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Starts funds for more K-9 dogs, cancer
research in dogs
By
Kathy Gestar
Special to GwinnettForum.com
LILBURN, Ga., June 13, 2008 -- In 1999, I opened The Cody Fund
through the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia. The Fund
can only be used to benefit police K-9s in Gwinnett County (meaning
the county or cities within the county) for purchase of dogs, equipment
for dogs/officers and training for dogs/officers.
The Fund was started after I attended a demonstration of the Gwinnett
County Police K-9 Corps. In talking to the officers, I discovered
a need for additional dogs, equipment and training. I attended the
Gwinnett County Citizen's Police Academy and learned so much about
the ins and outs of the police department. I graduated with a greater
respect for those officers who go to work every day and keep us
safe by putting their lives on the line. I also have great respect
for firefighters and EMT personnel.
About that time, I heard that the Snellville Police Department
had a similar program and am currently going through their Citizen's
Police Academy. When in the program, I asked if they had a need
for assistance, indeed they did. So through the Cody Fund, I made
a $15,000 grant through the Snellville Citizen Police Academy Alumni
Association, a 501(c)(3) organization. They purchased a dog, the
handler is an existing officer and they are retrofitting an existing
patrol car for the officer and driver.
It's exciting when a grant can be made to help put more K-9s in
action to help protect the citizens of Gwinnett County and make
Gwinnett County a safer place to live. (Note: I had to put Cody---my
Sheltie---to rest on March 18, 2008, one week before the grant was
made. I know Cody is smiling down from heaven and pleased with the
new K-9, Bart.)
I also have a fund at the University of Georgia called The Nicky
Fund which I opened also in 1999. The Nicky Fund is named after
my Golden Retriever, who died in 1994 of cancer. And the Fund is
used only for cancer in canines, which also includes training, equipment,
research, and hands-on treatment. The Nicky Fund is in honor of
Dr. Craig Yeomans, who treated Nicky and all of my other dogs as
well.
I feel so blessed that I can have these two funds to help both police
K-9s and cancer in dogs. Cody and Nicky would appreciate any donations
if you feel you would like to contribute to either worthy fund.
The Cody Fund is at the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia,
6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 220, Duluth, Ga. 30097. The Nicky
Fund is at The University of Georgia Foundation, College of Veterinary
Medicine, 501 D.W. Brooks Drive, Room 208, Athens, Ga. 30602-7371.
"Woof! Woof!" That's Cody and Nicky saying "Thank
you!"
Post Office has my $4.90, and package was
not delivered
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
JUNE 13, 2008 -- While Gwinnett roadways are crowded, you can also
count on another place to always be crowded. We're talking of just
about any post office in the county, where there always seems to
be long lines should you go to mail a package or buy postage.
Brack |
As a result, we've taken to buying stamps off the Internet, which
are delivered to us by our postman. We also use the official U.S.
Postal Service web site to determine the amount of postage for packages.
Then we simply leave it for our postman to pick up.
But this doesn't always work, we found recently. It can be costly,
too. So be careful, read on, and perhaps save some money.
Here's the scene: having purchased a couple of clothing items for
granddaughters, my wife put them in a box measuring about 6x8x8
inches for mailing. A sensitive scale at the office next door showed
the box to weigh 18 ounces. Going to the USPS
Web site, we put in the weight, and entered the Zip codes to
and from. The site said it would cost $4.85 to mail the package,
which would arrive in five days. I put on four $1 stamps, and another
90 cent stamp, for mailing.
So what happens? In about eight days, the mail is returned to me.
The address sticker had been removed, and this sticker was in its
place:
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Important
Customer Information:
We regret that your mail was not collected or is being returned
to you due to heightened security requirements. All mail that
bears postage stamps and weighs more than 13 ounces MUST be
taken by the customer to a retail service associate at a Post
Office.
United
States Postal Service July 2007, DECDDD2
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What? I can understand the "security requirements" portion.
But what bugs me is that nowhere, nowhere at all, could I find on
the official USPS web site any warning that stamped packages over
13 ounces would not be delivered. And my granddaughters still don't
have the package that was mailed to them, that they were waiting
on! And I am out $4.90.
Where's the "service" in the USPS name?
The least that the "service" could have done was to put
the same note that they put on the returned package on the web site.
This could warn anyone preparing a package to mail that packages
weighing over 13 ounces require a trip to the post office (and a
wait in line.) The way I look at it, by not taking up a space in
line, and by sending the package through my postman, I am helping
the Post Office and its other clients. And if nothing else, why
did the postman pick up the package to take to the Post Office,
where it got held up for several days, and then return it to me?
Why did the postman not say to me, "Please take this to the
post office?"
You can see I'm not a happy camper. Our granddaughters so far do
not have their present. Luckily, we have a daughter traveling to
see the granddaughters who can haul the package to the granddaughters.
But it will arrive nearly two weeks late.
And I've spent $4.90 for nothing, in a time when that would have
bought me a gallon of gasoline!
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general contracting. For more information, go to http://www.mathiascorp.com.
New:
Walking
Another great cartoon from Bill McLemore:
Duluth
Flicks on the Bricks movie series starts June 14
Be in attendance at the first Flicks on the Bricks of the summer
in Historic Downtown Duluth on Saturday, June 14. Come out early
to splash around in the interactive fountain and then watch The
Bee Movie under the stars at dusk. Bring a picnic dinner, enjoy
one of our downtown restaurants or grab some pizza from the Duluth
Kiwanis Club. Admission is free.
Other movies in the series throughout the summer include:
- July 19: The Princess Bride.
- August 16: Water Horse.
- September 13: Surfs Up.
- October 25: Scooby Doo and Halloween on the Green.
All movies begin at dusk. For more information see www.duluthga.net
or contact Elizabeth Rudin, downtown manager at 678-475-3512.
Technology Forum June
17 to hear about digital entertainment
The Gwinnett Technology Forum bring the latest in technology and
digital entertainment at its monthly forum on Tuesday, June 17,
at 7:30 a.m. at Gwinnett Tech.
Mike Tinney, president of Stone Mountain-based CCP Games North
America, will be at the Busbee Center on the Gwinnett Technical
College Campus to present "An Introduction to Virtual Worlds
by CCP"---a discussion about his leading edge company and their
hit game EVE Online, the sixth largest Massively Multiplayer Online
game in the world. Tinney has been with the company since 1993 and
was appointed president and CEO in 2002. He currently manages the
Atlanta office for CCP and global operations for its subsidiary,
White Wolf.
As a special bonus, Asante Bradford of the Georgia Film, Music
and Digital Entertainment office will introduce Tinney and talk
about the newly-passed Entertainment Industry Investment Act and
what it means for the State of Georgia and digital gaming.
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. To
register for this event, visit www.gwinnettchamber.org/gtfregistration.
For More details, contact Heather Neilan at 678-957-4944 or heather@gwinnettchamber.org.
Suwanee offers 2-hour
class on safer teen driving
Ask any parent: There aren't too many experiences more nerve-wracking
than having a new teen driver in the family. A program offered by
the Suwanee Police Department can help take the edge off though.
Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE (Parents Reducing the Incidents of
Driver Error) is designed to help parents model safe driving behaviors
and attitudes in order for their new teen drivers to be safer and
more confident behind the wheel .
The two-hour PRIDE class will next be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday,
July 12, at the Suwanee Crossroads Center, 323 Buford Highway. Offered
in cooperation with the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute,
the program is designed to help reduce the number of injuries and
deaths related to teen driving.
The PRIDE program addresses attitudes and behaviors of teenage
drivers. The course makes parents/guardians more aware of their
own driving behaviors, assists parents in helping their teens to
become safe drivers, and offers strategies for required supervised
practice driving time. PRIDE is not a hands-on, "how-to"
program.
Class space is limited and advanced registration is required. For
more information and to download an application, visit www.suwanee.com
or contact Sgt. Elias Casanas at elias@suwanee.com
or 770/945-4607, ext. 327. The registration deadline is June 27.
Snellville prepares
for 9th annual Children's Fishing Derby
In celebration of National Fishing Week, the Snellville Parks and
Recreation Department is holding its ninth annual Children's Fishing
Derby. This event will take place on Saturday, June 21 at T.W. Briscoe
Park.
The Atlanta Tightlines Bass Club will offer fishing instruction
and manage the competitions. Registration is $2 and open to kids
ages 3-12. Check-in will begin at 7:15 a.m. and the derby is scheduled
to conclude by 12 p.m. at the Lakeside Pavilion.
Those who plan to fish are asked to bring their pole. Bait will
be provided. There will be prizes for everyone. Special thanks goes
to Snellville Wal-Mart and Atlanta Tightlines Bass Club. Pre-registration
is required by Wednesday, June 18 and space is limited. For more
information, call 770-985-3535.
Lilburn guitar concert
will benefit Gwinnett Special Olympics
There will be a benefit concert for Gwinnett Special Olympics on
Saturday, June 28 at 7:30 at the Lilburn First Baptist Church.
Performing will be Phil Keaggy, one of the foremost guitarists
in music today. His solo career has spanned more than 30 years,
and has included over 50 solo albums, both vocal and instrumental,
as well as eight releases with his band, Glass Harp.
This concert will include a performance of Phil Keaggy's The
Master and the Musician, played live in its entirety. The evening
will also feature solo performances from each of the ensemble members
as well as a revue of some of Keaggy's favorite vocal songs.
For more information, go to www.evangelismtickets.com,
or call the church at 770-921-1220.
Two Peachtree Ridge
seniors win environmental scholarships
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful has presented two $1,000 Environmental
Scholarships to two Peachtree Ridge seniors. The scholarships are
to students who will focus on an environmental career.
Winning the scholarships were Christina Carroll and Rebecca Risser,
seniors at Peachtree Ridge High.
From an early age, Christina explored her own backyard and the
neighboring 100 acres of forestland. This was the foundation of
her enjoyment of the environment. In high school, Christina has
volunteered at a local greenhouse, Creative Enterprises, where she
saw how elements of the environment fit together to function as
an ecosystem. She plans to pursue Environmental Engineering at the
Georgia Tech.
Rebecca Risser received the second Environmental Scholarship, sponsored
by the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District. Rebecca
developed an early appreciation for nature, spending time transplanting
native plants from construction sites to her own backyard. She hopes
to find new ways to preserve land resources while promoting sustainable
development in her own community. She will attend the University
of Georgia.
Here's how this Father's
Day business got started
Sunday is Father's Day, a holiday in this country that goes back
to a Sunday morning in May of 1909, when a woman named Sonora Smart
Dodd was sitting in church in Spokane, Wash., listening to a Mother's
Day sermon. She thought of her father who had raised her and her
siblings after her mother died in childbirth, and she thought that
fathers should get recognition too.
So she asked the minister of the church if he would deliver a sermon
honoring fathers on her father's birthday, which was coming up in
June, and the minister did. And the tradition of Father's Day caught
on, though rather slowly. Mother's Day became an official holiday
in 1914; Father's Day, not until 1972.
Mother's Day is still the busiest day of the year for florists,
restaurants and long distance phone companies. Father's Day is the
day on which the most collect phone calls are made.
Buffalo's Express Cafe, Berkeley Lake
"My spouse and I had an enjoyable eating
experience at the new Buffalo's Express Cafe in Berkeley Lake. I
ordered their Half Rotisserie Chicken (lemon pepper flavor) which
was good and came with two sides. My husband had the same thing
but chose the barbecue flavored chicken and different sides. Each
dinner cost $6.99 and there was comfortable seating inside. To see
the menu, go to www.buffaloscafe.com,
4790 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, #112, Norcross. Phone: 770-622-1822.
(Delivery and catering are available.)"
-- Cindy Evans, Duluth
- 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
Loyalist
writes of Revolution in Savannah from feminine view
Elizabeth
Lichtenstein (or Lightenstone) Johnston was a fervent Loyalist
who lived through the upheaval of the American Revolution (1775-83)
in Georgia. At the age of 72, she wrote graphic recollections of
her experiences, providing the most detailed firsthand account of
the ways in which the Revolution affected women in colonial Georgia.
Johnston |
Johnston, an only child, was born on a small farm beside the Little
Ogeechee River on May 28, 1764, to parents who reflected the diverse
roots of Georgia's earliest immigrants.
Her father, Johann Lichtenstein, had emigrated from St. Petersburg,
Russia, and was employed as a scout-boat pilot by the royal government.
Her mother, Catherine Delegal, whose father, Philip Delegal, had
commanded a company under James Oglethorpe, was of French Huguenot
stock. Elizabeth's father purchased a plantation on Skidaway Island,
where she enjoyed figs, peaches, pomegranates, and plums, as well
as fine fish, oysters, crabs, and shrimp. Her tranquil country life
was brought to an abrupt halt by the death of her mother in 1774,
and she was sent, reluctantly, to be schooled in embroidery by an
elderly aunt in Savannah.
Johnston held bitter memories of the oncoming Revolution, describing
how the rebels (including some of her teachers) were a "ragged
corps" and how "everywhere the scum rose to the top."
At the age of 12 she was violently separated from her father, who,
with the assistance of his slave, fled to the safety of a British
warship, The Scarborough. Johnston was indignant at the treatment
of Loyalist women and children, some of whose lands were confiscated,
and she was terrified during the Siege of Savannah in October 1779,
when Continental Army forces under General Lachlan McIntosh and
their French allies shelled the town for several days.
With the exception of this failed allied counterassault, British
occupation of the Lowcountry between December 1778 and July 1782
brought some limited respite for Johnston and her fellow Loyalists.
At 15, she was courted by officers in the Tory militia and married
25-year-old William Martin Johnston (a captain in the New York Volunteers)
on November 21, 1779.
The Johnstons, like thousands of other Georgia Loyalists, were
forced to evacuate Savannah and begin the search for a new home
upon Britain's defeat. Elizabeth would bear ten children, seven
of whom survived beyond infancy, and their places of birth pay testament
to her repeated upheavals: Savannah; Charleston, St. Augustine,
Edinburgh, Scotland, Jamaica; and finally Nova Scotia. Little wonder
that she signed her letters to her husband as "your once truly
happy, tho' now afflicted wife."
Read this, and you
may have to read it again
"There is still a difference between something and nothing,
but it is purely geometrical and there is nothing behind the geometry."
-- Martin Gardner (1914 - ), "The Mathematical Magic
Show"
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