Sea Island, Georgia

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Sea Island is an affluent resort island located in the barrier islands just off the Atlantic coast of southern Georgia in the United States.[1] The resort complex is located in an unincorporated Glynn County.

Sea Island is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles of Georgia together with Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Little St. Simons Island. Visitors to the resort island travel across a long causeway which crosses marshland which was immortalized by 19th century poet Sidney Lanier in 'The Marshes of Glynn" (1878).[2]

Sea Island is home to professional golfer Davis Love III.

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[edit] History

This relatively secluded area has drawn developers and other investors since the first two decades of the 20th century:

  • 1911 -- Howard Coffin (owner of the Hudson Motor Company) purchased 20,000 acres (81 km²) of land on nearby Sapelo Island; and he began developing it as a private retreat.
  • 1926 -- Coffin purchased what was formerly called Long Island; and he renamed it Sea Island.
  • 1927 -- The Plantation golf course was built.
  • 1928 -- Coffin began an overnight inn and lodge with the most exclusive clients only. This resort was named "The Cloister."

At the present time, land on Sea Island is controlled privately and public access is limited. The island is owned by the Sea Island Company, operated by the Chairman and CEO, Bill Jones III. In addition, the company also owns property off the island limits on St. Simons Island.

  • 2003 -- The Sea Island Company closed the original main building of The Cloister; and after 75 years of service, the building was replaced with a new one.
  • 2004 -- Sea Island hosts the G8 Summit.
  • 2006 -- The new main building opened along the Black Banks River on the west side of Sea Island. In addition, the spa, tennis center, stables and docks were opened.
  • 2007 -- A new Beach Club was opened.
  • 2008 -- Sea Island Company announced layoffs affecting approximately 500 employees, or 25% of the workforce.[3]
  • 2009 -- Sea Island Company made history by receiving four Five-Star awards from the Mobil Travel Guide, for service and facilities of The Cloister, The Lodge at Sea Island, the Georgian Room at The Cloister and The Cloister Spa.
  • July 2009 -- Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP filed a US District Court class action lawsuit against Synovus Financial Corp. on behalf of an institutional investor, alleging that the defendants harmed Synovus investors by failing to disclose its exposure to the Sea Island Company and "the deteriorating condition of Sea Island".

[edit] G8 summit

In June 2004 (June 8–10), it hosted a summit of the Group of Eight leaders. As with previous sites of the G8 meeting, the venue is remote, easily secured, and has a history of luxurious accommodations. As part of the security measures, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated the summit a National Special Security Event (NSSE). However, DHS also began to deal with another NSSE: the state funeral of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan.

The venue was specifically chosen in order that access to the island conference might be strictly controlled. The geographic isolation was enhanced by positioning the International Media Center for the Sea Island summit in Savannah, 80 miles away on the Georgia mainland.[1] Protestors and demonstrations were effectively marginalized, in part because the conference venue was located in a place which was difficult to reach or inaccessible. The island's security cordoned was enhanced when the Governor of Georgia declared a state of emergency in six counties, which began on May 25, 2004 to deal with the potential danger of violence or damage by demonstrators during the Group of 8 economic summit.[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Sanger, David and Richard Stevenson. "Gathering on Sea Island: the Scene; World Leaders Get a Glimpse of America's High Life," New York Times. June 10, 2004.
  2. ^ Porter, Darwin. Frommer's The Carolinas & Georgia, p. 476.
  3. ^ Brown, Robbie. "An Unwelcome Guest Intrudes on a Worry-Free Zone for the Rich," New York Times. September 30, 2008.
  4. ^ Hart, Ariel. "Gathering on Sea Island: the Protests; At Summit, Police and Delegations Outnumber the Demonstrators," June 10, 2004; Hart, Ariel. "National Briefing | South: Georgia: Group Of 8 Security," New York Times. May 25, 2004.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 31°11′09″N 81°20′34″W / 31.18583°N 81.34278°W / 31.18583; -81.34278

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