This Mother’s Day morning arrived with tornado warnings for the area that actually did happen that Sunday afternoon. A tornado touched down in areas of St. Simons and Brunswick and did significant property damage, but thankfully no serious injuries or deaths as a result. Again, the Golden Isles of GA seems to live a charmed existence!

We only experienced power outages at my home and business, but some residents must be on the phone with their insurance company’s adjuster this morning! My assistant said she was in nearby Camden County by a friend’s pool without any evidence of bad weather or wind. 

 

Today is another beautiful Spring day--- lovely, clear skies and a delightful ocean breeze. 

Nationwide we often hear of companies falling on hard times and initiating cutbacks to stay solvent. Our Glynn County area has for the most part has dodged the bullet. In fact the manufacturing sector of the area is experiencing steady growth according to the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority. A new manufacturer, Innovative Foam Products, is preparing to open a new facility later this year and several established manufacturers are putting new upgrades into their businesses which certainly indicates their commitment to our area for the long haul. Manufacturing businesses and their employees purchase a tremendous amount of goods and services locally which recycles throughout the community. According to a recent survey, 22% of the manufacturer’s in the community participated in the survey and reported a total payroll in excess of $125 million. This area has a diverse economic structure with tourism, manufacturing and government providing job stability even in this uncertain time with the dreaded “R” word (recession) in the news. Just another reason that Glynn County is a great place to call home!

I recently read an article in our local newspaper which noted that the Jekyll GA Sea Turtle Center was treating turtles which were suffering from exposure to the red tide off the coast of Florida. I had heard over the last few months people talking about this "Red Tide" and some of the beaches being closed to swimmers in Florida. You may care click the Wikipedia link below which describes the algal bloom that is known as red tide. The information leads me to believe that the jury is out on whether the occurrence is just a natural event or one caused by human activities. The turtles exposed to the toxins released by algae during red tide become practically paralyzed, making them incapable of finding food and exposing them to the surface for unhealthy periods of time.

The Sea Turtle Center has an interesting history as it was originally built in 1903 to house the generator for the Jekyll Island Club in the Millionaire's Village. Today the GA Sea Turtle Center is a wonderful turtle rehab hospital and research facility with the goal of increasing awareness and responsibility for protecting our ecosystem. I have included a link to their website and hope you will be interested in making this a part of your next visit to the Golden Isles of Georgia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/

In honor of the 100^th anniversary of flight in Georgia, allow me to commend and recommend the airport service available right here in Brunswick, GA. If you flew into the Golden Isles or to Atlanta via the Brunswick airport in past years and haven't checked out the new and improved airport facility please do so. The new Brunswick terminal offers a snack bar, free WiFi, free baggage carts, ATM and a conference room space. Free short term and long term parking is also offered which certainly makes traveling easier. Ground transportation options include rental car agencies and other transport companies as well as shuttle service by Sea Island Company and FLETC. ASA, the Delta connection, offers several flight choices each day to Atlanta with a short air time of only approximately 37 minutes.

The FAA has awarded the Brunswick Golden Isles Airport a grade of 100 for 3 consecutive years. This rating is based on the operations standards in addition to safety inspections criteria.