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Webmaster's note: Since most of you got the last issue on Monday, we decided to publish today rather than Tuesday. Next issue: Friday.

TODAY'S ISSUE
Citizens pitch in and rescue Norcross endeavor
By Keith Fenton
Norcross
Special to GwinnettForum.com

SEPT. 17, 2003 -- It was about 8 p.m. on Sunday when I sat down to relax for the first time all weekend. My eyes were tired, my feet hurt, and my legs ached so bad I was too lazy to get up and fix a bite to eat. I plopped down on the couch, and just as I turned on the television set, I thought I could hear my cell phone ringing in the other room.

"Should I get it?" I thought, "Or can it wait till tomorrow?" I decided to check and see who had called. Had it not been Edna Berkshire, I probably would have let it go until the morning, but I called her back.

With a pained sound in her voice, she utter so eloquently, "I am standing in the middle of the exhibition with about two inches of rain around my ankles. Can you help me?"

I am not sure if I actually answered her. I threw the phone down and ran out the door. Living on North Peachtree Street, I am not far from Thrasher Park where the Crown Jewels exhibition is being held. Walking 30 seconds later into the large tent, I immediately see Edna standing there, looking like Bambi staring into headlights. Had all of our hard work and hope for a successful event in our city been washed away with the rain?

While Doris and Tom Day and I reassured her everything was going to be okay, I think we all looked at one another and thought, "Oh my goodness, what are we going to do and how are we going to get it done?"

But it got done. And it was amazing! Immediately citizens of Norcross, city employees, current and former council members, people, young and old and those I had never seen or met before, were converging on the tent to offer their assistance in any way possible. Some wet-vac'd the brand new but soaked carpet, some lifted heavy displays to prevent the water from ruining the $1-million exhibition. Some cut wood, some filled bags of sand to place around the tent to stop the water, and others did what-ever-was-needed them to help.

All in all, more than 125 civic-minded individuals pulled together in a time a crisis. And it could not have been accomplished without each and every one. Because of them, 178 elementary school students that experienced the exhibition next morning knew nothing had ever gone wrong the evening before. In addition, I was also able to say to Edna, "I told you everything would be okay. You didn't believe me did you?"

As a homeowner in Norcross, I am proud to say I am part of a community where its city employees, elected officials and citizens care about one another so much. Thank you to all!

ELLIOTT BRACK
Jorees, disturbing matters again, but doing very little
By Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com

SEPT. 17, 2003 -- One of Georgia's more colorful governors was Marvin Griffin of Bainbridge. Marvin was governor from 1954-58 and was governor when Georgia made the move to include the Confederate "Stars and Bars" in its flag. Marvin came along at a time when staunch segregation was the order of the day.

If Marvin had an element besides politics, it was storytelling. Captivating audiences was natural for him, as stories rolled off his tongue, routinely employing terms of his South Georgia background. Marvin, you may remember, when running again for governor in 1962 against Carl Sanders, found big crowds cheering him on. Later he said "They came and ate my barbecue and voted for the other fellow."

A term Marvin employed aimed at the press, and in particular "Them lying Atlanta newspapers" was "Joree." We remembered it the other day, and asked Sam Griffin, Marvin's son who followed him as publisher of the Bainbridge Post-Searchlight, to explain the term. Sam, himself a superb storyteller, said this when I asked about "Joirees."

"No, no, no! Joree! Joree. No "I" and pronounced 'Joe-Ree!' It is Joree (also, but less frequently) 'Jolree.'

"By the way, the name Joree probably derives from the bird's distinctive call. Whilst sitting on a lower limb of a bush, it will fairly shout, "TWEET!' in a clear voice.

"It is the colloquial name of the Towhee, a little bird with habits much like the brown thrasher----an insectivourous bird that prefers thickets and brush for a habitat. He primarily hunts on the ground, often in leaves, where he is typically observed to jump forward disturbing the leaves, and immediately jump back to see if he startled anything, repeating this ritual of disturbing the leaves without accomplishing very much.

"My Father dubbed the capitol press corps the 'Jorees' since they were always jumping forward and back, looking desperately for something on him and jumping back, achieving little but disturbing the leaves.

"They accepted it as an accolade from him, and after he left office (early 1960s) the 'Jorees' invited him to an informal affair at the Atlanta Press Club (when it was in the old White House Motor Hotel) for sort of a reunion. They had a ball!

"Sheriff Alva E. White, now deceased, 'obtained' and had stuffed a real Joree, which Marvin presented to the assembled 'Jorees' at the Atlanta Press Club. It remained on display in the bar there, I suppose, until the club closed or moved.

Sam says that Marvin then told the press corps assembled to fete him about Jorees: "Now, our Administration solicited and landed Monroe Shock Absorber Co., a major auto parts manufacturer from Monroe, Michigan. They are going to put a plant in Hartwell in northeast Georgia. It will provide jobs for hundreds of Georgians, but I know you Jorees will try to find something wrong with it just because I did it."

Sam adds to this story: "Now I have told you more than you want to know about Jorees, I suspect."

No sirree, Sam. You have added to the evidence of Marvin as a colorful, storytelling governor, and in his way, working for economic development."

FEEDBACK
9/17: Offers thanks to so many people in Norcross

Editor, the Forum:

Please let me thank everyone for helping recruit everyone Sunday night and also the many homeowners who gave so willing of their time.

In the eight o'clock hour I had a feeling of utter despair. I did not know what to do or where to turn for help.

In the ten o'clock hour I could not believe the number of people who had rallied to our side and were working so tirelessly. It was incredible, and I know it proved to each and all of us what a terrific group of people we have in Norcross! It is something that should be noted and go down in the records somewhere.

By the twelve o'clock hour anyone new entering the park would not have believed what had been accomplished and that we had, in fact, suffered some adversity!

I am so very grateful for everyone's help. I still can't believe that a truckload of wood and then sand suddenly appeared, nor forget the multitude of wet-vacs!

When our exhibition is over and things have calmed down then Keith Fenton and I want to get together with everyone to express our personal thanks. Again, our thanks to so many.

-- Edna Berkshire, Taste of Britain, Norcross

9/17: Says matters worsen if U.S. pulls out of Iraq now

Editor, the Forum:

In response to last Tuesday's Commentary section, it is unfortunate that there are people out there like Ms. Taylor who would rather bury their heads in the sand and not deal with the fact that there are people out there who's aim is to see the destruction of the free world.

Or worse, to suggest that we "pull out of Iraq." Ms. Taylor, can't you see that that is exactly what the terrorists of the Middle East want us to do? Do you really think that by doing so, there would miraculously be no more violence, especially on our own soil?

No, Ms. Taylor. Look what eight years of burying our head in the sand and not dealing with this problem resulted in. And before you say that Iraq has nothing to do with the attacks of 9/11, think again.

If we were to "pull out" now, conditions in the Middle East AND the United States would only worsen. It is better that we be the responsible ones and deal with this now, as opposed to having our children deal with a much larger problem.

-- Craig Heighton, Buford

9/17: Gwinnett native appreciates article on George Keener

Editor, the Forum:

Just wanted to thank you for the beautiful article you wrote on George Keener. I have worked at Berkeley Lake Elementary for nine years and just love Dottie so much. After you sent out the article, I re-formatted it and sent it out "All Staff at our school. I had lots of "thank yous" for letting everyone on staff read your article and telling me what a beautiful article it was. I am also planning on printing it in color and give it to Dottie when she comes back to school.

I get the Forum and am a Gwinnett native! (Imagine that: some of us are still out here). I was born and raised in Buford, then moved to Norcross in the early 70's and been in Cardinal Lake since 1978. My mother taught in the Gwinnett County school system for 32 years at Sugar Hill and Harmony and before I was born, the old Buford or North Gwinnett schools.

My father worked at the Bona Allen saddle shop. I was still at Buford High School when Tandy bought it out and the factory and tannery were voting to go in the union. I love it that I can get the Gwinnett Forum by email now and keep up. Again, thank you for the wonderful article on George.

-- Mary Jane Moss, Duluth