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Community showcases destinations, services
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Fort Morris State Historic Site Ranger Arthur Edgar tells a soldier about the Revolutionary War fort on the coast in Liberty County. - photo by Photo by Denise Etheridge
Even with most 3rd ID soldiers deployed, a large crowd of service members, military spouses and dependents and retirees wound through a maze of exhibitors’ booths Friday during the fall Community Showcase at Club Stewart on Fort Stewart.
The showcase’s 64 participants offered military families information on upcoming events, destination getaways, local recreational activities and support services available in the region. Participants included local school systems, resorts, state parks, county and city governments, law enforcement, military support groups, civic organizations and even a puppeteer with Angela Beasley’s Puppet People.
“I like when they offer you something different,” said Charm Reed, wife of a retired soldier. Reed casually pushed her adopted granddaughter, Akira Beach, 15 months, in a stroller, picking up commissary coupons and learning about discounts on recreational opportunities.
Earlier in the day, an executive session of the Regional Information Sharing Forum was held at Club Stewart prior to the showcase. Fort Stewart spokesperson Kevin Larson said Fort Stewart’s commanders and county and city leaders discussed a timeline for the redeployment of thousands of 3rd Infantry Div ision soldiers and upcoming area events.
Jeanie Shugart from the City of St. Marys manned a booth promoting her hometown and an event close to her heart.
“St. Marys has had a Wounded Warrior Day for four years,” Shugart said. “This is the third year they’ve had Fort Stewart soldiers and their families participate.”
The observance will be held on Nov. 6, the Saturday before Veterans Day, she said.
Arthur Edgar, state park site manager for Fort Morris, and Vickie Slack with the Department of Natural Resources presented the many offerings available at Georgia’s state parks.
Edgar said Georgia’s state parks will offer free admission on Sept. 25. He said the area’s state parks, including Fort Morris and Fort McCallister, used to get 10,000 to 15,000 visitors each year before budget cutbacks were made in June 2009.
“The budget has hit Fort Morris and we’re only open three days a week,” he said. “We still get a fair amount of visitors, including soldiers.”
Military spouse Monique Myers made the rounds at the showcase with 14-month old son Gideon and daughter Riley, 4, in tow.
“My fall break is coming up and I’m trying to find things to do with the kids,” Myers said. She added she was gathering hotel information so she and her husband, who  is deployed with the 1st Heavy Combat Brigade, can plan a family trip to Sea World upon his return.
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Record April boosts Savannah's container trade at port
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The Port of Savannah moved 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units in April, an increase of 7.1 percent. - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority's busiest April ever pushed its fiscal year-to-date totals to more than 3.4 million 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), an increase of 8.8 percent, or 280,000 TEUs, compared to the first 10 months of fiscal 2017.

"We're on track to move more than 300,000 TEUs in every month of the fiscal year, which will be a first for the authority," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "We're also anticipating this to be the first fiscal year for the Port of Savannah to handle more than 4 million TEUs."

April volumes reached 356,700 20-foot equivalent container units, up 7.1 percent or 23,700 units. As the fastest growing containerport in the nation, the Port of Savannah has achieved a compound annual growth rate of more than 5 percent a year over the past decade.

"As reported in the recent economic impact study by UGA's Terry College of Business, trade through Georgia's deepwater ports translates into jobs, higher incomes and greater productivity," said GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. "In every region of Georgia, employers rely on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick to help them become more competitive on the global stage."

To strengthen the Port of Savannah's ability to support the state's future economic growth, the GPA Board approved $66 million in terminal upgrades, including $24 million for the purchase of 10 additional rubber-tired gantry cranes.  

"The authority is committed to building additional capacity ahead of demand to ensure the Port of Savannah remains a trusted link in the supply chain serving Georgia and the Southeast," Lynch said.

The crane purchase will bring the fleet at Garden City Terminal to 156 RTGs. The new cranes will support three new container rows, which the board approved in March. The additional container rows will increase annual capacity at the Port of Savannah by 150,000 TEUs.

The RTGs will work over stacks that are five containers high and six deep, with a truck lane running alongside the stacks. Capable of running on electricity, the cranes will have a lift capacity of 50 metric tons.

The cranes will arrive in two batches of five in the first and second quarters of calendar year 2019.

 Also at Monday's meeting, the GPA Board elected its officers, with Jimmy Allgood as chairman, Will McKnight taking the position of vice chairman and Joel Wooten elected as the next secretary/treasurer.

For more information, visit gaports.com, or contact GPA Senior Director of Corporate Communications Robert Morris at (912) 964-3855 or rmorris@gaports.com.

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