“Truth” is not a word many would expect to be associated with reality television.

That oft-maligned genre essentially took root in 1992 with the premiere of MTV’s landmark series The Real World, and in the years since has become a mainstay of American broadcast and cable TV. Relatively inexpensive to produce (compared to scripted dramas or sitcoms) and—for some—infinitely more compelling and habit-forming than traditional serial programming, reality television has captured the hearts and minds of viewers in most every target demographic. Yet despite its moniker, most folks—including even a wide swath of the most loyal reality TV followers—would be hard pressed to vouch for the validity of what is currently found on so-called reality shows.

Truth, however, is a word reality television star Ruby Gettinger comes back to time and time again. It’s a concept she feels very strongly about and one she says is integral to her continued involvement in the increasingly popular cable series that bears her name.

“If I ever thought for a minute [the producers of my show] were portraying me in the wrong way or not telling my truth, then I’d definitely have a big problem,” says Gettinger. She adds resolutely, “If that was the case, I’d make them show me every single episode [far in advance] for my approval. So far, that’s not been the case.”

According to Gettinger, her search for the truth of what lies behind her own self-destructive demons (which, in this case, developed into a life-threatening eating disorder) is all that matters, and the fact that it’s being played out in public for the world to follow is far from a hindrance to her quest. If anything, that spotlight has aided and buoyed her along the way.

The effervescent and good-natured Savannah native first came to national prominence in 2008 with the launch of her eponymous, 30-minute series, Ruby, on the Style Network. Obese since childhood, Gettinger (who declines to reveal her exact age) had long ago made a halting peace with her situation: essentially accepting her lot and the limitations that came along with it, while steadfastly refusing to let them prevent her from living life to the best of her abilities. However, several years after hitting an all-time high of 716 pounds, she reached an epiphany that ultimately led to the creation of the show that chronicles her attempts to shed the excess weight.

Like what you’re reading? Read the full article in the October/November issue of South magazine.

Fresh out of the shower, Paula Deen walks into the kitchen of her Wilmington Island home. Her wet hair is tucked under a black, rhinestone-studded baseball cap emblazoned with the popular Sweet Potato Queens movement logo. She wears glasses, a baggy turquoise shirt and black leggings. Her face is devoid of makeup—and she’s late.

“I’m so sorry, but I just had to have a shower,” she apologizes.

No problem. Deen coughs a little. She’s just getting over a case of pneumonia, and her voice is still a little raspy.

We sit down at a table in her kitchen, the same one featured on her TV show, full of antiques and beautiful cabinetry. Now the symbol of Southern cooking, Deen is gearing up for her busy season: full of tapings, travel and her trademark twang. Deen invited South into her home for a chat about where she’s going and where she’s been.

South magazine: You have a pretty big fall ahead of you: a new seafood line has launched, a new furniture line is coming out. I’ve even heard about a talk show and a movie. What’s going on with that?

Paula Deen: Yep, I’m on a retainer with Warner Brothers, and we are working on a talk show. But I told them that I don’t want a talk show like you see today. I really want something different … I want us to tread very carefully and get a good grip on what we want this talk show to be. You know, fools rush in. We originally wanted to do it in September of ’09, but it looks like it will be 2010.

SM: And the movie?

PD: They’re writing my life story right now, which sounds real weird. They’re figuring out what they’re going to do with it. It definitely wouldn’t be a big screen movie, you know. But that’s going to be an exciting venture.

But boy, that seafood line has been a lot of work, though.

SM: Why is that?

PD: Well, because at the end of the day, all I have is my name. I have a wonderful relationship with the people in America because they trust me. And I don’t want to do anything to break that trust.

SM: Is that a little stressful at times?

PD: It can be because your expectations are high that you put on yourself. I learned a long time ago that you can’t please everybody. I used to try, but I can’t, no matter how hard I try. But if you can please 95 percent of the people, I don’t know of a politician that wouldn’t snap those numbers up quicker than Moody’s goose.

SM: Do you ever take a look at what you’ve accomplished and say, “Wow. How did I get this far?”

PD: You know, I try. But my mind can’t wrap around it. To me, I’m that same person that I was so long ago, and it doesn’t register. I have no idea how deep my fan base goes, and so I just don’t worry about it. But I can’t comprehend it. And I’m always surprised when I go out and people scream, “Paula Deen!” and I’m on the other side of the country and I think, “How do they know me?”

SM: But that must be kind of cool, though.

PD: It’s very cool. In fact, I can travel like this—with my hair up in a hat and no makeup—and I can walk through anywhere, and as long as I don’t open my mouth or laugh, people never know I’m there. Not true when Michael is with me. I told him, I said, “Honey, you are like me walking around with a turd on my forehead: Everyone’s going to notice!”

Like what you’re reading? Read the full article in the October/November issue of South magazine.

Images by Attic Fire Photography

As they all admit, being a successful artist–athlete at the Savannah College of Art and Design means developing a supreme sense of balance: a Buddha-like skill vital to juggling studio classes, notoriously time-consuming projects, rigorous daily training sessions and frequent road trips. But the artist–athletes also perform another—more rare—kind of balancing act. Challenged by their antithetical passions, they’ve had to adapt to excel in both the precise discipline of athletics and the wild field of art.

Take junior Matty Dwyer for example: When in uniform, he plays defender for the SCAD Bees soccer team. When out of uniform, he calls himself a conceptual artist who prefers working with his hands, a part of the body strictly off-limits when on the field. “I like the physicality of it,” he says about majoring in sculpture.

Or there’s Kendall Nichols, a rising senior outside hitter on the volleyball team, who displayed her keen sense of precision on the court by leading her team in scoring (with 322.5 points) during the 2008 season. She also harbors a knack for large-scale interior design. “I like architecture a lot, but I couldn’t imagine creating a building and not being able to touch the inside. I want to deal with the space,” she explains.

Nichols and fellow teammate Arynn Nease, defensive specialist and graphic designer, helped lead the Bees to an impressive overall 11-3 conference record. “It’s really intense, but it’s something I love doing,” Nease says, “and that’s the best part.”

Now take these students’ talent and energy, multiply it by a dozen or two and put it on a bus. The teams, brimming with some of the most dynamic personalities around the world, have some very … interesting … practices and road trips. Gabriella Levandowski, soccer phenom and film student, is one of the 20-plus creatively infused women’s soccer players who dominated their conference (9-1) last season, nearly capturing the conference title. She says traveling with each other is definitely one of the best—and most entertaining—parts of being on the team.

“There’s definitely no shortage of big personalities,” she explains as her coach, Andy Williamson chuckles. “I don’t listen to a lot of the conversations that go on during the trips,” Williamson says with a smile. “I’d have to ask Rebecca [the assistant coach] when I could listen again.”

“But it’s so much fun,” Levandowski replies.

Going into his eighth year coaching at SCAD, Williamson says his job has been a tremendous learning experience—one that is also far from over. “Artist–athletes are different,” he says. “You have to handle them a different way, coach them a different way and recruit them a different way.”

But ultimately Levandowski, like every one of her fellow athletes, says the quirky, creative nature that she has in common with her teammates helps her deal with the pressures of being a Bee.

“We treat each other like family. We want to make each other proud. That’s how I know we’re going to succeed next season,” Levandowski says.

Look for schedules and more athletic information at www.scadathletics.com

See the Bees in Savannah

Volleyball

8/15   Alumni Match – 5 p.m.

8/28   Ursuline Col. – 11 a.m.

8/28   U. of Mobile – 5 p.m.

Men’s Soccer

9/18   So. Poly. State U. – 7 p.m.

9/22   Lee University – 7 p.m.

9/27   Warner U. – 3 p.m.

Women’s Soccer

8/18   AASU – 7 p.m.

8/22   Middle GA. Col. – 3 p.m.

8/29    Rollins Col. – 6 p.m.

See complete schedules at www.scadathletics.com

The most peculiar thing about Mark Richt is his “aw, shucks” disposition: It’s unexpected from a two-time Southeastern Conference coach of the year. He doesn’t know how to use his iPod—in fact, he doesn’t even know what iTunes is—and his speech is punctuated with Southern expressions like “heck” and “gonna.” Watch him on the sidelines at any college football stadium in the country, and he’s the same guy: a controlled, take-charge man with a knack for winning football games—and the hearts of his fans.

In his eight seasons as the University of Georgia head football coach, Richt has developed a reputation for high athletic standards and strong family values. While his record isn’t perfect—police arrested eight UGA players last season for various misbehaviors—Richt is a perpetual optimist.

As Georgia gets ready to kick off its 2009 season on September 5 against Oklahoma State, Richt is reflecting on the pitfalls of last year and trying to figure out how a team that started the season ranked No. 1 in the nation finished it with three big game losses. Richt took a timeout in Savannah for an appearance at a Savannah Bulldog Club gathering. He spoke with The South about life without his starters, players growing up, and meeting fans on their home fields.

The South magazine: You’re in the middle of a road tour, visiting Bulldog Clubs across the state. Why spend your time doing this?

Mark Richt: I think the road tour is designed to tell the people of Savannah and Macon and Atlanta—and wherever else we go—thank you for supporting our sports programs, in particular, football. Everybody tends to come visit Athens a lot, so we feel like it’s a good thing for us to come visit everybody on their home turf once in a while and get a chance to celebrate Georgia athletics.

TSM: What do these clubs mean to the team?

MR: I think all support of Georgia football is very important. And there’s a lot of excitement that’s generated from these types of clubs—and loyalty. So I think they’re very important.

TSM: Several players from Savannah and surrounding towns are on your roster. What do they bring to the team?

MR: Well, [Demarcus] Dobbs, he has grown up so much: as a player, as a person. I’m really proud of him. He’s done well academically. I think he spent a year or two trying to figure out if it was worth doing it the Georgia way. And now I think he’s really bought in and is enjoying life a lot better now and has become a leader and a very productive guy. I would say he’s one of the leaders, if not the leader, of the defensive end group right now.

And, of course, [Jamie] Lindley has a chance to compete for the kick-off job. He was not able to win it last year but he was our number two guy. [Justin] Houston has grown as a player; he’s really come on, and he’s got a chance to make an impact for us, I believe.

TSM: You had the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft this year, with Matthew Stafford. That must have been exciting.

MR: Yeah, that was exciting. It wasn’t exciting that he left us, but it’s exciting for him and for Georgia to know that your player could be considered the very top pick in the NFL draft. And we also had the No. 1 running back that was taken in the draft, with Knowshon Moreno, and that was fantastic. But you know, six guys drafted, six more in [NFL] camps, that’s 12 guys—some seniors, some not—that are in camps. And we hope they all make it. That would be wonderful for them to realize that dream.

TSM: You lost some key players to the pros. What’s your outlook for this season?

MR: I think any good company is going to evaluate what they do. You can’t say, ‘Well, we’ve always done it this way, so we’re going to keep doing it this way.’ I’m always very optimistic. I feel like we’ve got very talented young men, outstanding coaches. I’m a realist, and I know that we play in one of the toughest leagues in America, and we are playing probably one of the toughest out-of-conference schedules in the country. And so I know the games are gonna be hard-fought and everything, but I always go into the season believing we can succeed. Our goal is always to win the Eastern Division. And that’s what we got our sights set on, and of course, if you win that, you can play for the SEC championship. And if you win that, who knows: you might end up in the big game.

Follow UGA Coach Mark Richt on twitter at www.twitter.com/markricht. For the complete Bulldog season schedule, check out www.georgiadogs.com

But what if, instead of sharing the water with just friends and fish, you were also floating around with an old shopping bag, a dozen tin cans and a used diaper? The sad truth is that not everyone respects your summer sanctuary, and the damaging effects can reach far beyond just soiling your good time. A group of people in the Lowcountry, however, are working to clean up our waterways and shores while the rest of us are working on our tans. The South presents five of those dedicated individuals and reminds us all that it’s time we join them.

Dave Chafin

Hails from: Savannah

Why Savannah: Chafin appreciates Savannah for its beauty and the fact that it’s a great place for outdoorsy people. As an avid kayaker, he takes any and every opportunity to spend time exploring and enjoying our local waterways.

What he’s doing: Technically retired, Chafin stays busy as a member of the Coastal Group (a chapter of the Sierra Club) and the Savannah Ogeechee Audubon. He also spends most of his time volunteering for the Ogeechee Canal Museum and Nature Center, Wilderness Southeast and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, working as a “Reptiles Alive” presenter. In coordination with the Ebenezer Retreat and Conference Center in Rincon, Georgia, Chafin has the opportunity to share his love of nature and reptiles with local children.

“Keeping our waterways clean ensures us to have a very nice environment for not only people that enjoy the water, but to maintain a clean environment for wildlife and a more healthy environment for us all. If we don’t do it, who will?”

Michael Neal

Hails from: Sanford, Maine

Why Savannah: After discovering the beauty of Savannah as an intern for the Bull River Marina in 1992, Neal was invited back to be general manager of the marina and has called Savannah home ever since.

What he’s doing: Neal’s company, Bull River Cruises, specializes in providing aqua education for groups such as Girl Scouts, civic groups and clubs. “It is my belief that as individuals and as business owners we have the responsibility of giving back to the environment and community,” he says. For the past seven years, Neal has also been a constant supporter of the Savannah Riverkeeper, a nonprofit organization that protects the water quality of the Savannah River. Participating in numerous cleanups on the river, and educating people on its importance, Neal has been called “the eyes and ears of the river.”

“When I came to Savannah I saw people doing dolphin tours, which are great, but I knew that there was so much more to the area, and I decided to start a company that would share this environment with people … I believe that the greatest threat to the environment is the apathy of present and future generations. The only way people will protect and care for our environment is if they have been out and seen and felt the beauty of the area. Children—and many adults—have a disconnect from the environment, and it is my mission to make that connection.”

Kenny Hill

Hails from: Greenville, South Carolina

Why Savannah: Explaining that he’s lived within an hour’s drive of the Hostess City since 1974, Hill didn’t find his “home” in Savannah until May 2002. “Let’s just say I took a chance by following my heart, and it is the most rewarding, gratifying, blessed and happy journey one could imagine,” he beams.

What he’s doing: As executive director of the Savannah Waterfront Association, Hill promotes the eclectic vitality of the shops, restaurants, pubs and hotels that create the one-of-a-kind, family-friendly experience found on historic River Street. “Over the years, I have tried to make sure the Savannah Waterfront Association is a good steward of the riverfront area during our festivals,” Hill explains, “but as tourism increased on a regular basis, so did the refuse on River Street and the plaza … all of which is right on the river.” Initially, the SWA brought in extra trash bins for events and then started a small recycling project. Eventually, it brought together multiple city departments, Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, other downtown organizations—and a great gathering of community volunteers—to carry out the inaugural River Street Clean, Green Sweep. “I’ve always been active in the community, but since moving ‘home’ to Savannah, I have taken my inspiration from none other than Joe Driggers—Savannah Joe D [a local activist],” says Hill. “We could all use Joe as a community volunteer muse and networking example!”

“The first time I picked up a cold, wet hot dog and saved it from going down the storm water drain I thought, ‘We have to clean this stuff up!’ … I believe that being a great steward of our community and environment is paramount. Like Granny said, ‘Leave it better than you found it.’”

Chris Freeman

Hails from: Jamestown, New York; Gainesville, Georgia

Why Savannah: Chris Freeman and his wife Melissa moved to Tybee Island from Atlanta in October 2005. “We first visited Tybee for a camping trip in May of 2000 and fell in love with Tybee and Savannah immediately,” he explains. “We rented kayaks on that first visit and paddled across the Back River to Little Tybee, where the natural beauty of the area was overwhelming. Numerous trips to Tybee afterward—biking, boating, hanging out on the beach—we were hooked.”

What he’s doing: In addition to his career as a software engineer, Freeman volunteers for Clean Coast, a group dedicated to keeping the beaches and waterways along the Georgia coast clean and free of trash. He and other local volunteers perform one cleanup per month, picking up debris on a barrier island or along one of our waterways. He and his wife are also active with the Tybee Beautification Association. “Additionally, I have adopted Little Tybee Island and the Tybee neighborhood that I live in for litter cleanups several times per month,” says Freeman, as he describes his kayak trips home from Little Tybee with all sorts of trash onboard, including tires, broken beach chairs and chunks of foam.

“When I was growing up, my family took camping trips every year, and I had the opportunity to see how spectacular nature can be. Unfortunately, I also had the opportunity to see many areas where trash and pollution had ruined the landscape … I hate to have other people visit [our] beautiful places and have their scenic enjoyment tainted by seeing trash. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world and it bothers me that our visitors would not see it in its most pristine state.”

Karen Grainey

Hails from: Jacksonville, Florida

Why Savannah: After moving to Savannah when her husband received a transfer from his company 15 years ago, Grainey has gladly embraced this area as her home. She appreciates the beauty of local beaches and marshes, enjoying them regularly by canoe or kayak.

What she’s doing: An active member of the Savannah Ogeechee Audubon and Coastal Group of the Sierra Club, Grainey is also one of the spearheaders of Savannah’s curbside recycling program. She is a naturalist guide for Wilderness Southeast and is president of Clean Coast, which holds monthly beach and marsh cleanups. Part of Grainey’s personal mission is to help people realize that the litter they carelessly drop on the street eventually ends up in our waterways, carried there via storm water systems.

“The visible debris that Clean Coast volunteers pick up off the beach is symptomatic of the larger issue of our society’s failure to recognize that there is no [throwing] ‘away,’” she says. “Unfortunately, all of the pollutants and toxic chemicals that we release into the environment, like the plastic items that wash back onto our shorelines, come back to us in our food and water and the air that we breathe.”

Jade Kersey
Club 309 West, 309 West River Street

Bartending Since: 2004

Why Bartending: When her mother opened Club 309 West seven years ago, Kersey was forbidden from working the rather risqué watering hole. The SCAD fashion student soon convinced her mother otherwise and joined the close-knit staff. “It’s really like a big family at 309,” she explains.

Favorite Drink: “If anyone offers to buy me a shot, it’s got to be a Royal Flush [Crown Royal, peach schnapps and cranberry juice].”

Best Bartending Story: “We let our customers—girls and guys—get up with us and dance on the bar, so all sorts of crazy things happen. But if a group gets too rowdy we just hose ‘em down with the water hose. It gets their attention pretty fast. If not, we can always call on Big Joe, our manager, who’s been known to carry out guys by their belt buckles.”

Breigh Smith
Casimir’s Lounge, Mansion on Forsyth Park, 700 Drayton Street

Bartending Since: 2002 at various Savannah locations, including Deja-Groove, Malone’s, Sorry Charlie’s, Bonefish Grill and Bacchus Wine Lounge.

Why Bartending: Though Smith is studying to become a dental hygienist, bartending is in her blood—her biological mother once owned a bar in Savannah.

Favorite Drink: “Mint Julep. I love, love, love it.”

Best Bartending Story: “Bill Murray came into Sorry Charlie’s one afternoon and right away he gets this attitude with me. He made a crude comment. I looked at him and said, ‘I know who you are and I don’t care. So you can either get your head out of your [butt] and act like a normal human being or you can go find another bar.’ And you know what he said? ‘You have no idea how much I appreciate that.’ It was a complete turnaround.

Carol “Miss Carol”  Patton
Pinkie Master’s Lounge, 318 Drayton Street

Bartending Since: 1977, exclusively at Pinkie’s

Why Bartending: After years spent as a copy girl for the Savannah Morning News, Miss Carol was about to go back to school when a friend asked her to help out at Pinkies for a short time. She hasn’t left since. Why? “The people. The people are just great.”

Favorite Drink: “Gin and tonics and [Seagram’s] VO with Diet Coke.”

Best Bartending Story: “There was that time those guys from the movie Jackass came in. Some of them started acting up, throwing stuff around. Then, for no reason, one of them threw a barstool over the bar and it just missed me.” But as Miss Carol points out, Hollywood isn’t all bad. “When Josh Lucas was in Savannah filming Undertow, he and the whole crew came in every single night we were open. And he was so cool—one night he even took the trash out for me.”

South magazine: How has your career evolved over the nine years on the bench? How have you changed?

Judge Abbot: I’m not scared to ask questions anymore. At first, whenever you go into a profession, you think you have to show other people that you know everything, that asking questions is a sign of weakness. But I don’t agree with that at all now. I think people respect honesty. You have to be willing to work hard, and if you start getting jaded or cynical, you are going to be in big trouble, especially in this job because you can see a lot of sad, sorrowful and mean parts of human nature. If you start believing that’s what the world is about, you can quickly lose your integrity as a judge.

TSM: What are the most difficult cases for you to hear?

JA: I find vehicular homicides extraordinarily difficult. Vehicular homicides are something that can happen to almost anybody. People can drive recklessly for a variety of reasons and cause a death, and many times the driver is a person who could be just like anybody’s neighbor. Also, contested custody cases where you don’t have a good choice—where both parents are beset with many problems and the children get stuck in the middle.

TSM: How do you steel yourself to hear difficult cases?

JA: I think you have to develop a clinical approach or else you couldn’t keep doing this job. It’s just like a surgeon: A surgeon can’t go back to his office and be incapacitated by emotional upset after a difficult surgery. The surgeon has to go to his next patient and do his very best. You just have to develop that ability to look at it from the outside.

TSM: What do you like most about living and working in Savannah?

JA: What I really appreciate about Savannah is that I know lots of people from all different kinds of backgrounds, professions and walks of life. When I walk down the street here, I am going to see people I know and who know me, and I like the warmth of that. The legal community is terrific to work with and all the judges are wonderful, too. I feel very blessed.

By all accounts, Ty Pennington is a Southern boy at heart. Best known as the high-energy host of ABC’s Extreme Makevoer: Home Edition, and TLC’s Trading Spaces before that, it only takes a couple minutes of conversation with him before it becomes hard to imagine this easy-to-smile guy fitting in with the Hollywood scene. Then again, Pennington’s job—or rather jobs—aren’t all glitz and glam. He makes a habit of working hard … for other people.

In addition to his work on his outrageously successful show, now in its sixth season, Pennington oversees his style line at Sears, is the author of two books, and has launched a magazine, Ty Pennington At Home. “Everything I do is a challenge,” says Pennington, “and I love
challenges.”

We sat down with the Atlanta native to hear more about these challenges and to get the scoop on the Peach State pedigree that keeps him tied to Dixie.

South magazine: With the success of your reality TV show, you’ve become a household name. But many people may not know that you’re originally from Atlanta, Georgia. How has growing up in the South influenced your success in Hollywood?
Ty Pennington: Well, I think you learn to treat people with respect. There are other people that I’d say have much better manners than myself—but I think I learned a good amount. Growing up in the South you really learn to appreciate the moments where you sit on the front porch with maybe an older person and they take the time to tell you the ways of the world, and you forget how important those moments are as a child. You’re just like, ‘Dude, are we through talking? Can we just go play in the yard again?’ And, you know, I wasn’t exactly the easiest child to raise.

TSM: Yeah, I read somewhere that as a child you stripped naked and hung from the blinds of your classroom?
TP: (laughing) Yes, I was a challenge to say the least.

TSM: But in spite of the difficulties you had in school, you pursued a college degree.
TP: At Atlanta College of Art I took a lot of painting and drawing classes—that was my first love and background—and eventually I got into illustration and graphic design and then obviously furniture design, then interior design and now I guess television design, which is a lot of fun too.

TSM: You’re here in Savannah touring the Savannah College of Art and Design. How does it rate?
TP: SCAD—a phenomenal school, are you kidding me? I’m quite jealous something like that wasn’t around when I was in school. It’s incredible.

TSM: Tell us about your history with Coastal Georgia.
TP: My junior year in high school my mom, because of health reasons, had to live closer to the ocean for her breathing. [We] lived on St. Simons back then and I think in the only mobile home park that was on St. Simons, but it was the most charming mobile home park I think I’d ever been in. It was really great, just the feel of the Georgia coast is quite unique.

TSM: And Savannah?
TP: Savannah really is the gem of them all, isn’t it? I think Savannah has got some very eclectic, unique, charming people and I think the arts have always been strong—and let’s just say the conversations are quite good in Savannah.

I actually stopped in Sandfly, Georgia during one of my shows—we were there nearby to shoot, and I fell in love with some of these people there. It was on a Friday afternoon and we were having dinner—me and my camera guy—and we met these really charming people, but when we walked into the place we sat in the corner and they kept looking down at us and we were like ‘Um, what’s the problem?’ And they said, ‘Well, you’re sitting in the mayor’s chair.’ And I’m like, ‘The Mayor?’ and they said, ‘Yeah, there’s going to be a town meeting tonight and you’re kind of right in his seat.’ And I was like, ‘What town? Really?’ It ended up being the mayor of Sandfly, which happened to be the kid whose parents owned the gas station at that red light. To be able to go into a place and learn the history of the entire existence was really quite cool.

TSM: What do you miss most about the South?
TP: You forget how wonderful running through a sprinkler is when it’s that hot and humid. You forget about how incredible it is when fireflies come out at night. It’s those little things about the South that you can’t get anywhere else.
There’s something about the South that is just so, I don’t know, it’s so homey. Maybe it’s because I’m born and raised here, or the humidity and the smell. Maybe it’s the kudzu—it grabs you and never lets you go.

Watch It!
You can catch Ty Pennington and the whole crew at Extreme Makeover: Home Edition every Sunday at 8 p.m. on ABC.
Check your local listings for more information.

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.

The South recently jumped on the trolley with the 65-year-old, fourth-generation Savannhian for a chat about being an ambassador for the city and having more Georgia on his mind than Ray Charles.

The South magazine: Does this job come naturally to you?

Bob Register: I’ve always been a salesman. So what I’m doing now is I’m selling Savannah. I’m still a salesman. My product has just changed.

TSM: How long did it take you to develop your style and approach on the tours?

BR: Oh, about 65 years! And it’s still a work in progress. I work at this every day, and I mean that literally.

TSM: You’re quite a student of Savannah’s history, aren’t you?

BR: When I was young, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it because downtown was [just] a lot of old stuff. But as I got older, I developed a real insatiable thirst for knowledge about the city. That led ultimately into me becoming a tour guide.     > TSM: Savannah is a quirky place. Any strange experiences on your trolley to report?

BR: I had a lady ask me about three years ago—and this woman was in her mid-60s—she told me that she’d come to Savannah to go to Paula Deen’s restaurant. [She explained that] she’s a big fan, and she had a facelift before coming just in case she met Paula Deen.

TSM: What do you want to leave the tourists with?

BR: They’re not going to remember every last thing you’ve told them, but what they are going to remember is how they feel about their experience in Savannah and how they feel about the people. And I think the impression that I make upon these people and the way I present the city is going to determine their impression of the entire community. It gives me a great sense of pride and satisfaction to be part of these people’s lives O

Jessica Kiss

Hails from: West Palm Beach, Florida

Why Savannah: Jessica Kiss moved northward to Savannah in early 2008 to fill her position as WJCL & Fox 28 morning anchor.

What she’s doing: Despite her hectic schedule and unconventional work hours, Kiss has become well known within the community as a voice for animals. Whether it be through her web articles, volunteer time or television spots, she constantly employs her position in the media to help out local causes. “It’s no longer enough to be just a broadcast personality,” explains Kiss. “Television is changing; my role extends well beyond the TV realm, and I’m embracing it.” Although she is modest about her contributions, many of Savannah’s animal lovers recognize her vital role. “Jessica is always willing to help get us on the air to get the word out,” says Lisa Scarbrough, founder of Coastal Pet Rescue. “She believes in what we do, but more importantly, she understand what we do. She never just walks through the motions with us on the set. She researches our topic, asks good questions and always welcomes us like old friends.”

On caring for animals: A lifetime lover of dogs and horses, Jessica’s favorite part of helping animals is being able to give them proper care. Like many other animal lovers, she says stories of abuse and neglect break her heart. “If you treat your dog with kindness, he or she will make you feel like royalty each and every time you walk through the door.”

“If you’re having a bad day, take time to pay attention to your pet. He or she is bound to do something to make you smile and probably laugh too!”

Robin C. Gold

Hails from: Greenwich, Connecticut

Why Savannah: Seeking a lifestyle change for her and her husband, Gold moved to Savannah in 2003. “We love the Southern living and the climate—other than the sand gnats,” she explains.

What she’s doing: For the last 11 years, Gold has been a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator. “My efforts are 100 percent volunteer and self funded.” Many of the animals she has helped over the years were first provided medical care from a veterinarian and later turned over to her for the aftercare. “I am currently in the process of developing a wildlife rehabilitation center here in Savannah,” she says. “The purpose of the center will be to provide the area with a centralized location that can handle all species native to the Southeast.” With only two other fully accommodating facilities in the state of Georgia, Gold is a busy lady. “I have been donated the use of land and now need the funds to build the cages and building. It’s tough going in these economic times, but managing wildlife is a key factor in maintaining the balance of nature and environment. Hopefully enough people will realize the need for such a resource is important enough to make it happen.”

On caring for animals: Gold is painfully aware of the fact that animals need help as a result of humans interfering in their world. She claims that 99 percent of the animals brought to her arrive due to habitat destruction. “My feeling is that if humans are the cause of their misfortunes, we should be responsible enough to help them,” she says.

“I love the sense of helping creatures that are so desperately in need of assistance. A lot of the animals that I care for are species that most people consider a nuisance or not worthy of rehabilitation. I enjoy the sense of doing my share to maintain that balance, even though, as one person it’s a very small contribution.”

Lisa Scarbrough

Hails from: Although originally from Austell, Georgia, she proudly considers Tybee Island to be her true hometown.

Why Savannah: Lisa Scarbrough’s education has taken her around Georgia and even across the country but love of the water and Savannah’s small town feel has kept her coming back. “I like the closeness of the community and its people’s willingness to help each other,” she says.

What she’s doing: In addition to working full-time in Internet development, Scarbrough is president and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue, an all-volunteer, nonprofit animal rescue organization. Based in Savannah, the organization provides rescue, foster care, veterinary care and sterilization to homeless, neglected and otherwise abused cats and dogs not just in the Coastal Empire but in South Carolina’s Lowcountry as well. Scarbrough spends an estimated 80 hours a week doing work for the rescue, often even making late night runs to local veterinarians.

On caring for animals: Enamored with animals since the first time her father let her keep and care for a helpless stray that wandered into their home one Thanksgiving Day, Scarbrough can speak volumes about the treatment of animals. “The problem is that a lot of people see animals as property and people treat their property with different levels of care,” she explains. She recognizes the importance of education’s role in helping people maintain happier and healthier owner-pet relationships. Like any rescue worker, Scarbrough will tell you that her favorite part is seeing an animal that she has been caring for get adopted, bringing joy not only to the animal, but to the family of which it becomes a part.

“It is my hope that one day our community will no longer need the services of Coastal Pet Rescue—that everyone will have their pets spayed and neutered, and no neglect or cruelty will exist. Until that day, our volunteers will continue to do all they can to keep changing lives, one at a time.”

Chris Gentile

Hails from: Waterbury, Connecticut

Why Savannah: Chris Gentile moved to Savannah about two-years ago to serve as the director of Oatland Island Wildlife Center. Since then, the beauty of the city and the friends he and his wife have made have keep him appreciating their new home.

What he’s doing: As director for the center, Gentile has the power to introduce wildlife to area children that may not otherwise get the chance. In the interest of counteracting contemporary phenomenon such as nature deficient disorder, a theory that attributes certain behavioral problems in children to a lack of environmental exposure, Gentile is looking to get locals outdoors and involved. He loves to give a child— especially his own—the opportunity to get close to nature and explains that there’s nothing quite like seeing the amazement of a young child, nose pressed up against the glass and starry-eyed, seeing an animal for the very first time.

On caring for animals: “Animals in zoos and wildlife centers act as ambassadors for their wild counterparts,” explains Gentile. “They provide people a chance to learn about them and build appreciation for all animals.” He is a believer that allowing people to create an emotional connection is the best way to evoke lifelong awareness and respect of animals and their needs and importance.

“I like to take my name tag off, walk around the sites imagining myself as a guest and observe people making connections with the animals. It’s the best way to get real feedback on what is working and what we can do to make things better.”

Joyce Murless

Hails from: Louisville, Kentucky

Why Savannah: Murlless moved to Savannah in fall of 1970 with her late husband, but it’s Savannah’s nature and beauty that has kept her here. “Just speaking visually, we have the seasonal greens and golds of the salt marsh, the dark browns of a rich estuary, wide and sparkling sand beaches, trees whose trunks twist in magnificent shapes and shadows, clean water the color of root beer and the indescribable glow of the late afternoon sun shining through swaying Spanish moss.”

What she’s doing: In addition to a plethora of other roles, Joyce serves as executive director of Wilderness Southeast (WiSE), a nonprofit education organization offering the public opportunities to learn about nature and wildlife. WiSE has 36 years of experience connecting people with wildlife and their habitats. “Our nature tours for individuals, families and groups easily integrate information from many fields: biology, ecology, geology, astronomy, natural and cultural history.”

On caring for animals: Because of the wildlife habitats currently being degraded or destroyed, Murlless believes that animals need her and others’ help. “Too many people of all ages have no idea of the myriad life forms that exist in natural balance to support the lives they do know about,” she explains. “I want to help people understand the lives around them, and the value of those lives. Realizing our connections to lifeforms we often do not see will result in maintaining habitats and in helping these oft-unloved species survive.” Murlless says that these days she spends most of her time with the “animals that nobody loves.”

“I get to meet wonderful people and entertain and educate them at the same time I am helping to maintain creation. I’m not merely helping animals who can’t speak for themselves—I’m helping humans too! I get to watch them smile while their eyes light up with understanding and amazement.”