Join the Savannah Downtown Business Association for a “party in the streets” during the Blues on Broughton concert with Ruthie Foster, taking place Friday, June 6, 6-9pm as a part of the “Savannah Blues Weekened”. Ruthie Foster will be taking the stage on Broughton St. between Drayton St. and Bull St. with her unique blend of soul, blues, rock, folk, and gospel music.

Ruthie Foster, who played in the Savannah Music Festival in 2010 and 2012, will be the main act for the Blues on Broughton concert. Broughton Street will be closed between Drayton St. and Bull St. for the concert. Four local Georgia breweries will be available on tap during the event: Monday Night Brewery, Jekyll Brewery, Red Hare Brewery, Eagle Creek Brewery, and Fat Tire will be the featured brands for Blues on Broughton. Experience this free music event with other music lovers in the lively atmosphere of Broughton Street while dining, shopping, and enjoying the thriving downtown business community. You definitely do not want to miss the first Blues on Broughton of the year, brought to you by the SDBA and presented by Southern Eagle Distributors. Blues on Broughton will be a part of Savannah Blues Weekend along with the Savannah Riverfront Association’s “Blues, Jazz, and BBQ” festival, occurring on River Street Friday and Saturday, and City Market’s “Art Blues” on Saturday.

ABOUT RUTHIE FOSTER

Those who have followed RUTHIE FOSTER’S eclectic musical history know that she can burn down any stage with her combustible blend of soul, blues, rock, folk and gospel. Ruthie’s astonishing voice has taken her on an amazing ride. She came from humble church choir beginnings in rural Texas, followed by a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy Band, and ended up in Austin, Texas. Ruthie's list of achievements include Best Female Vocalist in 2007, 2008 and 2013 from the Austin Music Awards, a  2012 and 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album, the 2010 Living Blues Music Award Critic’s Poll for Female Blues Artist of the Year, the 2013 Living Blue Music Award Critic’s Poll for Bluest Artist of the Year (female) and recent Blues Music Award wins for Best Contemporary and Best Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year. Ruthie’s latest and Grammy-nominated CD, ‘”Let It Burn,” is a deeply intimate recording featuring a smoky mix of original songs coupled with inventive interpretations of an unexpected collection of covers. Ruthie is supported along the way by some very special guests - gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama and Stax Records soul man William Bell.

SAVANNAH BLUES WEEKEND

Downtown Savannah will be holding a weekend-long blues festival throughout the historic downtown scene. Join the Savannah Riverfront Association for the Second Annual Blues, Jazz, and BBQ Festival on River Street Friday, June 6 through Saturday, June 7 in Rousakis Plaza, 115 E. River Street. Deep Southern Blues, Smooth Jazz, and smoky BBQ will be served up all weekend long during this annual River Street festival. Stop by Broughton Street Friday night, June 6, 6-9pm, for the Spring Blues on Broughton concert with Ruthie Foster. Then head over to City Market courtyard Saturday, June 7, all day, for the inaugural Art & Blues event to enjoy blues music, the work of the City Market artists, live painting demonstrations, and more. Don’t miss this Swingin’ Savannah Blues Weekend as the historic downtown scene is jam-packed with live blues music, food, art, drinks, and fun!

Several downtown streets will be closed to traffic at various times on Saturday as some 650 runners in various categories participate in a one-mile run to support first responders.
 
The Savannah Mile, a fund-raiser for the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire, will travel Drayton Street from Park Avenue to Johnson Square in seven heats beginning at 8 a.m.
 
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police will begin closing off streets at 6 a.m. in preparation for the run that will stage in the southern end of Forsyth Park. Drayton will be closed from Henry Street to St. Julian Street. Park Avenue also will be closed between Bull and Abercorn streets.
 
Intersections at Liberty and Drayton streets and at East Oglethorpe Avenue and Drayton will be closed intermittently between the seven heats. Heats will vary from young children to first responders running in full gear for the right to host the Heroes Heat flag for the next year.
 
The event begins with a static display of first responder and military equipment in the parking lot on the southeast corner of Forsyth Park near Park Avenue and Drayton Street.
 
The Two Hundred Club is an area non-profit organization of business, law enforcement, judicial, professional, religious and academic leaders that provide immediate financial assistance to families of public safety officials who lost their lives in the line of duty.

2011

Under Hank’s leadership in 2011 DNA worked with City of Savannah, the Savannah Park and Tree Commission and the Historic Savannah Foundation to create a comprehensive plan to improve lighting in downtown Savannah squares.

 

2012

Halted a “fast-track” vote on double-decker buses and encouraged city leaders to evaluate tourism traffic issues with the Tourism Advisory Committee.

 

Developed a strong relationship with the SCMPD Downtown Precinct Commander to keep lines of communication open for residents involving crime and safety.

 

2013-14

Formed a partnership with the Savannah Downtown Business Association and the Historic Savannah Foundation agreeing to work together for a common, transparent approach to future development in downtown Savannah.

 

Historic Savannah Foundation’s Lee & Emma Adler Award for Preservation Advocacy was presented to the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

 

Created an Economic Impact Committee within DNA to research whether a cruise ship terminal was viable in Savannah and was an instrumental voice for downtown residents in opposing the terminal being built.

 

Under Reed’s Leadership, a successful Neighborhood Crime Watch Program was been developed and regular alerts are distributed to neighbors. A Block Captain system is in place and active participation and communication from SCMPD has helped the program to grow.

 

Recruited new volunteers and formed committees to further strengthen DNA’s impact by researching and working on issues such as VRBOs and fundraising for public safety.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2PM @ CITY HALL How do you feel about 6-story buildings and 4-story buildings along our historic riverfront?  Well, you better start liking them…or come to the City Council meeting on Thursday and tell your Aldermen why you don’t.  While you’re at it, you might also inquire as to how such tall buildings can be allowed without seeingundefinedin contextundefinedwhat they will look like and what they will feel like before they are given approval.    Imagine yourself walled off from the Savannah River by buildings that block your view of the water on the west end of River Street. Not only can that happen…it can happen with virtually no input from you through the Historic District Board of Review and the Zoning Board of Appeals.  So, take the opportunity to let City Council know how you feel about this.  Ask them: 1) not to amend the Height Map to allow taller buildings along our historic and fragile riverfront and 2) ask them to change the process that allows a short-cut that obviates the opportunity for the HDBR and ZBA to review and recommend before City Council dictates our riverfront’s future.    This is scheduled to be the 9th item on tomorrow’s City Council agenda, beginning at 2pm.    ZONING HEARING REQUEST Harold Yellin, Petitioner (MPC File No. 14-000709-ZA), requesting a text amendment to Article B (Zoning Districts), Sec. 8-3030 (Historic District), (n) (12) Design Standards, Height to allow a maximum of three stories or 45 feet above Bay Street (approximately six stories) in the northwestern corner of the Savannah Historic District extending approximately 775 feet along the Savannah River to the east and west of the Power Plant Site and to allow a maximum of one story above Bay Street (approximately four stories) extending approximately 375 feet along the Savannah River to the east of the Power Plant Site.

CONTACT YOUR ALDERMAN

Officers and Executive Committee
John Buckovich                                           President
Kevin Klinkenberg                                       Vice President and Chair of Parking & VRBO Committees
Meredith Dulany                                         Secretary & Deputy Events Chair
Bob Maas                                                     Treasurer & Liaison with West Forsyth Neighborhood Association

Board of Directors
Melinda Allen                                              Membership Chair

Amy Brock                                                   Communications Chair

Staci Donegan                                             Neighborhood Crime Watch Program Chair

Reed Dulany                                                Policy Advisor

Bill Durrence                                                Liaison with Savannah Neighborhood Associations

Nicholas Henry                                           Ward Captain Chair

Robert McAlister (“Bob”)                          Liaison with Elected Officials

Roger Moss, Jr.                                            Liaison with Downtown Business Association

Tina Peterson                                               Holiday Tour of Homes, Co-Chair

Bud Rosser                                                   Liaison with Beach Historic Neighborhood

Hank Reed                                                    Immediate Past President

Erika Snayd                                                   Events Chair

Gale Steves                                                   Chair, Development and Holiday Tour of Homes

 

Ex Officio Board Members (Appointed by authority of the Board)
Katharine B. Alphin                                     Policy Advisor

Veronica Buckovich                                     Newsletter Editor

Lawrence B. Lee                                           Past President and Legal Counsel

Bill Stuebe                                                     Past President and Chair, Urban Planning and Preservation

Dr. Kenneth Zapp                                         Economic Impact Committee Chair

Savannah Downtown Neighborhood Association

Announces 2014 Grant Recipients

 

The Savannah Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) will award $16,000 in community grants to area organizations at their Annual Meeting and Spring Picnic on Tuesday, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Davenport House Museum Garden.

 

This year, DNA invited organizations to apply for grants in one of the following categories: Beautification and improvements in the downtown area; Arts and cultural life; Humanitarian causes.

 

This year’s recipients include:

Coastal Heritage Society/ Savannah Children’s Museum

Davenport House Museum

Emmaus House

Empty Stocking Fund

HUGS-Heads Up Guidance Services

Inner City Night Shelter

King-Tisdell Foundation, Inc. Beach Institute Garden Project

Old Savannah City Mission, Inc.

Savannah Baptist Center

Savannah Bicycle Campaign

Savannah Children's

Savannah Tree Foundation

Telfair Museum of Art, Inc

The Children's School at St. Johns Church

 

Grants are funded through the monies raised at the Downtown Neighborhood Associations Annual Holiday Tour of Homes held each December.

 

Click here to view the latest from the Elba Island Project

DNA is an all volunteer organization, with no paid staff.  Our volunteer Board is asked to perform significant duties to ensure the organization accomplishes its mission. The current Board and the Nominating Committee recommend the addition of two more positions on the board, for a total of 17, to support the increased workload resulting from growth in DNA in recent years. 

 

Specifically, recommend that the last sentence of paragraph 2 of Article IV of the Bylaws be amended to read “Board membership shall not exceed seventeen (17) persons.”

Download and print the 2014-15 Slate and the DNA Bylaws.

• Download Slate
• DNA Bylaws

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) announced the winners of the 2014 Preservation Awards Luncheon earlier today at the DeSoto Hilton in Savannah.

This annual event recognizes individuals and organizations demonstrating excellence in historic preservation in historic preservation. The evaluation criteria that HSF Preservation Awards are judged upon include quality of work, degree of difficulty and the ultimate positive impact the project has on the surrounding community.

HSF honored 11 local award winners at the 2014 Preservation Awards Luncheon, including a special presentation of the President’s Award and the Nichola Parker Coe Volunteer of the Year Award.

“We are delighted to recognize such an outstanding group of leaders in historic preservation and revitalization in the Savannah area,” said Daniel Carey, president and CEO of Historic Savannah Foundation. “Their commitment to HSF’s core values extends the positive economic impact of historic preservation, which is often taken for granted or not fully appreciated.”

Over the last five decades, HSF has spearheaded the local preservation movement saving some of Savannah’s most acclaimed and visited historic properties. In order to continue its mission to preserve historic Savannah, HSF announced publicly today its capital campaign drive, This Place Matters: The Campaign to Continue Preserving Savannah.

Under the leadership of Aaron Levy, this year’s Nichola Parker Coe Volunteer Award winner and Past HSF President Helen Downing, the Capital Campaign co-chairs, we have raised $1.2 million of our $1.5 million goal. This important campaign will help provide the vital resources HSF needs to save endangered historic properties and continue to lead the preservation movement in Savannah and Chatham County into the 21st Century.

For more information on HSF’s capital campaign drive or for details on how to make gift donations, pledges, securities, property or other non-cash assets, please call 912.233.7787 or email terri@myHSF.org.

Winners of the 2014 HSF Preservation Awards include the following:

306 West Waldburg Street
Tommy and Jamie Linstroth

Drayton Tower
Flank, Inc.

Hayman's Hall
SCAD

United Community Bank
United Community Bank

25 Bluff Drive
Vincent and Lisa West

415 East 40th Street
Seth and Leah Michalak

1117 Habersham Street
Justin W. Gunther
 
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Spire Restoration
Catholic Diocese of Savannah

4 West Taylor Street
F. Reed Dulany III and Meredith Dulany

224 West Park Avenue
Mike and Alexandria Nelson

The Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Intermodal Transit Center
Chatham Area Transit Authority

Nichola Parker Coe Volunteer Award
Aaron Levy

President’s Award
Cullen Chambers, Tybee Island Historical Society

Savannah Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) will host a Forum for candidates running in the May 20, 2014 election for President of the Savannah Chatham County School Board.

WHERE:                 
Coastal Georgia Center • 305 Fahm Street • Savannah, GA
 
INVITED CANDIDATES:
Sadie C. Brown
Jolene Byrne
Chester A. Ellis
George Seaborough
David Simons
 
WHEN:                   
Today, Wednesday, April 23, 2014

SCHEDULE:
5:30 p.m. - Cocktail / Social Hour for DNA Members
6:15 p.m. -  Seating / Brief Announcements
6:20 p.m. – SDRA Update from Dicky Mopper
6:25 p.m. – Introduction of Candidates
6:30 p.m. - Forum begins

ABOUT:
The event is open to non-Downtown Neighborhood Association Members who are invited to join the organization in person or online at SavannahDNA.org. For non-members wishing to enjoy the catered cocktail hour, there is a suggested donation of $5 at the door.

DNA’s Mission is to enhance the quality of life in the Historic Landmark District, protect Savannah’s unique downtown environment, and advocate public policies; which support these objectives. We protect the Landmark District’s architectural heritage, encourage restoration & beautification, and support local organizations that enhance the community through aid to Savannah’s citizens, education, safety, music, and children’s activities.