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Gwinnettian sees Maori life up close being preserved
By Olivia Boyce
Special to GwinnettForum.com

DACULA, Aug. 3, 2007 -- Recently, 42 other Atlanta area delegates and I traveled to Australia and New Zealand with the People to People student Ambassador program. While on our tour we visited not only the traditional tourist attractions, but we also learned what life is really like in both countries. We lived in New Zealander homes, attended two schools, spoke with government officials, and learned about the native cultures of both nations.

The Maoris, or native New Zealanders, are a group that I knew very little about going into the trip, but after spending the night on a Marae learning about this very preserved culture, I was hooked.

We were met by congenial looking Maori woman in her traditional garb and given a traditional welcoming ceremony. Both our chief and the Maori chief gave speeches in their respective native tongues'. To conclude the welcoming ceremony our chief pressed noses with each of the Maoris.

For the next hour or so our group learned various different Maori dances and songs. The Maori women taught our girls how to use the poi, which consists of two yarn balls attached by a string that is swung around and hit to make rhythms. The men in our group were taught the haka, a well known Maori war dances used to intimidate opponents. The Kiwi Rugby team, The All Blacks, do the haka before every game to psyche out the opposing team, with bulging eyes, protruding tongues, slaps, and stomps, all done with a menacing attitude. It leaves quite an impression. To reciprocate and have a bit of fun, our group taught the Maoris the "Cha-Cha Slide"-quite a culture exchange.

A traditional Maori meal is called the hangi and it consists of meat, potatoes, and vegetables cooked underground in essentially a fire pit. Because the area is known for its thermal activity, the locals did not even need to put hot coals in the fire pit, the ground is warm enough to cook food itself.

After dinner, we learned that the Maori family had set up 43 cots on the floor for us; we would be sleeping as honored guests in their fudinui. With everyone snuggled on our own cots it was story time. The niece in the Maori family, Tiffany, started by explaining the traditions of her people and walking us back through the ceremony we had been a part of earlier. She finished with a few Maori stories, one a local Romeo and Juliet- type story.

I was impressed with Tiffany's knowledge and pride of her heritage. The Maori culture, though slightly changed by the modern world, is still very much alive. Maori remains a national language in New Zealand; there are specific Maori seats in Parliament; and designated Maori schools, plus all public school students take Maori classes to preserve the culture.

What impressed me most though were the actual people. They really live on the Marae surrounded by their family, and do honor the customs and beliefs of their ancestors. At the end of the day the Maori people we had met with did not take off their costumes and drive away from a tourist trap in their BMWs; what we had seen was genuine. Maori traditions are very much still a part of every day life for their people, and because of the brief period of time we spent on the Marae, the Maori culture will live on in the hearts of the People to People Georgia delegation as well.

Just knowing where you are in Australia can be confusing!
By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com

SYDNEY, Australia, Aug. 3, 2007 -- When visiting another country, constant comparisons are made with your own.

The first comparison with Australia is that it is so much like the United States, except of course, the people driving on the wrong side of the road and talking (to my ears) with a distinct accent. They are extremely friendly, sometimes putting our Southern hospitality to shame.

SIZE: The continent (really a big, big island) of Australia is similar in size to the United States in geographic scope…..but certainly not in population. Australia has just gone over the 20 million mark in population, a fraction of the 300 million in the USA. Perhaps the lower sized population is just one reason the countryside and city streets are so clean and free of litter! The distances are vast. It's four hours by air from Atlanta to Los Angeles, and a similar four flight hours from Melbourne to Perth.

DENSITY: Most portions of the United States are settled, all across the country, except for a few states of low density out West. Not so in Australia. Most (85 percent or more) of the people live close to the coast in Australia. The vast middle part of the continent is virtually free of people, often inhospitable to mankind, and a virtually endless nothingness.

MONEY: It's less confusing as the Aussies have changed their money from the British pound system, now calling their bills "dollars" and their coins "cents." But the Aussie dollar won't buy you as much as the American one, roughly giving you 85 US cents. It's a far better buy, however, than in Europe, which has hit the US dollar hard against the Euro. In general, things cost more in Australia in their dollars. A bottled Coca-Cola that might cost $1.29 in the USA was $3.15 Australian at a 7-11.
Candy bars that cost 79 cents in the US are $2.15 inAustralia.

WORSHIP: It's rather startling when visiting an Australian Anglican church to hear the a prayer for the Queen of England……rather than for the president of the United States. The ties with England remain strong. For instance, the Queen appoints her official representative to Australia, the governor-general. While mostly administrative and protocol, back 50 years ago, the governor general can have awesome powers, such as the sacking of a prime minister in Nov. 11, 1975.

ORIENTATION: Perhaps the most confused I have been in Australia was when riding with my friend Jim Lippelgoes of Geelong. "We're going west, aren't we Jim?" I asked.

That worried me. For you see, we were headed in a direction with the sun on my left, or what I presumed was the south.

A few hours later it hit me. The sun in Australia as in the United States rises in the east. And it sets in the west. But in between, it doesn't go south as it does in the States, but in Australia it turned north, for we are in the Southern Hemisphere.

So as we were driving east, yes, indeed, the sun was on my left, but that was in the north. When I finally realized my orientation, I felt much more at ease. For until then, I felt lost and confused, as indeed, I was.

It's fun being in this friendly, clean and neat country. We've so far visited in Melbourne, taken a train an hour west to visit Jim Lippelgoes in Geelong for a couple of days, then flew across the continent to Perth, back to Adelaide, then to Brisbane, and on to Sydney. Later today I fly to Ayers Rock, and you'll hear how it compares to our monolith, Stone Mountain in the next dispatch.

The public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. From answering your questions and providing a host of useful information, to promoting growth in our county, there are people working every day to help make Gwinnett a place where businesses thrive and success lives. For more detail, go to www.gwinnettchamber.org.

On Walton EMC's Dog Day Tips, it's mentioned about reflecting heat via white walls, and blocking heat via ceiling insulation.

First of all, although white paint doesn't reflect heat better than most, at about 10 percent reflectivity, it is hardly the best solution. There are reflective paints on the market that reflect up to 77 percent of the heat, and a complete radiant barrier can reflect 95-97 percent of the heat. Of course, there are alternatives to having aluminum paint on your walls, like radiant barrier curtains to block heat entering through windows and a radiant barrier under your roof. (The radiant barrier fabric makes an very efficient black-out curtain.)

In fact, ceiling insulation does not "block" heat as you mentioned, just delay it. The only thing that comes close to blocking heat is a radiant barrier. Think of insulation working like a sponge, absorbing the heat until it reaches a saturation point, at which case, for every BTU of heat hitting it from the top, there is an equal BTU of heat emitting from the bottom. This is why the attic will be 120 degrees and air conditioning will often run until 1am, long after the sun has gone down. A radiant barrier is like throwing a shower curtain over the sponge. Since only 3% of the usual heat is able to get through, it takes considerably longer for the insulation to reach it's saturation point, resulting in greater energy efficiency.

Annie Get Your Gun was the greatest box-office triumph of Irving Berlin's rich Broadway career with an initial run of more than one thousand performances.

Aurora Theatre opens their 12th season on August 9, the first full season in their new venue, with this Wild West musical masterpiece. Annie Get Your Gun tells the tale of American pioneer Annie Oakley featuring hit song after hit song: Doin' What Comes Naturally, Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better and There's No Business Like Show Business. The legend of these actual bigger-than-life characters from the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show serves as the perfect backdrop for a rootin' tootin' love story.

The role of Annie Oakley was made famous by Broadway legends Ethel Merman in the original and Bernadette Peters in the Tony-award winning revival. Aurora Theatre brings to town powerhouse talent Natasha Drena. Local audiences adored her earlier this year in Georgia Ensemble's production of Beyond the Rainbow where she portrayed Judy Garland and recreated her entire Carnegie Hall concert.

Paired with Natasha is local talent Rob Lawhon (Wait Until Dark) as Frank Butler - star of the Wild West Show until Annie comes along. Rob received critical acclaim in Theatrical Outfit's Lost Highway for his beautiful portrayal of Hank Williams. The rest of cast includes many Aurora Theatre favorites including: Geoff Uterhardt (Charlie Davenport) and Barbara Cole Uterhardt (Dolly Tate) and Aurora Theatre Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez as Buffalo Bill, the consummate showman and producer of astonishing spectacle. Directing this performance is Susan Reid (Lucky Stiff, A Year With Frog and Toad) with choreography by Jen MacQueen (Chicago, Guys & Dolls, Christmas Canteen 2006). Aurora Theatre Associate producer Ann-Carol Pence who has set the course for great music as resident music director helms Irving Berlin's best and most varied score for the theatre.

Performances run through September 9 on Thursday - Saturday at 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $18 - $25.

Banker Glenn White will be the speaker at the Success Lives Here breakfast at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce on August 10 at 7:30 a.m. at the 1818 Club. His bank announced its purchase by United Community Bank of Blairsville on June 1.

White, former CEO of First Bank of the South, will talk how the success his firm had in Gwinnett. He will emphasize customer service and community involvement.

He was previously CEO of The Bank of Gwinnett County and CEO of First National Bank of Gwinnett County. He also has served on the boards of Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the Council for Quality Growth, Gwinnett Council for the Arts, Gwinnett Housing Resource Partnership and the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia.

Cost: is $45 for Chamber members; $55 for non-Chamber members. Registration deadline is May 4, 2007. To RSVP, email Laurie McKenzie at laurie@gwinnettchamber.org.

Join the Gwinnett Sierra Club on August 16 at 7 p.m. for a special presentation about hiking in Italy. Outings Leader Mirza Balic will speak about hiking in Cinque Terre, one of the youngest national parks in Liguria region of eastern Italy. With its five idyllic port villages perched over the sea it offers plenty of hiking opportunities.

The Greater Gwinnett Group of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club holds monthly meetings on the third Thursday of the month at the Willowrun Condominium Clubhouse, located at 1015 Country Court, Lawrenceville, one mile north of Pleasant Hill Road.

With gentle humor and great respect, the Lionheart Theatre Company will present God's Man in Texas on August 17-20, 24-26 and Aug. 31-Sept. 2. The performances will be at the Norcross Community and Cultural Arts Center.
The play brings to light issues common to any corporate or religious environment - power struggles, different styles of leadership, and a reluctance to retire. It is a pointed look at the dangers of pride and ambition; the battles for power between generations; and the redemptive power of faith. There is a sacrifice, a resurrection and, finally, salvation as God whispers to a listening heart.

Tickets are $15 for adults $12 for seniors and students. All ticket prices include dessert and beverages. For additional information, go to www.lionhearttheatre.org or call 770-806-0935.

As part of their efforts to revitalize the areas around Gwinnett's central business district, the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District (CID) was joined by County Commissioners and supporters to announce their participation in Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful's 'Take Pride in Gwinnett' program, an Adopt-A-Median program that allows Gwinnett businesses to improve medians and demonstrate their pride in the community. The Gwinnett Place CID adopted two medians near Pleasant Hill Road, engaging in extensive landscaping enhancements and beautification efforts.

The 'Take Pride in Gwinnett' program, coordinated by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, is a joint program of the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation, the Georgia Department of Transportation and participating cities that was initiated to show our community's pride for public spaces.

In addition to creating new green spaces, research shows that landscaped medians reduce road rage, making our roadways safer. These green spaces also minimize the heat island effects from paved areas and improve our air quality. The landscaped medians can also improve adjacent property values by as much as 15 percent.

A new coffee-table book about the Georgia, Democracy Restored: A History of the Georgia State Capitol, has recently been published by the University of Georgia Press. Timothy J. Crimmins and Anne H. Farrisee have forged a book which combines facts with stories of historical significance, in this beautiful, well-illustrated book with stunning modern color photographs by Diane Kirkland.

The book also presents a fascinating photographic gallery of the Capitol through the years, touching base with each elements of its storied history. Many people may not remember this, but the Georgia State Capitol was the tallest building in Georgia when it opened in 1889. The Kimball Opera House had served as the Capitol from 1869. These and other fascinating tidbits you'll find in this choice new book, which was produced with conception by the Georgia Humanities council and funded by the State Legislature. The 190-page hardback sells for $39.95 through the UGA Press, but is also available through the Internet at discounted prices.----eeb

Clifford Walker served as Georgia's 61st governor, from 1923 to 1927. Holding office during a period of transition in Georgia politics, Walker accomplished little of note legislatively during his administration and is best remembered for his ties to the Ku Klux Klan.

Clifford Mitchell Walker was born on July 4, 1877, in Monroe. One of seven children, he was educated at the Georgia Military Institute and the University of Georgia (UGA). While at UGA, Walker established the Georgian, a literary magazine, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After receiving a degree from UGA in 1897, he returned to Monroe, and was admitted to the state bar in 1898. He married Rosa Mathewson in 1902, and they had three sons.

Walker was elected mayor of Monroe in 1902. In 1909, he began serving as the Western Circuit solicitor general, a post he held until 1913. After a two-year break from public office, Walker was elected attorney general for Georgia in 1915. In 1920 he resigned as attorney general to run for governor. During the 1920 gubernatorial primary, Walker's opponent, Thomas Hardwick, recognized the importance of the Klan and praised the organization. As a result, Walker was soundly defeated.

While governor, however, Hardwick turned against the Klan and fell out of favor with the organization. Walker again ran for governor in 1922 and, after soliciting Klan support during the race, easily defeated Hardwick. In 1924 Georgia voters elected Walker to a second term.

In September 1924 the journalist Julian Harris, revealed that Walker belonged to the Klan and had traveled secretly to Kansas City, Mo., for a meeting with organization officials. Walker at first denied the charges, but later admitted that he had joined the Klan and made the trip to the Midwest. The remainder of his second term passed uneventfully, and in 1926.

In 1928 Walker moved from Monroe to Atlanta and entered into private law practice. Five years later he and Joseph B. Kilbride founded the Woodrow Wilson College of Law, also in Atlanta. He served as general counsel for the Georgia Department of Labor for 15 years, from 1937 to 1952. He died on November 9, 1954.

"The trouble with born-again Christians is that they are an even bigger pain the second time around."

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