New Playground Equipment For Kids In Meldrim

By Genevieve Rogers

After years of planning and hard work, new playground equipment has finally made it's way to Meldrim Memorial Park.

The old playground equipment is over 35 years old and was formerly used at the Savannah Sugar Refinery before being donated to the park by two Meldrim residents. The Meldrim Civic Club formed the Meldrim Memorial Park Rejuvenation Project with the purpose of purchasing new equipment, so that a new generation of Meldrim children could enjoy the park.

Meldrim Civic Club President, Stephen Newsome, who has been a driving force in the project, sees the equipment as a dream fulfilled and new chapter for the tight knit community.

"I sure am proud of what we've accomplished. I think that we've exceeded every one's expectations, not just within the community, but all over Effingham County. It's simply incredible, and it fulfills a great need for the Meldrim community. I'm very proud of the role that I played in making this happen."

Mr. Newsome says that along with the money from fundraisers, grants on the local and state level also contributed towards the equipment. In addition to the $12,500 raised from the Meldrim Civic Club, the state of Georgia granted $25,000 to the project, and the Effingham County Commissioners and Effingham County Parks and Recreation gave $20,000. Read More

Bald Is Still Beautiful!

By Kathy Moore

Bald is definitely beautiful according to Joe Driggers, Mark Best, Royce Copeland, Kenny Hill, Steve Routh and Robert Hauft. These friends came together to show support for Mark last year in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. They shaved their heads at the Barber Pole off Wright Square. Then, in a dramatic display, had local companies' logos sketched on their shiny, bald heads as they walked together in the two-day event. They called their team, "Bald for Best."

The reason they call their team "Bald for Best" is for Mark Best, their friend. At this time last year, Mark was in remission but still battling Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma with chemo at first. Then a marrow transplant made the difference, and he is now a cancer survivor, although still ongoing with some treatments for the next couple of years. He participated in the Relay last year and was excited about doing it again this year with his fellow team mates/friends. They received an honor from the American Cancer Society last year for raising the most money on site out of the over 100 other teams present. Read More