Latest news with #Pooler
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
BREAKING: Large police presence in Pooler
POOLER, Ga. (WSAV) — WSAV has a crew on the way to Pooler where there is a large police presence near the Comfort Inn and Suites and Candlewood Suites. We will update as information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Community Preservation Committee to hold informational meeting
SOUTHWICK — It often happens at Town Meeting and is often seen on various social media platforms that focus on town issues. Residents want to know: 'Why do we need a splash pad when we can't fix our roads?' For Community Preservation Committee Coordinator Sabrina Pooler the answer is simple. 'The funding for the splash pad comes from revenues generated by the town's participation in the state's Community Preservation Act. The projects are not directly funded by taxpayers,' she said. She did, however, recognize that it can be confusing. 'It's a surcharge that you'll see on your tax bill,' she said. In 2002, Town Meeting voted to participate in the program that had only been signed into law two years before, and it was one of the first. This is how the CPA program's surcharge works. For a property valued at $300,000, $100,000 is exempted. Multiply $200,000 by the current tax rate of $15.57 per every $1,000, and a property owner's tax annual tax bill would be $3,114. That $3,114 is multiplied by the 3% surcharge, which adds $92.82 annually, or $7.73 monthly to the tax bill. But that is only what local taxpayers contribute to the Community Preservation Act fund. The state matches the surplus funds generated by deed recording fees at various percentages. 'After residents adopted the surcharge, there were only a few towns and cities that were taking advantage of the program,' Pooler said. 'For a few years the state was matching 100% of the surcharges collected,' she said, adding that up until a few years ago the town was still getting an 80% match. As the program has been adopted by more municipalities that in turn lowered the state match, she said. Pooler said the state's match this year for the town was at nearly 39%, which amounted to $192,843 based on $487,819 collected in local surcharge fees. When the town adopted the surcharge, it also set it at the maximum allowed: 3%. That allows the town to qualify for three separate payments during the fiscal year. As an example of the difference, in Agawam, it had surcharge collections of $629,673, a quarter more than Southwick's, but the state only matched 18% of collections for a total of $113,000. That's because Agawam's surcharge is 1% of a resident's tax bill. While Town Meeting-approved projects have drained some of the CPA accounts, there is still $2.3 million in its general unrestricted fund, $76.000 in its Open Space account, $724,800 in its Affordable Housing account, and $307,200 in its Historic Preservation account. Projects must fit the criteria for protecting open space, the rehabilitation or new construction of affordable housing, and historic preservation. With those funds available, Pooler said the Community Preservation Committee is inviting residents to an informational meeting to have the program explained in greater detail. It will be held on Wednesday, June 18 at 6 p.m., at Town Hall. 'We really want to educate our residents about this program. And most of the time no one attends this once-a-year this meeting,' she said. She's also hoping that there might be some nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in town that would like to pursue a project that is accessible to all town residents. As an example, she said an organization like the Rotary Club of Southwick might want to build an amphitheater for its summer concert series. To do that, it would need to come up with estimates for every detail of the project from the cost of the property to buying an acoustic shell or bandshell. 'Technically, they're supposed to shovel ready,' Pooler said. But the only way to know if an organization like the Rotary Club or a PTO can propose a project is to submit an application with the details, or if possible, attending the meeting on June 18. Because it might take as long as a year for a project to be approved by the CPC and then Town Meeting. 'We had a Boy Scout come in a want to apply, but he needed the funds nearly right away. It just doesn't work that way,' she said. Since the program started in 2002, $18 million has been allocated for 43 projects, from preserving town documents to repairing the slate roof at the police station. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Flags for the Fallen final day: wreath laying, flyover
POOLER, Ga. (WSAV) – This Memorial Day, 26,000 World War II veterans who never returned home were honored with a flag at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Airforce as part of an annual four-day observance known as Flags for the Fallen. On its final day Monday, a C-130 flew over the museum in addition to a wreath laying ceremony in the museum's garden. At the museum, fallen soldiers were not the only ones honored, but those who made it home, such as 99-year-old Bruce Cook, a WWII fighter pilot of the 379th Bomb Group. 'I flew in this pretty small space here, and the only flight gear I had was a chest flight parachute,' said Cook, gesturing to the tiny cockpit he once flew in. Cook sat next to the very plane he flew in Great Britain while fighting the Nazis, on the display in the museum. He was an honorary dignitary along with fellow fighter pilot Kenneth Beckman, 102. 'I didn't know anything about what to expect other than all the German fighter pilots and the potential of not coming back,' said Cook. Retired Colonel Brent Bracewell, the museum's Chairman Elect of the Board of Trustees is instrumental in the annual observance. 'We have a saying here: You die twice. Once when your heart stops beating and once when your name is said the last time. We never want to say their names the last time,' said Bracewell. For the brave men and women still living, education about Memorial Day's meaning is of utmost importance, especially according to Cook. 'It kind of bothers me that today people now don't really realize what it means, and I wish it could be better promoted to the younger people of what it really means. That would mean a whole lot to me,' he said. Bracewell shared the same sentiment, and therefore encouraged the celebration of Memorial Day. 'You know, people go, well, they're out celebrating, they're barbecuing, they're spending time with their family. Please do that because I think if these fallen heroes would speak from the grave they would say: don't remember me with the tears. Just remember me,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local veteran honors America's heroes
POOLER, Ga. (WSAV) – A local 84-year-old veteran is honoring America's heroes with a display, one flag at a time. As you drive down U.S 80 in Pooler, across from city hall, you may have seen these flags. 'This year, I decided I wanted to do a different situation because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,' Clyde Watson said. 'It's also the 83rd anniversary of the Mighty Eighth [Air Force Museum].' It is a project he started in 2008 at the First Baptist Church of Pooler to honor veterans and service members who died for our country. He has more than a dozen state flags and all military flags, a salute to each passerby. '…everybody loves it,' Watson said. 'Everybody likes it. And I had one man to call Saturday morning. He said 'Clyde, you done a wonderful job up there.'' He said he contacts the states directly to requests flags or buys them himself when he can. 'I've had a couple of people give me some money to buy some flags, and the flags are expensive now,' Watson said. 'They're more expensive than they were when we first started and we have to buy a poll to put them on. So, we've had some few donations' It is a meaningful tradition that he hopes will remind people of the sacrifice behind our freedom. 'It is personal to me that we're able to celebrate a free United States because of what those veterans did,' he said. He said, '…it's the same thing that Jack Kennedy said, don't ask what you can what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.' Watson told WSAV his work doesn't end here. 'I hope to finally get all of the state flags and maybe even get a soldier's name, so we can put it on the flag board. That's my goal,' he said. Watson said they are always looking for monetary donations to keep this tradition alive, and he is hoping to expand the display by adding more flags to the lineup. He told WSAV anyone can contact the church to make monetary donations. He told WSAV that he wants to collect all of the state flags to donate to the Mighty Eighth. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Globe and Mail
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
CARma Auto Care: Pooler's Premier Auto Repair Shop Driven by Transparency and Community
Pooler, GA - CARma Auto Care, a family- and female-owned auto repair shop founded by Moira Sheehan in 2015, has become a trusted name in the Pooler community. Located at 13 Ida J. Gadsden Dr., on the Savannah Airport property, the shop serves customers from Pooler and surrounding areas, offering a comprehensive range of automotive services. With a background in business consulting and an MBA degree, Sheehan established CARma Auto Care to provide honest and reliable automotive services. The shop's ASE-certified technicians use the latest tools and factory-specific equipment to handle everything from routine maintenance to complex engine work. CARma Auto Care is committed to transparency, offering digital inspections with photos and videos, and backs its services with a lifetime warranty on labor and up to 50,000 miles on parts. The customer experience is further enhanced by amenities such as a comfortable waiting area with free Wi-Fi, coffee, and water. For added convenience, CARma provides shuttle services to Savannah Airport, Gulfstream, and Tanger Outlet upon request. Beyond automotive services, CARma Auto Care is dedicated to community involvement, supporting local organizations like Safe Shelter, Greenbrier Children's Center, and the Foster Children's Program. Contact: Moira Sheehan, Owner, CARma Auto Care Phone: (912) 335-5766 Email: info@ Website: Media Contact Company Name: CARma Auto Care Contact Person: Moira Sheehan, Owner Email: Send Email Phone: (912) 335-5766 City: Pooler State: GA Country: United States Website:
