Chatham County property tax payments are due on Sat., June 1, Eisenhower Tax Office to offer extended hours to serve local residents
The Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office is reminding local homeowners that Chatham County property tax bills for the first half of 2024 are due on Saturday, June 1.
The Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Southside office at 1145 Eisenhower Dr. will be open on Saturday, June 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on to accept payments from local property owners.
“We offer online, mail and in-person payment options to make it as convenient as possible for Chatham County homeowners to pay their property tax bills,” said Chatham County Tax Commissioner Sonya L. Jackson. “We also want to remind homeowners that if their mortgage company pays their property taxes directly through an escrow account, they do not need to make a duplicate payment.”
For added convenience, homeowners can view, print, or pay property taxes online with an e-check, debit or credit card. Property taxes can also be paid by mail or in person during regular business hours at the following Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Offices:
Downtown Office: 222 W. Oglethorpe Ave., Suite 107
Southside Office: 1145 Eisenhower Dr.
Westside Office: 295 Police Memorial Drive (off Chatham Parkway)
Chatham County property tax payments are due on June 1 and November 15 of each year. Chatham County residents can schedule an appointment online or check current wait times at any Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office by visiting tax.chathamcountyga.gov. Please contact the Chatham County Tax Commissioner’s Office at (912) 652-7100 or [email protected] with any questions.
Atlanta Falcons to host girls flag football clinic in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Over 100 athletes will gain flag football fundamentals by Atlanta Falcons experts
Get ready to kick off an unforgettable weekend in Savannah with the Atlanta Falcons! The Atlanta Falcons Girls Flag Football Clinic, in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is coming to Savannah on Saturday, June 1. We’re calling all female high school athletes to join us for a dynamic day of skill-building, drills and flag football fundamentals led by the Atlanta Falcons and flag football experts.
This exclusive clinic is FREE, but athletes must secure their spot by registering in advance. Full event details can be found here: atlantafalcons.com/fans/.
Waves of Wonder: Artists and scientists WOW us with new perspectives of the Georgia coast in summer exhibition at Ships of the Sea
See the Georgia coast anew in Waves of Wonder, Ships of the SeaMaritime Museum’s new exhibition, which opens on Wednesday, June 5, with a cocktail party at 5:30 p.m. The party is free and open to the public. The exhibition showcases a variety of inspiring works funded by UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Artists, Writers, and Scholars (AWS) Program.
Visitors to Waves of Wonder will embark on a journey of discovery where art serves as a bridge connecting humanity to the enchanting world of Georgia’s coast. Captivating and evocative imagery portrays the essence of Georgia’s coast with vibrant colors and sounds, and intricate interpretations. Whether through the brushstroke of a painting, the graceful movement of a dancer, or documentation of Black maritime history, these artists and scholars invite viewers to pause, reflect, and marvel at our region’s natural wonders. A Family Day event featuring artist demonstrations and activities will take place on Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in this celebration of Georgia’s coastal culture and natural environments,” said Molly Taylor, executive director of Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. “Waves of Wonder is a beautiful blending of art and science and is a must-see program for anyone living on or visiting Georgia’s coast, especially children and families.”
Waves of Wonder features the work of current AWS grant recipients Autumn Eckman, Peter Van Zandt Lane, Jennifer Nolan, and Josh Stutz, as well as previous award- winners Kip Bradley, Julie de Chantal and Kurt Knoerl, Alan Harvey, Barbara Mann, Dana Montlack, and Casey Schachner. Many of these awardees collaborated with coastal scientists and students in creating their final projects.
“The artists and scholars featured in Waves of Wonder have created amazing, awe-inspiring interpretations about scientific and cultural ideas related to our region,” said Tania Sammons, curator of Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. “Displayed together their individual subjects magnify their coastal messages and are at once visually compelling and thought-provoking.”
The works featured in Waves of Wonder encompass a diverse range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, sound, film, and dance. Each project offers a fresh perspective on the intricate relationships that define coastal life, from the interconnectedness of animal communities to the profound connections between humans and the natural world.
Mark Risse, director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, expresses his enthusiasm for the program’s growth and impact.
“The Artist, Writers, and Scholars program has flourished over the past two years, fostering meaningful collaborations between the art community and coastal advocates,” says Risse. “Through Waves of Wonder and similar outreach efforts, we aim to engage audiences in critical coastal issues while celebrating the creativity inspired by our marine environments.”
Admission to the exhibit is included with general museum admission. For more information, please visit shipsofthesea.org/.
City offers young residents multitude of summer athletic opportunities
The City of Savannah’s Recreation and Leisure Services will offer a number of athletic opportunities for youth and young adults this summer, including cheer camp, girls flag football, and summer basketball.
Above the Violence Friday Night Hoops
For the first time, the City will host a 3-on-3 basketball league for adults 18 to 24 in honor of Coach Roscoe “Scolo” Edwards. Coach Edwards was a long-time City employee who provided various programs, leagues, and camps at Blackshear Basketball Complex where he worked. A beloved member of the community, the main court at Blackshear was recently named after him and the new league will further recognize his impact and service to the City of Savannah.
Above the Violence Friday Night Hoops will take place every Friday from June 7 to July 26 from 8 pm to 10:30 pm at Blackshear Basketball Complex, 820 Wheaton Street.
Summer Basketball
Every Friday and Saturday from June 7 to July 27, Summer Basketball will welcome teens 12 to 18 at the Grant Gym, 122 West St. and Eastside Gym, 415 Goebel Ave. Ages 12 to 15 will compete from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Afterwards, ages 16 to 18 will compete from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Food, drinks, games, and activities will also be provided. Registration will take place on site.
Cheer Camp
Summer Cheer Camp immerses youth ages 5-to-15 in all things cheer and pom poms. Participants will be coached by cheer experts and experience cheering on the sidelines for game days. The first three sessions are $45 for city residents and $50 for non-residents. Dates run from June 3 to 6, June 10 to 13, and June 17 to 21. Camp will not be held on Juneteenth, June 19. The last session is $50 for city residents and $55 for non-residents from June 24 to 27 and will include a showcase finale. All sessions take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Alee Temple, 100 Eisenburg Dr. Register by calling Kevin Smith at (912) 351-3852 or at Paulson Complex, 7171 Skidaway Rd.
Girls Flag Football
The City welcomes middle and high school aged girls to sign up for Girls Flag Football for free. Middle school camp will take place June 17 to 18 and June 20 to 21. High School sessions will happen June 24 to 28. Both middle and high school camp will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Daffin Park Morris Field, 1500 E. Victory Dr. All skill levels are welcome. To sign up, contact Kevin Smith at (912) 351-3852 or [email protected].
For more information about City of Savannah’s athletic programs, visit savannahga.gov/athletics.
Historic Savannah Foundation to Host Free Lecture Featuring Patt Gunn Discussing
“Susie King Taylor and the Making of Taylor Square” on June 20
Historic Savannah Foundation will host a special discussion about “Susie King Taylor and the Making of Taylor Square” as part of the 2024 Historic Savannah Foundation Lecture Series, “The People, Places and Stories That Define Savannah,” on Thursday, June 20 at 6 p.m. at the historic Second African Baptist Church, located at 123 Houston Street. This event, which is presented in collaboration with the Davenport House Museum, is free and open to the public.
Organized in honor of Juneteenth, this informative lecture will feature Savannah master storyteller and grassroots public policy activist Patt Gunn, president and co-founder of the Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee and co-chair of the Coalition to Rename Calhoun Square, who led a three-year campaign to rename Calhoun Square in honor of Susie King Taylor. Gunn will discuss her pivotal role in leading the effort to rename the square to honor and commemorate Taylor.
“We invite everyone to join us for a memorable evening at Second African Baptist Church featuring Patt Gunn and her successful efforts to rename a Savannah square in honor of Susie King Taylor,” said Historic Savannah Foundation CEO and President Sue Adler. “Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about Savannah’s ongoing narrative of growth and inclusion.”
Susie King Taylor was a nurse, teacher and barrier-breaking figure in Savannah’s history. Born into slavery in Liberty County, Ga. in 1848, she moved to Savannah at the age of seven to live with her grandmother and attended two secret schools run by free women of color.
By the time the Civil War broke out in 1861, Taylor was an educated young woman. She escaped to Union-occupied St. Simons Island at age 14, and broke barriers as an educator who openly taught Black children. Her accomplishments range from joining the Union Army to participating in military expeditions and camp life; nursing soldiers; teaching soldiers, women and children in the camps; running her own private day and night schools; and becoming an author with the publication of her book, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd United States Colored Troops.
After 170 years, the Savannah City Council voted to change the name of the square formerly named after John C. Calhoun, a former U.S. vice president who was an advocate for slavery. The square itself was once a burial ground for hundreds of enslaved Black Savannahians.
For nearly one year, the square sat unnamed. The Center for Jubilee, led by Patt Gunn, petitioned to change the name from Calhoun Square to Taylor Square in late 2022. Savannah City Council voted on the new name in October 2023. After a three-year fight, members of the Coalition To Rename Calhoun Square celebrated the official renaming on February 10, 2024. Hundreds gathered to make history in downtown Savannah as the square at Abercorn and Wayne streets was renamed Taylor Square. Gunn said she hopes that “this square should be a blueprint for future generations on a holistic history through civic engagement.”
Patt “Sistah Patt” Gilliard Gunn is the National Policy Fellow for the Truth Telling Project, truth-teller, master Gullah Geechee storyteller, co-founder of the Savannah-based Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee and co-chair of the Coalition to Rename Calhoun Square.
Gunn is a Gullah Geechee “daughter of the soil of Savannah” and lectures about the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade in an online course at Harvard University with Dr. Dave Ragland, Ph.D., co-director of the Truth Telling Project. Her passion is sharing her history and culture, and her “soulcraft” is truth-telling, reconciliation, healing and repair from the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
Gunn founded the Geechee Institute in 1992 and developed festivals, hosted lectures and spearheaded oral history projects for the community. She founded Underground Tours of Savannah in 2017, sharing the history of her ancestors and leading tours focused on Savannah’s African-American and Gullah-Geechee history. In 2023, a first-time ever cultural heritage partnership was formed with her Underground Tours and Kelly/Gray Line Tours to host her signature tours. She is also the founder and artistic director of The Saltwata Players, a local folk art Gullah Geechee performance group.
For more information about the 2024 HSF Lecture Series, please visit myhsf.org.
