Savannah Hardscapes participates in ABC Reality Show

Savannah Hardscapes to Participate in the ABC Reality Show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to be Filmed in Savannah November 13th – 18th

www.savannahhardscapes.com

(HARDEEVILLE, SC) Savannah Hardscapes proudly announces their participation in the ABC reality show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” which is being filmed in Savannah this month.

Savannah Hardscapes is joining forces with Savannah builder J.T. Turner Construction to forever change the lives of a Savannah family by completely rebuilding their house.

“We are very excited to be part of the event,” says Savannah Hardscapes co-owner Jonathan Rhangos. “To know that we are helping to improve the lives of a local family is a great feeling.”

The 181st episode of the popular reality television program will be centered on constructing a new home for a Savannah family in need in less than a week. Savannah’s J. T. Turner Construction Company is the builder for the project, which will require a 24-hour daily work schedule.

Savannah Hardscapes is set to donate materials and supplies which will include brick pavers for the home’s front walkway and the surrounding garden wall. Savannah Hardscapes’ skilled artisan masons will be onsite at the fast paced building project to expertly install the materials at the home.

“Proper installation guarantees that the family will enjoy these elements of their home for many years to come,” Rhangos explains.

The Savannah episode, expected to air six to eight weeks after filming, will also feature a local canned food drive in which America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia will attempt to collect 150 tons, or 300,000 pounds, of canned goods for low-income families.

Savannah Hardscapes:

Founded in 1996 by brothers and co-owners William and Jonathan Rhangos, Savannah Hardscapes and Construction-located at 64 McDowell Circle between downtown Savannah and Bluffton, SC-is the largest provider of the finest stone, brick, pavers, tile and outdoor architectural elements available in the Southeast at the most competitive prices. The company is the only one of its kind, bringing together the largest selection of the world’s most unique and sustainable surfaces with the most experienced artisans in the region, to ensure expert installation and lasting results for generations. The turn-key company has the unique ability to translate any architect, builder, urban planner or individual homeowners’ vision into reality. 843-784-6060 http://www.savannahhardscapes.com

America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia:

America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, the local charity selected to participate in the episode by “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” provides food for the hungry and improves communities in the 21 coastal Georgia counties that it serves. Volunteers and spectators are encouraged to bring canned food during the build week to the designated shuttle locations. http://www.helpendhunger.org

ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”:

The popular reality program averages 10 million viewers each week and airs in 69 countries. Through eight seasons hundreds of homes have been reconstructed and countless families have been touched. Each episode of the Emmy award winning show kicks off with carpenter Ty Pennington surprising an unsuspecting family whose home has been chosen for an extreme makeover. Through the efforts of a generous local contractor and hundreds of volunteers from the community a race against the clock begins to finish the work in one week. The show airs Sundays from 8:00-9:00 p.m. EST on ABC. http://www.extrememakeoversavannah.com

The “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” kicks off in Savannah on November 10th , with the 24 hour a day building project beginning on the 13th and wrapping up on the 18th . Tickets are available now for The Extreme Extravaganza auction & fundraiser to be held November 17th at Historic Grayson Stadium at 7PM to raise money to pay off the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Savannah family’s current mortgage. http://www.extrememakeoversavannah.com/extravaganza

Wesley Community Center needs CLEANING SUPPLIES –

Dear Wesley Board Members and Wesley Friends ,

Imagine trying to keep two early childhood centers clean and sanitized with over 106 young children on site 5 days a week. Now imagine doing that with little to no money in the budget for ongoing cleaning supplies. We need your help! These items are urgently needed now and on an ongoing basis:

· Bleach

· Tri-fold paper towels (white or brown)

· Rolls of paper towels

· Rolling paper for diaper changing stations

· Latex-free gloves, size large

· Febreze (liquid and spray)

· Toilet tissue

· Kleenex

There are so many ways you can help. Here are just a few ideas:

· Purchase a little more on your routine trips to the store and bring the items to Wesley;

· Join forces with your church, business, or civic group and start a cleaning supply drive;

· Ask stores for donations;

· Donate gift cards for ongoing supplies; and

· Spread the word.

Please give us a call at (912) 236-4226 if more information is needed. All donations are tax deductable and a thank you letter suitable for tax purposes will be provided. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Tammy A.K. Mixon

Executive Director

SAVANNAH BOOK FESTIVAL 2011 – schedule of events

http://www.savannahbookfestival.org

(SAVANNAH, GA) The 4th annual Savannah Book Festival proudly announces the schedule for the Festival, which will take place during President’s Day Weekend, February 18-20, 2011, in and around Telfair Square on beautiful historic downtown Savannah, Georgia.

Here are the significant events taking place that weekend:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

5:30 pm—Keynote Address by Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice and Left Neglected, Trinity United Methodist Church

7 pm—Savannah Book Festival Gala for authors and major contributors to the Festival, Jepson Center for the Arts. For more information on how to contribute to the Festival or become a sponsor, go to http://www.savannahbookfestival.org/sponsor/ .

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2011

10 am – 5:30 pm—Savannah Book Festival, with presentations by the following authors:

Trinity United Methodist Church

10 am—Karl Marlantes, Matterhorn

11 am—Robert Goolrick, A Reliable Wife

12 noon—Lee Smith, Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger

1:30 pm—Lisa Genova, Still Alice

2:30 pm—Geoffrey Wolff, The Hard Way Around

3:30 pm—Tobias Wolff, Our Story Begins: New and Selected Stories

4:30 pm—Chuck Leavell, Smart, Strong and Sustainable: Building a Better America

Jepson Center for the Arts—Neises Auditorium

10 am—Lauretta Hannon, The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful Life

11 am—Hal Crowther, Gather at the River: Notes from the Post-Millennial South

12 noon—Scott Patterson, The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It

1:30 pm—Martha Nesbitt, Savannah Celebrations: Simple Southern Party Menus

2:30 pm—Paula Wallace, Perfect Porches: Designing Welcoming Spaces for Outdoor Living

3:30 pm—Marc Smirnoff, Oxford American Book of Great American Music Writing

4:30 pm—Roy Blount, Hail, Hail Euphoria! Screening of “Duck Soup” then commentary of the film from Hail, Hail Euphoria!

Telfair Museum Rotunda

10 am—Jacqueline Jones, Saving Savannah: The City and the Civil War

11 am—Chad Faries, And Then We Moved, A Memoir: 24 Houses in 10 Years

12 noon—George Dawes Green, A Dissertation on Flannery O’Connor and Savannah

1:30 pm—Harlow Unger, Lion of Liberty: Patrick Henry and the Call to a New Nation

2:30 pm—Thomas Chatterton Williams, Losing My Cool: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-hop Culture

3:30 pm Vaughnette Goode Walker and Barry Sheehy, Savannah, Immortal City: Volume I, Civil War Savannah series

Telfair Sculpture Gallery

10 am—Beverly Donofrio, Looking for Mary—or the Blessed Mother and Me

11 am—Jonathan Rabb, Second Son

12 noon—Randi Davenport, The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes: A Mother’s Story

1:30 pm—Michael Malone, The Four Corners of the Sky

2:30 pm—Beth Hoffman, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

3:30 pm—Lenore Hart, The Raven’s Bride

Telfair Boardroom

10 am—Tina Brown, Crooked Row Straight: The Awakening of AIDS Activist Linda Jordan

11 am—Cavanaugh Lee, Save as Draft

12 noon—Cathy Smith Bowers, Like Shining from Shook Foil

1:30 pm—Waqas Khwaja, Modern Poetry of Pakistan

2:30 pm—Gregory Djanikian, So I Will Till the Ground

3:30 pm—David Bottoms, Waltzing through the Endtime

Free Speech Tent

10 am—Savannah State University writers

11 am—Armstrong Atlantic State University writers

12 noon—Savannah College of Art & Design writers

1:30 pm—Storytelling

2:30 pm—Tina McElroy Ansa & Tarsha Stanley

3:30 pm—Adam Davies on adapting his novel GoodBye Lemon into a screenplay

7:30 pm—Saturday Evening with Sandra and Ryan Brown, SCAD River Club

This mother-and-son duo will take the stage to talk about their lives in letters and field questions from the audience in a special fundraising event for the Savannah Book Festival. For tickets, please go to the Savannah Box Office.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2011

11 am—Sunday Brunch Talk with Vince Dooley, Jepson Center for the Arts Atrium

The former football coach at the University of Georgia will talk about his book, Vince Dooley’s Garden: The Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach, in this highly-anticipated fundraiser for the Savannah Book Festival. Mr. Dooley’s illustrator, renowned artist Steve Penley, will also be on hand to discuss his beautiful illustrations. To purchase a table for $750, please go to the Savannah Box Office.

Please note that this schedule is subject to change. For the most recent additions and changes to our Festival schedule, please visit our website at http://www.savannahbookfestival.org/2011-festival/schedule/ .

The Savannah Book Festival’s mission is to promote reading, writing and civil conversation. It is now a significant event in both the literary and southeastern USA calendars, with a new date this year: February 18-20, 2011 – President’s Day weekend. The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors. It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word and its role in improving the human experience.

Visit savannahbookfestival.org to plan your trip. You’ll find special deals with local hotels and tourist venues, and the website content is frequently updated.

For more information, contact the Savannah Book Festival at (912) 358-0575; info@savannahbookfestival.org; or 3025 Bull St., Suite 249, Savannah, GA 31405, http://www.savannahbookfestival.org.

CELIA DUNN SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY PARTICIPATES IN LUXURY REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE

http://www.celiadunnsir.com

Savannah, GA –Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury real estate firm based in Savannah, GA recently participated in the 6th Annual Sotheby’s International

Realty® Leadership Forum, which brought together nearly 250 network members and staff from

10 countries worldwide.

This dynamic, three-day event, which was held Oct. 25 to 27 at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, in

Atlanta, provided a unique opportunity for Sotheby’s International Realty brokers, owners and

managers to network and share best practices. It also included a tour of some of the finest luxury

real estate in Atlanta, courtesy of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.

“The annual Leadership Forum provides a great value to our firm, and this year’s event

was no exception,” Celia W. Dunn owner/principal of Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International

Realty. “It offered the opportunity to network with some of the world’s most talented real estate

professionals and learn more about the industry and the role of emerging technologies.”

Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty, which has offices in Savannah and Bluffton offers

exclusive Sotheby’s International Realty marketing, advertising and referral services designed

to attract well-qualified buyers to the firm’s property listings. In addition, the firm and its clients

benefit from an association with the Sotheby’s auction house, which promotes real estate referral

opportunities with auction house clientele.

As a Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate, the firm also has the unique ability to refer its real

estate clientele to the auction house for jewelry, art, unique furniture and collectible appraisal

services. Property listings from Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty also are marketed on

the sothebysrealty.com global website, as well as on the firm’s local website, celiadunnsir.com

“The Leadership Forum is a very effective tool for bringing together our network members from

all over the world with the common goal of sharing their own unique experiences,” said Michael

R. Good, chief executive officer, Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. “This year’s

conference, our largest ever, provided a brand update and presentations on competing in today’s

luxury market and leveraging new technologies in real estate marketing.”

Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty is located at 17 W. Charlton Street, Savannah, GA.

For additional information, please contact 912.234.3323. The Sotheby’s International Realty

network currently has more than 10,900 sales associates located in approximately 500 offices in

37 countries and territories worldwide.

###

(s a v a n n a h , u n e d i t e d™)

Diana Morrision and I had a great time at Lauretta Hannons’s weekend retreat up in the North GA mountains. We stayed in the oldest Inn, in GA – 1840 or something. Apparently it was the same Inn that was used in the movie the Deliverance. Lauretta is the author of CRACKER QUEEN.

Diana Morrision

Pictures are from the cell phone – pretty fuzzy/

I gave a talk to the Landings Art Association about helping me start an outdoor Artist’s Square in Telfair Square. I flew to Paris 2 weeks ago to see the famous Montmartre Square – where dozens of artists bring their easels everyday, paint, and sell their artwork to thousands of tourist. Savannah has 22 BEAUTIFUL squares – but no activity except tourist walking through them.

My brother and I flying back from Paris

I’m looking forward to my cousin Nancy Watson coming to Savannah for Thanksgiving. It has been YEARS since I cooked a turkey – hopefully she knows how – otherwise I”m going to order a cooked one from PUBLIX.

The Savannah Barnes and Noble bookstore in the Oglethorpe Mall has partnered with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia for their Holiday Book Giveaway. Between now and January 1, 2011, Barnes and Noble makes it easy for you to make a book donation when making your purchases right at the register. www.yofcoastalga.org

My nephew, Alex Rudinger just turned 19 this week. He is on tour in Europe for a month, with his band: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwTrep5uNqk

Jonathan, Jim, William -

Kim Thompson took this picture at the Extreme Home Makeover – it is of Jonathan Rhangos, Jim Turner / JT Turner and William Rhangos of Savannah Hardscapes. Congratulations to an amazing endeavor!

JOB IN THE SAVANNAH AREA

(HARDEEVILLE, SC) Savannah Hardscapes/Reve Surfaces is looking for an experienced tile sales

representative. Compensation is based on sales and benefits from leads generated from

our general masonry sales division. Successful candidate must have strong knowledge of

interior tile lines and installation requirements. This is a perfect fit for someone seeking

the flexibility of setting their own schedule but yet has the proven ability to identify

opportunities and close sales. Sales experienced required. Please e-mail your resume

(Attn: Linn) to info@savannahhardscapes.com or fax it to 843-784-5673.

Savannah Book Festival, newest board members and officers announced

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Book Festival proudly announces its newest board members and officers for the 2011 festival year. Led by the new president of the board of directors, Stephanie Duttenhaver, this committed group of volunteers is thrilled to be organizing the fourth annual Savannah Book Festival, which will take place February 18-20, 2011.

Ms. Duttenhaver is the former vice president of member services for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and interim executive director of the Savannah Community Foundation. She has served on several boards and committees, including Memorial Health Foundation, Savannah Community Foundation, Coastal Georgia Soccer Association and the Police Chief’s Citizens Advisory Panel. Other officers announced recently include:

Vice President—Jack Romanos, who retired as president and CEO of Simon & Schuster in 2007. During his tenure, S&S grew from slightly over $100 million in revenue to nearly $1 billion in 2007, taking S&S from two primary publishing imprints to ten adult publishing units; a $420 million children’s publishing division; a $50 million audio book publishing division; and over $100 million from subsidiaries in London, Toronto and Sydney. During his final years at S&S, Romanos positioned the company to enter the digital era of publishing, developing the strategies that the company relies on today.

Secretary—Laura Simpson, the director of special Events, Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau. Aiding in the production of several events a year, this Savannah native works at turning Savannah’s unique attributes into great festivals and events.

Treasurer—Scott Richards, owner and CEO of One-Stop Remodeling, has served on many boards and currently serves on Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity and Isle of Hope Methodist Church. Richards is a successful small business owner who understands budgeting and fiscal responsibility.

New board members include:

Vaughnette Goode-Walker, the director of cultural diversity and access for the Telfair Museums, also serves on the boards of the Historic Savannah Foundation, the Friends of Massie Heritage Center, the Early College Board and is chair of the Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission. A former radio broadcaster and creator of the Footprints of Savannah Tour: A Complete Story of Slavery in Savannah, Ms. Goode-Walker is the author of the poetry collection, Going Home and co-author of the forthcoming book, Savannah, Immortal City, a pictorial and textual history of the important antebellum and Civil War sites in the city of Savannah, Georgia, and surrounding Chatham County.

Ann Higbee comes to this board after a more than 35-year marketing communications career, which focused on crisis communications, public affairs and public relations. Ms. Higbee is now retired as managing partner of PR/PA with Eric Mower and Associates, one of the country’s leading independent marketing firms with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte and throughout upstate New York.

Scott Lauretti is senior managing director and founding partner of Guggenheim Partners, a New York-based financial services firm. He also serves as editor and publisher of The Skinniemagazine. Mr. Lauretti has served on many community boards, including MedBank where he is the past chairman of the board; the Savannah Country Day School Board of Trustees, where he currently serves on the school’s investment committee; and the St. Joseph’s and Candler Hospitals Foundation Boards, where he is a member of the finance committee. Mr. Lauretti resides in Savannah with his wife and two daughters.

Liz Longshore has been executive director of MedBank since 2004. Prior to joining MedBank, she worked with the American Red Cross and responded to a number of national disasters around the county including 9/11. Longshore is a public relations graduate from Georgia Southern University and brings more than tewelve years of non-profit experience to MedBank. Last year, through this model, MedBank provided more than $6.7 million in free medications to the needy in her community.

Katherine Oxnard Ellis has been involved with the Savannah Book Festival since its first year in 2008, when she was a featured author. A veteran freelance writer and editor, she has taught creative writing at the college level in four states. She has also published articles and short stories in magazines and journals across the US, and she writes a regular column about politics and social issues for the Savannah Morning News. Her short story collection, Your Better Half, was a finalist for the 2002 Mary McCarthy Prize in short fiction.

The Savannah Book Festival’s mission is to promote reading, writing and civil conversation. It is now a significant event in both the literary and southeastern USA calendars, with a new date this year: February 18-20, 2011 – President’s Day weekend. The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors. It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word and its role in improving the human experience.

Visit savannahbookfestival.org to plan your trip. You’ll find special deals with local hotels and tourist venues, and the website content is frequently updated.

For more information, contact Lisa Parker Fort at the Savannah Book Festival at (912) 358-0575; info@savannahbookfestival.org; or 3025 Bull St., Suite 249, Savannah, GA 31405, http://www.savannahbookfestival.org.

Bouhan, Williams & Levy, LLP, announces firm member, Walter C. Hartridge, honored by the Savannah Bar Association

Bouhan, Williams & Levy, LLP, announces firm member, Walter C. Hartridge, honored by the Savannah Bar Association

(SAVANNAH, GA) Prominent law firm, Bouhan, Williams & Levy, LLP, is pleased to announce that firm member, Walter C. Hartridge, has been honored by the Savannah Bar Association for his many years of exemplary and longstanding service to the legal community.

“Walter is a true professional, immensely dedicated to his practice and to the community,” says Carlton Joyce, a partner with Bouhan, Williams & Levy. “The benefit of his services over the years is immeasurable. We are thrilled he is being honored.”

The Savannah Bar Association, a local extension of the State Bar of Georgia, held a luncheon for Hartridge on November 11th at the Desoto Hilton. He was presented with a framed proclamation, in acknowledgement and gratitude for his membership with the Savannah Bar Association since 1961, the same year in which he joined Bouhan, Williams & Levy.

Hartridge was thanked for thousands of hours of volunteer time in which he provided mentorship, leadership and an example of professionalism to scores of lawyers throughout his career.

Appointed to a position on the Board of Governors for the State Bar of Georgia in 1976, Hartridge retired this year. He also served as a Trustee of the Georgia Institute for Continuing Legal Education from 1972 to 1976, a member of the State Disciplinary Board Review Panel from 1991 to 1994 and a member of the Judicial Qualifications Commission for the State of Georgia from 1997 to 2004.

At Bouhan, Williams & Levy, Hartridge’s practice includes complex commercial litigation, class action suits, defense of personal injury claims, prosecution of serious personal injury claims, medical malpractice, products liability, construction litigation, securities litigation and maritime litigation.

A member and past Chairman of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute, Hartridge is also a member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been included in the publication, “The Best Lawyers In America,” in the categories of Business Litigation and Maritime Law, and been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Georgia since 2005. He is also designated as a top attorney in business litigation in the Corporate Counsel Edition of Super Lawyers.

Headquartered in the Armstrong House at 447 Bull Street, Bouhan, Williams & Levy, LLP is among Savannah’s oldest law firm. They can be reached at http://www.bouhan.com 912-236-2491.

The Savannah Book Festival proudly announces its newest board members

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.savannahbookfestival.org

(SAVANNAH, GA) The Savannah Book Festival proudly announces its newest board members and officers for the 2011 festival year. Led by the new president of the board of directors, Stephanie Duttenhaver, this committed group of volunteers is thrilled to be organizing the fourth annual Savannah Book Festival, which will take place February 18-20, 2011. Ms. Duttenhaver is the former vice president of member services for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and interim executive director of the Savannah Community Foundation. She has served on several boards and committees, including Memorial Health Foundation, Savannah Community Foundation, Coastal Georgia Soccer Association and the Police Chief’s Citizens Advisory Panel. Other officers announced recently include:

Vice President—Jack Romanos, who retired as president and CEO of Simon & Schuster in 2007. During his tenure, S&S grew from slightly over $100 million in revenue to nearly $1 billion in 2007, taking S&S from two primary publishing imprints to ten adult publishing units; a $420 million children’s publishing division; a $50 million audio book publishing division; and over $100 million from subsidiaries in London, Toronto and Sydney. During his final years at S&S, Romanos positioned the company to enter the digital era of publishing, developing the strategies that the company relies on today.

Secretary—Laura Simpson, the director of special Events, Savannah Convention and Visitors Bureau. Aiding in the production of several events a year, this Savannah native works at turning Savannah’s unique attributes into great festivals and events.

Treasurer—Scott Richards, owner and CEO of One-Stop Remodeling, has served on many boards and currently serves on Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity and Isle of Hope Methodist Church. Richards is a successful small business owner who understands budgeting and fiscal responsibility.

New board members include:

Vaughnette Goode-Walker, the director of cultural diversity and access for the Telfair Museums, also serves on the boards of the Historic Savannah Foundation, the Friends of Massie Heritage Center, the Early College Board and is chair of the Chatham County Historic Preservation Commission. A former radio broadcaster and creator of the Footprints of Savannah Tour: A Complete Story of Slavery in Savannah, Ms. Goode-Walker is the author of the poetry collection, Going Home and co-author of the forthcoming book, Savannah, Immortal City, a pictorial and textual history of the important antebellum and Civil War sites in the city of Savannah, Georgia, and surrounding Chatham County.

Ann Higbee comes to this board after a more than 35-year marketing communications career, which focused on crisis communications, public affairs and public relations. Ms. Higbee is now retired as managing partner of PR/PA with Eric Mower and Associates, one of the country’s leading independent marketing firms with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte and throughout upstate New York.

Scott Lauretti is senior managing director and founding partner of Guggenheim Partners, a New York-based financial services firm. He also serves as editor and publisher of The Skinniemagazine. Mr. Lauretti has served on many community boards, including MedBank where he is the past chairman of the board; the Savannah Country Day School Board of Trustees, where he currently serves on the school’s investment committee; and the St. Joseph’s and Candler Hospitals Foundation Boards, where he is a member of the finance committee. Mr. Lauretti resides in Savannah with his wife and two daughters.

Liz Longshore has been executive director of MedBank since 2004. Prior to joining MedBank, she worked with the American Red Cross and responded to a number of national disasters around the county including 9/11. Longshore is a public relations graduate from Georgia Southern University and brings more than tewelve years of non-profit experience to MedBank. Last year, through this model, MedBank provided more than $6.7 million in free medications to the needy in her community.

Katherine Oxnard Ellis has been involved with the Savannah Book Festival since its first year in 2008, when she was a featured author. A veteran freelance writer and editor, she has taught creative writing at the college level in four states. She has also published articles and short stories in magazines and journals across the US, and she writes a regular column about politics and social issues for the Savannah Morning News. Her short story collection, Your Better Half, was a finalist for the 2002 Mary McCarthy Prize in short fiction.

The Savannah Book Festival’s mission is to promote reading, writing and civil conversation. It is now a significant event in both the literary and southeastern USA calendars, with a new date this year: February 18-20, 2011 – President’s Day weekend. The Savannah Book Festival Inc. is an independent non-profit corporation led by a volunteer board of directors. It is committed to remaining free and open to the public and to celebrating the written word and its role in improving the human experience.

Visit savannahbookfestival.org to plan your trip. You’ll find special deals with local hotels and tourist venues, and the website content is frequently updated.

For more information, contact Lisa Parker Fort at the Savannah Book Festival at (912) 358-0575; info@savannahbookfestival.org; or 3025 Bull St., Suite 249, Savannah, GA 31405, http://www.savannahbookfestival.org.

Tybee Island Book Project – Author Harry Spirides looking for old photos & stories

Ocean Plaza book project to commemorate Hotel Tybee. Author looking for old
photos & stories.

Ocean Plaza Resort website: www.oceanplaza.com

Last night in Paris

Rotary meeting in Paris, France today

Donna Blazevic, Paris Rotary Member and Philippe Vuillaume

Mariana Forgie, presenting to Rotary in French!

Marjorie Young presenting the Savannah Rotary flag to the Paris Rotary Club

Zurich to Paris – not so easy

Has anybody ever tried to book a train from Zurich to Paris? Today we tried to buy a ticket from Lecco to Paris. They could only sell us a ticket to Zurich. Looking online tonight, we can’t even book a ticket from Zurich to Paris – you MUST either get a ticket mailed to you OR buy it at the train station… hummm, what year is this 1960?

Vacation in Paris – via Italy

I wasn’t planning on going to Italy, believe it or not, but the flight to Paris was oversold by 15 people on Nov 1. My brother and I decided to see if there were any open seats to London, Frankfurt or Madrid. Everything was full, except for Milano. We boarded for MXP at 6pm – there were only 3 open seats. We were very grateful to get across the Atlantic.

The flight was perfect. I talked to a guy named Martin Bradshaw that was connected to Canali – a high end Italian menswear company. Seemed like the flight was only 6 hours – very quick.

Uncle Chris picked us up at MXP, door 17 out front. We stopped for a cafe half way back to Lake Como. Once we got to their house we took a 4 hour nap – just in time to wake up for a splendid dinner and some wine – which put me right back to sleep.

Nov 3: We were supposed to be in Paris today – but decided to spend the day in Lecco, Italy. I got my hair cut by Marco – then met Davy and Giovanna at CafeCafe for a Moraco Cafe – half coffee, half coco –

The fall fashions of browns, camels and off white are in every window. I just love the flat, tall boots that go over your knee -

Uncle Chris flew to Rome for a meeting today – he should be back about 10pm.

There is a 5 hour difference in time. Right now, it is 6pm and it is already DARK. Hopefully our jet lag is over as we head to Paris tomorrow – via Zurich, Switzerland.

Just spent a few hours working on the computer. Thank heavens for SKYPE!