Camden CountyCamden County
Board of Commissioners
Community Outreach eNewsletter
  "Working together to make a positive difference in the community."  

 

 A Publication from the Office of the County Administrator - March 2014

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In This Issue
A Message from the County Administrator
St. Patrick's Day
New Attorney Announced
Gullah Geechee
Spring Cleaning
Rabies Vaccination Clinic
Cumberland Island
Daylight Savings
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COMMUNITY RELATIONS
  
  
  
  
  
  

      

 WorkReady Community
GA Camera Ready
 Storm Ready
 Code RED
 
  
UPCOMING Board of County Commissioners Meetings & Public Hearings

 

March 25th Regular BOCC Meeting 

6:00PM

 

April 1st

Regular BOCC Meeting 

6:00PM

 

County Offices 

will be closed 

April 18th in Observance of Good Friday

 

 

April 15th

Regular BOCC Meeting 

6:00PM

 

Government Services Complex
 200 East 4th Street
Woodbine, GA 31569
"Great Customer Service is the Cornerstone of Every Successful Organization!"
 
Your Opinion Counts
Please click on the link below to complete Camden County's customer service survey.

"NEW"

Free Prescription Discount Cards Available to Camden County Residents

Click on the image above to view more information about this service.

Camden County Fire Rescue Seeking Volunteers

Camden County Fire Rescue is recruiting volunteer firefighters to be a part of the department. The volunteer firefighter program will be used to augment existing peronnel to meet the needs of the community now and in the future.

 

Visit the program website for the most current information.

 

Contact Fire Rescue Headquarters at (912) 729-3911 for questions about this program.

A Message from the County Administrator
Steve L. Howard, County Administrator

Change continues in 2014 with the departure of county attorney Brent Green resigning and accepting a position as Juvenile Court Judge.  I wish Judge Green continued success in his new role and thank him for his loyal and dedicated service to the citizens of Camden. The vacancy resulted in the Board of Commissioners recruiting and selecting a Camden native, John Myers, as the new county attorney.  I look forward to John joining the Camden County team.  

 

The Board of County Commissioners will also be participating in an annual goal setting session at the end of the month to set future strategic priorities. I look forward to releasing the new established goals in the near future.  Through proper planning Camden County can prepare for tomorrow today.

 

I look forward to working with each of you as we move Camden County forward together.

 

Yours for a better Camden,

Steve L. Howard, ICMA-CM, CPM, CPPO
County Administrator

St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day, colloquially St. Paddy's Day or simply Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on 17th of March.

The day is a national holiday of Ireland: it is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. It is also a public holiday in Montserrat. In Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Argentina and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.


Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide by those of Irish descent and increasingly by people of other ethnicities as well, notably in Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and North America. Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and, by association, the colour green. Both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food and/or green foods, imbibing Irish drink and attending parades, which have a particularly long history in the United States and in Canada.

As well as being a celebration of Irish culture, Saint Patrick's Day is a Christian festival celebrated in the Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, and some other denominations. The day almost always falls in the season of Lent, and some bishops will grant an indult, or release, from the Friday no-meat observance when St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday; this is sometimes colloquially known as a "corned-beef indult".  

New Attorney Announced

John S. Myers, local attorney in St. Marys, was selected by the Camden County Board of Commissioners as the new county attorney on February 25th during the regularly scheduled Board meeting. Myers assumes the position vacated by Brent Green, who was appointed as Juvenile Court Judge. Green served as the attorney for Camden County for nearly 20 years.

 

Myers brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He is a Camden County native who graduated from Camden County High School in 1977 and received his J.D. from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon in 1984.  His deep ties to Camden County and 25-plus years of state and federal legal experience will greatly benefit the Board of Commissioners and the Citizens of Camden County.

 

Mr. Myers assumed the position of County Attorney on March 4, 2014.

Heritage Awareness Brought to Coastal Communities

On February 11, 2014, Griffin Lotson of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission (GGCHCC) met with Camden County Administrator Steve Howard and Board of County Commissioners Vice Chairman Charles Clark to dedicate the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor (GGCHC) highway trail sign. The sign identifies the GGCHC by name and logo and have been approved through the Department of Transportation Office. The Gullah Geechee Corridor extends about 12,414 square miles and ranges from North Carolina to Florida. The signs will be installed at an entryway and exit within each county along US 17/A1A.  Publisher of St. Marys Magazine, Barbara Ryan was also present during the dedication. 

         

The Corridor was created for three main reasons. First, to recognize the important contributions made to American culture and history by African Americans known as Gullah Geechee who settled in the coastal counties of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida. Second, to assist state and local governments and public and private entities in interpreting the story of the Gullah Geechee and preserving Gullah Geechee folklore, arts, crafts, and music. Lastly, to assist in identifying and preserving sites, historical data, artifacts, and objects associated with the Gullah Geechee for the benefit and education of the public.

 

Griffin Lotson is Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit Sams Memorial Community Economic Development Inc., as well as the manager of the nationally acclaimed Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters.  Lotson has traced his Gullah Geechee family history back seven generations. He has worked as a community input adviser with the National Park Service Low Country Gullah Culture Special Resource study and the GGCHCC. Lotson has raised over $10 million with grants and other funding for communities in the area of cultural arts, economic development, housing and educational programs. 

 

While traveling in Africa to Sierra Leone, Lotson met with the Gullah Kinship Association.  Lotson has served as special consultant to the Sierra Leone Africa Government chief protocol office of foreign affairs, working also with Professor Joseph Opala, Director of the Bunce Island Coalition and Isatu Smith, a Sierra Leonean, who is the deputy director.  

 

For more information about the Cultural Heritage Corridor please visit:  http://www.gullahgeecheecorridor.org/ 

Spring is in the Air
The first day of Spring is March 20, 2014. Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. 
At the spring equinox or the first day of spring, days are close to 12 hours long with day length increasing as the season progresses. With this wonderful time of year comes, SPRING CLEANING!! 
There are few rites of spring more satisfying than the annual clean. For many people, however, the pleasure comes only after the work is finished. Your spring cleaning may never become effortless, but you can make the project more manageable -- and even enjoyable.
Spring is an opportunity to throw open the windows, let some fresh air in, and make our homes clean, happy and efficient spaces.  Many of the jobs are small ones that will go by quickly, and you'll be so glad you took the time to do them!

Rabies Vaccination Clinic

 

The Humane Society is sponsoring a Rabies Vaccination Clinic on Saturday, March 22, 2014 from 10:00 am - Noon at 100 New Point Peter Road, St. Marys (behind the Cedar River Convenience Store).  The cost is $8.00 per dog or cat.  Please bring dogs on a leash and cats in a carrier.  

 

Rabies is a serious disease caused by a virus that may affect the brain and spinal cord of all mammals, including dogs, cats and humans.  Though preventable, there is good reason that the word "rabies" evokes fear in people. The disease has been reported in every state except Hawaii, and everywhere throughout the world except for Australia and Antarctica. Annually, rabies causes the deaths of more than 50,000 humans and millions of animals worldwide. Once symptoms appear, the disease results in fatality.

 

 

A Visit to Cumberland Island National Seashore
Cumberland Island is one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands along the Atlantic coast. The island has one of the largest maritime forests remaining in the United States and one of the largest wilderness areas in a National Seashore on the east coast. 
Cumberland Island is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island. There are many special species that rely on barrier islands such as Cumberland. They include wood storks, piping plovers, least terns, gopher tortoises, manatees and sea turtles. 
Did You Know?
  • There are over 50 miles of hiking trails on Cumberland Island. The trails go through the maritime forest and sand dunes, past salt marshes and into freshwater swamps. 
  • Cumberland Island contains four major historic districts and 87 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 
  • The largest predator on Cumberland Island is the alligator. It can be found in freshwater areas as well as salt marshes and even in the ocean. Don't trust that floating log! 
  • Each summer Cumberland Island National Seashore participates in the Youth Conservation Corps program. This program is designed to promote environmental awareness and management of our natural resources. The participants are selected from local high school students between the ages of 15 and 18.
For information about Cumberland Island National Seashore click here
 
Remember to "Spring Forward"
Daylight Savings is
March 9th 

We spring forward one hour on March 9th at 2:00 AM. When setting your clocks remember to change out the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, portable radios and flashlights.  Also check the charge level on fire extinguisher gauges.

 

Daylight Saving Time gives us the opportunity to enjoy sunny summer evenings by moving our clocks an hour forward in the spring. Yet, the implementation of Daylight Saving Time has been fraught with controversy since Benjamin Franklin conceived of the idea.

Even today, regions and countries routinely change their approaches to Daylight Saving Time.

One of our goals is to ensure we are providing the citizens of Camden County information and a better understanding of current issues involving Camden County Government. We hope you enjoyed reading the monthly Community Outreach newsletter and found it informative. We encourage and value your feedback and any input you may have to help us improve it in the future.  

 
By working together Camden County can continue to be "Georgia's Coastal Community of Choice."

Meet Your Commissioners

Commissioner Chip Keene, District 1
Chip Keene
District 1
Chuck Clark 2013
Chuck Clark
District 2
Commissioner Jimmy Starline, District 3
Jimmy Starline
District 3
Commissioner Gary Blount, District 4
Gary Blount
District 4
Tony Sheppard 
Tony Sheppard
District 5
Our Commitment to You!
 
VISION 
Helping to make Camden County the best place to be by preserving and enhancing the history and quality of life while promoting smart growth and providing an efficient, effective and responsive government.
 
MISSION
It is the mission of Camden County Government to provide responsive, innovative, and cost effective services, promote smart growth, effectively communicate with the community, improve infrastructure and technology, preserve the health, welfare, safety, and environment while maintaining the outstanding quality of life that makes our county a desirable place to live and work. 
 
VALUES 
The Board of County Commissioners and employees of Camden County are committed to the following values: Integrity, Respect, Service, Accountability, Teamwork, and Balance