TECH
Lenovo Smart Clock
The easier way to start your day, save time, unwind and more. A smart clock with Google Assistant so you can ask it questions and tell it to do things. Ease yourself into the day and set up a good morning routine to bring you the local traffic, news, weather and sports automatically. Later in the evening, when you’re ready to unwind, Lenovo can control your other smart devices to switch the porch lights off, turn on the espresso machine or control any product featuring a “works with Google Assistant” badge. Plus, enjoy music, podcasts, audiobooks or the radio when you like, all hands-free. Just say, “Hey Google,” to get started.
Events
October 14. Sand Hills Writers Series.
Jaguar Student Activity Center. Featuring Linda Hogan, poet and novelist, and Rick Van Noy, nonfiction writer.
A Chickasaw novelist, essayist and environmentalist, Linda Hogan is the author of nine poetry collections–most recently, Dark. Sweet. New and Selected Poems (2014).
Intimately connected to her political and spiritual concerns, Hogan’s poetry deals with issues such as the environment and eco-feminism, the relocation of Native Americans and historical narratives, including oral histories. Her works of prose–three essay collections and four novels–also reflect her interests in the environment and Native American culture.
Rick Van Noy grew up in a small New Jersey town on the Delaware River just up from where Washington crossed on Christmas Eve. After stints in Colorado, Washington and Ohio, he moved to Radford, Virginia, for a position in the English Department at Radford University and has stayed for the clean waterways and lovely mountains.
Van Noy is the author of Surveying the Interior: Literary Cartographers and the Sense of Place (2003), A Natural Sense of Wonder: Connecting Kids with Nature through the Seasons (2008), and Sudden Spring: Stories of Adaptation in a Climate-Changed South (2019).
Photo courtesy of Augusta University
Unite in the fight against cancer walk
This year’s Unite in the Fight Against Cancer walk will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Lucy C. Laney High School football stadium on Laney Walker Boulevard. Participants can register for the 1.5-mile walk as an individual or create a team with family and friends. Individuals and teams will determine a fundraising goal, with money raised going to support patient care and cancer research projects at the Georgia Cancer Center. Walkers will also have the opportunity to purchase an official Unite in the Fight Against Cancer T-shirt in the color representing their cancer’s awareness ribbon color.
Photo by Leslie Hand Photography
GETAWAYS:
Little Raccoon Key, GA.
By Anna Mullikin Freeman
Featured in more than 36 top glamping lists and stories in publications such as Travel & Leisure, U.S. News & World Report, Country Living, etc.
Who said the outdoors can’t be glamorous? Just a short boat ride off Jekyll Island’s coast is one of Georgia’s hidden gems, where you’ll find just the perfect mix of luxury and wilderness. Offering an abundance of wildlife, ocean views and 40 acres of private island, it’s no surprise that Little Raccoon Key is one of the top glamping destinations in the nation.
Where to Stay
Upon arrival, you’ll be escorted to your “tent” for the next few days. This isn’t just your average tent: With 26’x15’ of space, built out to brave even the strongest thunderstorms! The space comes complete with an enjoyable front and back deck, space-age toilet, outdoor shower, king-size bed with a memory foam mattress and fresh designer sheets. That’s not all your campsite has to offer, though. Little Raccoon Key kept all of the little details in mind, with string lights and lanterns, solar power, tons of board games, a fire pit, gas grill, kitchenette (stocked full with wine glasses, coffee mugs and dishes), linens, robes and more.
What to Eat
It’s really up to you just how much you’re catered to in the food department. If you’re an avid camper who likes to grill out or cook a meal over the fire, you’re welcome to pack your own food in a cooler and cook up a spread! If you’re not the greatest chef, though, or if you’re just looking to be pampered for the weekend, you can choose to add on services such as chef-prepared meals. The Argentinian Asado, helmed by chefs Hernan and Alberto from local restaurant Del Sur Artisan Eats, is entertainment in itself. They curate a primal and primitive open-fire feast, like the natives of Patagonia and the Timicua from Georgia, and it’s just as delicious as it is cool to watch.
What to Do
From pure relaxation to exploration and adventure… there’s so much to do on Little Raccoon Key.
– Grab a couple of beach chairs and sit along the oyster reefs as you watch dolphins swimming nearby.
– Spend the day catching fish and sharks along the beach.
– Take paddleboarding lessons out on the open ocean.
– Book a massage therapy session.
– Explore Oak Island and check out the bees
– Set up a game of cornhole.
– Go on a history and hiking tour.
– Eat breakfast and play board games in bed.
– Make s’mores by the fire.
Needless to say, you don’t have to hop on a flight to Bali or rent a yurt in Colorado to get the ultimate glamping experience. There’s just 3.5 hours of highway and a 15-minute boat ride between you and your own private island.
For more information on my own personal experience at Little Raccoon Key or to follow along on my other adventures, visit Life & Lattes online at lifeandlattes.com or on Instagram at @life.and.lattes.
Photo by Mike Adams – provided by The Augusta Chronicle
Faces:
Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw
New Superintendent of the Richmond County School System
Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw shares his vision, strategy and goals moving forward.
Augusta Magazine: Superintendents can do more to change the way a community thinks about itself, its children and the future than any other position, but it’s an enormously difficult position. How do you plan to accomplish this?
Bradshaw: Simply put, I can’t do it alone. I will work with key leaders in the business community, faith-based community, principals, parents and community stakeholders to develop buy-in on our shared vision and to lay out a course of action on how everyone can be involved in their respective areas. All of our decisions need to be aligned to improve the entire community, and we all need to be accountable for those decisions.
Augusta Magazine: How will you build public support?
Bradshaw: We are currently preparing a new strategic plan for the school system which relies heavily on community feedback. I believe in being transparent with the public about what we need from them to support us. I will be working with our team to share the facts about each school in our system, which will allow us to review the information and put the plan together for improvement. Once we have the plan in place, it will take a collaborative effort from everyone to reach the next level.
Augusta Magazine: Superintendents need a well-developed view of talent and active role in talent development. What do you look for in building a talented team?
Bradshaw: We have a tremendous team in place, but we always look to reflect, refine, review and adjust if necessary. I always look for people who are competent, collaborative, focused and those who are reflective of the quality of their work.
Augusta Magazine: In your experience, how do schools improve? How do support systems improve?
Bradshaw: Schools improve through the faithful execution of the strategic plan. Increased parental involvement and positive school climate are important to a collaborative school environment.
Support systems improve when we make adjustments to systems through data reviews and the use of key performance indicators. The more information we have at our disposal and the better we can focus our work on the right things, the better we can serve all students.
Augusta Magazine: Who is your right hand? Who is helping you drive this agenda?
Bradshaw: Obviously, we work closely with the Board of Education. The system’s Senior Team, which is comprised of the deputy superintendent, associate superintendent, three assistant superintendents over schools, an assistant superintendent for student services, the chief human resources officer and the chief financial officer, supervise all aspects of the school system and ensure we are meeting our goals. The community is also an important part of achieving our vision.
Augusta Magazine: Finally, what should graduates know and be able to do once they leave the public school system?
Bradshaw: Graduates should be ready for post-secondary opportunities or to start a career. Ideally, we would like for students to come back to our community to work and live after pursuing post-secondary opportunities. For those who begin a career, they have to be prepared to enter the workforce immediately with the skills needed to be successful.
Appears in the October 2021 issue of Augusta Magazine.
