Yamacraw Waits, Gilliard Pays

Sunday Solutions — June 30, 2024

Good morning! Tired of heat jokes yet? We’re hot with news, too. We’ve got details of why state Rep. Carl Gilliard was tagged with a hefty fine by the state ethics committee, a look inside the quickly deteriorating Yamacraw Village, more about a historic loss in Darien and books, books, books to consider for your summer afternoon. We’re just warming up.

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EXPLAINER: HOUSING

What’s next for Yamacraw residents?

Next week, officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will visit Savannah’s Yamacraw Village. For the few residents left there, it’s just one piece of a confusing puzzle. As plans move toward demolition for the ’40s-era housing area, routine maintenance of any type has dropped and conditions worsen. At least 11 people received eviction notices over the past few weeks, and 120 or so remain there surrounded by boarded windows and doors of empty apartments. That’s less than 40% occupancy. One thing stands between demolition and a newer development: sign off from the City of Savannah. Here’s a look at the situation in one of the poorest spots by The Current‘s summer staffer Julia Gentin.

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ANALYSIS: GOVERNING

Gilliard spending adds up to hefty fine

A detailed look at spending and campaign accounting for state Sen. Carl Gilliard explains why the three-term legislator recently received a $17,000 penalty from the Georgia State Ethics Commission. Gilliard missed expense filing dates for years and thousands in campaign funds were used for personal purchases at clothing stores, restaurants and other spots the commission deemed questionable. Gilliard did not return inquiries from The Current about the charges. The Current‘s Craig Nelson analyzes the records in this report. In the settlement, Gilliard was allowed to pay the fine with campaign funds.

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NEWS: GEORGIA HISTORY

History in flames

McIntosh County residents are immersed in history that isn’t always comfortable. Butler Island Plantation epitomizes that juxtapostion of past horror and future optimism, and this week it was in the spotlight again as the principal building there was destroyed by fire. In 1859, Butler Island Plantation was the source of the nation’s largest single sale of human beings, known as the “Weeping Time.” 436 people from the plantation were herded to a racetrack in Savannah and sold to pay off Pearce Butler’s gambling debts. The building that burned had a history of its own: It was built in 1927 by a different land owner who fueled the rise of the 1920s New York Yankees baseball dynasty. The house and land, now managed by the state, fueled hopes for the Darien area for tourism and educational opportunities. The Current’s Robin Kemp was there as area residents brought lawn chairs to watch the building burn and talk about the emotional bonds to the land. Her story and photos are here.

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NEWS: THINGS TO DO

Time to take off on an adventure!

It’s our annual shout-out about the wonders of libraries and the summer reading programs for children and teens. This year, Coastal Georgia libraries from Woodbine to Garden City are sending us all on an adventure with their summer reading programs and book challenges. The “Adventure Begins at Your Library” programs and the libraries touch nearly every neighborhood and have programs with LEGOs, cooking, mad science labs, story times, and state park passes you can check out for the whole family adventure. If you have kids, grandkids, neighbor kids or you’re a big kid, see the library links below for schedules, reading challenges, books, and programs. Granted, these are trips out of the house, but services and info are available online, as well.

• Three Rivers Regional Library System: Locations in Nahunta, Kingsland, Folkston, Darien, Ludowici, Hog Hammock, Jesup, St. Marys, and Woodbine.
• Live Oak Public Libraries: 9 locations in Savannah, plus others in Garden City, Pooler, Tybee, Rincon, Springfield, Hinesville and Midway/Riceboro.
• Marshes of Glynn Libraries: Brunswick, St. Simons.

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Last chance to top the board

 Every Sunday, you have the opportunity to test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published in recent weeks.

Starting in July, we will reset the scores on the overall leaderboard, so claiming a spot in the top three will be anyone’s game! This is the final week for this First Half leaderboard.

The Sunday News Quiz will return July 14, so make sure you compete every single week for your chance to win an exclusive prize from The Current!

Here’s this week’s quiz. Good luck!

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REVIEWS: BOOKS

☕ Your second cup: Go read. 📚

This week, we’re making sure you have enough summer reading ideas with books suggested by some of The Current‘s staffers. If the heat drives you inside, you won’t be bored with these selections.

• From Liberty County reporter Robin Kemp — and yes, this one may require getting outside:

A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils by Bob Gale, Pam Gale, Ashby Gale; Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2020.

Ever find something on the beach that looks like a tooth? Is it a shark’s tooth? What about a black blob of bone that looks like a horse’s tooth with a hole through the middle? Take a look at A Beachcomber’s Guide to Fossils, a hefty field guide that explains how to identify those mysterious finds. The guide gives a brief introduction to geological time, as well as sections on identifying different kinds of shark’s teeth, various bones (including ear bones!), osteoderms, mouthparts, teeth, vertebrae, and look-alikes that can fool fossil hunters. 

• We go back inside for this from Data Reporter Maggie Lee:

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead; Doubleday.
This summer, Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead is going with me and a cool drink to a lounge chair somewhere. I first met Whitehead for a journey through post-apocalypse New York City in Zone One, then I went to Underground Railroad for a tale of escaping the Antebellum South, sci-fi style. Harlem Shuffle took me to that neighborhood 60 years ago, for the tale of a family man who’s part-furniture salesman, part go-between for thieves and fences. Crook Manifesto is the sequel.

• Two from environment reporter Mary Landers:

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb; W.W. Norton and Company

You’ll never look at roadkill the same after reading Ben Goldfarb’s Crossings. Goldfarb, a journalist, entertains as he informs on an issue hidden in plain sight. The book has special salience for Coastal Georgia where efforts are underway to study the best ways to protect salt marsh terrapins in high traffic areas like Tybee and Jekyll islands.

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe, Viking

The first biography of the first president to be written by a woman is also arguably the funniest. I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading it.  I also learned quite a bit about Washington, and unlearned some of the myths I’d been taught about him and the women in his life.

• And a reminder that older books always deserve your full attention from Jabari Gibbs, Glynn County reporter:

Beloved by Toni Morrison, Alfred A. Knopf Inc-Publisher (1987)

This book encapsulates my two favorite subject matters when reading—the Black experience and horror. If either doesn’t sound appealing, I suggest getting through the first 50 pages because it is worth it. I usually stray away from Black horror that explores the trauma of slavery; hence why, I avoided this book for so long, though growing up, I saw the movie adaptation. Morrison is a masterful storyteller, and as the story builds, you gradually learn more about what happened at “Sweet Home.” It is a 10/10 for me, but it can be challenging, especially if you have never read a Toni Morrison book. However, if you can bear with it, I’m sure you will enjoy it. 

Enjoy.

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🇺🇲 NOTE: The July 4th holiday is upon us. We’ll take a break Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, then we’ll return on Tuesday, July 9, with Soundings. Have a great holiday! 🇺🇲

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