As a guide with Old Savannah Tours, Bob Register leads the way to a thorough appreciation of the city for thousands of tourists a year.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that speaks more fluently—or frequently—on Savannah’s storied history than Bob Register. As a tour guide with Old Savannah Tours for the last 15 years, he leads over 750 tours annually and has shaped the experiences of literally thousands of visitors with his genteel manners, erudite delivery and homespun Hostess City charm.

Thanks to the efforts of over 300 members, the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire ensures that  the sacrifices made by local firefighters and law enforcement officials will never go unappreciated.

On December 11, 1999, 36-year-old Christopher Argentinis said goodbye to his family and reported for duty as a patrolman with the Wareham Police Department in Massachusetts. He would never return home. Struck by a car while in a foot chase with a suspected drug offender, Chris succumbed to head injuries two days later, leaving a wife and two young sons, ages 6 and 4, to mourn his sudden loss.

It’s been said that there are two types of people in this world, dog people and cat people. Realistically, the labels may not be so cut and dry, but one thing is for sure: Here in Savannah there are many outstanding individuals worthy of the classification “animal people.” These are the individuals caring and advocating for our feathered, furry or flying friends. The South presents five individuals that are a truly breed of their own.

Led by a group of dedicated locals, the Coastal Georgia Greenway may offer a key to the area’s pressing environmental and economic questions. Here’s a hint: Blaze a trail.

Penetrating sunshine, whimsical shades of khaki and green marsh grass, fiddler crabs scurrying from one habitat to the next—these are treasures found in abundance along the Georgia coast. And if you have ever wished you could safely bike or walk your way through this extraordinary environment, you’re not alone.

Thanks to the dedication and passion of a growing group of citizens, the Coastal Georgia Greenway (CGG) is drawing closer to realizing its vision of a 450-mile, connected trail system that will link South Carolina to Florida along Georgia’s pristine coastline. This breathtaking stretch of paved trails will be part of the larger, East Coast

Greenway trail system that when complete, will connect Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine—totaling 3,000 miles. To date, the entire system is 30 percent complete, with most trails found in the Northeast.

With SCAD Style and it’s highly anticipated spring fashion show on the horizon, The South profiles the lines of six senior fashion students preparing to make their mark on the world of high style.

It’s the time of year when Savannah becomes a month-long Milan, a part-time Paris—an a la mode fashion capital hosting its signature event, SCAD Style. For six weeks, the Savannah College of Art and Design plays host to innovative designers and artists, simultaneously showcasing student work in programs of study like fashion, interior design, architecture and jewelry design. From lectures to trunk shows, special film screenings to exhibitions—our chic city brims with trendsetting talent.

Savannah artist Elena Madden has been in “a blue mood.” But she’s not looking for pity “That’s a good thing for me,” says the 33-year-old painter. “Sometimes I go crazy—monochromatic. Lately I’ve been feeling that cerulean blue color.”

“That cerulean blue” leaps off the surface of recent works in Madden’s Ring Series— abstract mixed media paintings of large, shimmering overlapping circles in rich teals, blues and reds covering canvasses three- to four-feet square and capturing a juxtaposition of elements that the artist has made her own—the intersection of water and light.

In the 13 years since receiving her painting degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Ring Series is perhaps Madden’s best-recognized and most lasting body of work.

You may not believe it now, while you fanaticize about a spring vacation to some exotic getaway, but sometimes the best trips happen when you just stay home. Times are tight, and our wallets are even tighter. Layoffs, recession, and the ever-spiraling economy seem all consuming, forcing many of us to redefine our money-spending choices. In effect, the economic climate has altered the way in which we travel: People are staying close when leaving home, saving on time, money, gas and perhaps even guilt. But just because you’re staying local doesn’t mean you have to skimp on excitement. Who says that luxury can only be found by hopping on a plane to the Caribbean?

To remind you that the lap of leisure is closer than you think, we offer some fun, creative, affordable (and some splurge-worthy) ideas on where to stay, play, eat and shop, all in your own backyard. Read up on ideas to inspire, invigorate, enlighten and even ease the “guilt of travel” during such unstable times. So kick back, relax and enjoy; You’re on staycation.

Nashville, Tennessee, is the home of country music, all-night jam sessions and your next high-energy, foot-stomping vacation.

Nashville is a gambling town. But unlike Las Vegas, where people gamble with money, folks in Music City gamble with their souls. Man quits job, sells car and packs guitar and a couple of shirts along with some rhyming lines about life, written on everything from folded up napkins to old check stubs; he hops on a Greyhound bus with a big sign on the front that’s lit up like heaven and reads “Nashville.” This story occurs in some form or another every single day. Only the minor details vary. Sometimes it’s a woman driving in. Sometimes the guitar is a fiddle. The common thread, though, is that they always come to Nashville with some innate wisdom about life and a melody to go with it.

In a city that thrives on charity, there’s a small community of philanthropists ensuring that events like the Savannah Music Festival ever reach the stage.

Every year, ticket sales for the Savannah Music Festival, (SMF) cover approximately 36 percent of the event’s annual costs. The other 64 percent—the hundreds of thousands of dollars vital to the procurement of the world-class performers, expert staff and highly anticipated special events—has to be raised by alternate means. Advertising and merchandise help some, but much of the festival’s bill is footed solely by the generosity of local individuals and businesses, who, for their own reasons, chose to open their wallets and their calendars to give.

The SMF isn’t the only entity in the city largely maintained by local altruism. Savannah is built upon the charity of its citizens—literally. Nearly five decades ago, the checkbooks and inexhaustible energy of a group of dedicated residents materialized into the Historic Savannah Foundation. Over the years with the help of private funds and public efforts, the organization assisted in preventing the gradual destruction of the city’s historic districts and initiated an urban renewal that enabled a 180-degree turn from the aesthetic and economic depression enveloping the Hostess City by the mid-20th century.

Every day, there are unseen hands molding Savannah into what it is, and what it should be. Each day, there are phone calls being made, board meetings being held, initiatives being considered and enacted—all with the goal of community-wide advancement in the Hostess City.

To honor those individuals who have directed their considerable influence towards exacting positive change, we present our first ever list of Savannah’s Power Players. These are the people who spend their days on the phone, in meetings, and at their desks, getting things done for the betterment of the city and the lives of its citizens. These Stars of the South are reminders that one person’s efforts can have a long and lasting influence.

Mayor Otis S. Johnson
Hails from: Savannah, Georgia

Life’s work: Even before becoming the mayor of the city of Savannah in 2004, Otis Johnson’s life has been geared toward community activism and education. He was a professor and administrator at Savannah State University, the executive director of the Chatham Savannah Youth Futures Authority,