November obtained its name from the Latin word “novem,” meaning nine. The old Roman calendar started in March, and November was the ninth month before January and February were added.
November is best known for Thanksgiving and Veterans Day, but it’s packed with an abundance of special days of awareness and observances to celebrate.
The Landings Association thanks our Veterans and all who serve our country and our community. We also are thankful for our wonderful and special island home.
When Branigar/Union Camp Corporation designed our community more than 50 years ago, they turned to Sasaki and Associates that made The Landings what it is today. Hideo Sasaki grew up on his parents’ truck farm in Arizona until he found himself in a World War II internment camp. Later, he earned his master’s degree in landscape architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He later headed Harvard’s landscape architecture department. When the Urban Land Institute gave The Landings its “Best in the Nation” award in 1986, the citation emphasized “Best Planned” in large part thanks to Sasaki.
From those early days until today, there are many people to be thankful for. We only hope that in the years ahead we may be so fortunate as to have great people designing our future.
- First, we thank all who ran for the Board, and a special thanks to our new directors who will help lead our Board for the next three years.
- Thanks also to Dr. Clark Alexander, Director and Professor, at UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, who did a presentation to the Board on Sea level Rise and Resiliency. This, and our Catch the King initiative for November, will provide information to guide us towards the future in building and designing infrastructure to protect us in the years to come. Dr. Alexander told us that 4,500 years ago there was no Wassaw Island, and Skidaway Island looked directly at the ocean
- We thank our committee members, directors, and staff who have been reviewing budget information to plan for maintaining our 50+ year community, while providing those things that our residents seek. Their efforts ensure that residents’ needs are met while upholding a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility…quite the task.
- They also have been reviewing, the Association’s Capital Asset Management Plan (CAMP), which identifies all the Association’s depreciable assets, service lives, and replacement costs. This is constantly being updated as our 53-year-old community deals with the impact of wide-ranging factors, from saltwater to technology, inflation, and changing resident expectations.
- We thank our many residents who attend our drop-in sessions. These will be held routinely. Our next Board drop in is November 18 at 1 p.m.
- We thank the Community Paths Task Force which has presented a series of findings to the Board. The Board is now evaluating them and addressing practical and financial feasibility.
- The Association is advertising for volunteers to help with Security. Duties include answering phones, helping with charitable events, and more. Thank you to The Landing Golf & Athletic Club for promoting the volunteers for us as well. There was a vibrant volunteer group prior to the onset of COVID-19, and we hope to reestablish this program.
- The Association continues to encourage Comcast and other utilities to improve service, bury cables, etc. However, while we can convey information and make requests of utility companies and governmental agencies, we can’t control or mandate their actions. The Board and staff will be participating in a roundtable with local officials in November to address what is working well and share some of our concerns.
- Skidaway Island State Park has been expanding. They now have cottages and yurts for rent. One of the key items at the State Park is the giant sloth. As the story goes, in 1822/1823, Dr. James Habersham, former Secretary of Georgia, was rowing to Skidaway Island when he saw what he thought was a post of some kind planted firmly in the water. While investigating, it became clear that it wasn’t a post at all. It was the fossilized bones of a giant ground sloth, Megatherium. It also was the first proof that the species existed in North America. You can see a 20-foot replica on display in the Interpretive Center at the State Park. The original bones are housed at The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
- When Branigar and Sasaki planned our community, they prioritized working in harmony with nature — a unique approach for the time. They preserved green spaces, avoided extensive tree removal, and integrated the design with our coastal environment. As you go around our island, note that roads and pathways are purposefully winding to help maximize our natural feeling.
- In 1953, the University of Georgia opened its Marine Institute on Sapelo Island. The institute’s curator and biological collector named Milton “Sam” Gray did extensive surveys of the ocean floor off the Sapelo coast. In 1961, Milton “Sam” Gray identified a spectacular reef 19 nautical miles east of Sapelo Island. In 1974, it was proposed that the reef be named Gray’s Reef, and in 1981, President Jimmy Carter approved the designation of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, the fourth in the National Marine Sanctuary System.
- November’s full Beaver Supermoon reaches peak illumination on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. This is the closest Supermoon (biggest and brightest) of the year
- The speed limit on Diamond Causeway (named in honor of Barney Diamond, a prominent Savannahian who founded the B.F. Diamond Construction Co.) from the intracoastal to our gate is 40 MPH.
Life’s blessings are everywhere. Look around your surroundings and you’ll surely see them. Of course, to acquire these so-called blessings, you can’t just sit still and wait for them.
Patty Morgan
President, The Landings Association
