"True Island Stories" (by Jacob Long)

John McCray, Resident 2 Years: “A lot that I’m seeing is complacency… Like all cities like this you’re going to have some sort of cultural renaissance take place… Something real, something from the heart, something from people here.”

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

John McCray, Resident 2 Years: “A lot that I’m seeing is complacency… Like all cities like this you’re going to have some sort of cultural renaissance take place… Something real, something from the heart, something from people here.”
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Oak Park Inn: A local residence for many low income individuals until it was sold as commercial property and demolished. The residents were evicted and forced to find alternate lodging.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Oak Park Inn: A local residence for many low income individuals until it was sold as commercial property and demolished. The residents were evicted and forced to find alternate lodging.
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A bed of an Oak Park Inn resident.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

A bed of an Oak Park Inn resident.
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The skeletal remains of the Oak Park Inn.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

The skeletal remains of the Oak Park Inn.
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An over-turned shopping cart abandoned by one of the former residents of the Oak Park Inn.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

An over-turned shopping cart abandoned by one of the former residents of the Oak Park Inn.
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Nicholas Boone, Resident 1+ Years: “There is opportunity here…but the main thing is that there is no free public transportation here in Brunswick… it is growing but all the good jobs and money are over on the island…the crime here is a damn shame… I’m living day by day.”

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Nicholas Boone, Resident 1+ Years: “There is opportunity here…but the main thing is that there is no free public transportation here in Brunswick… it is growing but all the good jobs and money are over on the island…the crime here is a damn shame… I’m living day by day.”
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Palms Motel: One of the local residences for many low income individuals, several Oak Park Inn residents moved here after they were evicted.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Palms Motel: One of the local residences for many low income individuals, several Oak Park Inn residents moved here after they were evicted.
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A decorated median in a rapidly expanding government subsidized suburb of Brunswick.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

A decorated median in a rapidly expanding government subsidized suburb of Brunswick.
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Rushed excavation and poor zoning and planning have caused areas of flooding all over the coastal plain. Even though the area rarely has large storms it is a disaster waiting to happen in the event one comes onshore.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Rushed excavation and poor zoning and planning have caused areas of flooding all over the coastal plain. Even though the area rarely has large storms it is a disaster waiting to happen in the event one comes onshore.
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Marie (NeSmith) Fletcher, Resident 33 Years: “St. Simons, I don’t know, it just kind of makes me sad, I try and avoid it now-days. I would love to take my kids to Neptune Park, there is a lot of St. Simons that is pretty to look at, but I don’t know, there is just something imminently sad about that island.”

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Marie (NeSmith) Fletcher, Resident 33 Years: “St. Simons, I don’t know, it just kind of makes me sad, I try and avoid it now-days. I would love to take my kids to Neptune Park, there is a lot of St. Simons that is pretty to look at, but I don’t know, there is just something imminently sad about that island.”
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One of the many highly visible tracts of contaminated land set beside residential and commercial property.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

One of the many highly visible tracts of contaminated land set beside residential and commercial property.
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Remains of a local car dealership. It was knocked down and rebuilt to fit in with its growing surroundings.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Remains of a local car dealership. It was knocked down and rebuilt to fit in with its growing surroundings.
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One of many local businesses in danger of being swallowed up by large strip malls and shopping plazas opening all around them.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

One of many local businesses in danger of being swallowed up by large strip malls and shopping plazas opening all around them.
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Weena Nesmith, Resident 33 Years: “St. Simons is not the St. Simons I grew up with, it’s lovely and it was then, but…it’s grown so, there were nice houses but they weren’t the houses you see now.”

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Weena Nesmith, Resident 33 Years: “St. Simons is not the St. Simons I grew up with, it’s lovely and it was then, but…it’s grown so, there were nice houses but they weren’t the houses you see now.”
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One of the many familiar local businesses visible from highway 17.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

One of the many familiar local businesses visible from highway 17.
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One of the largest developments, Liberty Harbor, a 1.5 billion dollar development with price ranges from $305,000-$2 Million for property recently broke ground on the site of a mostly abandoned shipping yard beneath the Sidney-Lanier bridge.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

One of the largest developments, Liberty Harbor, a 1.5 billion dollar development with price ranges from $305,000-$2 Million for property recently broke ground on the site of a mostly abandoned shipping yard beneath the Sidney-Lanier bridge.
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Gawain Atwater, Resident 2 Years: “With the housing issue...there is one company pushing all the rent through the roof...but they are not the whole community, of course it is the federal government who pays all of their rent up front...and people like me get stuck with $100 dollar increases every six months because of the demand.”

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Gawain Atwater, Resident 2 Years: “With the housing issue...there is one company pushing all the rent through the roof...but they are not the whole community, of course it is the federal government who pays all of their rent up front...and people like me get stuck with $100 dollar increases every six months because of the demand.”
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Two residences damaged by a fire in downtown Brunswick, GA. Several businesses and residential dwellings were damaged in the fire, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Two residences damaged by a fire in downtown Brunswick, GA. Several businesses and residential dwellings were damaged in the fire, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Rear view of a residence damaged by a fire in downtown Brunswick, GA. Several businesses and residential dwellings were damaged in the fire, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:46:26 +0000

Rear view of a residence damaged by a fire in downtown Brunswick, GA. Several businesses and residential dwellings were damaged in the fire, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Highway 17 has seen a large increase in traffic flow. Here, a child was struck and killed while attempting to cross the road on his bicycle.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:06:15 +0000

Highway 17 has seen a large increase in traffic flow. Here, a child was struck and killed while attempting to cross the road on his bicycle.
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Hazel's Cafe circa 1950's: Hazel's Cafe was owned and operated by Hazel Floyd and her husband Thomas. The cafe was a part of the once thriving African American business community on St. Simons Island.

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:05:55 +0000

Hazel's Cafe circa 1950's: Hazel's Cafe was owned and operated by Hazel Floyd and her husband Thomas. The cafe was a part of the once thriving African American business community on St. Simons Island.
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Fred Marrs, Resident 25+ Years: Fred is the current owner of the Hazel's Cafe property. He purchased it from Hazel's children and has chosen to keep it's original rustic stylings for the duration of his ownership.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:29:11 +0000

Fred Marrs, Resident 25+ Years: Fred is the current owner of the Hazel's Cafe property. He purchased it from Hazel's children and has chosen to keep it's original rustic stylings for the duration of his ownership.
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The original cash register from Hazel's Cafe, complete with unpaid tabs from delinquent customers.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:34:30 +0000

The original cash register from Hazel's Cafe, complete with unpaid tabs from delinquent customers.
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Photos of Hazel and her husband Thomas, left behind on the property sold by her children.

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:06:42 +0000

Photos of Hazel and her husband Thomas, left behind on the property sold by her children.
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John Maxwell, Resident 25+ Years: John is a friend of Mr. Marrs and frequents the hangout and former cafe. John states "As long as Fred owns this property, it will stay just like it is."

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:33:38 +0000

John Maxwell, Resident 25+ Years: John is a friend of Mr. Marrs and frequents the hangout and former cafe. John states "As long as Fred owns this property, it will stay just like it is."
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One of the few indications left on St. Simons Island of the thriving African American business community of years past.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:46:01 +0000

One of the few indications left on St. Simons Island of the thriving African American business community of years past.
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One of the many abandoned local businesses in downtown Brunswick.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:08:06 +0000

One of the many abandoned local businesses in downtown Brunswick.
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Miles of fencing line the roadsides throughout Glynn County. Here the Hercules plant is seen in the background.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:10:00 +0000

Miles of fencing line the roadsides throughout Glynn County. Here the Hercules plant is seen in the background.
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Karen Lynn (Brown) Ward, Resident 9+ Years: "I think like this; if my ancestors had the rare opportunity to purchase land, then who am I to come four, or five generations later and sell that land just to buy a car or other material item, for me it's about heritage."

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:44:04 +0000

Karen Lynn (Brown) Ward, Resident 9+ Years: "I think like this; if my ancestors had the rare opportunity to purchase land, then who am I to come four, or five generations later and sell that land just to buy a car or other material item, for me it's about heritage."
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Many individuals with island homes held in their families for several generations are now selling them off due to rising property taxes and aggressive rezoning of residential areas.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:12:34 +0000

Many individuals with island homes held in their families for several generations are now selling them off due to rising property taxes and aggressive rezoning of residential areas.
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