Leadership Bryan County
October 30, 2007
Leadership Bryan County class #2 had it all over class #1. Don’t get me wrong – learning about my Meyers-Briggs was neat. Hanging out with the cool kids was even better. But nothing could beat spending the day out at Epworth by the Sea.
Started easy enough. Weather was kinda crappy but I didn’t have to drive. Day started early, but there was breakfast when we got there. That’s always a good start.
The morning went well. Brain teasers, team building, lessons learned. Our facilitator was PHENOM!! Which turned out to be good for me because I would need somebody good at his job after lunch.
The afternoon…whew…climbing a rock wall and doing the zip line. Seems easy enough. Till you realize the rock wall is this far up.
And the zip line is up a 45 foot pole with a little platform that you have to jump off. Notice none of those factors bothered Shirley at all. I, on the other hand, kept my eyes closed.
It was a great time. I felt strong at the top of the wall, and fearless even with my eyes closed.
But they day was more that death defying tricks and trying to swing on a rope with out spilling water. We had the opportunity to learn yet more about each other and ourselves. Not mention the really cool porch.
Meet Van Hunter and Darryl Petermann
October 29, 2007
I had the great opportunity to have coffees last week with two Councilman candidates, Van Hunter (post 3) and Darryl Petermann (post 4).
Marilyn Hodges didn’t have time to talk to me (although she knocked on my door) and I didn’t hear from the others. This is not to take exception with their position, or to suggest how I myself will vote, but even Jack Kingston returns emails.
I’m not saying…I’m just saying…
At any rate, I had the best time talking with these guys. I appreciate their time and their respect for me as a voter and a resident.
Van Hunter
In 1985, Richmond Hill gained another resident. Van Hunter, father of 4, grandfather of 3 and an Army veteran, decided Richmond Hill was the place for him. 22 years later, he would tell you he made the right move.
He gets excited when you ask him about his family. Two children serving in the military, 2 still live here in the Hill, and he drops his grandson off at school. Sounds like he wouldn’t give that taxi driver job to anybody.
City Councilman is another job he wants. Pretty bad it seems – this is his third run at the seat.
Van believes there needs be to be changes on the council. With all the big growth happening in Richmond Hill, Van thinks it important to have a voice on the council that will disagree with what he feels is Mayor Davis’ manner of “stacking and pack” current development.
“Lessen the density, more active green space, and hold developers accountable.” These are the big issues according to Van. He thinks the putting the planned convention center in the park is a bad idea due to overcrowding and limited green space. Maybe a larger area down Hwy 17S would be a better location.
“There’s no effort to support small business.” Van thinks that there is so much emphasis placed on development that those who are already here get overlooked.
Van will tell you the council needs somebody on the council that will not be the Mayor’s “yes man.” He will tell you the council needs a consistency, a conscious, and a backbone. Van will tell you he is all those things.
Darryl Petermann
At a little eatery in Savannah, Darryl Petermann, retired detective, thought he was going to have to break up a fight. He had spent enough time in law enforcement to know to stay calm. He was not sure if the four men were truly angry or joking loudly. He would wait until the waitress came back. If she had to deal with any trouble, he would take care of that. Then he heard an odd noise and turned around to look again. The four men had joined hands around the table, bowed their heads, and had joined together to bless their food.
This moment stayed with Darryl as this Manhattan, New Yorker was making a decision to move with his beloved. Richmond Hill was that place. Darryl and his wife owned a small business in Pooler. They have been married 40 years and have worked together for 25 of those.
Recently retired, Darryl has turned his attention to running for City Council. Living here for 8 years, Darryl loves what he calls Richmond Hill’s “Small town charm.” Darryl believes the growth is poorly planned and headed in the wrong direction.
Darryl thinks that industrial development is the way to go. He believes it is the best use of land outside of the city limits, will provide great job opportunity, can attract civilian contractors for the military, and eliminates many of the issues he feels are problems with the current form of growth.
Want to read more? Darryl is the only candidate (as far as I know) with his own website. He built the site himself, writes, his own articles, and plans to keep it running if elected.
*The Bryan County News (Ross Blair) has an article previewing all the candidates. You can find that by clicking here.
The Candidates are answering – well, some of them…
October 25, 2007
You may recall we discussed the City Council spots coming up for a vote November 6th. This generated some questions and some searching emails to all involved, in so much as I could find them. You would think I would at least run into somebody at Kroger or something. After all, it is Richmond Hill.
First, I am proud to say I have been educated on what a “post” is. As I suspected, it is typically a district in a city. Where I got confused was, if that was the case, why do I get to vote in each? Well, Richmond Hill has “posts,” but, because of our size, they are not big enough to be exclusive. Therefore, while the posts may be numbered, they are essentially “at large.”
That created a new question. How does a candidate get placed in a post on ballot? Simple – they just choose the one they want to sign up for.
Now that’s out of the way, I am going to get to the individual candidates of which there are 6.
- 2 I have interviewed and that information will be posted soon – I had a nice time talking over coffees with Van Hunter and Darryl Petermann
- 1 declined due to time unavailability – I hope Marilyn Hodges will change her mind
- 1 was supported by a resident, which has to be a good thing – I am looking forward to speaking with Kevin Artz directly
- 2 have not responded – I will try again to contact the incumbents, Jimmy Hires and Billy Albritton. I am looking forward to speaking with them.
The Candidates are answering – well, some of them…
October 25, 2007
You may recall we discussed the City Council spots coming up for a vote November 6th. This generated some questions and some searching emails to all involved, in so much as I could find them. You would think I would at least run into somebody at Kroger or something. After all, it is Richmond Hill.
First, I am proud to say I have been educated on what a “post” is. As I suspected, it is typically a district in a city. Where I got confused was, if that was the case, why do I get to vote in each? Well, Richmond Hill has “posts,” but, because of our size, they are not big enough to be exclusive. Therefore, while the posts may be numbered, they are essentially “at large.”
That created a new question. How does a candidate get placed in a post on ballot? Simple – they just choose the one they want to sign up for.
Now that’s out of the way, I am going to get to the individual candidates of which there are 6.
- 2 I have interviewed and that information will be posted soon – I had a nice time talking over coffees with Van Hunter and Darryl Petermann
- 1 declined due to time unavailability – I hope Marilyn Hodges will change her mind
- 1 was supported by a resident, which has to be a good thing – I am looking forward to speaking with Kevin Artz directly
- 2 have not responded – I will try again to contact the incumbents, Jimmy Hires and Billy Albritton. I am looking forward to speaking with them.
Natural Madison
October 19, 2007
We come into contact with families touched by military deployments everyday in our area. We know of yellow ribbons, waving flags, and spouses going it alone, patiently waiting for the other half of their union to return.
Most of them will tell you they stay busy.
Jennifer will tell you she started a business.
When Chris deployed in 2005, Jennifer decided to take back up a childhood hobby – soap making. Her inventiveness turned into the online boutique, Natural Madison.
Jennifer creates her own custom scents and designs. What she has created is an all natural, homemade line of soaps, smells, and body items that will tickle your fancy.
I spent an hour smelling, feeling, wondering, dreaming, obsessing over all the great things she had put together – right there in her dining room.
- How do you come up with the smells? Trial and error.
- What did the first batch of hot chocolate taste like? Needed milk and sugar.
- What’s Madison’s favorite thing? The chocolate chip cookie soap. He tried to eat the first one.
- Do you do custom stuff? Of course!
Time ticked and I had to go. Stuck my Chocolate Raspberry Lip Oil present in my pocket, jumped in my van, thought to myself, “I can’t wait to blog this!”
Meet a local Documentary Filmmaker
October 13, 2007
Did you know Richmond Hill had one of those? Well, we do.
Meet Anne-Marie Miles and her dog Medaase. I’ll give you one shot to guess which one is the filmmaker and which one is the critic.
Sometime ago, Anne-Marie contacted me about the Women’s Business Alliance. She was planning on moving to Richmond Hill and was interested in learning about some of the groups here. So, I did what any person well versed in the art of Southern Hospitality would do – I invited her to lunch. And, because life is always better when Heather is serving the food, I took her to 606 East Cafe.
Anne-Marie is funny, quirky, creative, and an all around great person. I had never met a filmmaker before, so I had a lot of questions. The biggest one revolved around the scope of her career – what it was she actually did and who her ideal client was.
This one is kinda hard to explain because I’m such a such a talented, complex and mysterious woman… does that sound intriguing? Well, it’s really not… I’ve just been able to pick up a few extra skills since I graduated from college. So, I guess that makes me a “jack of many trades” – not ALL trades, just many.
The title I’ve been using lately is Documentary Filmmaker, but you could also call me a TV Producer, Writer, Narrator, or TV Show Host (and there are a couple more things I CAN do, but don’t really like to do).
I started out working in TV news, and after a few years I discovered that the local news industry doesn’t jive very well with my soul. So, I started working at a local PBS station and was able to work with what I was passionate about – nature and the environment. My time with PBS also taught me how to create and develop multi-media projects that include websites and outreach. I was also exposed to history projects and realized how fascinating history can be… but, after awhile my workload continually increased, my life experiences outside of work continually decreased, and my paycheck continually stayed the same!
So I thought to myself, “Self, why stay here and work like a dog for very little pay and even less appreciation, when I can do the same job on my own (and more importantly, on my own terms)?” In my mind – which I now realize is very small & confined!) there was no argument. So, I quit my job at the PBS station and started doing freelance work with the dream of becoming an independent Documentary Filmmaker.
Freelancing has some great benefits, but also has some great challenges. I’m constantly applying for jobs that I’m overqualified for – just to get the work (and the paycheck!). And, creating a documentary film independently has some major challenges – mostly, funding. So, I’ve been pursuing the documentary filmmaking in my spare time, with my own money, while searching/doing freelance work. Unfortunately there hasn’t been enough freelance work to support me and my documentary filmmaking hobby, so I decided to start my own production company. Even though this takes very little start up costs, it does take time, so I’ll probably end up working a part-time or temporary job until I can get enough clients for my business.
My ideal client (in the strictest sense of “ideal”) is myself. As a “creative”, I love the thought of being able to create something (ie: a documentary) that is uniquely my own and not having to alter, adjust or change it in order to please others.
That being said, usually the only “creatives” who don’t have to please others AND can still make money at it are already very successful in their field…
and they probably became successful by pleasing others.So, who is my ideal client, you say? Anyone wanting to help fund a documentary just because they think the subject matter is important. Any environmental and historical agencies or groups that have a compelling message, interesting story, or a desire to educate their community.
You can contact info@bloggingrichmondhill.com to get in contact with Anne-Marie for projects or support.
Welcome Laurel’s Home Furnishings
October 12, 2007
I love ribbon cuttings. There is something great about watching a new business open their doors.
Unfortunately, Laurel’s Home Furnishings had one and I missed it. Thanks goodness for Kittie – she sent me the pictures.
Congratulations to the owners, Andrea and Lori Jacobs. You can stop in, say hello, and support this local business located in Richmond Hill Court.
Andrea and Lori are pictured above at their new shop with Mayor Davis and Becky Proctor, Chamber Chair.
*Special Thanks to Kittie Franklin, Executive Director of the Richmond Hill/Bryan County Chamber of Commerce, for keeping Blogging Richmond Hill up to date about local Activities.
Do you know who is running for the City Council spots?
October 11, 2007
General Elections are November 6th.
You can find the election notice here.
To save you the trouble, I’ll go ahead and fill you in.
Council Post Three
- Jimmy Hires (incumbent)
- Van Hunter
Council Post Four
- Billy Albritton (Incumbent)
- Darryl Petermann
- Marilyn Hodges
- Kevin Artz
Blogging Richmond Hill has gotten a request to attempt to host a Q&A of these folks to see where they stand on city issues such as growth, representation, taxes, and general platform.
I’d love to do this…but I don’t know how to get a hold of all of them. I see their signs everywhere. No websites and no contact.
So – here’s mine – email me at info@bloggingrichmondhill.com
Tell them we are looking for them. Then send us your questions…we love to try to get them answered.
Leadership Bryan County
October 6, 2007
Whew – have I been slacking on the blog or what? Sorry…things have been a bit busy over at Making Life Work for You and My Beautiful Chaos. But, that is no excuse. So let’s get on with it.
Richmond Hill/Bryan County Chamber of Commerce has kicked off its 2007-2008 Leadership Bryan program. Yours truly is a happy participant. So are these others folks
- Brian Baraniak of Tidewater Real Estate
- Chris Barr of Woodlands Bank
- Carrie Blackburn of RHBC Chamber of Commerce
- Tori Bulwinkle with The Brogdons
- Wynn Carney of the City of Pembroke
- Lucretia Cole of Bryan Bank and Trust
- Chris Fettes of Coastal EMC
- Shirley Heagerty of S&J Bookkeeping
- Gene McKnight of G&M Electronics
- Clyde Usher-O’Neil of Applied Insight Management
- John Reynolds of RPI
- Shirley Rowe of Rowe Photography
- Jeff Whitten of Bryan County News
Our first class was last Friday. It was not what I expected at all. I was excited about starting. I knew the class was split between people I knew and didn’t know. I looked forward to seeing the familiar faces and meeting some new ones.
Ice breaker was the introductions. Tons of fun. Each person had to think of an adjective that described themselves and had the same first letter as their first name. Then we had to repeat the names and adjectives of all of those who went before us. Great exercise.
Next, we got into the Meyers-Briggs Personality Profile. You can read all about my no surprise ESTJ outcome. The concept of Meyers-Briggs is to learn how different personalities interact with others and how that interaction affects decision making and work habits. Everyone seemed to agree that the test was surprisingly accurate and enlightening.
There was also a few interactive portions which included a competition to build a tower out of index cards (I won’t tell you which team won), and a pretend distribution of funds for a made up company. Both exercise illustrated how different personalities approach tasks. According to the facilitator, we all behaved rather typically. An interesting experience into group dynamics.
We finished up with a discussion on Servant Leadership. I didn’t get to hear all of that. Kids needing to picked up from school and all.
I had a few observations throughout the day
- 7 participants are people I know for certain to be entrepreneurs. That’s 50% for those of you who don’t want to do the math. That’s amazing! I think it speaks volumes to the fact that we are holding true to our entrepreneur friendly county status.
- One person is from the city government and another from the local paper. Talk about making a commitment to be plugged in. These folks are directly responsible for the health of the city and the information we get concerning it. I thought it a positive sign that they chose to be involved.
- The class was fun! And I am not talking about the structure of the class – I am talking about the genuine interaction between the people. We were interested in each other and in things outside of ourselves. Everyone participated and the session was better for it.
If that’s the way personality testing and leadership training goes – I can’t wait to see what happens at next month’s session. We all travel down to Epworth by the Sea at St. Simon’s to participate in the High and Low Ropes Obstacle Course for some real team building. I’m bringing a camera.
