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Several years ago, Sheila M. McNeill was the guest speaker at Navy Command Master Chief Royal Weaver’s retirement ceremony. Recently, she was the speaker for her second change of command ceremony at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. Performing such public ceremonial services is no small matter in military circles; these rituals are highly regarded and highly visible. “You’re the one I want,” Commander Jon Hagemann told her when Sheila asked him if he was sure he didn’t want a military speaker.
So who is this Sheila McNeill, so sought after and respected in U.S. Navy life here in St. Marys? Well, where to begin? Local businesswoman and community volunteer? Or, try this on for size––past National President of the Navy League of the United States.
No matter how you excavate Sheila’s life, treasure is your certain reward. In the words of the editor of Sea Power, she is “in a league of her own” . . . and richly deserves to
be. At the Navy League’s 2005 Sea-Air-Space (SAS) Exposition in Washington D.C., no less a military leader than General Richard B. Myers, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, honored her as she completed her two-year tenure as national president. As did Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark who said, “You have set the bar high . . . . I will go just about anywhere with people like you. Please know that this sailor greatly appreciates all you do to support the sons and daughters of America.” The chairman of the proceedings then introduced Sheila as “the tigress of the Navy League” and emphasized her “charismatic” leadership.
Sheila’s journey to a position of national leadership had its roots in local community. In the 1960s she became interested in the work of the Navy League through her husband Arlie, a Navy veteran, and longtime League member. The mission of this civilian organization captured her imagination and, before long, her heart as well. The core commitment of the Navy League is, in Sheila’s words, its “niche in the world of Washington is our lobbying for platform and maintenance issues.” In other words, looking after the needs of the vessels themselves and their crews—whether these are fighter jets, submarines, or aircraft carriers—is the hallmark of the Navy League’s endeavor.
She became very active in the local Navy League Council and says, with some degree of satisfaction and a whole lot of modesty, that she eventually was elected council president, the first female to lead the Navy League at Kings Bay. As the years passed, she followed her husband’s path as regional and state president, and along the way chaired a committee to establish a submarine maritime museum in St. Marys.
Her rise to national leadership and its ancillary story as the only woman to progress through the highest echelons of Navy League leadership is a testimonial to her passionate concern for the quality of life of the men and women who serve their country, often at great sacrifice. These elected positions, as she moved her way up the hierarchy of national office, required mounting a campaign and also meant that she had to use her own resources and those so generously given by her adopted community of St. Marys. “I was just overwhelmed by the local support. When the national presidency was at stake, St. Marys citizens would hand deliver checks to me along with their good wishes and smiles of encouragement.”
Sheila’s first taste of national level service came as one of ten vice presidents, a position entirely subsidized on her own dime; reimbursement for travel is only available to the president. And
yet she made 50 visits to DC for legislative lobby efforts, doing the job with which she had been entrusted. She was nominated by the Navy to serve on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services––an appointment that “profoundly changed my life,” she confesses. She saw first hand the needs of the military and the work the Navy League could do on their behalf. It was after this three- year experience of travel and information immersion at the highest level that she knew she had to do something with this newfound knowledge––she decided to run for the office of national president.
And run she did, in the face of a great deal of reservation and consternation from the purveyors of conventional wisdom about gender and suitability of candidacy. After her election, during
a local Kings Bay gathering in a friend’s home in St. Marys, a gentleman acquaintance commented, “So, Sheila, they’re putting the future of the Navy League in a woman’s hands? Good for them!”
And good for Sheila! Her home in Brunswick, Georgia, is now a remarkable depository of memorabilia of those two years as national president. During her travels she exchanged commander’s coins with over 200 heads of state, ambassadors, and base officers all over the world. These custom-designed coins are permanently captured between two pieces of glass and now do proud duty as the surface top of her family room coffee table. A charming side note: In Spain she met John Graham, a member of the Moody Blues, the 60s rock band that gave us Knights in White Satin. Why? Because he just happened to be the council president in Spain.
Sheila’s other abiding passion is the community of St. Marys itself. As a local businesswoman, she is the proprietor of Sheila’s Hallmark in the Kings Bay Village Shopping Center. The store was established 24 years ago, and in 1986, Sheila implemented a “military card and gift service.” This concept makes the Hallmark distribution center a little nuts, she admits, but what she does is stock out-of-season cards and gifts so that families can make purchases prior to patrol regardless of the time of year. Shipping out in October? No problem. Sheila has Valentine cards ready for selection . . . and she keeps them and ensures that they are mailed to loved ones on the appropriate day . . . on time, in season delivery! “There is something so special about receiving a card in the mail when you know your husband or son is in the middle of the ocean or who knows where,” she says with a satisfied twinkle in her eye.
Recently Sheila was invited to serve as the commencement speaker at Thomas University. Among the many insights she shared with these new graduates was the citation of a familiar quotation: “Life is measured not by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.” This creed was her family benchmark as she and Arlie raised their daughter Leslie. Now, Sheila continues to share her love of life and her vision of service and
commitment with her grandchildren, Ryan and Norah. She believes “there are moments that make you glad to be alive, that make you proud, that allow you to feel God’s presence in a very real way.” And so she reminded those Thomas University students, “Work to make sure those moments are rightfully yours.” Now that’s a way of living on Planet Earth that Sheila M. McNeill can tell you about; she’s an expert.

Cumberland Harbour, the premier coastal community
of Orlando-based developer Land Resource, presents its clients with the full luxury experience. From enjoying a community event to building a home, members of Cumberland Harbour are given first-rate treatment.
“We offer our guests the ultimate buying experience and that does not end when clients select their homesite,” said Mike Flaskey, CEO of Land Resource. “We are with them every step of the way, and we offer in-house expertise from homesite selection to signing their mortgage to selecting their builder. We offer our clients world-class partnerships to match our world-class community.”
Set along 1,012 acres of the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Marys, Georgia, Cumberland Harbour is a breathtaking community that showcases waterfront, marsh-view, and nature preserve homesites. The Cumberland Harbour site was carefully selected from more than 300 pieces of property because of its awe-inspiring panoramas and relaxing ambiance.
Already more than 70 percent sold, Cumberland Harbour is making strong progress in the community’s specially designed amenities package. Sparing no expense, the developer wanted guests to immediately feel the community’s relaxed atmosphere by creating a magnificent reflecting pool that mirrors the area’s beautiful live oak trees at the entrance of the community. Already in place is the community pavilion that has activity lawns, an aquatics center with three pools, six Har-Tru tennis courts, a generously equipped fitness center and the Springhouse, an entertainment pavilion for social gatherings and cookouts. Set for completion later this year is the community’s unique Bandstand, and construction on the community’s luxurious Clubhouse will begin this summer. Other proposed amenities include two
full-service marinas accommodating boats up to 100 feet, a private yacht club, dry stack vessel storage, RV/boat
storage, community docks along Point Peter Creek and recreational trails for jogging and hiking.
Also inside the community is the 2004 HGTV Dream Home. After HGTV reviewed thousands of communities in every corner of the country, Cumberland Harbour was selected because of its desirable location, the developer’s dedication to environmental preservation and the community’s beautiful, unique plots of land. The Dream Home is oftentimes used for fundraisers to help the local community and can also be rented out for dinner parties and weekend getaways. The 3,500 square-foot waterfront home was custom built to complement the area’s beautiful Victorian architecture. Cumberland Harbour is committed to giving each of their clients the opportunity to build their own dream home through partnerships with preferred home builders, Bishop Homes and D. C. Robertson, Inc., who are known for their dedication to
creating spectacular coastal havens.
In addition to the many diversions in Cumberland Harbour, the surrounding area offers an abundance of recreational and relaxing activities. Within the historic town of St. Marys, guests can go back in time and walk along oak-lined streets, visit quaint shops, see historic sites, try out wonderful restaurants, and take in an old-world feel. Selected as the “Best Small Town in America” by Money Magazine, St. Marys also offers plenty of nearby recreation from charter fishing trips and kayaking to golfing at one of the town’s two golf courses. Across the Intracoastal Waterway from Cumberland Harbour is the unforgettable Cumberland Island National Seashore, a
nationally protected barrier island that is home to an abundance of wildlife, including wild horses, deer, armadillos, and wild turkey. Guests can go to relax on America’s most beautiful wilderness beach, or seek adventure by camping, hiking, hunting, swimming and much more.
In addition to enjoying the beauty of St. Marys, Cumberland Harbour residents also enjoy the convenience of living only 31 miles from Jacksonville, Florida—a major metropolis that offers endless shopping, dining, sporting events, a superb nightlife and the convenience of Jacksonville International Airport, which is only 25 miles away.
“Cumberland Harbour is perfect for those seeking a second home or even looking to settle along the coast,” said Flaskey. “And while our community is truly miles from the ordinary, it is convenient to everything.”
For more information on Cumberland Harbour,
visit www.cumberlandharbour.com, or call toll free
888-231-5263. For more information on the community’s developer and other luxury communities, visit
www.landresource.com, or call 321-558-3800.

When Billy Bowlegs left the Okefenokee Swamp in the mid 1800s, little did he know that someday his infamy would be perpetuated on the label of a wine bottle. He was the last
of the Seminole Indians to leave the “Land of the Trembling Earth” by directive of the United States government. (The Indians so named the swamp because of its floating peat deposits so unstable that walking on them causes the ground to tremble.) Okefenokee’s Billy’s Island became Billy Bowlegs’ namesake, and today Billy’s legend graces the label of one of Chesser Island Winery’s most popular wines. The sparkling Rabbiteye blueberry wine is one among five featured wines that is propelling Chesser Island Winery to a place of prominence in the regional world of oenology.
Proprietors Tracy and Melinda Chesser are proud of their viticultural ventures, but a bit surprised at their successes. According to Tracy, their winemaking is somewhat of a “hobby gone amok.”
Tracy is a litigator representing major corporations. His first hand at winemaking was a whimsical experiment devised when his family’s blueberry farm produced a surplus crop of blueberries in 1999. Rather than them going to waste, he decided
to make some wine. “And it was pretty good,” Tracy said. “Surprisingly good.”
With the encouragement of friends, Tracy set about studying the art of winemaking, meeting with vintners around the country and garnering all available online information.
“We wanted to make something nobody else was making,” he said. And nobody was making 100% blueberry, 100% blackberry and brut versions of muscadine sparkling wine. So, sparkling wines became their focus.
Sparkling wine—or champagne as many people generically refer to it—has launched thousands of ships, toasted billions of weddings and special occasions, and shared countless untold special moments between romantic couples. Champagne is the wine of celebration. No other wine is so associated with joy and festivity. Its meaning and appeal are universal. Champagne makes the young sages and the old young again. Its reputation of being the “drink of the indulgent” is one Tracy and Melinda are handily disspelling by placing a $9.99 price tag on all their bottles of “nectar.”
“A lot of people don’t realize how food-friendly sparkling wines are,” Tracy said. “The acidity magnifies whatever you’re eating so flavors are intensified.” And with the $9.99 price tag, enjoying a sparkling wine with a meal can affordably lend an air of celebration to an evening, even when there is no special occasion.
Wine critics from metropolitan newspapers have been flattering in their reviews of the Chesser products. One expert even performed a side-by-side blind taste test comparing Chesser Island Winery’s Okefenokee Brut with two other popular champagnes. Based “purely on taste,” the Chesser’s Brut got the top spot. Another wine and food educator described the Brut as having “delicious, complex, and yeasty characteristics—descriptors usually reserved for wines from Champagne, France, and other more recognized wine regions.” In addition to the sparkling wines, the Chessers make “still” wines as well including a Grand Prairie Blackberry port, a Chase Prairie Rose muscadine/blackberry combination wine, and an up-and-coming (newly planted vines) Blanc du Bois. But back to the stories.
Each Chesser wine variety tells a story about the Okefenokee on its label. The Chessers feel that by relaying this information through their wines, those who visit the Okefenokee can carry a
little local history with them when they leave.
Jackson’s Folly Rosé is a sparkling blackberry wine named after Captain Harry Jackson who undertook the task of attempting to drain the Okefenokee so that the fertile soil could be farmed. Twenty-two miles of canals and more than a million dollars later, Captain Jackson was no closer to draining the swamp than when he started. Rather than flowing east toward the St. Marys River, the water in the new canals flowed west toward the Okefenokee’s interior. The project was eventually abandoned, and local history refers to the engineering debacle as Jackson’s Folly.
The other stories are just as colorful, carrying with them the heritage and culture of the Okefenokee area so revered by the Chessers, and rightly so. Tracy is a fifth generation Chesser descended from Tom Chesser who built the Chesser Island Homestead on the eastern edge of the Okefenokee in 1927. Today, the homestead stands as a tribute and testament to the independent way of life and spirit of adventure expressed by Tom and his family. Each bottle of Chesser wine features a sketch of the homestead on the label in honor of Tom and his family’s faith, hard work, and extinct way of life.
Operating the Chesser Island Winery is a family affair. Tracy’s father, a forester by trade, works alongside Tracy to plant, trellis, spray, fertilize, prune, pick, clear, crush or press, and bottle the wine-destined fruit. The Chesser children, ages 3 and 6, like picking but “do a lot of eatin’ with the pickin’,” said Tracy. Melinda takes the time out from her dedicated community service to tend to financial matters of the winery. And good dog Chessie—well, he just hangs around hoping for a ride on “his” golf cart when the Chessers escort visitors around the grounds.
The winemaking process is long and laborious. Using traditional French champagne techniques, every bottle has 22 touchpoints. From the warm, sandy fields where Georgia’s best fruit is cultivated, to the 39-degree cooling room where the magic of bubbles is infused, each step is a passion-filled, handcrafted labor of love—just what you need to produce legendary wines to carry legendary stories from the Chessers’ hearts to your table.
“We could do it faster. And we could do it cheaper,” said Tracy. “But we believe that the quality of the final product is non-negotiable. This is our legacy. And our dream.”
Looking into the future, the Chessers’ “dream” glows with the vision of a rustic lodge built near the swamp’s edge. “A place where visitors can enjoy our wines and purchase them as well as other products of the Okefenokee we’d like to share with the world.” Among the other products, the Chessers are considering local non-wine vinegars and vinaigrettes as well as handcrafted gift items created by local artists.
A visit to Chesser Island Winery is in itself a rare treat. An easy 40-minute drive from St. Marys, the winery sits just two miles west of Folkston, the “Gateway to the Okefenokee Swamp.” And whether coming or going, you would want to make a stop in Folkston to visit such charming shops as The Wild Caboose or Whistlin’ Dixie, owned by Folkston’s former Mayor, Dixie McGurn. Grab yourself an old-fashioned ice-cream cone at Miz Dixie’s place, then enjoy it from atop the train platform a short stroll away. This is the Folkston Funnel, where train fans from around the world gather to watch more than 70 trains a day pass through the junction.
With more than 400,000 people visiting the Okefenokee each year, the Chesser story is bound to travel far and wide. The tales of Billy Bowlegs and Jackson’s Folly and other folk stories are sure to make the trip as well. In the meantime, Tracy Chesser continues to honor his incredibly rich heritage by producing wines that could (by taste and quality) as easily have come from
Napa Valley, but instead rise from the
sweetness of the land, that is the “Land of the Trembling Earth.”
Editor’s Note: Chesser Island Winery wines are sold at select retail outlets throughout Georgia. Florida residents can have wines shipped to them by calling the winery at 912-496-2916. Visit www.chesserislandwinery.com for more information.

Pleasure boaters from around the world are discovering what the tall ships of the 1700s and 1800s knew long ago—St. Marys, Georgia is an exceptional harbour. She’s a haven for the weary, a playground for the adventurous, a retreat for the romantic, and a soothing salve for those who appreciate the warm welcoming of authentic southern hospitality.
While the tall ships came to trade—cotton, indigo, and oak timber—the medley of pleasure cruisers (from 17’ Boston Whalers to 210’ expedition yachts) come to play, relax, explore and discover. Getting into St. Marys is easy. Leaving it—not so much so. Everyone, it seems, is eager to extend their stay.
“You couldn’t ask for a better ocean entrance,” said Calvin Lang, St. Marys native and owner of Lang’s Marina and Lang’s Seafood Restaurant. Many boaters have called the St. Marys entrance “the best on the East Coast.” According to local boat captain Jon Fogarty, “The St. Marys inlet is easy to run. The channels are well-marked and most people are excited about our half-mile wide entrance to the St. Marys River.”
Fogarty, the official Cumberland Harbour captain, says that boaters are surprised by the expanse of available navigable water that you might not notice from land. The St. Marys River itself is extraordinarily wide. The water depth of the channel (averages 50’) and river is most notable and especially noticeable if you happen to be on the waters when one of the submarines headed for Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base silently emerges from the depths. It is an astonishing sight to see, especially in contrast to the typical pastoral scene of the area’s marine wildlife including dolphins, sea otters, and right whales.
Once inside the area, boaters have other excursion options including the North River and the St. Marys River which presents no worries for deep draws with its 14’ depth at low tide, adding another 6’ at high tide. Just as impressive as the navigability of the local waters is the local “color.” This is the draw—a Jimmy Buffet experience wrapped in a rich tapestry of history.
Yesteryear abounds in the quaint riverfront village of St. Marys. Antebellum mansions mingle with pastel-colored bed and breakfasts, charming shops, and several museums including the St. Marys Submarine Museum, one of only five such museums in the United States. Eight restaurants are within easy strolling distance from the waterfront. And casual nightlife on the waterfront would be much to the liking of Margaritaville seekers. Captains can update their cruising guides at Once Upon a Bookseller just a block from the waterfront. And firstmates can replenish their book bags at Read ‘em Again Bookstore just down the street.
“Carpe diem!” is the posted greeting you’ll get when you enter the nautical room of Read ‘em Again. Underneath, you’ll see salutations of boaters from all around the world. “St. Marys is a favorite,” writes A. Willard from Bainbridge Island, Washington. “Traveled the world—St. Marys top five!” says another. The boaters’ greetings reciprocate the warm feelings that bookstore owners Judy and David Johnsen extend throughout the year to sea-traveling visitors. But during the Thanksgiving holiday, the Johnsens’ hospitality is intensified as is the boaters’ joy in receiving it. On Thanksgiving Day, Read ‘em Again opens their doors to boaters, serving complimentary coffee and muffins—a prequel to what will follow that day.
About six years ago, a storm stranded several boaters in St. Marys just before Thanksgiving. Local resident Charlie Jacobs, a boater himself, invited the boaters and their families to join with locals for an impromptu Thanksgiving feast at the Riverview Hotel. Charlie fried a couple of turkeys. Gaila and Jerry Brandon, proprietors of the Riverview, served as hosts. And a tradition was born. Word of the celebration spread rapidly through the close-knit boating community. And the next Thanksgiving about 40 boaters showed up, each bringing potluck dishes to add to the feast. Over the next four years, news of the feast continued to
circulate throughout the boating community, inspiring more than 150 in attendance in 2006 with an expectation that the 2007 St. Marys Thanksgiving feast will draw more than 200. “It’s not Thanksgiving Day anymore,” Jacobs said. “It’s Thanksgiving week,” noting that boaters are now talking on the radio, coordinating dishes ahead of time, and planning other events in St. Marys pre- and post-Turkey Day. While many of the boaters will be docking at Lang’s Marina, there will be quite a few
anchoring just a few hundred yards out into the St. Marys River (in Florida
actually) and using their dingys to ferry back and forth.
Jack Burns of Portland, Oregon, heard about the St. Marys Thanksgiving celebration while visiting Martha’s Vineyard. He had been sailing for a year on his 39’ sloop Dionysus, when he joined the festivities. “I love history, and like to go places of historical
significance,” Jack told us. “This is a well-charted area with plenty of history to immerse myself in.” Jack said that his St. Marys stay was “one of the best sailing experiences I’ve ever had. The people are warm and friendly and very welcoming.” He went on to say he would definitely return for Thanksgiving next year if he was still on the East Coast.
After planning their journey for seven years, Ft. Myers residents Doug and Sue Walton finally set sail on their 44’ power catamaran in the spring of 2007—Scooter and Lacie, their faithful Lhasa Apsos, by their side. Sue was a flight attendant and Doug was a pilot before getting into the building business from which he recently retired. Their journey will take them up to Cape Cod, back down to Newport, New York City, the Hudson, and then the Erie Canal to the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. From there, they’ll sail the Ottawa River to Montreal, hoping to return to St. Marys in time to enjoy the “highly-acclaimed St. Marys Thanksgiving Feast for Boaters.”
“As a pilot (he now flies his own Mooney), I’m thrilled to hear that St. Marys has an airport right in the middle of town,” Doug said. Scooter and Lacie yipped in agreement.
St. Marys Airport is quite the drawing card, it seems, for boaters whose cross-over interests often include flying. (See related story on St. Marys Airport.)
Toronto residents Wendy Thompson and Sam Rea began their voyage in October 2006. After reading about Cumberland Island and St. Marys in their cruising guide, they decided to make a stopover on their Valiant 50’ appropriately named Maestro in tribute to Sam’s professorial career. They docked next to Tambu, captained by Bob Winter who was waiting in St. Marys for delivery of his mainsail while taking care of some minor repairs. Tambu’s homeport is Birmingham. Captain Bob especially appreciates St. Marys’ very appealing dockage rates. “At $7 a foot at Lang’s Marina, it would be hard to find a more affordable slip,” he said.
Lang’s Marina East and West combined offer up 100 boat slips with diesel fuel and gas as well as power hook-ups and a pump-out station. Private boats can dock up to six hours at the city dock. For those who might enjoy a land respite, the Riverview Hotel is right there with room rates boaters will find very friendly. If re-supplying is in order, locals don’t mind a bit giving boaters a lift to the grocer or laundromat. Or, even better, boaters can give the local golf cart store a call and have a golf cart delivered for short or long-term rental. For those needing repairs, a nearby facility is equipped with a carriage that can pull up to 112 tons.
All in all, St. Marys is quite the convenient little port, and a destination that is appealing year ‘round. With an average high temperature of 77 degrees and an average low of 58, the mild
climate is a plus for boating enthusiasts who are interested in a getaway, second home, or permanent relocation.
Small pleasure crafters aren’t the only ones who find St. Marys a place they can tie up and feel at home. Recently,
several megayachts and cruise ships found their way to the local riverfront.
The 210’ Turmoil, with a homeport of Grand Cayman Island, spent several days at Lang’s West Marina. The Grand Mariner, an American Canadian Caribbean Line ship, brought an Elderhostel group to St. Marys as part of their two-week tour from Jacksonville
to Charleston. According to the ship’s entertainment director, Bob Ventz, the ship is 175’ long, and carries 84 passengers, the majority—interestingly enough—being westerners. Every year the group sails to Cumberland Island, and with St. Marys being the “Gateway to Cumberland Island,” it’s a natural stopover.
The largest and southernmost of Georgia’s barrier islands and the most biologically diverse, Cumberland Island was named “America’s Most Beautiful Wilderness Island” by the Travel Channel. It is an island of wonder, replete with white sand beaches, enchanting live oak forests, and wild horses that roam freely around the island. Boaters can anchor out or dock for an overnight stay at the legendary Greyfield Inn. Or, if they want to stay tethered to St. Marys, they can take the ferry across for a day’s outing or overnight camp. The close proximity to Cumberland Island, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island, St. Augustine, and Jacksonville, is just one more reason boaters love visiting St. Marys.
Many boating visitors turn into residents when they discover how they can live year-round in
a boater’s paradise. Waterfront communities like Cumberland Harbour, Osprey Cove, and Cumberland Palms are drawing homebuyers from around the world. Cumberland Palms
residents will enjoy the art of living with their boat slip in their backyard directly on the North River. Cumberland Harbour’s planned marina will benefit both residents and the boating public. Just minutes from the ocean, Cumberland Harbour’s North River Marina will make 220 boat slips fully accessible by the public. Their 150-slip private yacht club is planned for residents along with a 400-unit dry stack storage facility. When viewing an aerial photograph of the Cumberland Harbour, Cumberland Palms, and Osprey Cove properties, one can easily see how “life on the water” is so much richer in St. Marys.

Jimmy Buffet says it best:

And there’s that
one particular harbour
Sheltered from the wind
Where the children play on the shore each day
And all are safe within.
There is a definitive change in attitude when the change in
latitude reaches 30.73N. This is St. Marys, a boater’s paradise. Where “Carpe Diem” (seize the day) is more than a slogan. It’s a way of life. Woven in with some sweet honeysuckle, some friendly “Hey Theres,” a bucketful of history, and sunsets that rival Key West, the waters of this Coastal Georgia enclave stand as an irresistible beacon to those who love the boating life.

Silvery reflections of a nearly full moon frost the inky darkness of the waters surrounding Georgia’s largest barrier island. The eerie quiet is suddenly broken by a soft splash through which emerges a creature whose species has survived what the dinosaurs could not. The majestic loggerhead sea turtle lumbers forward. Her extraordinary gracefulness as a swimmer gives way to a laboring awkwardness as her giant flippers pull her slowly onto the sand. After 35 years, she has returned to her birthplace, Cumberland Island, to give life to her own offspring.
Loggerhead sea turtles existed before the time of dinosaurs. They survived the breaking up and drifting of continents, the
creation of new oceans, ice ages, catastrophic volcanoes, and even the asteroid impact that contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs. It remains to be seen, however, if they will survive the ravishes of man.
Nationally, the loggerhead sea turtle carries a “threatened” designation, meaning they are likely to become in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future. Internationally, they are already listed as “endangered.” Based on nesting beach monitoring reports and publications, there is an estimated population of 44,560 nesting females. With its dedicated nesting monitoring on Cumberland Island and the recent establishment of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, Coastal Georgia plays an important role in the propagation of the species.
According to Doug Hoffman, biologist for Cumberland Island National Seashore, the National Park Service employs three interns from the Student Conservation Association to monitor the sea turtle nests each season. Patrolling the seventeen miles of Cumberland Island’s pristine shoreline, interns look for “crawls” that indicate a mother turtle’s tracks to a nest. They follow the crawl to the sand dunes to find the body pit (where the mother has made her nest). Then, after locating the egg chamber, they dig down just deep enough to confirm there are eggs in the chamber. They then replace the sand, note the GPS reading,
mark the nest with a numbered stake, and cover the area with a screen to keep armadillos, raccoons, and feral hogs from disturbing the nest. The incubation process lasts approximately 60 days. The interns intensely monitor a nest after 50 days, checking for hatchlings each morning. After the hatchlings leave the nest, the interns “excavate” the nest, record data on hatching success, and remove any unhatched eggs, then bury the remains in the dunes so predatory animals do not associate the site with feeding.
The female loggerhead may lay four to seven nests per season, approximately 12 to 14 days apart with average lays of 100 to 126 eggs in each nest. Unfortunately, as few as one in a thousand hatched loggerheads actually reach adulthood. The human impact on this threatened species is significant and includes incidental capture in shrimp trawling, crab and lobster pots, water pollution with foreign objects like plastic bags that are ingested by the turtles, even fishermen’s long lines and cables. Coastal development has also made an impact as fewer and fewer suitable nesting areas are available for the mothers to come home to. And manmade lights onshore confuse the hatchlings—that navigate by the moon—causing them to turn landward rather than seaward.
Driven by mysterious forces, it is an amazing journey that the loggerhead mothers make, some traveling as far as 1400 miles. (Unless they are injured, male loggerheads never come back to land once they reach the ocean.) Hatchlings fortunate enough to make it to the water will swim nonstop for days. Once in the ocean’s current, they circle the ocean for the first 8-12 years of their lives. After an additional 20-25 years foraging in the relatively shallow coastal waters of the Southeastern United States, female loggerheads will return to the area where they were born to deposit their eggs. And the cycle begins again.
Georgia’s 2007 loggerhead nesting season was launched in early May when the first nest of the season was discovered on Cumberland Island. While recent years have seen as many as 1400 loggerhead nests on Georgia beaches, experts forecast a below average nesting activity this year—approximately 500-800 nests in Georgia. It is not atypical for Cumberland Island to have the most
documented nests in a given year. And though five species of sea turtles are found in waters off the Georgia coast, loggerheads are the only species to routinely nest on the state’s beaches.
From May to mid-August, the female turtles make their journey home to nest in Georgia. Some weighing as much as 350 pounds, the turtles often have barnacles and algae growing on their shell—a virtual ecosystem living right on their back—a biologist’s delight.
With the recent opening of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island just a few minutes north of St. Marys, regional biologists will have an even greater advantage in studying the ancient reptile. “Having the center here will make a huge difference,” said Cumberland Island National Seashore’s Hoffman.
Each year, about a dozen loggerheads wash ashore in Georgia—alive but sick or injured and needing attention. Even before its official opening in June, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center already had three patients—one from Cumberland Island. Dr. Bill Irwin, the center’s director, told the story.
“We got the call from our colleagues on Cumberland telling us that an injured loggerhead had washed ashore. Two of our staff went down and picked him up. He was badly wounded, apparently struck on the head by the skeg of a small boat. The wound was a week or so old, and his condition was such that we had little hope at first.” But, according to Dr. Irwin, after treatment and tube feeding, Nick (their name for the unfortunate leviathan) began to come around. Though the center has on-premises x-ray capabilities, at time of publishing, Dr. Irwin was seeking the help of local hospitals to perform a catscan to determine prognosis and continued treatment. “He’s getting a little feistier,” said Dr. Irwin.
Prior to the Jekyll Island center opening, loggerheads like Nick had to be transported to Florida or South Carolina for care and release. With the opening of the center, not only will
rescue be close by for those in need, but an exciting showcase of healthy loggerheads can be viewed by the public as well. Live sea turtles will be on display, including several hatchlings, each year in an exhibit simulating their early life in beds of floating sargassum seaweed offshore. The 7300 square-foot center includes both indoor and outdoor exhibits.
Loggerhead sea turtles—there is something quite magical about these ancient mariners who often live 80 years or longer. They are the bridge that links ocean to earth. They know things which we will never know. And they have seen things which we will never see. The next time you catch the soft glint of
moonlight bouncing off our coastal waters on a warm summer’s eve, think of their siren song and the amazing
journey they make to fulfill their legacy that began millions of years ago.
For information on the Georgia
Sea Turtle Center, visit
www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org
or call 912-635-4444.

I have an uncontrollable urge to create,” Jacquie Cushway declared as she readjusted her perch on a stool in her studio. From the outside, it appears that Jacquie is sitting quietly, patiently, awaiting the next question. But there is an invisible, yet palpable energy about her that belies that quiet exterior. One senses a vigorous turning of wheels in a brain that is both right-handed and left-handed blessed. From behind eyes that have been blinded by an incurable genetic disease—Retinitis Pigmentosa—shine beams of artistic intelligence that fill the room with enthusiasm and ardor.
Under the handle, “Blind Lady Creations,” Jacquie weaves sweet grass, palmetto, leather, wire, glass stones, rope, chain and myriad other materials into stunning works of art that she has deemed “Baska-Vases.” She begins with a form—a vase or other vessel—then meticulously creates signature jewels with names like “Spaceship,” “Wire Elegance,” and “Flowers for the Lady.” Baska-Vases are her own invention initially inspired by her excessive collection of vases she had accumulated through the years. Jacquie considers herself a “basket engineer,” and that is where the left-brain comes in. Her creations are as much an engineering feat as they are an artistic accomplishment. All the more impressive considering the challenges she faces that a
sighted artist need not worry about. Thankfully, her trusty companion and friend, Judie, and friend, Karen, assist her with the tasks that are more difficult such as collecting vessels, and ordering materials from catalogs.
On the mantel and hearth of a wall-length fireplace sits forty or more of the Blind Lady’s recent creations. As diverse in color as they are in form, one wonders how Jacquie addresses the issue of color. Billie DuBose, local watercolorist and president of the Coastal Camden Art League, calls Jacquie’s craftsmanship “astounding” while explaining that she actually emphasizes colors, even dyes her own colors. “She has great creativity,” Billie commented, “and unlimited imagination and energy.” It is that “energy” that is most contagious. And her unwavering passion for sharing her art with the community.
Magnolia Manors, a beautiful St. Marys retirement
facility overlooking the Crooked River, is a recipient of Jacquie’s kind generosity. Administrator Diane Feine says her residents have been inspired by Jacquie many times over.
“I am totally blind. And if I can make a basket, you can make a basket.” According to Diane, this is how Jacquie oftentimes begins her introduction. “We love Jacquie,” she continues. “It’s amazing how she can feel a thread is off in one our resident’s
baskets. She has been a great inspiration for them, and they love to make baskets to give to their loved ones.” Jacquie’s involvement with Magnolia Manors is especially meaningful as it enhances the facility’s Renaissance Lifestyle which emphasizes lifetime learning.
From her self-described roots, a “dirt farm in Arkansas,” to St. Marys, Georgia, where Jacquie continues her metamorphosis as an ever-changing artist, many milestones have ensued. She taught art classes at the community center while still in high school. At one time, she was the youngest employee of the Veterans Administration in her job rehabilitating veterans through arts and crafts. She rose from a GS4 civil service employee to a GS13, retiring as a computer systems analyst—her entire career accomplished after she discovered she was going blind. She has been the featured artist for Jekyll Island as well as for the
Okefenokee Center. She’s on the board of the Camden Art League and Arts Camden. Her volunteer work is admirable as well, contributing many hours demonstrating her art at the local schools and libraries, and raising money for the Crooked Rivers group. Dr. Jo Demmond, past president of Crooked Rivers, had this to say about Jacquie: “She’s a lovely and remarkable human being.”
“Remarkable” may begin to describe Jacquie’s indomitable spirit. Her son, Dave, a contractor in St. Marys, calls her
“amazing.”
“I don’t know anyone who could take the cards she’s been dealt and respond with such resiliency and grace,” Dave said.
Rick Douylliez, Pastor of St. Marys First Presbyterian Church, has often had the pleasure of “Driving Miss Daisy” around Camden to attend to her various community service roles. He says he always finds it a joy. “She is one of the most courageous women I know. Her spirit is unparalleled.”
Jacquie’s Blind Lady Creations have found their way to England, Germany, and points beyond. Visitors and residents have discovered her beautiful artworks at the Old Towne Gallery located in the French Quarter building just a block from the St. Marys waterfront.
“I do not feel handicapped in any way,” Jacquie states emphatically. Indeed, she is not. Simply hold one of her baskets in your hands. Close your eyes. Explore the perfect weave. And think of the adversity she overcame to accomplish such an
extraordinary work of art. Then, open your eyes and cherish the treasure, knowing that you hold in your hands a piece of Jacquie Cushway’s passion and a right big chunk of her heart. Perhaps, though without sight herself, Jacquie Cushway has the uncanny ability to see through the eyes of others the beauty she has created.

By Linda Wright.
A league and a league of marsh-grass,
waist-high, broad in the blade,
green, and all of a height,
and unflecked with a light or a shade,
stretch leisurely off, in a pleasant plain…
A hundred and twenty-five years ago, Sidney Lanier paid tribute to the glory and splendor of coastal Georgia’s marsh habitats. The good news here on the Camden coast in the 21st Century is that acclaimed developer Sawyer & Associates has chosen to honor this same revered landscape with lovely neighborhoods that not only provide first-class homes to
residents and a memorable playground for golfing aficionados, but also respect the fragile eco-system of a marshland
environment. This is the award-winning Laurel Island.
Laurel Island masterfully and definitively transcends the typical residential golfing community in its three thoughtfully
conceived developments—Laurel Landing, Brookshire Retreat, and Fiddler’s Cove—by offering to the discerning homebuyer a rare opportunity to establish a foothold in a magical part of Planet Earth. Whether the desire is for a year-round estate home or a second home as a vacation retreat or a first-time residence to raise a family in tranquility and safety, Laurel Island is a complete package. Already well-established as dream-come-true neighborhoods, the newest and most sought after available properties currently are the natural preserve lots, which offer stately live oaks, draped in tillandsia, and forested pristine beauty.
Laurel Island’s newly developing Amenities Center in Fiddler’s Cove is drawing much-deserved attention. This neighborhood jewel will feature all that is best in the ideal concept of a small-
town park and community center. Two swimming areas offer a tempting choice of recreational pursuits. An active family pool area will be constructed at a shallow depth that permits delightful water play with built-in peace of mind for parents or grandparents of the younger set. This pool amenity will feature a beach end as well as a children’s spray garden, plus a shaded trellis area for when it’s time to call for a much-deserved recess from sun and fun. The adult pool will offer greater water depth, a lap lane, and a pavilion with outdoor grills. Other special elements of the Amenities Center include volleyball and basketball courts and a multi-use field for pick-up games of all varieties such as softball, touch football, and badminton. Additionally, a children’s play area and a separate picnic space will afford residents the opportunity to host family and friends for al fresco dining and special occasions.
One of the most valued aspects of Laurel Island is the semi-private country club. Built originally by the town of Kingsland, this spectacular property was acquired by Sawyer & Associates a year ago as a centerpiece for its Laurel Island development. However, forward-thinking, visionary management ensured that the country club would remain available to the larger community. Laurel
Island Country Club offers its 18-hole championship golf course, designed by PGA star (and homegrown coastal Georgia favorite son) Davis Love III, to non-residents and guests. As a result, the club has become a regular gathering place for a wide variety of community members of all ages, both Laurel Island residents and far and near non-members. In fact, guests from all points of the compass are discovering the captivating charms of Laurel Island; they drive in from Jacksonville and St. Simons and the Golden Isles on a daily basis to play the course and enjoy the inviting atmosphere of the club’s environment.
The approach to the Laurel Island Country Club takes the visitor through a drive lined with majestic royal palms, the first suggestion of the elegance and attention to detail that awaits both
resident and guest. A lake sparkles in the sunlight as a whimsical fountain sends diamond drops of water skyward. The clubhouse beckons at the end of the drive, replete with old brick and a charming tin roof reminiscent of a time, in years past, when life was savored and appreciated for its small, and not-so-small, moments of hospitable welcome and friendship.
A regular event schedule further encourages a blend of Laurel Island residents and day guests. On Tuesdays in the clubhouse restaurant, there is the perennial favorite: wing night. On Thursdays, dance lessons get underway at 6 p.m. Happy participants learn the shag as well as swing and line dancing. Fridays make a great date night: dining from an ever-changing menu followed by live music and dancing. And of course, no first-rate clubhouse event schedule would be complete without a Sunday brunch, a weekly opportunity that is both friendly and relaxing and yet extravagant in its sumptuous menu fare—a signature of Laurel Island’s standard of excellence.
A testimony to the quality of the Laurel Island experience is the remarkable number of times homebuyers elect not to leave when it’s time to make that inevitable move to a larger or smaller residence. They simply purchase another perfect home right where they are! And when they are not rescaling their own residential needs, they are recruiting their friends from across the country to join in this oh-so-satisfying living opportunity. It is not unusual to find a whole block of homes occupied by Maine or New Hampshire neighbors, now blissfully reunited in one of the three Laurel Island
communities.
Truly, an appreciation and pursuit of the good life permeates all aspects of the Laurel Island dream: daily sunrises, tinted with peach and cinnamon and adorned with wisps of lavender cloud trailing on a horizon of endless shimmering marshland. Year-round, semi-tropical temperatures that permit invigorating or relaxing outdoor recreation on a moment’s notice. Distinctive homes that declare a vested interest in, and affinity for, the finest
cutting-edge features and design. And above all else, a commitment to unparalleled excellence in discovering and claiming the graciousness and simplicity of Southern
living. Sidney Lanier captured this unique perspective beautifully long ago with these words:
Ye marshes, how candid and simple and nothing-withholding and free.
Ye publish yourselves to the sky and offer yourselves to the sea!
For more info visit www.LiveAtLaurelIsland.com
Or Call 1-866-264-8367.

Sitting shotgun in an open-air vehicle seemingly built for just such a purpose, you bounce happily along a wide dirt road. An endless blue sky dotted with whispers of white fluffy clouds canopies a perfect day. To your right, a verdant grove of towering pines hovers roadside. A gentle whiff of evergreen slips by as you round a curve and head straight into the open plains of brown grasses, scrub palmettos and occasional baytrees. Your breath is suspended momentarily as a pair of addra gazelles dart into sight and sprint parallel with the vehicle, matching your sauntering pace. Just ahead, eight giraffes browse regally on branches of fragrant bay leaves. A small herd of zebras splash a whimsy of color and pattern across a vast grass field. Four young rhinos lift their heads momentarily as the vehicle glides by, returning to their feeding as their curiosity is sated. A family of cheetahs lounge lazily in the shade of a stately oak. Of course, were you on safari through the Serengeti, these wild kingdom vignettes would not be at all out of the ordinary. However, you are not in Africa. You are a mere twenty-minute car ride from the center of St. Marys, Georgia. You’ve entered the world of the White Oak Conservation Center at White Oak Plantation.
This captivating swath of 7400 acres straddling the St. Marys River—6400 comprising the Florida side and another thousand or so in the State of Georgia—is home to one of the world’s most prolific and impressive collections of endangered and threatened species. And for good purpose.
In 1982, Howard Gilman (of Gilman Paper renown) established White Oak Conservation Center with a mission to “conserve threatened and endangered species of wildlife by maintaining scientifically managed populations that provide opportunities for research,
training, reintroduction, and involvement in field conservation programs.” Today, White Oak is making significant global impact on the survival of wildlife and wild places through
the Conservation Center and its affiliation with like-minded organizations throughout the world.
More than 100 cheetahs have been born at White Oak, as well as 25 rare okapi (a relative of the giraffe but with markings like a zebra), 20 white and black rhino, and many other species whose diminishing habitats have left them threatened or endangered.
White Oak’s efforts are focused on bolstering the survivability of wild populations. With a vast complex of research, husbandry, education and conference facilities, the center provides
conservation options for the future by maintaining populations of threatened species in spacious, natural facilities. Indeed, were you an animal, you would be thrilled to call White Oak home.
The center does an excellent job of duplicating natural habitats—recreating meadows, waterfalls, prairie mounds, rock formations, even aviaries for its exotic collection of flying species. But unlike zoos (which endeavor to do the same), White Oak’s expansive acreage serves up a much more realistic “free-range” environment.
White Oak education specialist Justin Conway tells us that at any given time, more than 300 animals occupy the White Oak grounds. But the Georgia/Florida facility is not the only location that is supported by the Gilman International Foundation and its partners.
“Through work done here at White Oak and partnerships around the world, we’re able to make a real difference for wildlife and wild places,” he said. “We take a multi-faceted approach to conservation, working with communities at a grass-roots and holistic level. In the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, an 8,500 square mile preserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, our conservation initiatives are as diverse as the species found in the dense
rainforest. We continually focus on sustainable conservation options for the future.”
A resident of Kingsland, Conway lives on the St. Marys River just a short boat ride away from this magnificent property. He is one of approximately 150 employees who work at the plantation—many of whom live in Camden County. Among White Oak’s employees are two full-time veterinarians. The conservation center actually sponsors training programs for wildlife veterinarians, veterinary technicians, zoologists and researchers and even offers pre- and post-doctoral professionals the opportunity to study rare species in naturalistic
surroundings and groupings. In a joint program with the University of Florida and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the vet residents complete four years of training through a variety of zoo vet programs. Wildlife veterinarians trained at White Oak are now working in a number of zoos around the United States and in Australia.
The entire White Oak “family,” as they view themselves, is dedicated to conserving threatened and endangered species by adhering to their mission to “maintain scientifically-managed captive populations that provide opportunities for research, training, and reintroduction.” The center’s success stories are some of the highest-regarded by world experts who follow the endangered and threatened species saga. Some highlights
follow:
• White Oak imported three okapi that were reared at the Gilman International Conservation Okapi Conservation Project breeding center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The subsequent 31 offspring successfully produced by these animals at White Oak have helped make the okapi one of the most genetically and demographically secure
populations among all the Species Survival Plans in North America.
• Eighteen bongo antelope from 13 different North American institutions were received at White Oak to be conditioned for a repatriation project in Kenya. White Oak staff designed
and built the individual crates for each of the animals and helped coordinate their loading and shipping through the Jacksonville International Airport and on to Nairobi, Kenya. Two staff members accompanied the shipment to their final destination at the Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
• White Oak was the nation’s first institution to ship a captive born black rhino, born at White Oak, to South Africa to genetically enhance the wild rhino population there. The young black rhino male was paired with a female and has subsequently sired four calves, now living in Marakele National Park, Republic of South Africa.
• White Oak successfully produced one of the first litters of parent-reared maned wolf puppies in North American collections.
• White Oak has one of the most successful cheetah breeding centers in the world. There have been more than 100 cheetah cubs born at White Oak. They recently sent some of their own vet technicians to train wildlife professionals at the Cheetah Conservation Fund facility in Namibia.
The grounds of White Oak Conservation Center are as impressive as its work. Beautiful guest houses occupy slivers of wilderness throughout the property. The Big Game Room houses a bowling alley, fitness center, and the Great Hall. Adjacent to that is the Baryshnikoff Dance Studio, built especially for Mikhail Baryshnikoff and the White Oak Dance Troupe. (Baryshnikoff was one of Gilman’s good friends.)
Some of the world’s most noted environmental and conservation conferences are held at the center. And celebrity names abound on the list of donors. A recent donor event was hosted by Isabella Rossellini, one of the center’s staunchest supporters. Which gets us to the point many of you are probably thinking by now: “How can I get to tour the White Oak Conservation Center?”
Well, you can start by getting elected president of the United States. (Heads of State from all over the world have visited White Oak). Or you can spend years achieving great successes in the wildlife conservation field and attend one of the numerous industry conferences there. Or, be employed by a corporate entity that utilizes White Oak for their group retreats and workshops. Or maybe you can get lucky and be the highest bidder of a tour donated to one of the local charities for auction purposes. Being a member of the Conservation Center donor program is certainly a surefire way to secure an invitation to tour the grounds. And rightfully so. After all, the Conservation Center is supported solely by
private donations, various grants and, of course, the legacy left through the generosity of Mr. Gilman. Membership levels that include tours start at $1,000 and offer members invitations to special events, private tours of the center, and publications including the ‘Karatasi’ newsletter.
If you do get to White Oak, you are in for an experience that will linger with you long after your visit. You will marvel at the wonder of a newly born giraffe, rising on spindly legs for the very first time. You will be captivated by the brilliant colors of the rare cassowaries and the fascinating story of how the males incubate the eggs, then raise the chicks whilst the wandering female sets about finding another male to mate with. Your heart will swell with pride at your first sighting of the two bald eagles, those majestic icons of patriotism. White Oak Plantation is a wildlife wonderland just eight miles from St. Marys’ Highway 40. And though straddled between the fresh water swamps of Florida and the pine uplands of Georgia, your experience there is sure to be one straight “Out of Africa.”
Editor’s Note:
For more information on local donor programs and benefits, or visiting the Conservation Center at White Oak call 904-225-3262 or email info@WOcenter.org.