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TODAY'S
ISSUE
You
traded a tractor for what ... was that again?
By Jones Webb
Special to GwinnettForum
(Editor's Note: Prominent Lawrenceville Attorney
Jones Webb told us recently of swapping a tractor that wouldn't
work for something entirely different. Reminds us of horse traders,
with each side trying to get the best end of a deal. But he was
dealing with a friend! When we first heard this story, we wondered
about it, trying to figure who got the short end of this deal.
You figure it out. -eeb)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. June 27, 2006---- "You traded a tractor
for a what?"
That was the exclamation of disbelief I heard when I revealed that
I had agreed to swap a tractor for a dog. (I think I also heard
something about getting a little old.) As dumb as it may seem, the
deal is finalized and both parties are happy with the swap.
This transaction commenced about three years ago when Juergen Doerrie
of Butjadingen, near Bremenhaven, a friend of ours, came over to
visit his son and fly with me to the Oshkosh, Wis., air show. We
had known the Doerrie family for many years and had visited them
both in Germany and in Lawrenceville.
While at our home in Lawrenceville, Juergen spotted an old John
Deere lawn and garden tractor in a shed and asked what I was going
to do with it. I was going to get rid of it because it would not
run. He said he would like to buy it to go in his collection of
antique tractors for his farm in Germany. Not considering the tractor
to have much value, I suggested that I would give him the tractor
if he would get me a pedigreed German shepherd approved by his veterinary
cousin. The deal was struck. The tractor was loaded on a Lufthansa
cargo jet for Germany. Juergen is a Lufthansa 747 captain.
Early this year, Juergen called to say that his cousin had talked
with a well known dog breeder (Deiter Traeger of Bremenhaven) who
was breeding to have puppies coming in March and he would reserve
one if I was ready. I agreed that I would arrange to bring the puppy
back on the airplane with me.
Then I asked Delta Airlines about bringing the puppy back under
my seat. They agreed, provided there was not another animal in the
aircraft passenger section (one animal per aircraft section). They
further required that the dog be at least eight weeks old and weigh
less than 10 kilos. I made the reservation without knowing whether
the puppy was born, if it would be eight weeks old, and weigh less
than 10 kilos when I returned from Germany.
While in Germany, I had an opportunity to fly in the Alps and upper
Rhine River valley and the headwaters of the Danube and make a first
flight in a glider. Juergen and I drove from his house near the
southern border to the Doerrie home, in Butjadingen, on the North
Sea to see the dog.
Happily, I found that the puppies were actually born on March 27
(my return flight was May 27, exactly two months) and the pup (Jason)
weighed less than10 kilos. I was most pleased with Jason. The veterinarian
had given him the required examination and the shots and completed
the international forms required to bring him into the United States.
After we had taken pictures (you can see the pictures on www.wannaerhoehen.de),
we put him in his little carrier, I slung it over my shoulder and
headed to the airport in Bremen.
The trip with a puppy under my seat on the airplane for 10 hours
was not the horror story I thought it might be. Actually he slept
or rested all of the way with no whining or crying. At one point,
I gave him water, but was ordered by the flight attendant to put
him back, much to his displeasure. Some have asked about bathroom
matters. He made the trip with the bottom of his carrier only slightly
damp. Arriving in Atlanta, we sailed through customs without a hitch
and with all the officials bragging on him.
As I write this crazy story, Jason is a happy little dog in the
Webb household almost accepted by the old shepherd, Buck. He is
very smart, good looking and well behaved (for a puppy) and ready
to prove to his master that he is worth as much a tractor.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Tidbits from readers of the news make life
a little better
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 27, 2006 -- Sometimes we get in small items that we put aside,
to use later in a composite column. Today's it's time again for
these tidbit specials.
Brack |
One of the best stories was passed along by Susan Shenefield, after
visiting the small town of Medora, North Dakota (their 50th state),
near the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. She writes:
"I had been up all Friday night at Relay for Life, so by Saturday
night I had 'hit the wall.' After dinner I went to the room and
Jordan, my husband, walked around town (to the three places that
were open).
"He bellied up to the bar at the Iron Horse and a guy next
to him strikes a conversation. This guy says, 'I am here because
this is my 45th state.'
"Jordan says 'I am here because this for me is number 50.'
Wherein the guy jumps up, extends his hand and loudly says, "Congratulations,
MAN!'
"We have laughed so hard over this. Who knew
North Dakota was a destination of choice for those state-seekers
besides us?"
* * * * *
From Jim Hood: "Here's a good tip that I got from a friend
who got the tip from a neighborhood watch coordinator:
"Keep your auto keys on the stand next to your bed at night.
If someone tries to break into your house, or if you hear a suspicious
noise outside your house, just press the panic alarm on your car.
It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and keep honking
until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button
on the key chain."
* * * * *
Georgia has 24 of its 361 high schools in the top 1,000 of Newsweek's
best high schools in the nation, up from 19 in 2003, reports the
Georgia Public Policy Foundation.
That's better, I agree. But I am not so much concerned about the
schools at the top of the heap as I am about the schools at the
bottom of the rung. For sure, they pull down the whole state. If
we can concentrate more on schools near the bottom, then Georgia
will not be ranked so low in education in the nation.
* * * * *
Speaking of schools, we read that Blue Bell Creameries sent an
ice cream truck to Rigdon Road Elementary School in Columbus for
being designated a 2005 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School,
so the Columbus Ledger Enquirer reported. Talk about your
incentives! Nothing's better than ice cream, for me, and make mine
pistachio.
Now if the Blue Bell truck would come by to the office building
where they had the largest combined weight loss…..well, no,
better re-think that one!
* * * * *
St. John: One of our favorite places to enjoy are the maritime
provinces of Canada. It's been especially good for Americans to
travel to Canada in recent years, because of the friendly, favorable
money exchange. Though the Canadian dollar is considerably stronger
now, still it's hard for Southerners with their humidity to beat
the Maritimes during our hot summer months.
Talking to a visitor from Canada once, we noted that she was from
St. Johns, New Brunswick. "No," she told us sharply. "Saint
John, singular."
We had never noticed the lack of an "s" on the name.
And then she went on: "We are singular St. John. And you would
be surprised at how many people seeking to come to our city in New
Brunswick on the Bay of Fundy actually wind up in Saint Johns, Newfoundland,
1,000 miles away!"
We can see such: a traveler to Canada, one-stopping at an airport
in Montreal, Toronto or Boston, headed to St. John, having told
the travel agent they want to go to Saint Johns. They actually get
a ticket for Newfoundland, when they really wanted to go to New
Brunswick. Be careful of your 'esses.'
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FEEDBACK
6/27:
Makes s uggestion to solution of current war in Iraq
Editor, the Forum:
There IS a solution to ending our current war in Iraq, to be able
to be done in 120 to
180 days, and with minimal violence and loss of life.
The "solution" to the current US involvement in Iraq
is:
Apologize to the people and government of Iran for OUR previous
support of Saddam Hussein (thereby pointing out the failure of Iran
and Arab governments' to stop the Hussein-type barbarity), and,
(2) Have the United Nations declare Iraq "lawless" and
in a Civil War necessitating that it be "disarmed door-to-door"
and "border-to-border" by a 350,000 UN Peace Force provided
by the People's Republic of China.
As "outrageous" as the above may seem, they are logical
and do-able. (Gravity seemed "outrageous" until Newton
defined it.)
-- Allan Hytowitz, Alpharetta
6/27: Wondering just
how far no warm fuzzies at library goes
Editor, the Forum:
Wonder if your "Recommended Read" "nominations in
the GwinnettForum will go down in number now that the Gwinnett County
Public Library isn't giving everyone the warm fuzzies these days?
Just a thought. Hope not.
-- Patti Williamson, Duluth
(Dear Patti: as indicated in last issue, the
atmosphere that has been created by the Library Board has been
most disturbing to many people. However, we suspect that voracious
readers will continue to do so, though of course, they won't find
as many titles as they might want in Spanish, and perhaps not
exactly the items they want. Yet the library system has many others
most suitable to anyone….and anyone (and we invite) can send
in Recommended Reads ideas. ---eeb)
UPCOMING
Snellville
invites viewing concept plan for downtown area
Come see the future of Snellville's Town Center District. After
the first public input meeting in May, Snellville staff and consultants
MACTEC and Jon Benson and (LCI) implementation project. This plan
will be presented to the public on Wednesday, June 28 at 6:30 p.
m. The meeting will be held in the Community Room of City Hall,
2342 Oak Road.
This project includes the installation of street furniture, decorative
lights, and street trees along Wisteria Drive, Clower Street, and
Oak Road, as well as transportation improvements in that area. The
project is being funded with a $2.2 million grant the City has received
from the Atlanta Regional Commission for implementation of its LCI
Study.
The City has launched a web page for this project at www.snellville.org/plandev/lci.aspx.
Visit this page for progress reports and meeting dates. For questions
or more information on the LCI project, please contact Planning
& Development Director Jessica Roth at 770-985-3509 or at jroth@snellville.org.
NOTABLE
Olympic Museum at History Center plans free opening July 15
Olympic glory returns to Atlanta on July 15, as the Atlanta History
Center will introduce a landmark exhibit commemorating the 10-year
anniversary of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. The exhibit has
a spectacular collection of multimedia presentations, artifacts,
images, interactive displays, and a second level dedicated to an
interactive Sports Lab. The Centennial Olympic Games Museum at the
Atlanta History Center houses one of the most significant exhibitions
on Olympic sport and history in the United States. Now, a city known
for having a dream will honor those who fulfilled one.
The opening of Atlanta's newest attraction, the Centennial Olympic
Games Museum at the Atlanta History Center, will kick off with a
free public opening day, commemorative programs, and a volunteer
appreciation week. Join the museum as it unveils the museum, observe
the 10th anniversary, and celebrate Atlanta's shared legacy of the
Centennial Olympic Games.
The July 15 celebration opens at 10 a.m. Celebrate free of charge
Atlanta's ten-year anniversary of the 1996 Games with opening ceremonies
at 10:30 a.m. with a Parade of Nations march by more than 150 children
from the Metro Atlanta Boys and Girls Club.
Special guests from the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games
including Billy Payne, athletes from the 1996 games such as Olympic
swimmer Janet Evans and volunteers from 1996 games, join Mayor Shirley
Franklin to open the doors to Atlanta's newest attraction.
The activities continue throughout the day on the 33-acre campus
with a Sports and Games Treasure Hunt taking visitors through award-winning
exhibitions; family-fun activities on Tullie Smith Farm and Swan
House lawn; sporting activities for children and adults including
putting, a batting cage, and basketball; demonstrations of Olympic
sporting events including Judo; music by Cultural Olympiad performers;
food and drink from the Varsity and Chick-Fil-A, pin trading, and
much more! As a special treat, all attendees receive complimentary
collector's 1996 Olympic Game pin, while supplies last. For more
information, please call 404.814.4000 or visit www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.
RECOMMENDATION
- 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
Church in Augusta may be oldest black church
in USA
Springfield
Baptist Church in Augusta traces its roots to the year 1773,
bolstering its claim to be the oldest African American congregation
in the United States. Served by African American pastors during
the antebellum years, Springfield had the largest membership of
any church in the Georgia Baptist Association.
Springfield Baptist Church |
Some of its members emigrated to Liberia, and the church maintained
a missionary connection with that country. Springfield offered Sunday
school instruction in 1859, even though such classes were banned
by the prevailing slave codes.
In 1866, the church hosted the first meeting of the postwar Georgia
Equal Rights Association, which became the Georgia Republican Party
a year later.
The Augusta Baptist Institute was founded at the church; twelve
years later it moved to Atlanta and grew into Morehouse College.
Savannah's First African and First Bryan Baptist churches have
long contested with each other for the title of "oldest"
church. The origins of the Augusta and Savannah churches are intertwined.
Around 1773, a roving evangelist named Wait Palmer organized a church
among George Galphin's slaves at his Silver Bluff, South Carolina,
plantation, located twelve miles below Augusta on the Savannah River.
Among the original members were two who played major roles in Baptist
history, David George and Jesse Peters. George later left an account
of his life, including his escape from slavery in Virginia, his
flight into the Indian country, and his association with the traders
employed by George Galphin. George recounted how "Brother Palmer
formed us into a church and gave us the Lord's Supper at Silver
Bluff."
Galphin's children taught George to read, and he began preaching
to the little congregation on the plantation. George Liele, a slave
of Henry Sharp and a member of the mostly white Buckhead Baptist
Church, also preached at Silver Bluff.
George Galphin took the patriot side in the American Revolution
(1775-83).
In 1779, during the British occupation of Georgia, about ninety
of Galphin's slaves, among them George and Peters, sought refuge
with British commander Archibald Campbell. They were later joined
in Savannah by Liele, whose master was killed in a skirmish with
patriot forces. The refugees formed a church in Savannah.
When the British evacuated Savannah in 1782, George and many members
of the church went to Nova Scotia and founded one of the first,
if not the first, African American church there. The inhospitable
climate, and an unfriendly reception by some of the inhabitants,
caused George and his followers to migrate to Sierra Leone, where
they established a church and a community.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Two thoughts strung
together make even more sense
"There is a greater good which sometimes necessitates tremendous
sacrifice." -- General Carter Ham of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
To this, Lew Rockwell of lewrockwell.com responds: "They define
the greater good; others make the sacrifice."
--Via Marshall Miller, Lilburn
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