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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Native catches the
spirit of gracious city of Savannah
By
Karen T. Bartlett
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Karen T. Bartlett is a native
of Savannah, and a veteran travel writer. She sent this especially
to GwinnettForum. -- eeb)
JULY 16, 2004 -- Wisteria drapes itself in ladylike fashion along
secret garden walls. Southern belles sipping mint juleps are draped
like flowering vines across wicker chaise lounges in the shade of
crimson oleander hedges taller than Rhett Butler himself.
Big ships laden with cotton sail into the harbor. Horse-drawn carriages
clip-clop along cobblestoned streets. Ghostly shapes glide along
dark corridors. The fragrance of the salt marsh mixes with the heady
scent of slow-cooking barbecue sauce, and homemade biscuits.
That's the Savannah of the 17th Century, in many ways not unlike
the Savannah of the 21st. True, Southern belles have little time
these days for sipping and draping. More likely they're chairing
charity balls and making million-dollar real estate deals. But those
big ships still come in, and the Old Cotton Exchange still presides
over the Savannah River, its ancient brick facade now housing trendy
galleries and restaurants.
Some say Savannah's a lady, but believe me: she's all woman. She
may appear as fanciful as the curlicued fretwork of Victorian architecture
and as delicate as a magnolia blossom, but beneath those delicate
petals is a street-wise, husky-voiced strumpet who uses her seductive
powers to obtain her will.
Savannah is legendary for the ghostly spirits which still, many
claim, lurk in the shadows after dark. Several spooky ghost walks
and ghostly carriage tours include notorious haunted houses. And
when a 1970s high society murder inspired that runaway best seller
and movie, her past and present got all mixed up in a 200-year time
warp that makes her the most mysterious and romantic city in the
Deep South.
Things to Taste
Feast on massive platters of mussels, scallops, oysters, shrimp
and crabs at The Crab Shack on Tybee Island ("Where the Elite
Eat in their Bare Feet") or on fried chicken and gravy, cobblers,
pies and vegetables cooked in bacon drippings at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding
House.
Look and Listen
Look up to see gargoyles; down to see dolphin downspouts. Notice
Savannah grey brick, tabby walls, and intricate wrought iron fences.
Rest on Forrest Gump¹s bench in Chippewa Square. Admire the
swans and tritons spraying mist from the fountain in Forsyth Park,
modeled after the twin fountains at Place de la Concorde in Paris.
See the Oldest Torah in the U.S. at Temple Mikve Israel. Hear street
musicians at the Old City Market. Visit the riverfront statue of
Waving Girl, still waiting after a hundred years for her sailor
to return from the sea.
If you are very still, you just might hear echoes of Martin Luther
King, Jr.'s first recitation of "I Have a Dream" at the
Second African Baptist Church, or the voices of restless spirits
whispering on the wind.
Traveler's Tips:
To balance the effects of Savannah's humid air, visitors are advised
to reserve an afternoon hour or two for "draping and sipping"
in true Savannah style.
Re-read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ("The
Book," as the locals call it) for a pre-trip immersion, then
explore the sites, from Mercer House on Monterey Square to the surreal
marsh-front Bonaventure Cemetery.
The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa affords a lovely
view of Savannah's historic riverfront, not to mention the most
decadent of pampering at the Greenbrier Spa. 912-201-2000 or www.starwood.com.
For total immersion in Savannah ambience, check out these gracious
inns.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Gwinnett
firm nears finishing moving 5th runway airport dirt
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JULY 16, 2004 -- The massive job of building the fifth runway at
the Atlanta airport won't see an airplane landing on it until 2006.
 Yet
one Gwinnett firm is moving quickly toward completion of its part
of the process, a high profile job of moving 17 million cubic yards
of dirt to the site for the runway base.
John D. Stephens Inc. of Lawrenceville has the contract for moving
the dirt from south of I-285 to the building site, some 4.5 miles.
The company elected to use a conveyor system, instead of hauling
it by trucks to the site. And it has worked well.
President John D. Stephens says: "That was the key, a belt
system for moving the dirt. It was the most environmentally-friendly
way to do the job. We really feel we helped the situation with this
solution, for you would have had to put 300-400 dump trucks on the
road, and you would have had a mess. That many trucks, traveling
that many miles…well, you figure how many people would have
been hurt or killed alone.
John. D. Stephens at the dirt-moving site. |
"And the speed with which the job had to be done, you could
not have done it even if you were trucking for 24 hours. "
It has been a massive job, taking over two years, starting just
after Labor day in 2002, and anticipating being finished by Thanksgiving
of sooner in 2004.
Stephens says: "Altogether we have moved already 14 million
yards of the 17 million yards," Stephens says. "We expect
to finish in October, or no later than Thanksgiving, depending on
the weather."
The conveyor system itself is a marvel, 4.5 miles long. Some 9,000
feet is 48 inches wide, the rest 72 inches wide. Maximum size rocks
are 10 inches in diameter, being crushed on site before loading
on the conveyor. Another firm drills and blasts the rocks to be
loaded on the Stephens conveyor.
It looks static, but the conveyer is moving dirt. |
Stephens says: "We have operated that conveyor for up to 16
hours a day, seven days a week, depending on the time of year."
The conveyor itself was designed by Continental Conveyor of Winfield,
Ala., a firm Stephens has worked with before. "We figured out
the route, and they did the engineering on the power requirements
and components." At one time when the conveyor was being installed,
as many as 75 people were at work on the site. However, during operation,
only 22 people were required.
The conveyer easily crosses streams. |
The fifth runway site is lower than present runways at Hartsfield,
requiring all the dirt and rock to build up to the same elevation.
"There are places where we are filling in over 100 feet deep,"
Stephens says. A temporary bridge for the conveyor had to be built
over Interstate 285.
The contracting firm of Archer Wilson out of Chicago, is also constructing
a bridge (for airplanes) which is a tunnel (for cars) at the site.
Cars on I-285 will drive under the fifth runway.
Stephens says of the massive earth-moving project: "We've
had no major problems. The weather at times has hampered us, but
other than that, we are on schedule. We got the dirt there. They
haven't had to wait on us."
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 Just Emissions,
a firm performing State of Georgia emission testing as certified
by the Georgia Clean Air Force (GCAF). We eliminate the potential
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only the test, never the needed repairs. For our commercial accounts
we offer charge accounts and a single source of record keeping eliminating
the need to "scramble" when it is time to purchase vehicle
tags. Just Emission offers certified emission testing in minutes
by our courteous, trained technicians. Located at the corner of
Scenic. and Grayson Highways in Lawrenceville. No appointment is
needed.
For a list of other sponsors of this forum, go to: http://www.gwinnettforum.com/about/sponsors.htm.
McLEMORE'S
WORLD
7/16: Candidate coaster
The latest from cartoonist Bill McLemore:
FEEDBACK
7/16: Enjoyed article
about trip down U.S. 66
Editor, the Forum:
I found the article on Bert Nasuti¹s trip along U.S. Highway
66 very interesting. Back in 1966, I took that trip myself, from
one end to the other. Everyone should make that trip, because it
is so much fun. Hopefully, I will do again before buying the farm.
-- Roy McCreary, Dacula
NEWS
7/16: County mails
property tax notices for 2004
Property tax bills for 2004 were mailed July 15. The tax bill includes
two payment coupons and two reply envelopes for both installment
payments. A reminder bill will not be mailed. Please retain the
payment coupons for submittal with the payment. If paying in installments,
the first installment amount indicated on the bill is due September
15 and the remainder is due November 15.
The census conducted in 2000 revealed Gwinnett County¹s population
exceeded 550,000 causing the collection of property taxes to be
governed by O.C.G.A. 48-5-23. The due dates were approved by resolution
by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners at their December
18, 2001 board meeting.
Installments not paid by the stated due dates will have a five
percent penalty added to the installment amount. In addition, interest
will begin to accrue at the rate of one percent per month beginning
November 16th.
For more information, call the 24-hour customer service line at
770-822-8800 or access the Tax Commissioner's website at www.gwinnett-tax.com.
Villegas wins Brand
scholarship for second time
Justin Villegas has been named a recipient of the Brand Banking
Company's collegiate scholarship for the second year in a row. A
rising junior at the University of Virginia, Villegas credits the
scholarship with helping offset much of his college costs.
"Since I run track and field and cross country, I don't have
a great deal of free time to work. This scholarship has helped with
expenses,"said Villegas, a Lawrenceville native. Villegas is
in a five-year program at the University and will graduate in 2007
with a master¹s degree in secondary education and a bachelor¹s
degree in English.
The scholarship was established last year and is awarded to students
attending either the University of Virginia or Hampden-Sydney College
in Virginia.
"We are always looking for ways to give back to the community,"said
Bartow Morgan, CEO of the Brand Banking Company. "Brand Bank
has customers throughout the northeast Georgia area, and it's important
to us to contribute to the areas we serve."
Morgan is an alumnus of Hampden-Sydney, and his brother and sister
are graduates of The University of Virginia.
BOOK
RECOMMENDATION
7/16: From Susan Shenefield,
Lilburn
"I just finished Caddy for Life, the Bruce Edwards Story
by John Feinstein. It is a touching story about heart and the wonderful
relationship between Tom Watson and his caddy, Bruce Edwards. Bruce
personally asked John to write his story after being diagnosed with
ALS. In the prologue John says he tried to think of reasons not
to do this book but in the end, he knew he must. I know very little
about golf but enjoyed the story immensely. Now I am picking up
Fly Boys."
- An invitation: What books have you enjoyed? Send us
your best recent book along with a short paragraph as to why you
liked it, plus what you plan to read next. --eeb
ENCYCLOPEDIA
TIDBIT
7/16: Brer Rabbit tales
derive from African-American folktales
The Uncle Remus tales are African American trickster stories about
the exploits of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and other "creeturs"
that were recreated in black regional dialect by Joel Chandler Harris
(1845-1908). Harris, a native of Eatonton, was a literary comedian,
New South journalist, amateur folklorist, southern local-color writer,
and children's author.
Brer Rabbit |
Two-thirds of Harris's celebrated trickster tales‹which constitute
the largest gathering of African American folktales published in
the 19th century‹derive their deep structures and primary motifs
from African folktales that were brought to the New World and then
retold and elaborated upon by African American slaves living in
the southeastern United States. The remaining stories have their
roots in European and Native American folklore.
The Brer Rabbit stories have been translated into nearly 30 foreign
languages and have had an impressively wide influence on writers
and on popular culture generally. Writers indebted to Harris include
Mark Twain, Charles Chesnutt, Zora Neale Hurston, Flannery O'Connor,
William Faulkner, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Van Dyke Parks
and Julius Lester (who have retold the Uncle Remus tales in richly
illustrated multivolume sets).
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
When the cycle really
started concerning bad manners
"I believe this crude cycle (of bad manners) started the first
time an adult male turned his cap around backward, walked into a
restaurant, sat down to eat, and no one slapped him."
-- Dink NeSmith, Athens, via Jesup Press-Sentinel.
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