Gregory Hammontree receives musical scholastic award
Savannah Arts Academy honor graduate Gregory Hammontree is one of two recipients of this year's Friends of Johnny Mercer Music Scholastic Awards.
Hammontree performed on trumpet with the Savannah Arts Academy Skyelite Jazz Band. He will major in jazz studies at Georgia State University in the fall. He will receive $1,000 from the Friends of Johnny Mercer.
Gregory is the son of CSWA-S member, Donna Hammontree.
John
Taylor, who is legally blind, uses a monocular to help him see classwork.
Offering more than a couch to lay on
New
SSU counselor helps students with behavioral, mental and physical issues
by
Eric Curl
Before 39-year-old John Taylor
could enroll at SSU this semester, he had to take the entrance exam. But Taylor,
who is legally blind, couldn't see the questions no matter how large they were.
Although
the situation seemed hopeless, it wasn't. SSU has a new secret weapon who had a
solution to the problem - counselor Jacqueline Awe.
Awe,
who got her master's degree in social work from Savannah State, simply went to
Taylor's home, where he had the proper equipment, and supervised him as he took
the exam there.
Students
with disabilities aren't the only issues Awe will be working on at SSU.
"I'm expected to provide therapeutic type services," Awe said. "I'm helping people develop coping skills."
Mayor Otis Johnson Named NASW Public Elected Official of the Year
Savannah Mayor chosen for dedication to social work and public service
Washington-- The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is pleased to name Mayor Otis Johnson the 2005 Public Elected Official of the Year honoring his dedication to highlighting and remedying social issues important to the City of Savannah .
Well into his first term as Mayor of Savannah, Otis Johnson has gained the respect of its citizens by translating his valuable social work skills into positive changes for Savannah-Chatham County . Mayor Johnson ran on a platform using the acronym N.E.E.D. – Neighborhood Empowerment and Economic Development. He is striving to provide continuity of services for members of the community as it relates to crime, health, education, and community services.
While in office, he has implemented several strategies to reach out to the community to determine their greatest needs. Quarterly town hall meetings and live Internet chats make the Mayor accessible to residents. He encourages community members to voice their opinions, making everyone responsible for developing solutions to resolve problems.
Tackling difficult issues and creating innovative solutions has been the hallmark of Mayor Johnson’s life’s work and the benchmark of his administration. His social work experience began 30 years ago working in anti-poverty programs in Savannah . Over the course of his social work career, he has also worked closely with youth on issues of drugs, school dropout prevention, and teen pregnancy. His work in academia allowed him to establish an undergraduate social work program at Savannah State University .
Mayor Johnson was the first black Savannahian to graduate from the University of Georgia . He continued his studies at Atlanta University School of Social Work where he received a Masters of Social Work. He completed his education with a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Social Welfare from Brandeis University , with a specialization in social policy and planning.
“Through his leadership, Mayor Johnson is guiding others to not just stop at the symptoms, but to take a holistic view of the problems,” says Ruth Keith, MSW, LCSW, BCD, nomination chair at the NASW-Georgia Chapter. “His view of the issues is from a social worker’s perspective.”
Jacqueline
Awe, SSU's new counselor, says her new job is a lot of work but that it is
fulfilling to help others.
Most
students who see Awe don't come voluntarily. Professors, coaches, police and
other campus officials refer students with behavioral problems, or other issues,
to Dr. Randy Gunter, vice president for student affairs, who in turn refers them
to her.
Awe
said that many students could keep themselves out of trouble if they could just
learn to process their behavior.
"They
may be able to stop and think before they act," Awe said.
Awe
doesn't want students to feel they have to do something wrong in order to go to
her.
"Counseling
is by no means a sanctioning," she said.
Awe
encourages students to come by her office on the top floor of the student center
any time they need someone to talk to. She has had a few students drop by on
their own already.
Some
issues are more serious than others. She said that one student recently came to
her because she tried something she shouldn't have.
I
didn't think she needed to see me more than one time about that particular
situation, Awe said.
"(But)
some people have a history of behavioral problems."
Those
students she will have to see repeatedly.
Awe
helps students deal with issues concerning family, sex, substance abuse and
"any issue that will affect social functioning." This includes
physical disabilities as well as behavioral problems.
Awe
works with SSU students with disabilities, identifies their needs, and helps
them to fulfill their needs. As a result, students are then able to attend the
university unimpeded.
In
addition to working with Taylor, she is currently trying to find note takers for
the 11 to 15 disabled students attending SSU. She said students who volunteer as
note takers will be offered such benefits as early registration, a mention of
note taking work on their school transcripts, and professional references.
She
also found class interpreters for two hearing impaired students.
Taylor
is the first student with his level of visual impairment to attend SSU,
according to Awe. He was stricken with sarcoidosis, a disease caused by
inflammation, that can attack any organ of the body with no known cause, about
four and a half years ago. This led to the deterioration of his sight.
"I
have 20/400 vision," Taylor said. "What you see at 400 feet I have to
see at 20 feet." He said the disease is in remission and his vision will
not get any worse, but because of a lack of any treatments available, it will
not get any better either.
Taylor,
who served in the military for 17 and a half years before taking early
retirement because of the disease, requires special magnifying equipment to read
class work and computer monitors.
But
going home with Taylor, or any other student with a sight disability, to monitor
his work isn't a very practical idea, Awe said. Therefore, she will be meeting
with the Savannah Association of the Blind to find the best equipment they can
get for Taylor, and future SSU students with similar needs.
In the
meantime, John uses a CCT, or pocket viewer, he places over his books to enlarge
the text, and a monocular, which is like a binocular with one lens.
Taylor,
who wants to start his own business one day, is glad that Awe and SSU is working
to get equipment for students like him who have special needs.
"If
they go ahead and accommodate me, then more people (with similar conditions)
will go to Savannah State," Taylor said.
Contact
Jacqueline Awe
Awe's
office is located in the Department of Student Affairs on the second floor of
the King Frazier Complex Student Center. Her hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday. She can be reached at 356-2202. During her off hours, she
can be reached by calling campus police at 356-2753.
From
The Tiger’s Roar
He was 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19.5 inches long. His older siblings, John and Maya, are crazy about him and want to "help" with his care. It is a precious, exciting time for our family.
Wedding Planned for 2006
Teesha
Mccrae & Reginald Riley
(member)
plan on exchanging their nuptials on August
12, 2006.
Teesha is a law student at the University of Florida Levin College of Law who plans to pursue a career in family law and mediation. Reginald is a Ph.D. Candidate at Capella University School of Human Services who works as a social worker at St. Joseph's/Candler Health System in Savannah, Georgia.
Best of luck to the couple as they embark on this most important journey.
Kindra Justice Dimmock & Jorge Ciro Santamaria |
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Kindra
Justice Dimmock and Jorge Ciro Santamaria were married on June 26, 2004
in a morning ceremony at New Horizon United Methodist Church in
Southwest Ranches, FL. The Rev. Lani Peck officiated. The bride is the
daughter of (CSWA-S members) Cecil and Linda Barnes of Savannah, GA and the late Eugene
Downer Dimmock, III. She is a graduate of St. Andrew's School and
Guilford College and is a Ph.D. candidate at Florida State University.
The groom is the son of Ms. Ariane Furst Santamaria of Santiago, Chile
and Pembroke Pines, FL and Mr. Ciro Santamaria of Quito, Ecuador. He is
a graduate of Plantation High School and holds Bachelor's and Master's
degrees from Florida State University. Honor attendants, for the couple,
were Erin Elizabeth Barnes of Savannah, GA, sister of the bride and
Sharee Mitchell of Tallahassee, FL. Trish and Ben Shaw of Tallahassee,
FL were soloists. A reception was held at the Grand Palms Hotel in
Pembroke Pines. Following a wedding trip to Ireland, the couple is
residing in Paris, France.
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More
News From Jason & Dena
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Beverly Greenspan, 56, died Sunday, July 4, surrounded by friends and
family at Candler Hospital in Savannah after a determined two-year battle
with pancreatic cancer. Born in Monmouth County, N.J., on Feb. 18, 1948,
to Ruth Kelner and the late David A. Kelner, Beverly and her family moved
to Savannah in 1981. She received a bachelor of science degree in
psychology from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Penn., and a master of
education degree with an emphasis in gifted education from Georgia
Southern University. She was a licensed professional counselor in Savannah
whose therapeutic insight helped hundreds of clients over the course of
her career. She will be remembered as a loving and devoted mother,
daughter, sister, aunt and friend, whose infectious laugh and zest for
life would bring a smile to anyone's face. Beverly was a member of Agudath
Achim Synagogue in Savannah and was the Team Hope Coordinator for
Southeast Georgia for the Pancreatic Cancer Acti on Network. She is
survived by a mother, Ruth Kelner of Savannah; son and daughter-in-law,
Steven and Alison Sinkey Greenspan of Marietta; daughter, Rebecca
Greenspan of Savannah; companion, Bonnie Hendrix of Savannah; brother and
sister-in-law, Paul and Lenore Blank Kelner of Silver Spring, Md.; nephew,
Dennis Kelner of Silver Spring, Md.; and many good friends.
In lieu of flowers, please send remembrances to: Pancreatic Cancer Action Network 2221 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 131 El Segundo, CA 90245(Telephone: 877-272-6226, Website: pancan.org.) |
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 |  Jason
Hobbs (member) and wife Dena had a son, Elijah Aaron Hobbs (AKA: Eli)
born on June 27th. Mother and baby are doing well. |
| Mary Hill (member) has retired after 34 credited years of employment with the state of Georgia that included the former Georgia Retardation Center in Athens, where she helped establish a Diagnostic and Evaluation Center for a catchment area of 28 counties and conducted and produced a resource directory of available services for the same area; she also was the single Unit Social Worker for an inpatient adult unit at Georgia Regional Hospital in Augusta, and most recently, staff development and training coordinator at Chatham County DFCS. |