HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20100629_Jul3Celebration.pdfMAYOR
Jason Buelterman
CITY COUNCIL
Shirley Sessions, Mayor Pro Tem
Wanda D. Doyle
Bill Garbett
Frank Schuman, Sr.
Kathryn Williams
Paul Wolff CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND
CITY MANAGER
Diane Schleicher
CLERK OF COUNCIL
Vivian O. Woods
CITY ATTORNEY
Edward M. Hughes
P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749
(866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737
www.cityoftybee.org
PRESS RELEASE: Contact: Tybee Island City Hall
For immediate release (912) 786-4573
Tybee Celebrates Independence Day on July 3rd
Tybee Island, Ga. – (June 29, 2010) Tybee Island’s annual fireworks display will take place the Parker
Pier and Pavilion to begin after dark, between about 9:00 to 9:30 PM, the evening of Friday, July 3rd.
Visible from nearly any of Tybee’s eastern beaches, the ocea n provides a clear view to the Pier and the
fireworks.
Visitors should be aware that the Independence Day Celebrations generate some of the largest crowds of
the year on Tybee Island. Traffic in both directions on US Highway 80 – Victory Drive will be heavy, and
parking spaces will be in high demand. It would be best to arrive early to make sure you have a place to
park, but remember that parking fees are enforced from 8am to 8pm every day. Consider coming earlier,
dropping groups off near the Pier and parking at north beach or elsewhere, and using a cab or car -
pooling several drivers in one car back down to the south end.
Tybee Island authorities would like to remind visitors of several important points. First, personal fireworks
use is forbidden both by State law and by local ordinance.
Second, visitors are welcome; that’s the sole purpose of the event. However, trash left on the sands hurts
the wildlife and damages the environment, even if DPW crews and hundreds of Tybee Beautification
Association volunteers spend as much as six hours the morning after the event picking up trash off the
beach. If you spend the night, early volunteers for the TBA event can leave with a TBA t -shirt! Please be
considerate of others and of the environment – keep your trash contained and put it in the trash barrels
when you leave! Any uncontained trash can result in a $100 fine. Glass containers are also forbidden on
the beach at all times.
Third, bear in mind that State law also requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians in any marked crosswalk
and forbids other cars from even passing cars that are stopped at any crosswalk. There will be many
people of all ages walking to and from the beaches for this event. Please drive cautiously and give
pedestrians the right of way as required.
While on the beach, please do not disturb any marked nests of endangered sea turtle species! They hold
fragile and precious cargo, and your extra care would be appreciated by the many volunteers who work
many early mornings and late nights to find and protect them!
P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749
(866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737
www.cityoftybee.org
Please exercise patience, drive safely and courteously, and leave plenty of time both to arrive on the
Island and to return home. Departures off the Island after the fireworks can take a long time, sometimes
as much as three hours, so visitors are encouraged to think about staying at one of the hotels or
overnight rentals on the Island, staying the night with friends, or, at the very least, car-pooling with a
designated driver who gets plenty of rest to stay alert on the roads for the drive home! Local merchants
offer special deals for weekend visitors.
Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July Holiday, wherever you choose to celebrate!
Useful Tybee Island links can be found on-line at
http://www.cityoftybee.org/Links.aspx
About Tybee Island, GA.: The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a
wild bird sanctuary, over three miles of ocean beaches, and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for
visitors to the island. As a key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screven, Tybee Post Theater, Fort
Pulaski, and the Tybee Island and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to
form a rich backdrop for history buffs. Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries.
Keeping the island interesting year round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest, the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day
celebrations, the Hot Rod Run, the Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks displays on Independence and New
Year’s Days off the Walter W. Parker Pier and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect
threatened sea turtle species by searching for nests, protecting their eggs, and making sure hatchlings make it to sea. For visitor
information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/, and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at
http://www.cityoftybee.org/.
# # #