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Wildlifes in Okefenokee threaten gallberry
honey crop
By
Troy Fore
Special to GwinnettForum.com
(Editor's Note: With the smoke from the Okefenokee
Swamp fires extending all across North Georgia on some days, we
thought you might want an update from one source close to the
fire. It's written by the publisher of The Speedy Bee, a beekeeping
publication, who himself is a beekeeper. As of Sunday, the area
had had up to six inches of rain, and this put out some of the
67 wildfires, which has burned almost 600,000 acres in South Georgia
and North Florida. But many areas are still hot with fire, and
much smoke continues to pour out of deep peat bogs burning underground.
-eeb)
Fore
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JESUP, Ga. June 5, 2007 -- It is not an "easy street"
for beekeepers in the prime honey area of South Georgia and North
Florida. The odds favor a nice crop of gallberry honey, but locating
bees close to the black bear havens of the Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge (Georgia) and Osceola National Forest (Florida) has been
likened to playing Russian roulette.
This year, with wildland fires striking just as gallberry began
to bloom, most of those beekeepers would rather swap the chance
of a marauding bear than for the chance of coming back to a beeyard
and finding neat piles of ashes.
Some beekeepers moved their colonies out of harm's way. Others
are depending on fire crews to plow firebreaks around the apiaries.
Others have not been so lucky.
There are really several fires that are being counted as one, since
they are in the same general area and in some instances have burned
contiguous territory. The first fire started on April 16 when high
winds threw a tree onto a power line.
On May 23, the fires were nearing the consumption of a half-million
acres of forest. Over 2,000 firefighters have been involved from
all over the nation. The losses are estimated to be over $40 million.
Thanks to the courageous work of the firefighters, only a couple
dozen homes have been destroyed and no lives have been lost.
I live 40 miles to the north-northwest of the fire. When the wind
is right (wrong?) the smoke from the fires is strong here. One morning
the smoke seemed so fresh that I was sure there was a local fire.
We have had ashes blown-in several times. Even Savannah, another
60 miles distant, has seen ashes. The smoke has reached people hundreds
of miles away; at times the plume has been visible from the weather
satellites.
In places, the Okefenokee Swamp has peat bogs many feet deep. The
peat has dried out with our drought and is now burning deep below
the surface of the ground. It will take a tropical storm to supply
sufficient rain to put all this out. They are saying the drought
is nearing a once-in-50-years event. Interestingly enough, fires
burned much of the Swamp in the mid-1950s.
If the beehives escaped the flames, the gallberry, black gum, tupelo,
holly, and palmetto did not. Some of this will take many years to
return. Gallberry, however, thrives following a fire. In a few years,
freed from the overshadowing pines, the gallberry will be better
than before.
Twenty five ways to know that you are a Georgian!
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
JUNE 5, 2007 -- Some kind soul set this along to me a couple of
years ago, and we came back across it recently. It's a test to tell
if you are from Georgia.
Brack |
Move-ins from other parts of the country may not always understand
the provincial nature of Georgians, but this may give them some
idea.
So, you know you are a Georgian, if:
1. You measure distance in minutes.
2. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C"
in one day.
3. Stores don't have bags; they have sacks.
4. Stores don't have shopping carts; they have buggies.
5. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no
one in it, no matter what time of the year.
6. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: "I am fixing
to go to the store."
7. You know that most of the festivals across the state are named
after a fruit, vegetable, grain, or animal. About the best example
of that is the Dahlonega "Bear on the Square Festival."
8. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave
both house and garage unlocked. (For you outsiders, there's a reason
for this: you get to watch the raccoons and 'possum waddle around
at night.)
9. You appreciate fried catfish as the "other" white
meat.
10. You have primarily four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and
Tabasco. (We add another: mustard.)
11. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
12. You think sexy lingerie is a holey tee shirt and boxer shorts.
13. The local newspaper covers national and international news
on one page but requires six pages for sports.
14. You think that the first day of trout and deer seasons should
be national holidays.
15. You find 90 degrees F. "a little warm."
16. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer,
and Christmas.
17. You know whether another Georgian is from south, middle, or
north Georgia as soon as they open their mouth. (Think Zell Miller
or Sam Griffin.)
18. You know where the Dairy Queen is in every town with a population
of 1,000 or more.
19. When taking trips you know where the best barbecue is in every
direction of the state, but won't drive more than 100 miles out
of the way for it, to save gas.
20. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good
chili weather.
21. You go to political rallies, not for the speaking, but for
the barbecue.
22. Up until age eight, you thought it was spelled "dawg."
23. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop ... it's
a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor.
24. You know that if going to a country funeral, you might be there
the rest of the day.
25. You know that Georgians are different, proud of it, and rightly
so.
Use this to send to non-Georgians, so that they can understand
people from "the Empire State of the South" better.
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Among our sponsors is Jim Cowart
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more information, go to www.jimcowart.com.
Her
home church invited back former ministers during year
Editor, the Forum:
I certainly enjoyed reading about St. Multose Church in Kinsale,
Ireland, and your suggestion that churches keep better records of
their history. My home church in Alabama (First Christian Church
- Disciples of Christ, Tuscaloosa, Ala.) has done just that and
is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
As part of the celebration, they invited all past living ministers
to return throughout the year and conduct a service. My husband
and I have enjoyed returning to see old friends and to hear beloved
ministers one more time.
-- Bunny Drueke, Snellville
Remembers visiting
in beautiful Kinsale, Ireland
Editor, the Forum:
Concerning your column on St. Multose Church in Ireland, I visited
that church and Kinsale two years ago; beautiful area and good comments.
-- Chuck Paul, Norcross
Likes for churches
to maintain records of former pastors
Editor, the Forum:
As you already know, that I am a regular, avid reader of Gwinnett
Forum! I wish to compliment you for your article on churches maintaining
a record regarding their pastors through the years.
-- Edgar Williams, Milledgeville
Students
write play for weekend at Lionheart Theatre
Masterworks Foundation will present Use Only as Directed at
the Lionheart Theater Thursday, June 7 through Saturday, June 9.
This original play encompasses life's worst and best moments….
life at its beginning and its end within the walls of Lawrence County
Hospital. Use Only as Directed ranges from sidesplitting
hilarity to harrowing tragedy.
This thought-provoking production delves into issues of fairness,
loneliness, friendship, and self worth. It is recommended for ages
12 and up.
Use Only as Directed was written by a group of high school
and college students from the Atlanta area. This is the group's
second attempt at this type of project. It began by studying a literary
work and then using the themes from that work to create an original
play.
Students decided on the theme of fairness and moved into loneliness,
friendship, self worth and many others. Through ten months of work,
it formed a story about the doctors, nurses and patients at Lawrence
County Hospital, with the results ranging from the horribly tragic
moments to the side-splitting hilarious.
The patients and families who find themselves in Lawrence County
Hospital are forced to deal with death, mental illness and the joys
of health insurance. While the doctors and nurses have to deal with
the patients, and worse… each other.
Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students. The Lionheart
Theatre is located in the Norcross Community and Cultural Arts Center,
across from Norcross City Hall. General Admission tickets may be
purchased at the door or ordered at: jallen@masterworksfoundation.org
The Masterworks' Foundation exists to enrich and renew the lives
and cultures of the world through education in and the production
of the arts from a distinctly Christian worldview. Its members believe
that the arts have a profound effect for good or corruption on the
people and cultures of the world, and also believe that through
educating and producing the arts from a distinctly Christian worldview,
there will be a renaissance in the lives and cultures of the world.
Technology Forum to
hear CIO panel at June 19 meeting
The June 19 Gwinnett Technology Forum will feature a panel of information
officers from Metro Atlanta's leading technology companies. It will
be moderated by Marian Lucia, CIO of the Federal Home Loan Bank
of Atlanta.
The gathering will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Scientific-Atlanta Auditorium
in the Busbee Center at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville.
Among the speakers will be
- John Dunbar, CIO, EMS Technologies, Inc.
- Tom Shirey, director of Software Engineering at Firearms Training
Systems (FATS), Inc located in Suwanee.
- John Bartz. executive vice president and CIO of Sage Software.
- Steve Winterbottom, vice president and CIO at Scientific Atlanta.
- Babak Aghevli, vice president, Integrated Business Systems,
DataPath.
There is no charge to attend the Technology Forum, though reservations
are suggested. To RSVP, please email Jo Anne Wymer at Joanne@gwinnettchamber.org.
Gwinnett
Tech to offer heavy equipment service program
Gwinnett Technical College has added the new heavy equipment service
technician program to the college's automotive service technology
division, rounding out the college's repertoire of a dozen existing
dozen automotive programs.
The program is being introduced at Gwinnett Tech in response to
industry demands. This is one of the fastest growing and high need
areas in Georgia, as identified by the Department of Labor. Gwinnett
Tech created the program to meet the needs of its business customers
and partners.
Many of these business partners, like John D. Stephens Company,
Tractor and Equipment Company, Briggs Construction, Ingersoll Rand
and Hertz Equipment Rental, are sponsoring the program, which includes
a five-week paid internship. These internships hold the potential
to lead to full-time job placement.
The program addresses some of the primary elements of the field,
including the fundamentals of diesel engines, electrical systems,
power trains and hydraulics, to name just a few.
Upon completion of this new program in the service technology program
at Gwinnett Tech, students enter the field as heavy equipment service
technicians working with diesel equipment, truck/bus rental equipment
and repair facilities.
The new heavy equipment service technician certificate program
can be completed in less than a year.
To learn more about the heavy equipment service technician program
or other automotive service technology programs, contact Gwinnett
Tech at 770-962-7580 or online at www.GwinnettTech.edu.
Snellville Commerce
Club awards two college scholarships
The Snellville Commerce Club will award its 2007 FBLA/DECA $1,000
Scholarship to Marcus Hodges of South Gwinnett High School and Morgan
Blouin of Brookwood High School.
Mr. Hodges is a member of the National Honor Society and a league
soccer referee. Ms. Blouin is president of Brookwood FBLA and a
competitive archer. "We're proud that our community consistently
produces young men and women who achieve" said commerce Club
Co-President Jimmy Norton.
Mellon,
by David Cannadine
"This thick (700 pages) biography gives us a deep insight
into one of the most successful of the turn-of-century businessmen,
Andrew Mellon of Pittsburgh. Known primarily as a banker, he achieved
great wealth by his shrewd investment in start-up companies, such
as Alcoa, Gulf Oil and Carborundum, all based out of Pittsburgh.
Nearing retirement age, he became one of the most astute Secretary
of the Treasury for three Republican presidents (1921-32). Later
he faced stiff legal challenges during the Roosevelt days, being
charged with income tax evasion, but was exonerated. He later not
only gave his massive art collection of old masters to the nation,
he also conceived, built and financed the National Gallery of Art
and its endowment. Through it all, Mellon was an unsuccessful husband
and father, but gained redemption in the minds of many with his
tremendous contribution to the arts in this country." ---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
Barrow's
service at chancellor lifts UGA to new heights
Barrow
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David
Barrow Jr. served as chancellor of the University of Georgia
from 1906 to 1925, a position roughly analogous to the modern presidency
of that institution. Through background, hard work, and an amiable
personality, Barrow became one of Georgia's leading public servants.
David Crenshaw Barrow Jr. was born in 1852 in Oglethorpe County,
where his father, David C. Barrow Sr., was a leading planter and
a trustee of the university. His mother, Sarah Pope Barrow, was
the granddaughter of former governor and senator Wilson Lumpkin.
Barrow was educated at the University of Georgia, receiving both
a B.S. and a degree in engineering in 1874. After trying the law
and geological surveying, he became in turn a popular professor
of mathematics and engineering, a department head, dean under Chancellor
Walter B. Hill, acting chancellor upon Hill's death (1905), and
in 1906, chancellor. Building upon Hill's vision and plans (many
of which he had helped formulate as dean), Barrow led the university
through a period of great growth.
At the time of his appointment as chancellor, the University of
Georgia could be accurately described as a collection of colleges,
consisting of a liberal arts college, a law school, a summer school,
beginning schools of pharmacy and forestry, an embryonic college
of agriculture, and some graduate courses in various fields. When
Barrow retired in 1925, the university had become a modern institution,
with an established college of agriculture, much-strengthened versions
of the 1906 schools, new schools of education, commerce, and journalism,
and a structured graduate school.
Barrow's accomplishments were also partly due to his political astuteness.
The other state colleges were part of the university by law though
not in fact and thus included in Barrow's administrative duties.
Controversies developed with both the Georgia Institute of Technology
in Atlanta and the all-female Georgia Normal and Industrial College
(later Georgia College and State University) in Milledgeville, two
schools aggressively seeking independence from the university in
Athens. Barrow resolved these disputes adroitly.
Barrow's personal life was also rich and full. He married Frances
Ingle Childs of Athens in 1879, and they had four children and ten
grandchildren. Barrow's name survives in Barrow County, in an Athens
elementary school and an Athens street, and at the University of
Georgia in Barrow Hall and the David C. Barrow Chair of Mathematics.
Barrow died in 1929.
At least one politician
has learned over the years
"There's no wisdom in the second kick of a mule."
-- Republican Rep. Bill Cotty of Columbia, S.C.
Send your thoughts, 55-word short stories, pet peeves
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