mother"? I prefer to think it was on purpose. Yet another message from beyond, reassuring me that I am spending the money properly.
Thanks, Mama.

muralcle on habersham at 34th

Today, I visited the the muralcle, the first fruit of the kickstarter project I had backed earlier this year. How very nice that the very first painting would be ocean-themed! How good to know Mama approved of this use of her money!
The artist, Katherine Sandoz, had been greenlighted amost a year ago as the first to use this space. She actually had begun preparing for creating the painting last fall, prior to the kickstarter project commencing. Her work is regarded highly by the higher-ups in the city, so having her paint a piece of public art would be a positive way to start for this ambitious project. (New art every quarter is the goal.)
She first began painting the oceanscape on February 12, with the final brushstrokes a week later. Why this particular vision of a bit of land 14 miles distant? Well, as she says in the article, “If you had X-ray vision and could see through the buildings, you could stand in front of the mural and see Turtle Island.”
Nice! She linked the ocean with my departed friend, Sam Johnson, in that one line.
Yes, this was indeed the right way for me to help the city and the community!
Have you ever seen an artist work? Here's the video of Sandoz and the wall, as she transformed it from litter backdrop to seaside idyll. Very nice, isn't it, to see art created before your very eyes? Nice tunes, too, again by KidSyc@Brandywine, for a little more local flavor.
Stay tuned in to the end for the credits. Fliss is there, as well as the other 122 kickstarter supporters. Woohoo!
Curious about the next artist? Me, too! I guess we'll have to wait a couple of months to find out who it will be.

hellyfish

Lost bombs at Tybee Beach have been the topics of quite a few discussions over the years, especially here in Savannah, Georgia, just thirty minutes away. Now, we are asked to consider this: the bomb has radioactive material inside, which, thanks to the corrosive properties of salt water, has now leached into the nearby ocean and tainted the sealife. Jellyfish have mutated into gigantic creatures, able to feed at will on whatever goes into the water - including snooty young triplet blondes.
Really makes you want to stand up and cheer for the Hellyfish!
(smile!)
So, I'm backing it with one dollar for every year of my life.
I think Pat Longstreth and Rob McLean have a top-notch, fun, horror film on their hands and I want to see it!
I want to hold it in my hands!!
I want to watch it over and over!!!
Pardon me while I go stand by my mailbox...