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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Dawg
fans give part of the credit to the many UGAs
By Charles Summerour
(UGA, 1970)
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: Unless you are a true Dawg fan
or just an aficionado of canines, you may want to scroll on past
this article. After all what is a tribute to an icon for one,
may be a difficult read for a rival fan in this part of the world
where everyone has allegiances and has difficulty with tolerance
of their rivals, especially Georgia Tech fans. -eeb)
DULUTH, Ga., Sept. 5, 2006 -- Not only have we just experienced
the start of another football season, it is a historic one for those
who have red and black bloodlines. You see, this year is the 50th
anniversary of the beloved mascot of the University of Georgia,
UGA. (That's 350 in dog years).
UGA VI |
As a college freshman attending his first homecoming game in 1966,
little did I recognize that history was unfolding when UGA I passed
on the bone to UGA II during halftime ceremonies as the student
body erupted with "Damn Good Dog"---a saying which became
UGA I's epitaph. In those days, the original solid white English
bulldog had survived 10 years as the school's first mascot, wearing
a jersey made of a child's t-shirt. It was without the benefit of
the amenities of his successors, such as his own ice bags and an
air-conditioned dog house on the sidelines at Sanford Stadium.
While embraced by all facets of the Bulldog Nation, he is the most
popular feature of picture day. Credit for UGA"s breeding,
caring, feeding, transportation and heredity has always been the
pride of the Siler family of Savannah, for whom UGA is a family
pet of the highest order. From the original dog, who was given to
Cecilia and Frank "Sonny" Siler by a friend, have come
the line of UGAs who have graced not only the football field, but
have come to represent the university at all types of events, both
sporting and otherwise.
A member of the Siler family always is on the end of the leash,
including the current Charles Siler. The five successors to UGA
I all carry his bloodline down to the current UGA VI. Despite their
countenance in public of being child friendly and loving, you would
have trouble convincing a certain Auburn player that UGA "just
wanted to play."
As the Bulldog Nation honors its beloved mascot here is a summary
of their reigns:
UGA I, 1956-67: record of 53-48-6. Longest reign of any Dawg
and the first buried in the mausoleum at the west end of Sanford
Stadium. Epitaph: "Damn Good Dog."
UGA II, 1966-72: record of 42-16-3, including five bowl games
and two SEC championships. Epitaph: "Not Bad for a Dog".
UGA III, 1973-80: record of 71-32-2, including six bowl games
and the 1980 National championship. Epitaph: "How 'Bout This
Dog."
UGA IV, 1981-89: record of 77-27-4 including a bowl game in each
of his nine years; may be best known as the first mascot (in a
tuxedo) to attend the Heisman Trophy awards ceremony for Herschel
Walker. First mascot to be awarded a varsity letter. Epitaph:
"The Dog of the Decade."
UGA V, 1990-99; record of 65-39-1; Born as the last male in the
last litter sired by his father. Known for "Defending His
Turf", in a picture where he lunged at an Auburn player;
appearing in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and
Evil" along with Sonny Siler; for being selected as the "Nation's
Best Mascot" (also his epitaph) by Sports Illustrated; and
appearing on the cover of the magazine.
UGA VI, 1999-present: record of 54-18, including seven bowl games
and two SEC championships. At over 60 pounds, he is 15 pounds
heavier than any of the previous five mascots; appeared in Sports
Illustrated, in an Emmy winning episode of "Liars and Legends,"
on a segment of NBC's nightly news and at a reception for Georgia
congressmen in Washington. Will accept honors for all UGAs in
this year's 50th anniversary celebration.
And in case a true Dawg fans notice, there was a "substitute
UGA" named Otto, who subbed for his father, UGA IV, who was
injured in 1986. Record of 3-1; Vince Dooley said of Otto, "I
have a great affection for those who come off the bench…."
There are generally two classes of UGA admirers-those who admit
it and those who are just jealous of college football's best known
mascot! While the fact that I have seen them all makes me feel my
age, it has been a pleasure! Go Dawgs and Happy Anniversary, UGA!!
For more, go to www.georgiadogs.com.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Four commissioners find chairman not working
with them
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
SEPT. 5, 2006 -- What most law-abiding people want out of their
government is for it to be run smoothly and efficiently, and stay
out of their lives. We elect our officials, and want them to act
within reason, though we want their ear from time to time. But mainly,
most of us want to go about our day-to-day activities without having
to be concerned about our government, and expect those we elect
to act reasonably.
Brack |
Gwinnett residents may soon begin to be a little more ill at ease
about their county government. It's becoming obvious that the once-relatively
smooth county commission is becoming a powder keg, with a possibility
of fireworks among its members.
Not surprisingly, it centers around politics, and the role that
the commission chairman is playing…..or failing to play, according
to the latest line.
Chairman Charles Bannister has continued the role he evidenced
when at the Legislature for 18 years, having a bare impact on the
body. His style of leadership, which is minimal at most, has not
served to pull the county commission together. Instead, his actions,
or lack of them, serve to divide the commission far more than Gwinnett
has seen in the past 25 years.
You have to go back to the 1980-84 days of the commission when
you find a similar situation, back when Chairman Charles Ashworth
never learned to count to three. You may remember vote after vote
coming out 4-1, with the chairman being the one. At that time, Gwinnettians
wondered why the chairman would not simply abstain from voting,
since he should have known the outcome.
Bannister |
Today, actions by Mr. Bannister have virtually assured him that
there will be four votes on the other side of most any issue when
he speaks out. His virtually-open campaign to elect the primary
opponent of Commissioner Kevin Kenerly puzzled onlookers, since
good politicians know to keep hands off campaigns of others.
Meanwhile, the other three commissioners, Bert Nasuti, Lorraine
Green and Mike Beaudreau, seem to get along with each other and
respect the views of fellow district commissioners. They also seem
to be able to enter into fruitful discussions to resolve issues
among themselves. All the while, they get little impact or leadership
from the chairman, who often sits with little input. It's as if
he is in a self-imposed daze, not wanting to be the leader Gwinnett
thought it was electing.
Ask anyone who has been a commissioner, and they will often cite
differences within the body. But they worked it out, and compromised.
Once an issue was decided, they present a united front.
The very nature of sitting on the commission, therefore, speaks
to an active group, one which works best when united for a common
goal. The way the commission appears today, it is obviously not
working entirely together, principally because of the methods employed
by the chairman.
Look for more open differences among the commissioners in the future.
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FEEDBACK
9/5:
Provides help for ranters upset with No Child Left Behind
Editor, the Forum:
Along those same lines of Mr. Malone's questions on Community Improvement
Districts, I attended Rep. John Linder's town hall meeting last
Thursday. I was somewhat amused at the lack of attention several
attendees had while ranting about the "unfunded mandate"
of the No Child Left Behind edict from Washington.
Mr. Linder's reply, simply went: "We doubled the education
grants to the states, so you need to look to your local officials
for accountability."
The ranters had no clue how to chase this down, so to promote community
involvement farther, those and others who are interested and care
to get involved, go to www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us,
find out when the next school board meeting convenes, and show up
to express your frustration with their current program to promote
No Child Left Behind!
-- Kevin S. Moffitt, Lawrenceville
Whole Foods "new"
store more intent on affluent area
Editor, the Forum:
Last Friday's issue of the Forum announced the opening of a "new"
Whole Foods Store on State Bridge Road in Duluth. The announcement
also stated the creation of 175 new jobs.
What was seriously misleading is that the old Whole Foods Store
which was formerly Harry's Farmers Market on Satellite Blvd near
Pleasant Hill Road, is closing. There will still only be one Whole
Foods Market near Gwinnett County. (The new store is in Fulton County,
just past the river.)
So the jobs created by one store opening need to be balanced against
those lost with the old store closing. Whole Foods is closing its
only Gwinnett store and moving from one place to another and really
creating nothing new as far as jobs go. Let's give credit where
credit is due and take a realistic look at this "new"
store.
For those living in south Gwinnett, many of us will no longer shop
at Whole Foods simply because of the high cost of getting there.
Whole Foods recently missed a golden opportunity to open a new store
on Five Forks Trickum Road and Killian Hill Road, in south Gwinnett
where an Ingles Foods closed shop. It appears to me that Whole Foods
is not interested in expanding in Gwinnett, only in moving its location
into a more affluent area to expand its profits.
-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn
Conservatives hope
Mark Taylor keeps quiet in campaign
Editor, the Forum:
The conservatives are hoping that Mark Taylor remains quiet, and
the voters will just forget about him. You will have to admit that
Sonny Perdue has done an outstanding job! He has done a much better
job than his predecessor, who ran around trying to put out fires
that were just not there. Sonny knows what has to be done, and does
it! Maybe Mark can do just as well, but Sonny is proven.
-- Roy McCreary, Dacula
Dear Roy: Some people will want you to do your
own admitting. ---eeb
UPCOMING
City
of Suwanee offers Internet system for city services
The City of Suwanee is putting customer service at the top of its
priority list and at citizens' fingertips. Beginning September 7,
citizens will have "24/7" access to the City's new citizen/customer
request management system via the Internet. A link to the new Online
system will be available on the City of Suwanee's website, www.suwanee.com.
Through Online, citizens will be able to submit and track requests
for services or information from any location at any time through
the Internet.
Online allows citizens to key in service requests or concerns (and
even compliments) in a variety of categories, including animal control,
building and housing, city government, code enforcement, neighborhood
improvement, parks and landscaping, parking, public safety, utility
franchises, and water and stormwater utilities. To submit a request,
citizens complete a brief online form; once submitted, the information
is routed to the appropriate City department.
In addition, citizens can determine their preferred method of contact
for responses and monitor the status of their request.
Georgia Southwestern,
national POW museum plan symposium
Andersonville National Historic Site, location of the National
Prisoner of War Museum, and Georgia Southwestern State University
are partnering in the first ever POW/MIA Symposium to be held September
14-15, 2006. September 15th is the National Prisoner of War Museum
and Missing in Action Recognition Day.
The symposium will begin with a moderated forum on Thursday, September
14, 2006 at 7 p.m. at Jackson Hall on the campus of GSW. This event
will be moderated by Dr. Glenn Robins, associate professor of history
at GSW. The panel participants include Capt. Bill Robinson, USAF
(Ret.), Col. Quin Herlik, USA (Ret.), Mrs. Anne Purcell (wife of
former POW Col. Ben Purcell), and Ms. Joy Purcell (daughter of former
POW Col. Ben Purcell).
The symposium will continue on Friday, September 15, 2006 with
a presentation by Col. Ben Purcell, USA (Ret.) at 11 a.m. This event
will be held in the new Student Success Center on the campus of
Georgia Southwestern State University. The panel participants will
be escorted from Andersonville National Historic Site to the campus
by Rolling Thunder, which was organized in 1987 to raise awareness
regarding POW, MIA and Veterans rights. The group is noted for their
annual "Ride to the Wall" where hundreds of thousands
of motorcycles roar into Washington, D.C. each Memorial Day weekend.
The procession will be arriving on campus at 10:15 a.m. Members
of Rolling Thunder will be available after the presentation to educate
visitors and school groups about their mission.
Also as a part of the day's events, a new exhibit "Who is
a POW?" will be opened at 2 p.m. at the National Prisoner of
War Museum. This new permanent exhibit explores the different facets
that define a POW. This has been a complex question and has been
a matter of contention in almost every conflict from the American
Revolution to the current Global War on Terrorism.
The symposium is being funded by the Andersonville Trust which
is an endowment fund operated by the Friends of Andersonville to
support the park and the National Prisoner of War Museum.
NOTABLE
EMC
raises $7.000 in motorcycle ride for cancer research
Over 300 motorcyclists rolled into Walton Electric Membership Corporation's
Headquarters for the Power of Hope Ride raising $7,000 for the American
Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The ride, started in 2003 by employee
volunteers, wound through 73 miles of surrounding Georgia Piedmont
and scenic rural back roads on August 26.
Scott McCown of Lawrenceville won the highest bid for a cycle paint
job, donated by Encline Designs. Many riders took home door prizes,
including Clifton Johnson of Lawrenceville who won the grand prize,
a Green Egg cooker from EMC Security.
Cycle World of Athens partnered with Walton EMC in presenting and
promoting the Power of Hope Ride.
Walton EMC is a customer-owned electric cooperative, serving 115,000
accounts in 10 Northeast Georgia counties. Its subsidiary, Walton
EMC Natural Gas, serves customers statewide.
RECOMMENDED
PLAY
25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Good Performances: But Mean Stereotypes and Prejudice
Attending stage plays often will shock you, yet the current touring
production at the Alliance Theatre, Spelling Bee, surprised
us with its prejudiced stereotypes. The play itself is fast-paced
and enjoyable, about interactions during a county Spelling Bee,
as played by adults acting like children. The obvious prejudices
were written specifically into the play. Perhaps we in the South
are most alert to treat people in a more cherished manner than the
play (out of the East) treats characters. Overall, the play was
enjoyable; the stereotypes seemed overwritten, and often, not merely
politically incorrect, but downright mean. By the way, this play
is currently on Broadway, and this is a touring company. There's
not much time left to see the play: it continues through September
16.
---eeb
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
GEORGIA
TIDBIT
Vereen Bell
novel "Swamp Water" about Okefenokee Swamp
The first novel by Vereen
Bell (1911-1944), "Swamp Water," was published initially
in serial form in the Saturday Evening Post in November and December
1940, and then in book form by Little, Brown in February 1941.
Bell |
After graduating from North Carolina's Davidson College in 1932,
he began writing for "Sunday school" and juvenile magazines.
In 1934 Bell married Florence Eleanor Daniel of Thomasville. They
settled near Bell's family home in Cairo.
Bell worked briefly as an editor American Boy/Youth's Companion,
but he preferred to write as a freelancer from his south Georgia
home. In the late 1930s his outdoor stories and wildlife photography
routinely sold to Collier's and the Saturday Evening Post.
Swamp Water was an immediate sensation in the south and across
the nation. Swamp Water made him a wealthy man. The narrative, which
concerns the exploits of a young boy, his hunting dog, and a fugitive
hiding out in the Okefenokee Swamp, was so appealing that Bell was
able to sell the movie rights to Twentieth Century Fox for $15,000.
The studio made the movie in the summer of 1941 and premiered it
in October in Waycross. Swamp Water and its author are often lauded
in south Georgia for bringing recognition to the area and "international
fame" to the Okefenokee Swamp.
Both the novel Swamp Water and its film version brought attention
to south Georgia and to the Okefenokee Swamp at a critical moment
in the region's history. President Franklin Roosevelt had declared
the swamp a Federal Wildlife Refuge by executive order in 1937,
and local boosters were just beginning to shape an infrastructure
and culture of tourism in the area. Vereen Bell's fictional representation
of the swamp's allure and the film's visual depictions of it helped
to convert the Okefenokee from a place of local use to a site of
national consumption.
A World War II Naval officer, Bell was killed during the Battle
for Leyte Gulf.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
What has light side,
dark side, yet whole universe together?
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark
side, and it holds the universe together."
-- Media megahost Oprah Winfrey (1954- ).
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