My Perdido

Perdido Bay Tribe

PERDIDO BAY TRIBE MEMBERS CO-AUTHOR CHILDREN’S BOOK BASED ON THE HISTORICAL CREEK INDIANS OF THE SOUTHEAST

Strong Fox: How Fox Came to Help a Village Grow Stronger is the first children’s book by authors Stan Cartwright and Edna Dixon

PERDIDO KEY, Fla. (April 28, 2010) – Authors Stan Cartwright and Edna Dixon recently announced the publication of the first story for children based on the historical Creek Indians of the Southeast. Strong Fox: How Fox Came to Help a Village Grow Stronger is a fictional tale set in the1700’s, starring a little red fox who, along with the inhabitants of a small Muscogee Creek village, shares a pleasant mountain valley along the Flint River in west central Georgia. Despite his small size, Strong Fox learned at a young age to use his cunning and intelligence to outwit village dogs and other prey in order to survive. After befriending a young Creek Indian child who, like him, faces some of the same obstacles in life, Strong Fox helps him realize his special talents and use them to make valuable contributions to his tribe.

Cartwright is vice chief of the Perdido Bay Tribe of Southeastern Lower Muscogee Creek Indians, an organization dedicated to learning, honoring and sharing the history and cultural life ways of the Creek people of the southeast, and raising awareness of the many contributions they made to the fabric of southern culture.  Dixon is an adopted member of the tribe, known as Wordweaver among her tribal friends. She has served for many years as a one-on-one correspondent to student researchers through Perdido Bay Tribe’s online classroom. She also writes for and manages the Tribe’s Web site and is the grant writer for many of their educational outreach programs.

Strong Fox: How Fox Came to Help a Village Grow Stronger is available at online through the publisher’s Web site, www.authorhouse.com, and other major online bookstore outlets, such as Amazon.com. A portion of all sales of the book go to help support the education outreach of the Perdido Bay Tribe.

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Perdido Bay Tribe is a local and state recognized tribe of Creek Indians and friends dedicated to the preservation of its Muscogee Creek heritage. Perdido Bay Tribe was founded in 1990 as an outgrowth of the life-long work of its principal chief, Bobby Johns Bearheart, to preserve Creek arts and culture in the Southeast. Perdido Bay Tribe members maintain an active outreach to honor this heritage through art, education and service in a variety of cultural, social and environmental programs. For more information on the Perdido Bay Tribe, visit www.perdidobaytribe.org.

Perdido Key Favorite Son Front Page News

Perdido Key's Own Fred Garth

Fred has just published his third book, Good Day to Live, and it is centered on life along Perdido Bay in the 1960s.  His work and involvement in the Perdido area is highlighted in the Pensacola News Journal today.  Read the entire article here.

Adventures Around Perdido Key- Kids' Style

Novel Published by Local Author Fred Garth

The latest effort by Fred Garth was recently published to rave reviews. The novel "A Good Day to Live" is about three 12-year-old boys growing up on the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast in the 1960s. It’s fiction according to Fred but somewhat autobiographical.

Here is what else Fred had to say:

Why did you write this book?
I wanted to share some of the great stories of the Perdido area when I was a kid. That was back when Ono Island was nothing but sand dunes and we considered Perdido Key as the middle of nowhere. Times have changed but this is still a great place to live.
 
So the book is set in the 1960s?
The 1950s and ‘60s. We had a little cabin on Perdido Bay with no telephone or TV. We didn’t get a newspaper. We had no idea what was going on in the world. We were only concerned about catching enough fish, shrimp, and crabs to feed all my siblings and cousins. We picked vegetables from local farms. It sounds simple but we were going full tilt all the time.
 
No TV? How did you survive?
We played cards, charades, did plays, hide and go seek, all the fun stuff kids did back then. My uncle brought an old black and white TV down from Montgomery so we could watch the moon landing in 1969. I don’t think it ever got turned on again after that.
 
What’s next?
I’m working on the sequel to this book. The main characters are a few years older and have turned 16 so they’re driving and exploring beyond their home turf. That’s why I’m calling it Expanded Horizons because they’re literally able to travel further and they’re also growing personally – dating girls, trying beer, being teenagers. It’s a little darker than the first book but still true to the era and the area.

Fred is deeply involved in the Perdido area with a strong commitment to the Chamber of Commerce as Chairman of the Board, and the Perdido Bay Youth Sports Assoc. amongst other things.

Here is a mini-bio from his web site where you can learn more and purchase the book. 

The Author

During his 25-year career in journalism, Fred D. Garth has worked for media giants Gannett Inc., the New York Times, and National Geographic.

Starting out as a sport’s writer for the Times-Daily newspaper in Florence, Alabama, Garth later landed a position as editor for Scuba Times magazine and spent the next fifteen years writing about the ocean environment. Garth went on to serve in editorial and publishing roles for Gannett Inc., the world’s largest newspaper publisher. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for Guy Harvey Magazine.

In 2005 Fred published his first novel, The Cure, and followed that with Press Trip. Perdido I: A Good Day to Live is his third novel. He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters and is currently working on his fourth book, Perdido II: Expanded Horizons.

 
 

Great Event to Support on Perdido

Sacred Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women Making a Difference
  
It all started in late May 2009 at a beach party in Perdido Key.

Jimmie Sue Walters, chairman of Pirates of Lost Treasure’s American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay For Life Team and a 13-year thyroid cancer survivor, and friends were talking about how to make a big impact and raise money for ACS.  They decided a run/walk on Saturday, Oct. 31, would be a great fundraising event, as well as keeping it fun. The target audience is 125 fun, high-spirited women of the Redneck Riviera and any “sistas” who may live in other cities who have blessed their lives over the years.

Each participant is asked to raise $100 through self-support or by sponsorship. The overall goal is have fun, to get to know other “sistas,” and to raise a minimum of $10,000 for ACS. So far, the success has been overwhelming. The sisterhood has grown to more than 90 women.

Because of the generous support of local businesses and friends supporting the event, 100 percent of the participant registration will go directly to ACS.

The walk will include cancer survivors; women walking/running in memory or in honor of a loved one and women training for marathons. Some of the women are participating just because. In fact, men are even getting involved, with one man sponsoring 10 women.

The title for the run/walk was inspired by Suzy Toronto’s book, “The Sacred Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women.’’ The Redneck Riviera’s Chapter of “Wacky Women” want to share her information and enthusiasm with more women in their area and beyond.

“Who are these Wonderful Wacky Woman?” asks Toronto. “You know them. They are your friends, your sisters, your mothers, and your grandmothers. They are even you and me! They are the women who rise above all obstacles to turn tragedy into triumph and who answer the call to make a difference in the world.” For more information on Suzy Toronto, visit www.suzytoronto.com.

The Chapter of Wonderful Wacky Women (WWW) recently became aware of Jensen Byrd, a 4-year-old boy from Gulf Shores, Ala., who was originally diagnosed with Stage IV High Risk Neuroblastoma with liver and bone marrow metastasis, or mets, in 2007 at the age of 2 1/2. He has been through seven rounds of chemotherapy in addition to tumor removal, stem cell transplant, 12 radiation treatments and oral Accutane. In May, Jensen was told it was back with liver and adrenal bed mets. Jensen is currently going through chemotherapy in Birmingham, Ala., but will have to return to New York for more treatment. Cancer is devastating enough, especially when it happens to a child.

The WWW are also helping the Jensen Byrd Benefit Fund by holding a silent auction the day of the event. There will also be a 50/50 drawing benefiting the fund. The WWW are confident the event will be a win-win by helping a local boy and his family, as well as raising money for the American Cancer Society.

The public is invited to come out, pull together and support the community. If you are interested in helping the Redneck Riviera’s Chapter of Wonderful Wacky Women make a difference in the fight against cancer or to help support the Jensen Byrd Benefit Fund, call Jimmie Sue at (850) 525-1975. Auction items are much appreciated. All donations are tax-deductible.

WANT TO GO?

• What: One-mile fun walk, four-mile walk or run.
• When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
• Where: FloraBama, 17395 Perdido Key Drive, Perdido Key.
• Details: Pre-register only by calling (850) 525-1975.