Viva Activa!

Is that Salsa music you hear?  

If you’re at Tom Triplett Community Park in Pooler on Sunday, September 17^th, then YES!

Chances are those ARE some spicy Salsa notes you’re catching on the breeze, and chances are that breeze is also carrying the spicy scents of chachapas, sopes, and empanadas. 

Chatham County Parks and Recreation is partnering with Agenda Latina and welcoming the community to come enjoy the ‘Sabor Latino' of Viva Activa – a lively Health and Wellness Festival with a Latin Flavor.

In addition to Salsa and Bachata dance classes, there will be free zumba, yoga, and workout classes throughout the day. Check out free health screenings and explore resources for healthy eating. Take part in family-friendly activities and take a stroll through bright-colored booths with wares from vendors and artisans. Sample cooked delicacies from many countries and pick up some fresh ingredients to take home to cook for yourself.

This Sunday afternoon – September 17^th – from 1:00-6:00pm, Tom Triplett Park is the place to be.

Click HERE for information about Tom Triplett Park and HERE for Agenda Latina’s website.

Kudos

We're purple with pride over our PIO Leadership's high-level certification!

Fewer than 300 people nationwide have earned the prestigious designation of Certified Public Communicator (CPC). Catherine Glasby and Abbigail Murphy, respectively Director and Assistant Director of Chatham County’s Public Information Office, are now counted among them, having successfully completed the rigorous graduate-level CPC program at Texas Christian University, and yes, that’s a horned frog on Abby’s mortarboard.

The two-year, intensive course of study and work is a daunting undertaking, covering essential topics, from communication techniques to ethical standards, media relations, and cutting-edge technology, including AI and digital communications proficiency. Moreover, it emphasizes creative storytelling and branding to convey the identity, values, and goals of our agency.

Together, the pair are crafting a comprehensive communications plan for Chatham County, researching and addressing communications tactics, social media policies, and other strategies. The County’s plan will be a living document and serves as the foundation for future specialized subplans, addressing specific situational responses and individual departmental processes.

In times of crisis and emergencies, effective communication to provide accurate and timely information to residents is paramount for public safety. Chatham County’s PIO, a team of six communications professionals, now boasts two CPC graduates, with two more on track for 2024 and the remaining two in 2025. This strategic foresight ensures that Chatham County remains at the forefront of public communication, ready and able to serve our community in all situations. That’s planning ahead!

Pumpkin. . . Splash?

FALL in love with swimming

Ah, September . . .

Pumpkin spice, nippy air, colored leaves, sweater weather . . . right? No? Maybe not so much in these parts, where it’s still HOT and likely to stay that way for a while.

One cool option year-round is the Chatham County Aquatic Center, where you can paddle, practice, or just play in the clear blue water of the Olympic-sized training pool or the L-shaped therapy pool. Swim or splash on your own or pick a class or activity that suits your interest and ability level. Elite swim teams, water aerobics or aqua Zumba groups (no swim skills needed), kayak or scuba classes, or private one-on-one lessons for children or adults all make a splash at the Aquatic Center!

Aquatic Center staff are committed to the belief that anyone can and everyone should become a strong swimmer. Director Mary Ryan Aimar asserts, “We’re surrounded by water where we live, so water safety is super important. You need to know how to swim!” 

Star Babies, for children 6 to 18 months of age and Star Tots, for 18 months to 3 years, are classes for the youngest children and their parents together. Parents learn to safely support their little ones while children learn to be comfortable in the water. Swim instruction is available for all ages and any skill level, though, and the center’s popular swim classes quickly sell out almost as soon as they open for enrollment on the third Wednesday of each month.

The Aquatic Center offers memberships and punch cards for frequent swimmers, but you can feel free to just drop in for a swim anytime the center is open. Insider tip: lunch time swims from 11:00am – 3:00pm usually see the least activity in the pools. You can reserve a whole pool for yourself for pool parties on Saturday afternoons -- the staff will even set up tables and chairs for you and up to thirty of your friends!

If you’re ready to take the plunge, dive into the Aquatic Center’s excellent website HERE for complete details on hours, rates, and programs. It’s a cool place to go, especially in the dog days of Summer!

Do you reside in Chatham County’s District 2? If so mark your calendars and remember to cast your vote to elect your new County Commissioner to represent you. There will be a Special Election Tuesday, September 12^th to fill the seat of the late Commissioner Larry “Gator” Rivers.

Click HERE to visit the Chatham County Board of Registrars website and click the gold seal below to view a sample ballot for this Special Election or to review your voter registration status, what district you’re in, and the location of your assigned polling place.

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy. . .

You'll want to catch this!

They come in waves to Tybee Pier and Pavilion, lured by the promise of free rods and reels, hands-on activities, great fun, free hot dogs, and all the fish they can catch (and release). Kids, their parents, and event staff alike all look forward to this lively day every fall, and the Annual Gage Ochsner Kids Fishing and Water Safety Event does not disappoint.      

Produced by Chatham County’s Aquatic Center and named for Dr. Gage Ochsner, an avid fisherman who was a local trauma surgeon dedicated to preventing childhood injury, the mission of the day is to teach kids how to safely enjoy activities on or around the water. Memorial Health, along with community organizations like the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Tybee Light Power Squadron, and Tybee Island Marine Science Center will all be on deck as crew.

 It’s the same every year: At stations throughout the Tybee Pavilion, it’s hard to say who has the most fun as volunteers help kids practice the best way to toss life rings and buckle up flotation vests, learn to tie knots in fishing lines and to be ethical anglers, and become inspired to care about our waters and the creatures who live in them.  

AND THEN they hand each kid a rod and reel and a little tackle box of their very own, show them how to use them, and even help them bait their hooks. Smiles! Squeals! Shouts of triumph! Parents and grandparents snap photos of little fish being reeled in by little fishers, scout leaders speculate on which side of the pier their troop would likely get more bites, sun-toasted and salty kids run back to the shade of the pavilion to tell fish tales over lunch provided by Tybee Pier and Pavilion.     

At the end of the day, a lot of kids will learn a lot, have a ton of fun, and fall hook, line and sinker in love with fishing. Call 912-652-6793 or click HERE to sign up online for one of the two morning sessions and we'll catch you at the Pier on Saturday the 23^rd!

Puppy Love

Protect your four-legged family members

Fancy dogs, muscle dogs, goofy dogs, and mutts – every one of them makes someone’s life richer.  

Dr. Jake Harper, Veterinarian and Director of Chatham County's Animal Services, stresses that microchipping is one of the most important things you can do to help prepare your pet for an emergency. This ensures if they are ever lost, they can easily be reunited with their family.

The pawsome team of Chatham County Animal Services, Chatham Emergency Management Agency, and Renegade Paws Rescue are teaming up with Enmarket Arena to host a Free Rabies and Microchip Clinic to help protect some of Chatham County’s four-legged residents. 500 rabies vaccines will be available, and Fi NANO is providing 500 microchips through Renegade Paws Rescue.

Be a good hooman -- walk your doggies on over to the canal side of Enmarket Arena between 3:00-6:00pm on Thursday, September 21st for these free services. It's the best way ever to observe National Pet Preparedness Week!

(BEHIND THE SCENES)

Ribbon-Cutting at The Children's Garden