Community Blog

Are any of you readers familar with the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s (MDA) “Lock-Up?”  If not, let me explain.

I have been found guilty of having a BIG HEART by the MDA Summer Campers!  Now, the Muscular Dystrophy Association is locking me up on August 25th and I need your help!

Help get me out of jail by donating towards my bail!  A tax-deductible donation will help MDA continue research into the causes of, and cures for 43 neuromuscular diseases.  It will also MDA provide wheelchairs, clinic visits and summer camp for people in the local area.

To donate, you can either make out a check (and earmark it with my name) to the Muscular Dystrophy Association and mail it to:

MDA

29 Leinbach Drive

Charleston, SC 29407

Or, visit my my website and donate online today!  Thanks so much for your help!  Many are depending on your kindness.

Susan Mangiero
Property Manager, Walden at Chatham Center

Do we have any R&B music fans here at Walden at Chatham Center?  Chart topping musical sensations Trey Songz, with special guest Monica, will be coming to Savannah next month on Thursday, August 12 at 7:30 p.m., to perform at the Johnny Mercer Theatre/Savannah Civic Center (301 West Oglethorpe Avenue) as part of the Passion, Pain, Pleasure Tour.  The nationwide tour — named for his upcoming album — tips off on August 6. 

Is anyone looking forward to seeing him in concert?  I wonder if how much music he will do from his new album.  Has anyone seen the docu-series he currently has on BET titled My Moment?.  What do you think about it.  I’m not a huge fan of the whole celebreality TV thing, but it’s OK.

Tickets to the concert are available on through etix and they’re going for around $50 right now.  Also, The Savannah Morning News is giving away a pair of tickets on August 4.  All you have to do is submit an entry form to be eligible.  Good luck and enjoy the show if you go!

(Photo Credit: treysongz)

The Runaways

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the music-fueled coming of age story of the groundbreaking, all-girl rock band, THE RUNAWAYS. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon, Pearl Harbor), who turns the rebellious Southern California kids into a rock group with outrageous success. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten. Rated R.

I’m kind of looking forward to renting this movie.  I think Dakota Fanning is a great actress and it will be interesting to see the some of the history that goes along with women entering the Rock-n-Roll biz.  Must have been wild times!

The closest Redbox kiosks to Walden at Chatham Center are at Walgreens (4210 Augusta Rd), Kroger (3310 Ogeechee Rd and 311 E Gwinnett St).

You know the routine, you wake up in the moring to take Rover out to do his “business” and he has to inspect every tree, fire hydrant and lamppost in the area before he finds “the chosen one.”

Why there has to be this daily search is beyond me.  You’d think that the spot he chose yesterday would still be good today, right?  We may never know the science behind the search, but we do know that we have to pick it up.  That’s the rule: they poop, you scoop.  So what do you use for your clean-up duty?

How about a BioBag? A traditional plastic bag can take up to 100 years to breakdown whereas the BioBag is made from corn and breaks down in a far less amount of time.  So while your keeping the pet-friendly landscape of  Walden clean, you’re also helping to conserve the planet.  It’s a win-win for everyone.

So go ahead puppy, sniff away, stroll around and pick your favorite.  No worries, we’ve got all the time in the world for you to do your business. At least it won’t take all the time in the world for the baggie to decompose.

Nearly 50 years after Ramona & Beezus was first published, Beverly Cleary’s best-selling children’s classics are still resonating well with readers young and old.  Check out the trailer for the book’s big screen debut below.  It stars Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place star Selena Gomez, along with Sandra Oh, Josh Duhamel, Ginnifer Goodwin, Bridget Moynahan and John Corbett.

Ramona & Beezus hits theatres this weekend.  If you’d like to go see it, here are movie times for Trademark Cinemas Victory Stadium 9, Carmike 10 – Savannah and Carmike Wynnsong 11!

Gotta love The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).  They give Savannah, an otherwise refined and well-bred town *wink*, a little art school raciness.  As anyone who’s been to the SCAD exhibits can attest, there is some pretty impressive work coming out of there.

Right now they’ve got two exhibits that are both must-sees and totally different from one another:

First, there is the Charmaine Ortiz “A Linear Perspective” exhibit at the Alexander Hall Gallery (668 Indian Street) now through July 23rd.  In it, the artist, a SCAD MFA, is looking to examine how things look as a structure and how they would operate within a space.

Second, there is the Jessica Clark exhibit at the Fahm Gallery (9 Fahm Street) called “Lumbee: Postmodern Natives.”  This artist is also a SCAD MFA, but she is a representational painter who creates highly detailed canvases from photographs.  Clark states, “my work is about the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina, a group of Native Americans. It’s based around my family.”

Check them out and let me know what you think!

 If you don’t have your U.S. Passport yet, you can save a few bucks by going to apply for it now…like RIGHT now.  As of next Tuesday, July 13, the price for passports will raise from $100 to $135.  For those 16 and under, the price jumps from $85 to $105.  Even the price of renewals will go up.  Currently renewals are $75.  Next week: $110.  And if you want to add visa pages to your passport, better do it now while it’s still free.  Next week, the cost is $82! 

According to Brenda Sprague, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services, “all of the increased security and the anti-fraud measures added to passports in recent years come at a cost.”  She added, “New technologies for use in our U.S. passport books and cards must be an ongoing priority if we are to keep one step ahead of the resourceful and technologically savvy criminals, terrorist groups, and subversive elements bent on doing our nation harm.” 

I understand the reasons for raising the rates so I guess I can’t complain too much.  I don’t think the price hikes are huge deal, but I hope it doesn’t turn people off from travel.  Here at Walden at Chatham apartments, being so close to SCAD brings us many residents that have enriched their lives through world travel.  Maybe as citizens we should at least get the first one free.  I don’t know.  What do you think?  Are you upset with the price hikes?  Just curious – what are some of your favorite countries to visit? 

(Photo Credit: hjl)

So last week I blogged about the Tybee Throws a Fit excercise event that took place on the Tybee Island.  Did anyone make it out there?  Well, writing about that really had me thinking about my own fitness goals and doing what I need to do to get back in shape.

I used to run a lot, but I slacked off terribly.  Now I want to get back into it and I need to get a good pair of running shoes.  My goal is to get ready for the 10K Savannah River Bridge Run that takes place in December.  I always thought it was a cool route – being able to run above the Savannah River like that.  Anyway, a friend sent me this link on how to pick out a great pair of running shoes.  Thought I’d share it with everyone.  Check it out and let me know if it is helpful at all.  Enjoy!

Do you know about the history of fireworks in this country and why we celebrate them on July 4th every year?  Here is some info I found at Everything4thofJuly.com…

When settlers started coming to the New World, the Western hemisphere, they used the fireworks to impress or frighten away the Natives. They also used the fireworks to celebrate special occasions.

Fireworks lit up the sky in 1777 on the very first July Fourth. Even though in the midst of war, only a year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the bright fireworks gave a sign of awe, hope and patriotism to the young United States of America.

Pretty interesting stuff, huh?  If you’re planning on watching fireworks this Independence Day, you have several options in the Savannah area.  Here are a few…

Tybee Island (July 3)

Fireworks on the beach on the south end of Tybee Island. Visit the Tybee Island website for more info.

Fantastic Fourth Celebration on the River (July 3-4)

Historic River Street in Savannah will be home to one of the largest fireworks displays in the Southeast!  The fireworks show begins at approximately 9:30 p.m. on the 4th.  Check out Savannah River Street’s website for more details.

Fort Stewart (July 4)

Activities include kiddie rides and concessions. They will also have local musical entertainment beginning at 7:30 p.m.  Fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m.

We all know that easy access to Tybee Island is one of Savannah’s crown jewel ameneties.  Just think of how many “inlanders” would love to be able to hit a nice clean beach whenever they felt the urge.  Another great thing about Tybee is all of the year-round events that they hold, such as this weekend’s Tybee Throws a Fit fitness event.

Have you heard about it?  If you have any interest in excercise or getting in shape, you won’t want to miss this event.  Basically, Tybee Throws a Fit is a full day of different excercise, sports (water and land) and fitness workouts for anyone to come and learn and particpate in.  Doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or expert…everyone is encouraged to come out.

Want to know who will be hosting the event?  Check out this line-up: Style Network star and Emmy-nominee Ruby Gettinger, her trainers Shazi & Drew Edmonds of Train Me 24/7 and Olympic Trainer Michael Banks.

These health and fitness all-stars will lead programs in different activities throughout the day , such as surfing, swimming, sailing, kayaking, tennis, dog walking, bocce ball, biking, kite surfing, running, weight training, skating, soccer, Frisbee, hula-hooping, jump roping, basketball, volleyball, yoga, aerobics, beach strolls, race walking and more.

One more thing…they advise that you get there early (some events start at 8:00 a.m.) because parking will be limited on the island.  If several people would like to go, maybe a carpool can be organized from Walden.  Leave a post on our Facebook page if you’re interested.

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