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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Red Fern Farms help
in turning around at-risk youth
By Christopher D. Lancette
Special to GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 20, 2003 - - Six-year-old "Alex" (not his real name)
was in a crisis at the onset of 2003: he was in foster care, hurt,
and mad at the world. His inner tumult lead to all kinds of problems
at a Gwinnett elementary school, where the first grader spent much
of his time last year unleashing physical outbursts, defying instruction,
and trying to leave the class room.
His behavior only got worse in February when local authorities
forced him to begin visiting his biological parents -- their second
chance to repair the damage they had perpetrated.
Looking for a way to provide some kind of life preserver, school
officials enrolled him in an animal-assisted therapy program conducted
by a Gwinnett-based nonprofit organization, Red Fern Farms, "where
man's best friend becomes a child's best chance." The charity
teaches at-risk youth in local elementary schools how to train shelter-rescued
dogs. Red Fern Farms utilizes a training method similar to a curriculum
taught to canines who serve the disabled.
 The
process of teaching dogs how to do everything from turn on lights
to sit under a desk and wait until needed is slow and often arduous.
Success requires bonding with the animals, becoming sensitive to
their needs and feelings, maintaining patience, and the ability
to translate frustration into fruition ... the exact same kind of
skills children need in order to positively deal with human beings
- make friends, respect other people's feelings, and resist the
impulse to beat up their siblings.
Alex took to the program on day one.
"He bonded much more quickly with the dogs than anyone predicted,"
says Red Fern Farms founder and president Christine Stribling, a
Norcross resident who runs an organization that is likely the only
one of its kind in the country. "Alex became very serious about
making sure the dogs' needs were taken care of while they were at
school."
Something bigger was also at work within him.
"He told me that he liked working with the dogs because 'the
dogs always love you,'" Stribling remembers. "That's a
major breakthrough for a child whose parents betrayed him. Parents
are the first people who are supposed to love you, and children
in this situation have difficulty learning to trust or love anyone
else."
Stribling worries, though, that the emotional and intellectual
progress Alex made during the school year will be unraveled by yet
another change in his young life: he is attending a new school in
the fall because he must return to live with his biological parents.
At present, Red Fern Farms won't be able to extend its services
to additional schools like Alex's. With an ever-growing waiting
list never far from Stribling's mind, the nonprofit needs more volunteers
to help with tasks like fundraising and organizing special events.
"We need more members of the business and civic communities
to bring their expertise to the table," Stribling says, "so
that children in Gwinnett and other places have a chance to get
the animal-assisted therapy they need to turn their lives around."
Children like Alex, whose life may again crumble in the fall.
Learn more about the organization at www.redfernfarms.org,
or call (770) 840-9145.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Sugar
Hill turned down mixed drinks back in 1996
By Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 20, 2003 -- Norcross voters followed people in other municipalities
in approving sales of mixed drinks in Tuesday's referendum. Other
areas----Pickens County, along with the cities of Hampton in Henry
County and Clarkston in DeKalb County---in recent months have also
approved such sales.
The Norcross vote was close, 352-319, meaning that
17 people voting "the other way" would have killed such
liquor sales. The "pro" forces were most organized prior
to, during and after the voting. Yard signs went up early; on the
day prior to the election, yellow "Vote today" signs went
up on top of the yard signs. Even after the election, the yard signs
then said "Thanks." That's good organizing, and good politics.
Prior to the election, one proponent was asked what would be the
action if the referendum failed. She indicated that there would
probably be another referendum when the time allowed it. By law,
another referendum cannot be called for two years after such a vote.
However, once mixed drink sales are approved, it is most difficult
to get another referendum, in that 35 per cent of the registered
voters must petition for such a vote.
Interestingly enough, if a government allows the sale of liquor
by the bottle ("package stores"), only 15 per cent of
the voters are required to call for a referendum on the question.
In Gwinnett, the City of Sugar Hill has mixed drink but failed
in 1996, to approve packaged sales by about 10 votes, research from
the Gwinnett Library shows.
* * * * *
After the last few years, surely we don't want to give an impression
of complaining about all this rainfall. But wow! Has it been impressive
and continual!
We had 4.3 inches of rain at our house, the gauge in the flower
bed, told me on Tuesday morning. It had started a steady rain about
9 p.m. and rained all through the night, with several heavily steady
downpours.
Then we measured another two inches of rain on Wednesday and there
was on Thursday the possibility of more.
Taking the daily weather information from the newspaper, add to
it the 6.3 inches we got on Monday and Wednesday, and (though you
are adding apples and oranges), that would translate into more than
ten inches above average for the year so far. That goes a long way
to help solve the last few years' drier weather.
* * * * *
Time for a happy thought? Well, not necessarily, but the good new
is that you do not have to pay your county property tax today.
Robert Higdon of the county Tax office says that property tax notices
will be mailed July 15. but it is not due until September 15 for
the first payment, and November 15 for the second installment.
The bad side of this, of course, is that you will know by July
15 how much the bite will be. But be pleased as you remember this
is a small price to pay for the many services we get, especially
compared to some other parts of the Metro area, or even from other
states.
Keep that tax notice where you know where it is, for no reminder
notice will be mailed.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
A new meaning to
holidays
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
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public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is Hayes Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep
of Lawrenceville and Gainesville. General Manager Mike Hayes
of Lawrenceville and General Manager Tim Hayes of Gainesville
invite you into their showrooms to look over their line-up of
automobiles and trucks. Hayes has been in the automotive business
for over 30 years, and is North Georgia's oldest family-owned
auto dealership. The family is the winner of the 2002 Georgia
Family Business of the Year Award. Hayes Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep
is affiliated with Hayes Chevrolet in Cornelia. Check out their
web site at: http://www.hayeschrysler.com.
FEEDBACK
6/20: Wants information
about neighborhood speed bumps
Editor, the Forum:
My neighbors and I are deeply concerned about dangerous drivers
speeding through our neighborhood. We have many small children
(under 10) in our neighborhood that are very active outdoors.
Nearly everyday we have the terrifying experience of vehicle
speeding down our streets and seem powerless to do anything
about it.
We fear for our children's lives and must do all we can to
stop this illegal activity. I would like to request information
on how we can have the county install speed bumps or something
on our street.
-- Keith A. Hubbard, Rams Court, Tucker
Editor's Note: Mr. Hubbard: We found this
out from Vince Edwards (770-822-7452) in the Gwinnett DOT office:
Gwinnett County's Speed Hump Program allows
property owners of a particular street to petition for speed
humps. The street must be posted 25 mph, and speed studies should
indicate that speeding exists on the street. A formal petition
with 70 percent approval is required.
The first step is for the County to conduct
a speed study. To request a study or get more information on
the program, please call or write me at Gwinnett County DOT,
75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Ga. 30045.
6/20: Finds positive
aspects about Gwinnett County Schools
Editor, the Forum:
Having written more than a few letters over the past three
years to the editors of local newspapers, and recently to this
publication, that may have portrayed the Gwinnett County Public
School System in a negative light, appears to have enticed the
editor of this publication to challenge me to produce something
on a positive note. No problem, since I feel a lot of what is
happening in our schools is positive.
Gwinnett County hosts some of the most modern, technologically
advanced schools in the state. We have been able to pick teachers
from the cream of the crop graduating from Universities around
the country for the past several years and have been more than
successful at retaining experienced teachers from year to year.
New schools have been built and brought on line at great savings
to taxpayers, debt free, at what could be considered break-neck
speed. The purchasing of portable classrooms appears to have
at least come to a temporary lull.
Gwinnett County continues to lead the state in graduating
student's eligible for the Hope Scholarship, and the number
of students that are accepted at their first choice College
or University is nearly unprecedented. The school system is
financially sound and its students have historically scored
above norm on standardized tests.
We have been fortunate enough to hire and retain great teachers
dedicated to their profession, teachers that will often go that
extra mile to assure their students success. Gwinnett is inundated
with involved parents that continue to support the schools at
the local level.
We have been blessed with taxpayers that understand the importance
of an education in today's society, and have shown their support
by passing two separate SPLOST's to finance education in Gwinnett.
We also have a group of business partners that continue working
closely with the school system to assure student success. While
there is always room for improvement, these are the things that
make Gwinnett County a desirable location to raise a family
and this is what will eventually make our schools the best in
Georgia.
-- Jim Dumond, Buford
(Editor's Note: Thanks, Jim. We didn't know
you had this in you.-eeb)
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Here's one way to
define conservatism
"A conservative is a man who believes that nothing should
be done for the first time."
-- Alfred E. Wiggam
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is an online community commentary for exploring pragmatic and sensible
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