Georgia Project

The English bulldog that served as the mascot for the University of Georgia Athens, UGA VII, passed away today. He was the seventh dog to have this role and his run began August 30, 2008. Nearing the end of his second season, UGA VII was only 4 years old and is reported to have died of heart related problems. His father and predecessor, UGA VI, had been the mascot for UGA for nine years. According to a report on georgiadogs.com, there will be no mascot at the upcoming Georgia game on Saturday. However the former mascot’s north sideline doghouse will have a wreath placed upon it for the game.

Dogs have been mascots for UGA regularly since 1946, but the pure English bulldogs belonging to the Sonny Seiler family of Savannah Georgia have been the mascot since 1956. The family has noted that there are several options for a replacement mascot, but no decision is likely to be made until some time next year.

Before you know it Thanksgiving will be here and that means school kids will be on break. Unfortunately some parents would rather hand out money to their kids like candy rather than spend quality time making lasting memories together. Fifteen years down the road your kids won’t recall all the money you handed them or most of the different toys they were given. However, they will recollect entertaining activities done together as a family.

Fortunately, in Georgia there is an abundance of fun filled activities to participate in. The Atlanta Zoo is a blast with all the animal varieties hosted there. The Georgia Aquarium is phenomenal, definitely an all day affair. Another alternative are the many fantastic museums in the area. For instance, the High Museum of Art and the Doc Holliday Museum are some of the most informative museums around. Really, the possibilities are endless so go ahead; take time out of your schedule and do some activities with your kids they will remember for a life time.

This Saturday is Halloween, as I am sure all of you with children are well aware of this fact. Keep you children safe and observe these simple Halloween tips. Be selective on the places you allow your children to trick or treat. Make sure they have some type of reflective clothing on so they can easily be seen in the dark. Last, but not least instruct your children not to eat any of the treat they receive until you have carefully inspected the goodies. Have a safe and happy Halloween.

The devastating floods in September of this year have displaced children in fourteen counties due to the horrific damages to schools. Only a few schools are requiring relatively minor repairs. Most will need extensive work done before education can continue. Sadly, some schools were so damaged that they will have to be torn down completely. The cost of repairs not only to the schools, but community damages as well has yet to be completely calculated. With already shrinking county budgets, expenses are sure to put a strain on all that have been affected. People in surrounding areas can count on tax increases to help elevate already exhausted budgets. People in these counties need to be pro active and try to raise funds before strenuous taxes are enforced. Many people are willing to participate in charity events especially if activities of interest are being offered. Some very popular items to include at a fundraiser are carnival wheels, poker tables, and blackjack tables. Any number of such events is capable of drawing large crowds and loads of cash.

If you or your school district are thinking about hosting a fund raiser for the costly repairs the schools due to the severe flooding last week, but don’t know where to start, it is actually quite easy. One of the best money making events you can have is a “casino night”. All the paraphernalia you would need for a fun filled profitable event are available online. The basics like poker chips, playing cards and various other items are all that is really needed to make the event a success. Since there is no actually real gambling going on even the kids in the community can participate. Charge a per person entry fee, sell food and drinks; and have a raffle for something that has been donated. By the end of the evening you will be surprised how much money has been collected. A fund raiser like this will not only help raise money for the school repairs, but it will also help bring the community together after such a devastating time.

Evidently Georgia’s coast has several operational and historic lighthouses.  One particular light house at St. Simons Island has not been off since World War II.  The lighthouse was ordered off along with all other east coast lighthouses by President Roosevelt to help ships avoid German U boats that were patrolling the eastern seaboard.

Now the lighthouse is being shutdown for a four month restoration project.  The lighthouse is currently maintained by volunteers from the US Coastguard.  The lighthouse also has a special light that can be seen up to 23 miles out to sea.  Restoration will include cleaning bricks, repairing mortar, sanding metal parts, and then priming and painting the whole structure.  Many of the planned repairs will hopefully be made with $500,000 in federal funds; however a matching amount of $500,000 must be raised in order to secure the grant.

Due to severe flooding this past week Clarkdale Elementary school in Austell GA was hit extremely hard by the flooding. The entire school was flooded up to the roof. The damage to the school is beyond simple repair. The entire structure will have to be torn down and completely rebuilt. The children of this particular school and others that were hit hard by the floods will be redistributed to surrounding counties until their schools can be reopened.

Now is an excellent time to host a casino night fund raiser. All you need is some poker chips, playing cards and maybe a few more poker accessories. Charge a donation entry fee and donate the proceeds to the schools in need. We need to all pull together and do what we can to get these schools up and running for all the displaced kids.

The Louvre and the Masterpiece is an exhibit that is being featured at the High Museum of Art in Atlana. The exhibit began in Oct. 2008 and features over ninety-one masterpieces. Included in this priceless display are sculptures, decorative arts, drawings and Paintings. One of the pieces that I find most intriguing is called Card Sharp with the Ace of Diamonds. This exquisite 17th century oil painting depicts a card game in progress in which one of players is pulling a hidden Ace of Diamonds from behind his back. It is hard to believe that card games were popular so long ago; I bet the players would have really enjoyed playing with plastic cards. Don’t miss out; take time to see these amazing works of art before Sept 13.

Creative play is vital for childhood development and that is why the founders of Imagine It!, are so devoted to what they do. Imagine It!, is a museum in Atlanta in which children are the primary focus. They believe that interactive play is essential for children, and through exploration and hands-on activities children’s development will soar. The museum is hands on which mean that children are allowed and encouraged to use as many of their sense to participate in each exhibit. Take the children in your life and let them see how fun learning can be.

Just because it is summer vacation doesn’t mean that kids should take a break from learning. There are many games that can be played that are not only entertaining, but educational as well. Blackjack is a perfect example of this concept because it helps with math skills, any number of people can play at one time and it can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids. To get started all you need is a deck of cards and maybe some poker chips. Copag 100% plastic cards work well because they are much more durable than regular paper cards. It is fun to use poker chips for placing bets, but pennies, beans, skittles or any number of objects can be used for a similar effect. Why not give Blackjack a try today.