Our Georgia

The end, for now

2008-05-20T00:30:00.003-04:00

Thanks to those of you who have visited over the past two years. I'm taking a bit of a break from this blog to focus on my other duties for Macon.com. It may be permanent; I haven't decided yet.

For now, I hope you'll check out Macon.com's other blogs and use the site for all your local news and information.

Annual Cherry Blossom recommendation

2008-03-31T19:04:00.002-04:00

Go check out her blog for all the Cherry Blossom Festival news you can stand.

To throw in my two cents, Saturday brought one of the biggest crowds I've seen in downtown Macon. Perfect weather, plenty of events, a revitalized bed race and the addition of the lawnmower races all helped. It was great to see.

Too bad the weather let everyone down Sunday and Monday, but what can you do? Maybe things will turn out better than the 'scattered T-storms, 40 percent chance of rain' forecast for next weekend The Weather Channel is currently predicting.

At least the festival got off to a good start.

Macon's food history - A call for help

2008-03-14T14:18:00.002-04:00

I am working on a story about Macon's rich food history. I know all about the usual touchstones - H+H, Nu-Way, etc. - but want to dig a bit deeper.

I know many of you have been here longer than I, so I want to hear about your memories. Tell me about places that have come and gone, local landmarks that are well-kept secrets, famous moments that have faded with time. If it have anything to do with food in Macon, I want to hear about it.

Send your friends here, too. The more I know, the better the story will be.

Annexation is, apparently, unpopular with Jones residents

2008-03-07T14:14:00.004-05:00

About 300 Jones County residents showed up last night when Mayor Reichert presented his annexation plan. You can read all about it and see the photos here.

I guess they must really hate the idea, because getting 300 people to show up for anything around here other than a sporting event - and by here, I mean chronically non-participatory Middle Georgia - is a real feat.

For the record, I support the annexation plan because I already live in the city limits. More people in the tax base would likely improve my services. If I lived in the county and my home was in the proposed area to be annexed? Well, I might feel differently. No one wants higher taxes. I understand that.

The fundamental question, though, is this: If a person lives in the county but derives benefits from city services, is it reasonable to ask that person to help pay for those services?

Karsten-Denson closing a sad moment

2008-02-15T16:46:00.005-05:00

In my first post on this blog, way back in 2006, I extolled the virtues of old school home and garden centers.

Karsten-Denson, the venerable Third Street landmark, is one of the two I called by name. Sadly, it was announced this week that the store would be closing its doors at the end of March. (Click here to see photos by Jason Vorhees)

I really enjoy browsing the old hardware store, with its creaky, uneven floors and shelves stocked with all sorts of odds and ends. I was there recently seeking parts for a piece of camera equipment a co-worker and I were building. Places like Karsten-Denson are great to have around, since the folks who work there have very detailed knowledge of their inventory and they carry quite a few things that might be difficult to obtain at the local mega-home-improvement warehouse (no slam intended against Lowe's or Home Depot, which I also frequent).

Anyway, I'll be sad to see such a solid downtown business close its doors. The new location on Ingleside will remain open.

Why I love Macon

The best part of a town like Macon is finding something you never knew was there. This town has a ton of nook-and-cranny places. Yesterday, I noticed Shelley's Corner Cafe on MLK between Cherry and Poplar. How I never saw it before, I'll never know. I know it has been there for years, but somehow I didn't notice.

So I stopped in today and had a reuben with sweet tea. The folks were friendly and the atmosphere was good.

The best part of a historic town is finding something old that is new to you. Macon may be small, but it fits the bill.

One more 'new' review - Molly's

2008-02-04T14:39:00.001-05:00

If I desired to be broke, or 300 pounds, I would roll my thoughts on newer restaurants out a little faster. By since my debts still need paying, and my very average frame wouldn't support 3 bills, you will just have to settle for me getting around to it when I can.

Today I ate at Molly's, a reasonably recent downtown addition on the corner of MLK and Cherry. Several of my co-workers recommended the place, and Travis Fain's review (3 stars out of 4) made it sound worth a try. I have recently been very hung up on barbecue, so I needed a change of pace and thought Molly's would fit the bill.

Long story short, I thought the food was good and that it filled nicely the void of 'sit-down lunch cafe with a southern flair' left behind in the wake of the closing of Bert's. I last ate at the location (402 Cherry) when it was Cafe Giambrone's, and I was glad to see the decor had changed drastically. Molly's atmosphere skews a little old and feels a little formal for my taste, but it was still a pleasant dining atmosphere. My seat by the window helped.

I had the Georgia chicken tenders salad, which was surprisingly - and refreshingly - not fried. This is not a salad to order if you are dieting. The chicken was marinated and served hot atop romaine, accented with smoked bacon, tomatoes, shredded cheese and peanuts and topped with a tasty dressing (the flavor of which escapes me at the moment, but my taste buds are telling me it was something along the lines of a honey mustard vinaigrette). I would have thought the salad had too many ingredients, but the flavors worked very well together.

My waiter was friendly and helpful and Molly (whose real name is Betty) stopped by my table to say hello. I'll stop short of a full-scale review since I have visited only once, but I'll try it again.

'New' restaurants and other news

2008-01-29T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm back, and will try to be more diligent with my posting, though I will never be as prolific as my colleague Travis Fain is with his two-headed Lucid Idiocy monster. If you like politics, sarcasm, the Georgia Bulldogs and frequent updates, give his blog(s) a try sometime.

But enough apologies/promos for now ...

First, a few 'new' restaurants I've visited recently:

Cherry Peppers, Wimbish Road, Macon - Located in the spot once occupied by Caliente's. Serves sandwiches, salads and wraps. They're only open until 6. I tried the Southwestern chicken wrap. It was good. Haven't given the place a second chance yet, but I'm not against the idea.

Joshua Cup, corner of Orange and Washington, Macon - Yeah, yeah, I know JC isn't new. That's why I have quotes in the title. They serve sandwiches, salads, etc., now. I enjoyed my food, but I already dug the joint based on the location and atmosphere. I definitely plan to eat there again.

Also, looks like a few more food choices are inbound in the Mercer area, according to an article last week by Jennifer Burk. Ladda Thai, Fountain of Juice (which, despite its name, also serves sandwiches and salads), and a coffee-shop-to-be-named-later — all places that should do well located next to a college.

One more thing, just for kicks. Here is my list of the top three under- and over-represented lunch foods in downtown Macon (and, as long-time readers will know, fast-food franchises don't count). For purposes of these lists, a downtown restaurant is defined as being within comfortable walking distance of the corner of Third and Cherry during a standard lunch break for those wearing business attire.

Under-represented:
1. California-style burritos (are you listening, Cal?). I would like to eat a burrito for lunch without driving five miles. And, before anyone says it, Moe's is not close enough to downtown to count.
2. Seafood. Seriously. We don't have a place downtown that specializes in things that swim and/or live underwater. A fish or two on a menu filled with things that moo and cluck with does not qualify. Neither does catfish.
3. Chinese food. We have one, China Wok, and it is OK at best. And, no, for those of you who are geographically impaired, Tokyo Alley does not serve Chinese food.

Over-represented (and this is not necessarily a bad thing):
1. Sandwiches. There are at least 10 places to get a sandwich in downtown Macon. Some of them are very good. Some are just sandwiches.
2. Salads. And I guess that is because just about every place that serves sandwiches also serves salads.
3. Mexican food. I know we only have one, but better none than Acapulco. If I could swap it for El Sombrero or even Margarita's, I would drop it off this list. I love Mexican food, and it pains me to have a restaurant I will never eat at again located in such a prominent spot.

The single most important issue in Middle Georgia

2008-01-16T01:29:00.000-05:00

I'm not here today to give you an answer. I'm soliciting your opinions. Post a comment with what you consider to be the most important problem/issue/obstacle/hurdle facing the people of Middle Georgia.

Be specific. Don't tell me 'crime'. Do you mean slowing down drug dealers, ticketing speeders, or curbing thefts? Once everyone has offered up their thoughts, I'll put together a poll so you can rank the choices.

I know several of you who regularly read this blog head up special interest groups. While I appreciate your fervor, I do ask that you think broadly about issues facing the entire community, not just your neighborhood.

Customer service - good and bad

2008-01-07T13:59:00.000-05:00

Two recent incidents, two examples of local customer service.

Good customer service: I was in Jennoely's the other day, and they were slam-packed. While I was waiting for my pizza, Phil (the owner) realized that they had forgotten to put in an order someone had placed for two calzones. The customers, who had been waiting at least 15 minutes, didn't complain or even get upset, but Phil immediately took their money out of the cash register, gave it back, apologized and told them it would be right up. He was genuinely upset that he had messed up their order.

Now, anyone who regularly eats at Jennoely's won't be surprised by that story. Phil and his wife Cathy (or is it Kathy?) are two of the nicest, most conscientious local restaurateurs you'll ever meet.

But examples like that sometimes seem few and far between. For example ...

Bad customer service: I won't name the restaurant, because I have in the past had good experiences and I hope this was just an isolated incident. I walked into 'Restaurant X' at 8:40 on a weeknight, a full 20 minutes before closing time. The employees were obviously in the process of cleaning up, which was fine. I understand the need to begin cleaning up as soon as possible.

However ...

I walked to the counter, and none of the employees moved to help me. Finally, I saw one sort of roll her eyes and walk over to the register. She asked, somewhat rudely, if this was to go, definitely implying that it most definitely better be to go (and it was; I had no intention of keeping them open beyond closing time). Then, after ordering 'Main Menu Item', she tells me - again, in that same rude tone - that they were "out of 'Main Menu Item's Chief Ingredient'."

Now, it's hard to explain without giving away the type of restaurant, but not having this 'Ingredient' basically takes half the menu out of play. So I asked what they did have, and she gets smart and disgustedly says, "Everything else." The words were fine, but the tone stated very clearly that she would prefer it if I would quit ruining her obvious plan to close up early and go home.

I refuse to divulge the name of this restaurant based on one bad experience, but another visit like that would cause me to never go there again (even though I really enjoy their food). And, as with any time I say never, I really mean it.

Customer service really makes or breaks a restaurant for me. I choose fast food places based on speed and accuracy more than taste and price. I stop going to restaurants if they act like they are doing me a favor just by being open.

I almost hate to solicit comments on this topic because I know everyone tends to remember and share bad experiences more often than good. So here's a rule for this post: In order to share a bad experience, you have to tell me about a good one, too. Comments containing only bad experiences will be deleted as soon as I see them.

Best way to celebrate the New Year? Gunfire, apparently

2008-01-01T00:06:00.000-05:00

I'm absolutely certain that a lot of what I'm hearing now and for the last few hours is cheap fireworks interspersed with gunfire. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

Am I wrong? Does it sound to anyone else like there are more than a few people firing guns in the air? I have no problem with someone owning a gun, but I have to draw the line at discharging it into the air inside the city limits.

Choose your own adventure (at 55 mph)

2007-12-19T16:29:00.000-05:00

Most of you have seen the renderings of the planned I-16/I-75 interchange revise/expansion (most recently on Travis Fain's excellent Lucid Idiocy blog).

If not, here's the after image:

EDIT: Here's a link to a gallery of renderings showing the proposed changes.

Is it just me, or does that behemoth look even scarier than our current setup (which, inexplicably has two lanes in the middle of the road that merge without warning)? I see where they are going with this - separate the local traffic from the non-local - and I think this will cut down on the accidents that happen at the actual interchange. But I'm envisioning people swooping across four lanes of traffic trying to get to the correct ramp (which you'll need to commit to a few miles prior to the interchange).

Here's a graphic from GDOT I-16/I-75 Web site showing where they are on this project:

As someone who lives close to exit 164, I can't say I'm thrilled about how long all that work is likely to take. And in case you are counting, there will be 14 lanes of traffic over the Ocmulgee (plus a footbridge on the far left in the photo).

A new mayor, a clean slate. What's your wish?

2007-12-11T11:58:00.000-05:00

Robert Reichert will be sworn in this evening as the 41st mayor of Macon. If you could ask one thing of the incoming administration, what would it be?

Save our residential streets (or at least respect them)

2007-11-27T02:49:00.000-05:00

Dear (your name here, if the shoe fits),

Thank you for driving down my street on Sunday. I certainly didn't mean to get in the way of your determinedly straight path to the next intersection. I appreciate you going 45 miles per hour instead of 50 (the speed limit is 25, but don't worry about that), giving me just the edge I needed to dodge your passenger side mirror.

Thanks again,
RG

I live on what should be a quiet residential street. On my side of the road, there are few driveways. Most of the residents park along the street. And that shouldn't be a problem. It's a residential street, after all, not a highway. There are no businesses on my street, no public areas. Just homes and a few apartments.

Unfortunately, like many streets in the Macon city limits, it has become some sort of cross between a shortcut and a drag strip. The driver's side mirror has been hit on two cars I have owned (one of them was hit twice), and it's really only a matter of time before someone runs into the back of my car.

I don't mind some traffic. I live in the city, so I accept a certain number of cars. What I can't stand is the ridiculous speed some travel on a street where a resident could step out to get in their car at any moment. Someone is going to get killed.

These drivers don't live on these streets. They are cutting through a residential neighborhood as a shortcut. And, well, when you take a shortcut I guess you try to traverse it as quickly as possible.

It's not just my street I'm writing about here. I can think of several streets that have the same problem - Magnolia, the residential portion of Walnut, Corbin, Rogers, the segment of Ingleside between Pierce and Ridge, Ridge Avenue itself. All of these streets are residential, most are fairly narrow (Ridge is the exception), and many have on-street parking. Yet I regularly see drivers exceed the speed limit on these streets by 15 or 20 miles per hour.

I'm not going to get all high-and-mighty about speeding. But speeding on what should be a safe street for residents and families is ridiculous.

Recently, a friend and his pregnant wife were visiting my home. As they were exiting their car, someone came flying up the street at more than twice the speed limit. It made me so angry (and embarrassed that this was going to be my friend's impression of my home) that I stepped out in the road and held my hand up, then angrily told the driver to slow down.

I'm a patient guy. It takes a lot to get me in a confrontational mood. But I've had it. I will no longer passively condone reckless driving in my neighborhood. I refuse to tolerate the constant endangerment of my family, friends and neighbors.

So I'm going to video some of the speeders. And I'm going to post the clips here. If some of you have similar problems, tell me what street you live on. I'll come film your speeders, too.

Maybe it won't do any good. But maybe, just maybe, everyone will decide it's time to make our residential streets a little safer and a lot slower.

The perfect turkey

2007-11-22T22:05:00.000-05:00

Longtime readers may remember last year's microwave turkey post (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3). Skepticism was expressed, so I have posted video evidence below. Enjoy, and I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Oprah: Why it was good for Macon, and a little scary

2007-11-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

I spent my weekend covering Oprah. If you missed anything - and I mean anything - you can check out the wall-to-wall coverage here.

I think this weekend was great for Macon. I particularly enjoyed seeing all those people downtown on Friday and Saturday. There was a genuine excitement surrounding the whole event.

I have to say I was surprised at how accessible Oprah was throughout her visit. If I were a billionaire, I sincerely doubt I would be as gracious with my time. I was impressed.

There were a few things that made me feel ... concerned, for lack of a better word. The atmosphere at the 1842 Inn on Saturday morning was a bit obsessive. I understand wanting to get a glimpse, but when Oprah came out to greet folks and the crowd rushed the steps it seemed to cross the line from adoration to obsession.

Still, all-in-all a great weekend for Macon.

The show airs Tuesday at 4 p.m.

It's Oprah week. Now what?

2007-11-12T12:52:00.000-05:00

I am about to be swept up in Oprahmania, as will so many in this community. My involvement will be from a detached perspective, wandering the streets with my video camera trying to capture the magic. I also will do quite a bit of behind the scenes work to make sure all of macon.com's coverage is easy to find and attractively presented.

Many of you, I know, will be far from detached. The widespread love for Oprah, which I will admit to not fully understanding, has manifested itself into hundreds of calls and e-mails to The Telegraph offices over the past few weeks, inquiring about everything Oprah.

As interested Oprahlings, you are likely to be more plugged into the undergound info train than I will be. So I'm asking for your help.

Where should I go on Saturday? Is anyone tailgating? Camping out? Having a picnic? Are there groups congregating to greet Oprah's motorcade? Her private jet? Her convoy of support trucks? Are you making signs? Banners? Desperate pleas for attention from the most powerful woman in entertainment?

Let me know. Clue me in. And if you want to be on camera, flag me down. I'll be wearing my macon.com jacket.

Fix it up for us, not Oprah

2007-11-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

Oprah Winfrey is coming to Macon, and Mayor (for a little longer) Jack Ellis want us to make City Auditorium pretty for O, and that's all well and good.

But let me give you a better reason. Let's fix up City Auditorium for us. Why do we need Ms. Winfrey to come to town to decide that the centerpiece of Macon needs sprucing up? We claim pride in the giant copper dome (which, thankfully, no one has decided to steal and sell to a local scrap yard) and the auditorium's history. But we don't seem to mind that it is a bit shabby until there is a chance we might look bad on TV.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we're going to try to give the auditorium a quick once-over before the Nov. 17 taping. It's just the wrong reason.

Our sense of civic pride is mercurial at best in Macon. We love the town despite its faults, cringe when we hear non-residents deride it, quietly shake our heads behind closed doors, and wish for improvements without affecting change or expecting to do any of the work ourselves.

Not all of us. But many of us. Myself included.

And in the process, we find ourselves comfortable with letting things slip a bit. It's more than a little sad that it takes a woman from Chicago to get us moving.

Maybe next time we'll be ready before we know we have company coming.

White Lightning BBQ - here's your preview

2007-10-17T14:43:00.000-04:00

I was out Tuesday night looking for a bite to eat and happened to arrive at the corner of Spring and Walnut streets. I noticed the lights were on at the new barbecue restaurant - White Lightning Barbecue Co. - filling the space Dylan's once inhabited.

They've been remodeling the restaurant for a few months now, and I've been curious to try it (my route to work takes me by the restaurant each day). So, despite the fact that I had barbecue for lunch, I decided to stop and eat.

Turns out, they weren't really open yet. They might be officially open by Thursday.

The dining room seemed unusually full for a place that just opened, and I found out why after I ordered. The restaurant was holding a friends and family night, serving up free barbecue while they worked out the kinks that come with a new restaurant.

I am neither friend or family, but they weren't turning people away and they certainly treated me like a friend.

Let me say this, so you don't think free food will affect my judgment: I walked in expecting to pay, and would have paid had they been set up to accept money. The POS (that's the cash register) system wasn't working right yet. So fear not; it takes more than a free sandwich to sway my BBQ taste buds.

The restaurant has been painted a light blue and decorated with pieces of pop culture. Fairly standard decor, but the place has an airy feel and the dining room is more open than it was in its Dylan's days.

The staff was friendly, though it is impossible to judge the true level of service because - obviously - everyone was there. I doubt they will typically have that many people working at the same time.

But on to what you really care about: The food. It's good. I'll need a few more meals before I decide if it breaks into my sacred trinity of local BBQ joints (Satterfield's, Fincher's, Pig in a Pit). Those familiar with Georgia Bob's in Warner Robins will notice some similarities, because there is a family connection.

I tried the Carolina barbecue sandwich, fries, Brunswick stew and sweet tea. I also sampled the chicken salad.

On a scale of 1 to 5, five being the best:

Sandwich (3.5): I'm a sucker for slaw on sandwiches, so this worked for me. I wish I had tried the regular barbecue sandwich so I could tell you what the house sauce is like. Instead I went for Carolina style because it sounded good. While I doubt Carolinians would be enthralled with it (a little short on the vinegar) the sauce had a good taste with almost equal balance between tomato and vinegar. The meat was very tender, and the portion size was generous but not ridiculous.

Fries (4): Crispy, hot and perfectly cooked. Very good fries.

Brunswick stew (2.5): I'm probably letting personal preference get in the way here, but I prefer a chunkier stew. White Lightning's version is more like a pureed paste. The taste was OK, but I wasn't wild about it.

Sweet tea (4.5): Longtime readers of this blog know I can be overly serious about sweet tea. I believe the quality of the tea can make or break a barbecue experience. This is good tea. Again, I need more tastings, but this has a chance to make my sweet tea pantheon.

Chicken salad (4): It's good. Shredded chicken, tasty sauce, a little celery and chopped walnuts. I would have no hesitation ordering a chicken salad sandwich as a meal.

Overall, I would say that White Lightning is worth trying. Like every barbecue place, some people are going to love it and swear it's the best they've ever had. Others will probably say something like, "so-and-so's barbecue is better."

Whatever. There is always room in this world for another good barbecue joint.

UPDATE: As my friend Rose points out in the comments, White Lightning is officially open. The giant 'Now Open' banner I saw hanging out front on my way home was a pretty good clue.

The lazy blogger returns with a vengeance

2007-10-03T14:06:00.000-04:00

All right, I know I still owe you that post about residential speeders. I'm taking the video camera out for a spin soon and will bring you that ASAP.

But for now, I have a few thoughts on my mind.

New mall, then what?
The new mall, located between Riverside and Wesleyan in north Bibb, is going up really fast (click on the image to see the site plan, or go here for more information). Several businesses are defecting from their current locations to head that way (Butler Toyota, Barnes & Noble, etc.), and quite a few stores at Macon Mall - including a few anchor stores - are pulling up roots and heading to River Crossing.

So here's my worry. Macon is stretching north, stretching northwest, and stretching south. Downtown is, contrary to the belief of some, heading in the right direction (though slower than most of us would like), so the middle east is OK. But there is a big donut hole between I-75 and Log Cabin Road that could find itself struggling a bit without that mall traffic. I mean, does anyone really expect that Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Books-A-Million and other big-box chain stores will really stay in their current location without a big mall to draw cars that way?

Experience says that something will fill the void - eventually. Sometimes, though, eventually is a long time away.

And speaking of malls and traffic, what about Forest Hill Road?
Just about everybody has an opinion on this subject. The short version: GDOT is going to widen Forest Hill Road from two lanes to four, knocking down trees and destroying real estate values along the way. Residents are mad, claiming that the widening plan was made during a time when a thoroughfare was needed to get folks in north Macon to the mall. Now that the mall is going away, they say, no need to use the money on that project.

Every single governing body that has anything to do with this has said at various times that they could stop the project, couldn't stop the project, shouldn't stop the project, needed the project, wanted the project, hated the implications of the project, etc.

Here's my take. I think widening Forest Hill Road would help with traffic. And I think widening the road is a terrible idea.

Conflicting views? Yes and no.

Sure, another four-lane thoroughfare from north to central Macon would provide and alternative to using I-75 or Riverside. It would absolutely ease traffic, particularly along the section of Riverside between Northside and Pierce (which can be awful in the afternoon).

But ...

We have to preserve our residential communities, and funneling an even bigger wad of traffic down Forest Hill erodes yet another key residential area. Forest Hill is packed with middle and upper-middle class homes, families young and old. There is no historic architecture, but there is plenty of old growth - from leafy branches to deep community roots.

We absolutely need better traffic flow. Macon is stretching out, and that means we need more ways to get even further across town. But I think we can find a better way than putting a highway through the middle of a neighborhood.

Unfortunately, it looks like it's too late to do anything about it.

Let me lighten up a bit and talk barbecue
There is a new barbecue place opening up soon on Spring Street in the old Dylan's location (and I'm still sad about Dylan's going out of business, BTW). The joint will be called White Lightning BBQ, which I think is funny. According to story by The Telegraph's Linda Morris - which I would link to if I could find it - the name came from "several sources, (co-owner Chad) Evans said, including a band he used to be in and a movie starring Burt Reynolds."

OK. Whatever works. I hear White Lightning and I'm looking for a big copper still in the back. Better call the 'rehvenooers' and tell them to bring their axes.

You know, on second thought, I guess that's a pretty good name for BBQ place.

Anyway, it's still not open. The porch is screened in, the outside has been painted, and the smoker has been installed. But they sure are taking their sweet time overhauling the interior and replacing the Dylan's sign.

If anybody knows when they'll be open for biz, let me know. I'm ready to see how it stacks up to the formidable competition.

Quirks make the restaurant

2007-09-19T21:16:00.000-04:00

Most people love eating the same thing everywhere they go. The proof is in the proliferation of chain restaurants (try to think of the last place you went without seeing a McDonald's or Subway). These days, you can get the same terrible hamburger - or the identical overcooked steak, or a duplicate of some awful linguine alfredo - just about anywhere.

Now, I'm not saying I don't eat at and enjoy franchised food joints or faux fine dining, but I try to eat at local spots as often as possible. The best thing to me is the odd little things they offer, weird quirky items that mark a restaurant's individuality.

Eating peanuts out of a bucket and tossing shells on the floor used to be like that, but several chain steak joints adopted the practice. Now it's so commonplace, I have to think twice not to throw roasted peanut shells on the floor any time I eat them.

There are some good quirks around Middle Georgia. My favorites:

- At Mandarin at the corner of Riverside and Northside, the food is great. But half the menu is misspelled. I don't think I've ever seen that many typos on a menu. But it's no knock on the place. Hands-down, the best sit-down Chinese restaurant in the area.

- At Satterfield's in downtown Macon, the popular appetizer is a bowl of boiled peanuts. I've eaten a lot of barbecue, but I think that's the only place where that was the suggested starter. I happen to love boiled peanuts, so that's a big winner with me.

- Not on the menu, but I love that Nu-Way intentionally spells 'wiener' wrong (their version is 'weiner').

- Shahenshah on Watson Boulevard in Warner Robins is quite the mash of cultures. The menu has Greek, Indian and an assortment of other foods (some of the menu is a holdover from when it was called Metropolis under different ownership). I happen to like Greek and Indian food, but it's odd to have lamb vindaloo, dolmades and a big glass of sweet tea in the same sitting. I do enjoy eating there, though.

I know there are more that just aren't coming to mind right now, so help me out. What's your favorite local restaurant's trademark quirk?

High school football is here

2007-08-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

A little show we put together at macon.com. You can watch it regularly here. Enjoy.

Congrats Warner Robins

2007-08-27T04:22:00.000-04:00

In the interest of full disclosure, let me say this: I believe young athletes as a group receive far more coverage and attention than they should during a time when they are still maturing mentally and physically.

However, I'm willing to make an exception for the Little League World Series. It's a long-standing tradition, and reaching the world series is a noteworthy accomplishment (unlike many of the somewhat pedestrian things parents seems to want their children lauded for these days). It takes true talent to reach the national stage, and the teams that make it deserve all the applause they get.

So I tip my cap today to the Warner Robins American Little League all-stars, who won a rather dramatic LLWS championship Sunday night against Japan. You can read all about it here. An extra thumbs-up to Dalton Carriker, who rebounded from a rather embarrassing tantrum broadcast on national TV in the regionals (he apologized repeatedly afterwards) to go 11-for-16 in the World Series and hit the game-winning home run against Japan.

Nice going, guys. You were fun to watch. Thanks for making Middle Georgia look good.

Along those lines, regular readers will have noticed the scarcity of posts lately. The Little League World Series is partly to blame, as I've been spending quite a bit of time making sure the coverage was up-to-date on macon.com. I'm also spending some time working on our high school football Webcast, which I'll post here when it's available. Mostly, though, a rather unfortunately-timed knee injury has kept me from doing anything of note around town.

I did check out Spaghetti Alley, which I'll write about soon. And I have a few things to say - and show - in the near future about speeding on residential streets.

Leave the office, news follows

2007-08-16T22:51:00.000-04:00

So, a group of co-workers and I were away from the office Thursday at an all-day planning retreat. The idea, of course, is to get away from work to focus on long-term goals instead of day-to-day tasks.

Of course, all that flies out the window when a brush fire erupts right behind the building where the retreat is taking place.

This is what happens next (and the reason I carry a video camera and a laptop everywhere):

Sportgasbord

2007-08-14T09:53:00.000-04:00

All right, that title is supposed to be a play on 'smorgasbord', though I guess having to explain it means I should come up with a better title.

Anyway, we're creeping up on the best time of the year for sports. Baseball's division races are heating up, football's sunrise is just breaking the horizon, and this year we have the addition of a local team in the Little League World Series.

Now I don't typically endorse putting pre-teens on national television. I don't feel their overall maturity level is up to the scrutiny. But the LLWS is an exception, a long-standing tradition that has demonstrated that it can be a very positive thing.

I went down to Warner Robins on Saturday to shoot some video prior to the team leaving for Pennsylvania. You can see the fruits of my labor here. (That page is also where macon.com will have coverage of the team throughout the series.)

The players seem like good kids, the parents appear to be at least trying to keep them grounded (which, really, has to be pretty hard right now) and I know they are taking schoolwork with them so don't get the impression this is nothing more than an extended summer vacation.

It should be fun to watch.

Cleaning out the closet, Part 2

2007-08-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

OK, so it took me a few extra days to resume my 'cleaning out the closet' post. I'm a procrastinator. This is not a new development.

So, back to the list:

5) It's hot. Too hot. And I don't know about your office, but at mine they've decided to use less air conditioning. I don't mind working up a sweat, but I'd rather not do it while sitting behind a desk.

Anyway, I decided to give everyone a chance to make jokes about the weather. You can go here to do that.

6) There are few things I can eagerly anticipate and anxiously dread simultaneously. Football season is one of those things. I love watching football, but it sure does create a lot of work for me.

7) I stopped by my house briefly this afternoon around the time school gets out, a time when I am almost never at my house. There is an elementary school around the corner. There was a line of traffic encircling the block, completely jamming the street and spilling out to block a major thoroughfare. The cars weren't moving, just sitting there.

I don't know what the solution is, but I think it may be time for the school board to take a look at better controlling the traffic flow around some of its schools.

And while they're at it, maybe they can do something about the school buses that shatter the speed limit while traveling down my two-lane residential street.

Cleaning out the closet

2007-08-02T14:47:00.000-04:00

First, my deepest apologies for the gap in posts. I was out of town, staying at a place with - gasp! - no high-speed internet access. I barely survived.

Now, moving on to my post for the day. I have a few things to point out/bones to pick.

1) The buffalo chicken Caesar salad at Between the Bred is good. I have had their Caesar many times, always with steak (back when that was still an option on the menu) or blackened chicken. But today I had the buffalo. If you haven't tried it, and you like buffalo-style sauce, I recommend it.

2) I don't who the idiots are that are spray-painting 'The White Mayor Will Die on vans and buildings around town, but I'd like to snatch the can away and smack them in the forehead with it. Is that really necessary? I'm sure it's some dummy's idea of a joke, but still. I don't recall seeing any 'The Black Mayor Will Die' graffiti. It's just pointless, and some poor guy who has nothing to do with anything is going to have to repaint this stuff.

3) Be sure to check out the local political tournament bracket over at Travis Fain's 'Lucid Idiocy' blog. Travis is on vacation for two weeks, so I help him design the bracket. It's just for fun, so don't go taking it all serious.

4) Football season is almost here, and Jonathan Heeter - the Telegraph's high school sports guy - is doing a video preview every day in August leading up to the season openers at the end of the month. You can find them here. Just click on the links under 'Countdown to Kickoff".

More to come. I'll be back cleaning out the closet again tomorrow.

Will Vick affect Falcons patronage again?

2007-07-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

By now you have all heard about the legal situation involving Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. I'll spare you all the gory details. I have two dogs and three cats, so I'm not really interested in thinking about the details again, anyway.

But let's step back and take a look at the situation as it pertains to the Falcons. Everyone knows that when Vick was drafted in 2001, he had a very positive impact on ticket sales. No. 7 jerseys started popping up everywhere. Falcons highlights started popping up on ESPN a lot more often.

I don't think anyone thought at the time the pendulum could swing so quickly the other way.

Now it seems Vick's presence may have a negative impact on the Falcons' fan base. I can tell you that I know a few animal lovers who would rather stab themselves than do anything to support Michael Vick right now.

The court system has yet to determine Vick's fate, but it seems the court of public opinion has already made up its mind.

So here's the question: Are you less likely to go to a Falcons game that involves Vick? Or would you support the team regardless of who is playing?

Maconites: Did you vote today?

2007-07-17T12:37:00.000-04:00

If not, why not? As of this posting you still have several hours, so go do it now.

BBQ breakdown

2007-07-10T12:32:00.000-04:00

I'm on the road this week for a little job training, and on the drive yesterday my fellow trainees and I had a conversation about barbecue (or barbeque, or bar-b-q, or however you happen to spell it).

Anyway, we were picking out the defining characteristics of various types of BBQ. For example:

Alabama: Dry ribs, hot slaw on the sandwiches
Florida: Sliced meat
North Carolina: Vinegar-based sauce on chopped meat
West Tennessee: Dry rub on the ribs
Georgia: Pulled pork, Brunswick stew always on the menu

That's just what we could name off the top of our heads. I happen to appreciate something about all of those types of barbecue, but I know some are loyalists. My personal dreamplate? A big serving of NC chopped with the really hot sauce, a half rack of ribs from Dreamland in Tuscaloosa, Ala., a big BBQ sandwich loaded with hot slaw and a side order of Brunswick stew.

Anyway, I know there are some BBQ heavyweights I left off the list (Texas and Kansas City, anyone?) so chip in your knowledge. What's your all-star lineup of BBQ?

Best deals in town

2007-07-05T00:56:00.000-04:00

I stopped by Church's on Tuesday on the way home for the 99 cent two-piece deal. A leg and a thigh for a buck. Not bad.

Anyway, that got me thinking about the best deals in town. Not just food ... anywhere you feel you get more than your money's worth.

Off the top of my head:
- The aforementioned Tuesday Special at Church's.
- Movies and pizza at the Capitol Theatre. For about $20, two people can watch a movie, eat a whole pizza and get their drinks refilled throughout the evening. Plus, you get all that atmosphere.
- The clearance table at Karsten-Denson. Got a great pair of convertible pants there for $5.
- Macon.com (Warning: Shameless self-serving plug alert!). Seriously, though, all that local news and information for free. That's a deal.

I'm missing Dylan's - anyone know the story?

2007-07-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

So I noticed last week that Dylan's Sub Shoppe, located at the corner of Spring and Walnut in downtown Macon, is closed. Keith Demko, a copy editor here at The Telegraph and author of the excellent Reel Fanatic blog, said he ate there about three weeks ago and the employees told him the restaurant was being sold.

I noticed a while back that the shop's extended hours had been rolled back to the old 10-3:30 times. But I'll be very sad if Dylan's is gone for good. The 'Taste of Italy' sub was fantastic, and the bread was always soft and fresh-baked.

I called the shop's number today and it was disconnected.

Anyone know what happened to Dylan's?

Paddle Georgia, Day 7 - Hawkinsville Hustle

2007-06-30T19:16:00.000-04:00

Words or phrases collected from the intrepid Paddle Georgia through paddlers and staff upon completion of the seven-day, 115-mile journey from Lake Jackson to Hawkinsville:

-Reflection (Jim from Decatur)

-Weird or different (Kayla from Atlanta)

-Hard time (Nichelle from Atlanta)

-Awesome (Tucker from Cumming)

-Outta this world (Bill from Macon)

-Exhilarating (Darlene from Vinings)

-Enjoyable (Ed from Martinsburg, WV)

-Fun (Austin from Kennesaw)

-Delightful (Dan from Woodstock)

-Bittersweet (Patrick from Athens)

-Wet (Patsy from Atlanta)

-New challenges (Melissa from Atlanta)

-Organized chaos (Blair from Marietta)

-Sweet, dude (Brian from Atlanta)

-Blister (Vincent from Carrollton)

-Community building (Geoffrey from New Orleans)

-Mind-boggling (Gail from Bremen)

-Privilege and honor (Laura from Cumming)

-Harmony (Kevin from Cumming)

-Thrilling and exhilarating (John from Atlanta)

-Hot (Philip from Atlanta)

-Mildewed bathing suit (Jesslyn from Athens)

-Long (Allen from Dawsonville)

-Tiring (Adam from Atlanta)

And this from Paddle Georgia event coordinator Joe Cook from Rome:

-We are not in control

The last leg was my personal favorite. It had the most diversity and the most wildlife of any of the days. There were only two boats on the water today that weren’t from our group. We saw alligators, turtles, storks, herons, osprey, gar, warblers, kingfishers and many, many other animals. We saw cliffs, rapids, shoals, sloughs, cut-offs, and oxbows. We got wet, dried out, got hungry, got tired, and got wet again. Everyone is pretty exhausted, but no one here wishes they hadn’t come. This trip, like most other character-building adventures, solidified our desire to know and promote Georgia’s rivers, and to explore and protect our natural environment. We really loved the Ocmulgee River, but that’s not surprising because we really love Georgia.

Next year, the Paddle Georgia trip will be on the Flint River. I hope everyone from this year comes back, and we add another 100 or so river lovers. It’s a great time to be on the river with people who care about our natural world, and this experience has reaffirmed my faith that Georgians will work to protect their greatest resource: our rivers.

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia, Day 6 - Coastal Plain Conga

2007-06-29T01:37:00.000-04:00

Drifting. That's the only way to describe what we did today. Roughly 1.5 mph if you're in the channel center. If you paddle, you can make 4 or 5 mph. We actually hit 6 mph for a stretch, but it was too much effort to sustain.

Since we only had 17 miles to paddle today, a determined earlybird could be done by noon, and indeed some were. But not my boat. Alison, the Adopt-A-Stream State Coordinator, was in no hurry, and neither was I, so we took every opportunity we had to stretch out the trip and enjoy each moment. By paddling once in a while, we had time to drift. Time to swim, explore the beach, search for gators, or just lie back and watch the moss move by in the cypress trees above. Drifting is the best way to experience the true pace of the river.

Tonight we had our talent show. The skill level was astounding. After paddling with this group all week, I had formed a few ideas about some folks; there's nothing like a star search to reveal a true inner expression exhibitionist. Several songs and skits had to do with blisters, burns, and bruises, and at least one epic celebrated the arrival of Hawkinsville in only 13 miles tomorrow. But for now we're just drifting beneath the full moon on a cloudless Cochran night. It seems the only fitting way to celebrate the endless Ocmulgee.

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia, Day 5 - Oxbow Bolero

2007-06-28T00:40:00.000-04:00

"The river has taught me to listen; you will learn from it, too. The river knows everything; one can learn everything from it. You have already learned from the river that it is good to strive downwards, to sink, to seek the depths." Herman Hesse "Siddhartha"

In the above passage from Hesse's classic 1922 novel, a wise old ferryman is teaching a young seeker about how rivers carry the lessons of life. It's a good story, because in it the seeker, Siddhartha, first tries all the usual methods of finding comfort and solace, but is dissatisfied until he finds the river. The river teaches him "how to listen with a still heart, with a waiting, open soul, without passion, without desire, without judgment, without opinions."

The Ocmulgee River has been teaching the Paddle Georgia participants a great deal on this week-long venture as well. In the last couple of days, we have left the wide, rocky shoals of the Piedmont and dropped down into the meandering floodplain forest. The rocks have been replaced with natural levees, and, surprisingly, the river is now more narrow and swift. Back in Macon, we were slowed painfully by sand across the entire channel. That sand is creeping casually toward the ocean, but in a low flow it doesn't make it much farther than the Fall Line. Below the Fall Line (the ancient extent of oceans, which forms a physiographic boundary between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain), the river channel is steep, hard clay and the floodplain behind the levee is filled with rich, dark silt. The clay and silt were deposited during previous floods, and they act to constrict the river within a very narrow channel. For the last 42 miles, since Macon, we've been meandering back and forth along a sinuous path, traversing not rapids of rock, but strainers of sycamore trees.

The lessons of the river in this type of environment are patience and determination. Most of our paddlers were up before 6 a.m. this morning to catch the first bus to the put-in at 6:30. The river has taught us over the last week to get out there early before it heats up. The 21-mile route we paddled today could have been brutally punishing as it winded through the featureless floodplain. Along the banks, all we could see were countless maple, sycamore, oak, and birch trees, covered in vines that mask their true identity. On the sandbars were dense stands of willows, in most places hanging out over the water to obscure any view of the strainers coming up in the next bend. Strainers are trees that have fallen into or across the river, and they can be deadly if the water's flow pins you underwater against the tree. All the while we were wary to spy a large feral hog or alligator that would heighten the danger of the moment. Our paddlers were patient and determined on their 8 hour journey, however, because that was the only way to survive this environment. where only the desolate Bullards Landing reminded us of civilization outside of the river.

On our trip are two youth groups - one from the Outdoor Wisdom Leadership School (OWLS) and another from Outward Bound, both located in inner-city Atlanta. The students in these groups are learning patience and determination the same way as Siddhartha, by studying the river.

"The river flowed on towards its goal. ... All the waves and water hastened, suffering, towards goals, many goals, to the waterfall, to the sea, to the current, to the ocean an all goals were reached and each one was succeeded by another."

Like the river, the lives of these hard-working young men and women will have dangerous snags, steep-walled and slippery confines, moments of difficulty, and moments of easy flow. In my talks with their leaders, I recognize that they are like the ferryman in Hesse's book, using a simple tool (flowing water) to instruct life's deepest lessons. We can all learn from the river, to accept life as it flows and resist the urge to fight the flow when we don't have to.

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia, Day 4 - Echeconnee Can Can

2007-06-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

Today was my day to help out around the camp, and learn about the enormous amount of details that go into Paddle Georgia behind the scenes. Rather than enjoying the meandering river below Macon, past Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, I was working with the Georgia River Network staff (April, Dana, Jesslyn, and Allen) and other volunteers in Macon, Bonaire, and Hawkinsville. First we had to pack up the camp, pick up any extra items lying around, and make sure the City of Macon folks didn't have a big mess in Central City Park. Then we transported the gear, materials, and other necessities of life south to Bonaire Middle School, where we'll be camped out for the next two nights. We love Bonaire Middle School, because it has something we haven't seen in several days: air conditioning!

Unloading all the personal gear took over an hour of sorting through bag after bag of sleeping bags, duffles, and camp bins. Because the stuff was carryed in a semi trailer, and it was already 85 degrees at 11 in the morning, it was a pretty hot and sweaty job. But there was no river to cool off in!

After that, we helped set up the information tables, the Adopt-A-Stream testing equipment, and took an extra minute to enjoy the air conditioning before we transported a woman from Florida to her car in Hawkinsville so she could help her sick friend get home to a doctor (he had been coughing badly for days). Following a spectacular lunch at AB's barbeque, we hurried back up the road to the takeout location just above Echeconnee Creek. For the next two hours, we helped pull in the canoes and kayaks as they landed, carrying boats and gear up from the sandbar and helping folks get their walking legs underneath them after paddling 21 miles.

Finally, I got a ride with Hawkinsville river lovers Tom and Karen Hunt back up to Macon for a meeting of the Central Georgia Rivers Partnership (CGRP). The CGRP is a coalition of activists and professionals dedicated to promoting and protecting conservation of the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers. In just over two years of activity, we have identified several key areas that offer great potential for public recreation, wildlife habitat, and sound development. The group is working to coordinate efforts among several different organizations and agencies. The members in attendence work for Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, Jones County, Mercer University, The Wilderness Society, and University of Georgia, as well as volunteers like the Hunts. We heard reports on efforts to conserve land all along the Ocmulgee River, for example the effort to secure more public access upstream from Macon. I reported on developments with the Oconee River Greenway in Milledgeville.

The purpose of the CGRP and other river preservation groups is to give society a chance to enjoy the pleasures of waterways for years to come. Not everyone in the future is guaranteed the opportunity to swim, fish, and float in the Ocmulgee River. We think that Georgia's Rivers are unique, and we want them to be clean, safe, and fun. It takes work, because many people neglect rivers and treat them as little more than open sewers, which is what a lot of rivers in the US had become by the 1950's. Through aggressive legislation led by dedicated activists, like the group American Rivers, federal and state governments have cleaned up many rivers so they are safer to use for boating. We encourage more of this type of work, because swimming and fishing are also crucial uses of Georgia's Rivers. Individuals can help out by joining groups like the Georgia River Network (http://www.garivers.org), and promoting river conservation efforts locally.

Paddle Georgia, Day 3 - Macon Mambo

2007-06-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it seemed easier because we only went 13 miles. Maybe it was because we had several swift shoals that sped us along. But more likely it was because I had Telegraph reporter Heather Duncan in the bow of my canoe, pulling more than her own as we raced downstream from Pope's Ferry to Spring Street landing today. After a quick refresher course, Heather was eager to lean into the rapids and provide strong strokes in fabulous form as the canoe sailed through the water.

Today's run is a very typical day trip for Macon's river enthusiasts, because it has very little driving, a lot of good rapids and shoals, and a very easy take out at Spring Street. Back in the day, when rafting and boating on the river seemed more commonplace (maybe because I was younger back then), we would typically put in at the River North bridge or Billy's Rock, and float down to either the Water Works or Spring Street. These days, Arkwright Road is much, much more developed, so it has become illegal to put in at those places. Instead we put in at Pope's Ferry landing, just about a mile below Hwy. 18 on US Hwy. 23. Incidentally, there used to be a landing at Dames Ferry as well, and there sort of still is, but it's on private property and people don't want you parking there anyway, at least not along the side of the road.

Providing better access to the river is one of the main reasons Paddle Georgia exists. River organizations across the country believe that people should be able to enjoy the waterfront and use it for recreation and other important resources. This particular stretch of the river helps signify the importance of providing river access, because as those homes and subdivisions get built, there are fewer and fewer
opportunities to give all the people of Middle Georgia an opportunity to enjoy their river.

Rivers in Georgia belong to the people of the state, but unfortunately the land along the river is private unless some public entity buys it back from whoever owns it. Homeowners and developers enjoy having access to the river (it greatly increases their property value), but are under no obligation whatsoever to allow citizens a way to get from the public road to the public river. As more and more homes are built along the river, the property value goes up more and more, and eventually it's nearly impossible for people to enjoy the resource unless they buy a house or make friends with someone who owns a house on the riverbank. And the land gets more expensive all the time. In north Atlanta, the price tag reaches into the millions to acquire land for public access. Unfortunately, local governments have trouble raising that kind of revenue, so the prudent thing to do would be to go ahead and get the land we need today. That's one of the reasons we are paddling down the river; we want to raise public awareness of what a wonderful resource we have.

The run today would be an easy way for Maconites to beat the heat and enjoy the outdoors. I hope one day there is an outfitter to rent canoes and kayaks, that there are several access points, and that there is a continuation of the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail that will let people walk along the river as well.

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia, Day 2 - Juliette Jitterbug

2007-06-25T23:26:00.000-04:00

One of the things I've learned on this trip so far is that kayaks are much, much faster than canoes. Canoes carry more stuff and more people, but those kayaks just stream past us canoeists like Atlanta drivers passing a mule train. I suppose it's some sort of purist within me that thinks that kayaks belong up in the mountains or out in the ocean, but in these modern times there are a lot more people using kayaks and going faster down the river. For that reason, I was delighted when we got to Dames Ferry today, because that is where we started passing the real mule trains: gaggles of inner tubers! Talk about slow - these folks are just loaded up in spare tire tubes waiting for the current of the river to take them somewhere. Usually it's downstream, but when the wind blows hard upstream, as it was this afternoon, I think the tubers go with it. It was fun watching as they attempted to navigate the shoals as a group. Invariably the bonds of family and friends are broken by the unforgiving river rocks, and the couplets must scramble back into their amoeba form. Having a canoe at that moment made me feel downright 20th century in my transportation options. I'll grant the kayakers rights to the 21st century ...

Today's route was difficult, but it seemed easier than yesterday's journey of roughly the same distance. Perhaps the muscle memory made the strokes shorter today, or maybe I just knew how exhausted and sore I would be at day's end and it all made perfect sense.

The two biggest hurdles were the portage at Juliette low dam and the extra-dry rapids at Dames Ferry. For the portage we had hired a couple of boat trailers and a passenger bus. They had us queue up in dramatic fashion and wait our turn to load the boat and get a ride to the lower end of the dam. Some folks walked the route, so as to visit the Whistle Stop Cafe, and others even more determined to create the illusion of self-reliance (e.g., me) decided to forgo the fossil fuel route altogether and just drag our boats the 1/2 mile around the dam. Probably a bad choice on my part, because the work involved possibly exceeded the total amount of energy spent trying to outpaddle the kayaks down the remainder of the route. But it was worth it in the end, as I was back in the water 4.5 minutes ahead of the group that had been next to me in the queue!

At Dames Ferry, we discovered that the dreaded Class II rapid had disintegrated into an inner tube slide. The water is so low that there were barely any chutes open for boats, and the best route, down the center, was dangerously choked with tubers. Still a fun run, we managed to dunk a few boaters and spend a considerable amount of time stuck on the rocks!

Tomorrow the flotilla leaves Pope's Ferry in the morning, and will travel 13 miles downstream to the Spring Street landing. We should be coming in during the late afternoon, so if you're bored and want to see a bunch of river runners, come on down!

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia, Day 1

2007-06-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

Our first day was the Piedmont Polka, 15 miles through the scenic Oconee National Forest and its surroundings.

The water level was down a bit, so it took longer than we thought to pass the shoals and rapids. The highlight was Lamar Mill rapid. Here we ran a nice chute and then played in a mossy waterfall for a while.

This is a very beautiful stretch of the river, forested and rocky. We passed dozens of people along the route. Everyone was amazed to hear that we will be on the route for seven days! Our group is great! It's a mix of families, groups, couples and singles. We have all ages and all types.

It's good to know that so many folks love Georgia's rivers. I think more people would if they took the time to take a trip like this. We learned about sharing time, energy, and resources while enjoying the outdoors. It's a good life.

-Doug Oetter

Paddle Georgia 2007 begins Saturday

2007-06-22T14:41:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning, the third annual Paddle Georgia trip will commence, just below Lake Jackson on the upper Ocmulgee River. There will be close to 300 participants, most of whom will paddle for 7 days down the river over 115 miles to Hawkinsville. We will paddle most of the day, stop for lunch and several interesting field trips, and then camp out at local parks and high schools, entertained and informed by a variety of state and local experts and storytellers. The next morning, we'll get up early and paddle some more!

Why? Probably for most because the river represents one of the best ways to beat the Southern heat, and as we roll into summer, this crowd of explorers and adventurers knows that a week spent on the river is a week well spent. But also to increase our knowledge of our state's truly special natural resources. The Ocmulgee River is one of Georgia's finest rivers, still relatively untamed by dams and development. We'll be flowing through several public nature preserves, and along countless acres of bottomland forests. I expect to see a wealth of wildlife, and to get away from it all in Georgia's outdoors. Along the way, I'm sure to meet a lot of really interesting people who share my passion for the river and adventure.

Over the next week, I hope you'll stop in to read about our journey on Our Georgia. Perhaps you'll come down to see our floatilla land at the Spring Street boat landing on Monday afternoon. We would welcome your presence as we hit the half-way point in Macon, because below Macon the river gets pretty desolate!

For more information about Paddle Georgia, please refer to the web page: http://www.garivers.org/paddle_georgia/pgjourney.html.

-Doug Oetter

Cell phones in schools a tough subject

2007-06-21T12:02:00.000-04:00

Julie Hubbard writes today that the Bibb County Board of Education is considering easing its ban on cell phones in schools.

This is a touchy subject. Cell phones can be distracting, even dangerous, in a school environment. But they are also an extremely valuable communication tool that can make sure the parent knows where their child is and when to pick them up.

Anyway, Julie's story covers the subject well, so give it a read.

As the son of two educators, including a father who has been a high school principal for more than a decade, I have to say that a complete ban is the easiest solution. It's just too tough to regulate the 'times you can use/can't use' rule. You can't monitor every student all the time.

So here is my thought: Students don't need to use their cell phone during school hours. After and before school yes, but not during classroom instruction. So a way should be developed to inhibit cell signals during school hours.

Now, actively blocking cell phone signals is illegal according to the FCC. But if an exception was made to that law, or if schools devised methods other than active blocking (here's a link to a thread that suggests a quirky method involving chicken wire), wouldn't that be an acceptable solution?

It seems like restricting access to cell signals is a more effective solution than a ban.

Thanks for the trash, pal

2007-06-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

I was pulling away from my house Sunday afternoon, and as I reached the light at the end of my street I glanced in the rearview mirror - just in time to see someone in the passenger seat of a Hummer H3 chuck his empty Miller Lite can out of his window and into my yard.

My first instinct was to get out of the car on confront the guy, but not wanting to get shot (and thinking it probably wouldn't do much good anyway) I drove on my way and forgot about it.

Until I got home and saw the can still laying in the street in front of my house.

I live on a reasonably busy residential street, and trash seems to end up on the street and sidewalk in front of my house on a regular basis. I don't put it there, so I have to assume it is thrown out of car windows or dropped by passers-by. I, of course, pick it up and throw it away, but why should I have to deal with someone else's trash?

Now, most of you reading this blog aren't the type to throw trash out of car windows, so I know I'm 'preaching to the choir'. But is there any reason to litter? Is there ever a piece of trash so noxious, so foul, that is must be thrown out the window immediately? We have lots of trash cans. You can't wait until the next time you get out of the car to throw your trash away?

I would suggest the police fine folks for littering, but I know that's not going to happen and I'd much rather them focus on bigger problems.

So how about this instead: Everyone can try to have a little common courtesy and respect for others.

(Yeah, I know that's not happening either, but a guy can hope.)

You may not care, but this matters

2007-06-09T03:14:00.000-04:00

For those of you who, like me, live inside the Macon city limits, the upcoming city elections mean a lot to you. We'll be electing electing a new mayor and at least a few new council members, and the intelligence and integrity (or lack thereof) of that group will determine the town's immediate course and the path for the future.

I readily admit that politics isn't my favorite subject but I'll be doing my homework this fall.

To help the rest of you, I've built a pretty big elections section on macon.com. Bios on every candidate, stories big and small, and lots of video and photos throughout the process.

Here's the link.

You don't have to love politics but you do have to educate yourself and be an informed voter. To put it simply, this stuff matters.

More downtown food options

2007-06-06T17:11:00.000-04:00

Linda Morris has good news for me on macon.com today: New restaurant to open on Cherry Street.

Longtime readers know my affinity for both downtown and food. Molly's Cafe "will be casual, elegant dining" according to the story and will be open 11-3 for lunch. The article doesn't say, but I'm assuming that it will be open weekdays only, or maybe Monday-Saturday.

Add Molly's to other new downtown additions Spaghetti Alley (already open on Mulberry Street Lane) and Market City Cafe (at the corner of Cherry and Third but not open yet). That's good news for everyone downtown.

Now we just need a few bodegas and an influx of loft-loving residents.

Take me out to the ballgame

2007-06-04T15:51:00.000-04:00

So I'm going to my first Macon Music game tonight. I would have gone to the opener, but I was on vacation for the team's inaugural home stand so this is my first chance to see the team.

The reports of robust crowds at the ballpark are encouraging. As some of you may remember, I expressed a little skepticism a month ago on this blog. The team is certainly still in the honeymoon phase with the fans, but it's off to a good start.

Anyway, if you see me at the ballpark tonight, stop me and let me know what you think about the team.

New blog
Telegraph reporter Travis Fain started a blog this week, Lucid Idiocy. Two blogs, actually. Travis is a funny guy and a smart writer, so check it out. You'll find the link to the right under 'more macon.com blogs'.

The return of 'Where in Middle Georgia?'

2007-06-01T15:57:00.000-04:00

I dropped this feature for a while, for no particular reason. I know there are at least a few of you out there who enjoyed it. For those who don't know, here's how it works: I post a picture of a spot in the Middle Georgia area, and you try to guess where it is. Once someone guesses right, the competition is over until next week. The only prize I have to offer is pride, so that will have to do.

Here is this week's photo. Be sure to leave your name when you guess so you can be lauded and praised by name for your superior memory and eye for detail.

AmStar now 'The Grand'

2007-05-30T01:01:00.000-04:00

Caught 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' Sunday night. Something was different at my local cinema. The 'AmStar Stadium 16' in north Macon is now simply called 'The Grand'. Here is a link to The Grand Theatre company Web site.

Near as I can tell (and from what I could glean from a very brief conversation with theater manager Wes Clark) it will make absolutely no difference for most moviegoers. One dorky pre-roll (the AmStar 'zoom from outer space and swoop through city streets') has been replaced by another (The Grand's 'retro lame' promo). That's about it.

Anyway, though some of you probably noticed the new name and figured it was worth mentioning.

One great fairly recent development at the AmStar/Grand - they now accept debit cards at the food counter. First time I noticed this was almost a month ago at the Spider-Man 3 midnight showing. Purchasing vouchers at the ticket window was annoying, so I'm glad the theater finally has the right equipment at the concession stand.

Would you ride the rails?

2007-05-24T16:10:00.000-04:00

Reporter Travis Fain writes about the latest in the intermittent Atlanta-Macon commuter rail line discussion on macon.com today.

For those who just moved here, this comes up every 3-12 months. I spent a few minutes reading the Telegraph archives from 1999 (sorry, no online access available, but you can read the stories in the archives at Washington Memorial Library). The headlines back then include a number of earnestly optimistic statements, including 'COMMUTERS COULD BE HITTING TRACKS BY 2004' and 'OFFICIAL SAYS RAIL COULD PROMPT MAJOR MIDSTATE AIRPORT'.

So, when reading the story, you'll understand the underlying tone of skepticism and absence of certainty.

The question I ask of you is this: Would you use a commuter train between Middle Georgia and Atlanta? What would you use if to reach (work, air travel, shopping, entertainment, sports)? How often would you use the train?

I'll start. I would use the train, assuming the cost was reasonable (less than $20 qualifies for me). My primary use would be to get to the airport, but if the schedule included late trains I might consider riding it to Braves games or to spend a day downtown without fighting traffic. I expect I would ride the train a minimum of three and a maximum of 10 times each year.

Adieu Bruster's, hello food court

2007-05-15T12:37:00.001-04:00

I have not properly lamented on this blog the closing of Bruster's ice cream shop on Forsyth Road in Macon (long-time readers may remember former blog contributor Heather Duncan's ode to Bruster's). I miss that ice cream shop, though my current health kick would probably keep me away from the place anyway.

The good news is that the building won't be vacant for long. Linda Morris writes that three restaurants will be built on the lot. The current building is being torn down, replaced by a food court style setup. Three restaurants will share a common seating area.

Is it too much to hope that at least one of the restaurants will be independent and locally-owned?

On a personal note, I'm taking a short hiatus. The blog will return with my 100th post on May 24.

Vote for your favorites

2007-05-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

The Telegraph is running it's 'Best of' feature again. You can vote here. Be sure to check whether you are voting for Macon or Warner Robins businesses. You can, of course, vote for both.

I always love this stuff, because invariably a place wins that I didn't know about. Once everyone has voted, I'll have a look at the list and discover a new favorite spot.

The voting only runs through May 30, so vote soon. When they post the results, I'll post them here.

A shot in the arm (and leg, and chest, and hand)

2007-05-07T16:06:00.000-04:00

A group of us hit On Target Paintball on Ga. 247 in south Bibb County on Saturday. There is more to OTP than I originally thought. From the road, you can see the obstacle course, but I had no idea there were several acres of woods (complete with makeshift forts) to play in.

My group of five played a few games solo, then joined up with a group of 15 and played a couple of 10 vs. 10 games. All-in-all, a fun experience.

The best scenario is to have your own equipment, because it is less expensive in the long run. If you go on a weekend, you have to shoot with OTP's paint, so don't show up with a case full of balls and expect to play on the cheap.

If you don't have your own equipment (like me) you can go for the Shooters Special - described on the Web site as a 'complete rental package, all day air, and 500 rounds of paint: $38.00'. Not a bad deal, though you'll probably need more than 500 rounds if you're planning to play for several hours.

OTP sends its employees on the field with you to officiate the games and keep everyone safe, which was a nice touch. You can read other people's opinions of OTP here.

A few warnings, from someone who has played paintball in the woods several times:

1) Wear long pants, long sleeves and boots. Paintballs don't hurt too bad through clothing, but really sting on bare skin. You might also want to include gloves (though I always forget that part). Army/Navy surplus camo works great because the cloth is thick and durable, and you can pick up a pair cheap.

2) Spray your shoes, socks, ankles and pants with tick repellant. Or pick the ticks off after you play. Or both. Lyme disease is not fun.

3) Do not hide and wait for everyone to come to you. You will spend the day bored. Paintballs don't hurt that bad, and you're wearing a mask. Be bold, shoot lots and have fun.

Anyway, if you've ever thought about playing paintball and want to try it out, get a gang together and go. You can find out more by calling (478) 714-2003. Here is where OTP is located.

For a reasonably complete listing of places to play paintball in Georgia, check out pbreview.com.

Will the Music be sweet or sour?

2007-05-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

Telegraph sports editor Daniel Shirley writes in his column today that he is looking forward to the potentially interesting storylines that will come to town with the Macon Music. The independent league baseball team begins its season at home on May 17 at historic (but somewhat dumpy) Luther Williams Field.

He suggests that Maconites should reverse their history of non-support and actually turn out to watch the Music. While I applaud his civic sentiment, I have my doubts about the ultimate success of the team.

Why? Well, nothing has changed since the failure of the past two teams - the venerable Single-A Braves (now in Rome) and the Peaches (which survived a whole season ... barely). The field is the same, the location is the same, the town is the same, the fanbase is the same. None of the variables that led to the failure of the previous teams has been altered.

This is akin to what we see with restaurants in certain locations. There is a building on Vineville Avenue in Macon that has held at least four different restaurants in the past four years. Every time the latest eatery dims the lights and locks the doors, I wonder why anyone tries to open a restaurant in what seems to be a cursed spot. I don't know if it's the location, or just a series of bad restaurants, but eventually folks just assume that whatever goes in there is bound to fail.

And that may be where we are with minor league baseball in downtown Macon. Something has to shift - stadium, location, population. Right now, nothing has since the Peaches sputtered.

I wish the Music the best. I'll even attend a few games. The team does at least seem to be investing in marketing, and they definitely have a full stock of enthusiasm.

But I'll need to see success to believe it.

Macon's new public wireless system - the good and the bad

2007-04-30T19:29:00.000-04:00

If you haven't heard by now, the city of Macon has installed a public wireless network in the downtown area. The public part of it is apparently piggy-backing on a system used by the police (which creates a few issues, but we'll get to that).

Co-worker Phillip Ramati and I spent part of Monday trolling downtown, testing the system and the strength of the signal. So here's the skinny: There are portions of downtown where a very strong signal is available, but in most places it's too weak and simply not fast enough for most internet users.

Here are a couple of links to get you up to speed: Interactive map | Photos of the hardware. For those who use this downtown system, I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment on the interactive map and tell me about your experience.

Let me break it down for you:

The Good: If you want to use the internet at Central City Park, the Coliseum or Terminal Station, you should have no problem. The range is good in all three places because there is nothing to impede the signal (and in the case of Terminal Station, the router is located 50 feet in the air, more than twice as high as most of the routers). Also, the best signal in town can be obtained on the third level of the Ramada Plaza parking deck. The router at the corner of First and Riverside is eye level there. You can almost touch it.

The Bad: In most places, the signal was weak. I use a nearly new MacBook with a top notch wireless card, and I had trouble getting more than two bars (out of four) in most places. The most surprising? The public signal at Third and Cherry was abysmal, and there was no signal at all at Washington Memorial Library.

Still, despite its shortcomings, this is a big step forward for Macon. The system needs more routers and a serious signal boost (getting the boxes higher above the street would help) but it is now possible to get a free wireless signal without spending four dollars for a cup of coffee or stuffing your face with tiny square hamburgers.

And a big thumbs up for making the system free. I spend a lot my life working online, and paying for internet in a public place just doesn't cut it for me.

Slavery apologies, state senators and Macon

2007-04-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

I don't typically wade into politics on this blog (I'll leave that to my friends on The Telegraph's editorial board) and I'm even less likely to dive into race issues (white middle class males do not have the most objective viewpoint on the subject, and certainly don't fully understand what it is like to be discriminated against).

But today's story on macon.com headlined 'Brown: Slavery apologies insulting' has me thinking. Apologies for slavery have been all the rage the past year or so, and I have viewed it as a gesture, an acknowledgment that mistakes were made in the past and a signal that it's time to leave the past behind - for both blacks and whites.

After reading the story, and the resulting comments from other readers at the bottom of the story, I'm seeing that everyone views these apologies in their own way.

To sum up the story, Senate Democratic Leader Robert Brown, D-Macon, said Wednesday that the rampant apologies for slavery were insulting because an apology didn't come close to making up for those many years of oppression. Brown is black, and his statement caused all sorts of reaction from the NAACP and fellow senators.

Read the story, read the comments, think about it, and tell me what you think. Is the gesture harmless or meaningless? Or is it something that should have been done in Georgia long ago?

Just a warning: Any comments containing profanity or racial slurs will be deleted. Make your argument, make it well and make it with respect and intelligence.

Watering restrictions only effective if actually followed (which isn't easy)

2007-04-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

In case you missed it - and judging from the number of sprinklers I have seen running in the middle of the day, a lot of you did - the state has imposed new restrictions on watering your lawn.

Yards can now be watered only between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m. As before, even-numbered houses can water Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, odd-numbered houses on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. No one is supposed to water on Friday.

I know this is inconvenient for some. Most are in bed by midnight, and watering in the morning before you go to work isn't always easy. I'm a night owl, and have for some time insisted on watering my lawn only at night, so it's no big deal for me, but I understand the problem.

So what can you do? You don't want your lawn to turn brown, and you don't want your flowers to die. But it is important to conserve water with Georgia fighting drought conditions and rainfall scarce. We don't all have timed automatic sprinkler systems (I sure don't), and asking everyone to change sleeping habits probably isn't going to happen.

Is it OK to follow the spirit of the law and simply water as late in the evening as possible before you go to bed? Or should we be required to follow the letter of the law? Does it even matter, since the powers that be seem apathetic toward enforcing the regulations?

Any thoughts?

Tour de Georgia ... bring on the complaints

2007-04-16T10:09:00.000-04:00

The Tour de Georgia rolls into town today for the fifth consecutive year, which means on Tuesday - for the fifth consecutive year - the paper will receive a dozen or so letter and e-mails complaining about the event.

The complaints will mostly be about traffic. The city has to chase all the cars off the route until Monday evening, which can make like a little inconvenient for downtown residents and employees. Additionally, getting home from work can be tough if the stage runs long and streets still aren't open at 5 p.m.

A few of the complaints will be about money, as in, 'We can't afford raises for city employees, but we're spending money to have a bunch of spandex-wearing sissies ride their bikes through town.'

Well, listen closely folks. You complain about Macon's image problem and downtown decay. If you want that problem addressed, events like the Tour (and the Cherry Blossom Festival, and any other event that brings people to downtown Macon) are the best way to turn the tide.

Sometimes you have to take a personal hit for the sake of civic duty.

Calling Middle Georgia bloggers

2007-04-11T15:34:00.000-04:00

Please notice the new blog roll to the right titled 'Middle Georgia bloggers'. I've been rounding up addresses for a while now. I won't pretend to have them all (not even close, I'd bet), but these are a few I've found, some through comments, some through searches, some through other sites.

Some of these sites are personal, some critical, some professional. A few of them take regular shots at macon.com or The Telegraph, and that's OK. News is about information, but it's also about debate. Criticism from the community keeps those who report the news sharp.

I did not include our macon.com bloggers in this roll. You can continue to find those further down under the heading 'More macon.com blogs'.

If you are a Middle Georgia blogger and want to be added to the roll, shoot me an e-mail at rgilchrest@macontel.com. If you are on the list and don't want to be, let me know and I'll get it out of there.

Best wishes to Phil

2007-04-11T15:02:00.000-04:00

Phil (I'm sorry, I still don't know his last name), owner operator of Jennoely's on Cotton Street in downtown Macon, had neck surgery last week. His wife (whose face I know, but whose name I do not) reports he is feeling well and recovering nicely. Best wishes to Phil, and here's hoping we see that familiar face back behind the counter again soon.

Restaurants: Best and worst service

2007-03-28T17:03:00.000-04:00

Since my Acapulco post got such a big response, I thought I would throw the doors open and ask a few wide-ranging questions.

1. Which restaurant in the area has the best service?

2. Which restaurant in the area has the worst service?

3. Which is more important to you: Good food or good service?

4. Is there a restaurant you have stopped going to solely because of bad service (for example, you loved the food or the location, but just couldn't stand the service)?

5. Is there a restaurant you continue to go to solely because of great service?

Let's not turn this into a mud-slinging free-for-all. Don't just say you hate a place; tell me why. And if you have had a great experience, give a specific example.

You don't have to answer all the questions, but do tell everyone which question you are answering. Click the comments link below to voice your opinion.

I will never try to eat at Acapulco's again

2007-03-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

I'm typically a pretty forgiving person when it comes to restaurants. I'll almost always give an eatery another chance or two even after a bad experience. And when it involves a place in downtown, I'm likely to be even more forgiving.

So when I was hanging out in downtown Macon on Saturday afternoon and my dad suggested Acapulco's, a Mexican restaurant on the corner of Third and Cherry streets, I was willing to give it another shot. The last time I stopped in at Acapulco's, I was seated, then spent the next 30 minutes waiting for someone to actually stop at my table and acknowledge my presence.

No one ever did, so I left.

But I gave it another shot Saturday. My party of four was seated at a corner table within five minutes of coming in the door, so things started well. But that was the end of the service. My party had plenty of time to peruse the menu and decide what we wanted, since no one bothered us with silly little questions like, 'What would you like to drink?' or, 'Would you like some chips and salsa?'

The closest we got in the 10 minutes we were there to an acknowledgment of our presence was a waitress (and I use that term generously, since all I saw her do was walk back and forth from the front of the restaurant to the kitchen) who would occasionally glare in our direction with an inexplicably angry look on her face.

Anyway, we finally gave up and went to Off Broadway, where we got fast, friendly service and delicious sandwiches in no time flat. Thank you, Off Broadway employees, for accomplishing what the folks at Acapulco's seem to find impossible.

So I have decided not to even try to go to Acapulco's again. I try to talk up Macon to everyone who visits town, and taking them to a place where the service is worse than abysmal is just plain embarrassing.

What do you all think? Am I just catching Acapulco's on a bad day(s), or have you had bad service there, too?

Catching up on a few things

2007-03-20T13:43:00.000-04:00

Hang with me folks. I've been busy working behind the scenes on Cherry Blossom and high school basketball coverage. I'll get back to posting regularly soon. For now, here are a few things you may have missed.

Sports writer Jonathan Heeter shot some cool video of a high school dunk contest out in Wilkinson County. You have to check out the dunk by Senario Hillman where hee skies over two kids and dunks two-handed. Hillman is 6-foot-2 folks. He claims a 48-inch vertical leap, and I believe him.

Also, our intrepid online journalist, Liz Fabian, has started a morning newscast. We're still tweaking it, but Liz is a polished on-air journalist and she does a great job delivering the news. I know I couldn't do it.

And one more thing: The GHSA is moving the state championship football games to the Georgia Dome. It's about time. Just about every other state already does this. It just makes sense to hold the biggest game in the biggest and best venue. Next step? Move it out of the dome and rotate the game between Georgia's Sanford Stadium and Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd. Let the boys play on grass, like they do for almost every other game.

The best thing to come out of the GHSA meeting? The end of the ridiculous football title game tie rule. No one wants championship games to end in a tie. Any rule that causes both teams to be disappointed is a dumb rule. I'm glad it's out, and I hope it stays gone.

Ms. Horton's Wild Ride ...

2007-03-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

I was downtown shooting video Saturday of the Cherry Blossom Bed Race for macon.com and came across a really great group of folks pushing the Middle Georgia Apartment Association bed. I asked Melissa Horton, their 'driver' (for those who know this event, that means the person riding on the bed), to take one of my cameras along for the ride.

Click here to see the result.

We're not ready!

2007-03-14T01:25:00.000-04:00

The Cherry Blossom Festival starts Friday. And we're not ready.

Yeah, crews are rounding downtown into shape, and I've seen more than a few paintbrushes around town the past week or so. Even the weather has warmed up a bit (though we're apparently in for a small relapse this weekend).

Still, winter is clinging to town like Saran Wrap. Many trees are just beginning to show green, but the famous cherry trees are stark. Many yards are still brownish, with weeds sticking up here and there. You can even still see scattered dead leaves left over from last fall.

Will spring rally in time for the yearly influx of bloom-seeking tourists? Not for the first weekend, at least. They'll have to settle for azaleas and pear blossoms. Maybe we'll see cherry blossoms for the final weekend, but even that is looking iffy.

Stephanie Hartley, one of my co-workers, is keeping closer track on the blooms on her Cherry Blossom Festival blog. She'll keep you up to date.

Wilkinson County was empty Wednesday night

2007-03-08T20:27:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the entire county packed up and showed up at the Macon Coliseum for the Wilkinson County-Turner County Class A basketball semifinal. Though reports from Wilkinson County put the number at 4,000, I would say it was more like 2,500 rowdy Wilco fans.

They'll be back Saturday when the Warriors play Whitefield Academy at 12:30 p.m. I'm glad. The folks from Wilkinson were a lot of fun (and they have a pretty good basketball team, too).

Sure signs of spring

2007-03-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

There are two sure signs of spring for me:

1. All the restaurants in downtown Macon start seating people at sidewalk tables.

2. I sneeze six times every half-four.

And now I;m off to cover the high school basketball tournament at the Coliseum. I'll try to blog from there sometime in the next few days.

Macon Film Festival and Raymond Hamrick

2007-03-01T15:55:00.000-05:00

I stopped in at Capitol Theatre Wednesday at 9 p.m. for part of the Macon Film Festival. Some friends from Warner Robins were coming up to see 'Awake, My Soul', which tells the story of the oldest form of folk music in American history. You can read more about the film here.

The doco was well done (assembled by a professor of religion at Morehouse College) and featured a really powerful form of religious music, the original wall of sound before Phil Spector got involved. Regardless of your spiritual tendencies, it's a really unique sound (check out 'Cold Mountain' or 'Gangs of New York', both of which feature examples of Sacred Harp-style music).

The coolest thing was that Macon's own Raymond Hamrick, a 91-year-old who fixes watched across Second Street at Anderson's Jewelers, was featured heavily in the film. The Telegraph's Rodney Manley wrote a good story about Hamrick and the film back in November, but the story is in the archives now which means is costs $2.95 to read. Hamrick was front and center for the screening, just a table away from my group.

Hamrick has written many songs and is something of a legend among pracitioners of the singing style, a haunting blend of unusual chords sung full throat in the round.

Anyway, I just thought it was very interesting, and even more so that Hamrick has been fixing watches at Anderson's for decades. Sometimes the most interesting people are just across the street without you ever knowing.

Where in Middle Georgia? - Week 4

2007-02-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

OK, last week's was too tough. Here's an easy one:

Where is this? Drop me a comment.

Prinnie Mack cures chocolate craving

2007-02-21T12:32:00.000-05:00

Hailing back to the days when several people contributed to this blog, my co-worker Misty Cline sent me this post from Warner Robins. Enjoy!

Stepping into Prinnie Mack Cafe on Hospital Drive in Warner Robins is like stepping into a coffee bar if you had one in your home. I walked up to the barrista and asked "what have you got that's all chocolate?" She recommended the 20-below, which is a frozen hot chocolate with a chocolate drizzle - exactly what I was jonesing for.

While I waited for my drink, I spied the Godiva cheesecake and made a mental note for future chocolate attacks. I sat on the couch and browsed the bookshelves - everything from a grammar guide to the history of Rock n Roll. Board games and a quality chess set indicated that people come here to stay a while - and are welcome.

Located right next to the hospital, the shop was doing a brisk lunch business. Plenty of hospital badges clipped to scrubs or business attire. And the food looked good - even healthy. Veggie and meat sandwiches on wheat came out, potato and leek soup was on the menu, and the prices were right. A single-star deployment flag hung in the window, testament to someone in the Prinnie-Mack family currently serving overseas. And the base personnel lunching in the shop were testament to word having spread about this little gem's existence. Yet the conversations in the nearly-full restaurant weren't loud enough to drown out Journey wailing "Faithfully" over the sound system. Good acoustics for any restaurant.

Prinnie Mack's owners have done a good job in an off-Watson location. The shop is named after the family dogs, and little touches make customers feel like family. One note brought an out-loud chuckle: A note by the coffee pots read - Dear Barista, Coffee jitters have paralyzed my central nervous system, rendering me speechless. Please make my next order a Pixie Mate Latte. With its balanced buzz and llama-load of antioxidants, I'll gently hum instead of shaking here like a rabid dog. Thank you.

If I'm ever in the shop and the chocolate level in my bloodstream is high enough, that note is enough to make me try their recommendation. Until then, I'm 20-below.

Cardiac Cafe came through

2007-02-19T13:07:00.001-05:00

I spent Saturday night at City Auditorium for the 2007 version of the Cardiac Cafe, the annual fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

This is the first time I have been to the event, and I was a little skeptical after hearing some not-so-great things about last year's event (apparently, the 2006 headliner, Mark Curry, was about as funny as burnt toast).

But I took advantage of my free ticket. I was in the cheap seats up in the balcony, not down on the floor. Tables on the floor were going from between $500 and $2000, which is more than a little out of my price range. Free is definitely more my speed. In truth, a ticket really wasn't necessary to attend the event. Doors were open and unattended everywhere, and there were plenty of seats available up in the balcony.

This year's headliner was Josh Blue, the winner of NBC's 'Last Comic Standing.' Josh has cerebral palsy, and spent most of the night using his disability as comedic fodder. He was a hit, and had everyone (other than maybe a few overly serious folks) laughing throughout his 30-minute segment. His opening line, "This has been one heck of a Make a Wish," should give you an idea of his brand of comedy.

The other comedians had their moments. Just June was amusing, though she did most of her set playing an old woman character that got less funny the longer she kept it up.

The crowd was solid. I only noticed two empty tables on the floor, and the balcony was more than half full. All in all, a fun night and quite a comeback from the disappointment everyone seemed to feel from last year's show.

Where in Middle Georgia? - Week 3

2007-02-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

OK gang, I made it a little tougher this week. Where was this photo taken?

HERE'S A HINT: Not in Bibb County.

As usual, nothing but pride on the line. Be sure and leave a name. How can anyone congratulate you if you post as Anonymous?

Learn to use the turn lane, please

2007-02-14T03:54:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the recent lapse folks. I was tied up putting all of macon.com's blogs on an RSS feed to use on the Web site. You can get a better look at what our bloggers have to offer now by going here.

Anyway, back on subject ...

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of people in Macon don't seem to know how to properly using a turn lane? Everyone seems to just gradually merge into turn lanes instead of getting in them immediately. The consequence is that everyone who isn't turning has to slow down and wait for the one car that is to get out of the way.

Now I don't know about you, but one of the first things my parents taught me when I was learning to drive is that you enter a turn late when the line is dotted and get all the way over before it turns solid. Seems like a lot of drivers around here missed that lesson.

So that's my random rant for the day. Is it just me, or have you noticed it, too?

Where in Middle Georgia? - Week 2

2007-02-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

OK, same rules as before. Where was this photo taken?

Wandering on a Wednesday

2007-02-07T17:23:00.000-05:00

I woke up early Wednesday morning and headed out on a mission. As part of macon.com's coverage of football signing day, I had to travel from Macon to Fort Valley, then on to Jeffersonville.

Now, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but today was the first time I visited Fort Valley or Jeffersonville. I can't explain it. I just haven't passed through in the four years I've lived here in Middle Georgia.

Anyway, I needed a place to stop somewhere between the two cities to ship my Peach County video back to news central (also known as macon.com online editor Beth MacFadyen). My requirements were simple: wifi and chai.

Here's the place that filled my needs:

JavaBytes is located south of Warner Robins on Ga. 96, not far from Houston County High School. It's a quiet place stuck in the corner of the shopping center that houses a fairly new Publix. The chai was good, the wireless was fast, and there was a power strip handy to provide plenty of extra outlets.

I only spent 30 minutes before I had to rush to Jeffersonville, but got the sense they have some regular customers. If you live in the area it's worth a stop. The cafe is open all day and they serve pastries, paninis, soups and salads - and, of course, various coffees and teas.

And, hey, if you're ever driving from Fort Valley to Jeffersonville, it's on the way.

Cherry Blossom ... what do you want to know?

2007-02-06T00:16:00.000-05:00

I'm working on the Cherry Blossom Festival preview for The Telegraph. Most of the planning is already done for our guide to the 25th annual event, but I'd love to hear what you have to say.

So let's hear it. What do you look forward to? What do you want to know? What do you expect our guide to include? I'm the guy to tell.

And if you want to read about last year's CBF, go to my co-worker's blog. Good stuff.

Where in Middle Georgia? - Week 1

2007-02-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

I stole this idea from my friends at Empirical Polk, a blog about the area in Florida where I grew up.

Here's the deal: I post a picture of a spot in the Middle Georgia area, and you try to guess where it is. Once someone guesses right, the competition is over until next week. The only prize I have to offer is pride, so that will have to do.

So without further ado, here is this week's photo:

Having a little fun

2007-01-31T12:51:00.000-05:00

The Macon Civic Club's annual musical revue begins its four-night run tonight at the Grand Opera House.

Be sure to check out this slideshow put together by the Telegraph's Woody Marshall and Beau Cabell. There was more funny stuff in the WMCC news segment, but you'll have to go to the show to hear the rest.

Here's some news that made me smile

2007-01-30T09:30:00.000-05:00

My favorite hardware store, locally-owned downtown fixture Karsten-Denson, is opening a new store on Ingleside.

Not only will I have one more local place to shop, but the Ingleside location will be less than a mile from my house. That means the store will get a lot of my 'I gotta run to the store' business when I'm working on my yard and house this spring and summer.

For long-time readers, you may recall that the first post on this blog involved Karsten-Denson.

The new store is moving into the old Blue Plate space. That makes me a little sad because I still miss Blue Plate. I used to take out-of-town visitors there, and many still ask me about the place.

But I'm glad to see Ingleside Village getting another solid anchor in Karsten-Denson.

Back in the saddle again ...

2007-01-25T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'm back from vacation. Yes it was fun, yes it was cold, yes it was too short.

And, no, I didn't break anything.

Out west is great, but I do miss Macon when I'm gone. For one thing, I haven't had a decent glass of sweet tea in a week. Also, 'fried chicken' outside of the south sure looks an awful lot like baked chicken.

Of course, we don't have many majestic mountains, so let's call the west vs. south contest a wash for now.

Out of pocket for a few days

2007-01-19T15:06:00.000-05:00

Hello, all!

I'm headed out of town for a few days. I've left you a little puzzle below as a clue to where I'm going (it's not hard to figure out). Click on the image for the answer.

I'm taking the laptop but may not post again until the middle of next week. Check back a couple of times anyway just in case I have something cool to share (like photos of an avalanche or a blizzard).

I'll blog more next week, provided I come back in one unbroken piece.

Mercer athletics ... a downtown afterthought?

2007-01-18T09:46:00.000-05:00

New Telegraph sports editor Daniel Shirley writes that Mercer's basketball team deserves the community's support.

While I have long since given up the thought that I can shame folks into attending a sporting event, I agree with him on several points. The University Center is a gem, and the team - and, really, all of Mercer's athletic programs - deserves more attention than it gets from Maconites.

So why do they games draw just a few hundred, with most of those being students? In part, it seems that Mercer's alumni don't stay in Macon after graduation, and those that don't do don't feel a strong tie to athletics. Additionally, the community as a whole seems indifferent to Mercer sports.

I'll admit to having attended just two basketball games and one baseball game since I've lived in Macon. The basketball games barely count, since I attended those in a working capacity.

When planning my evenings, I rarely think about what is happening at Mercer. It just never crosses my mind.

So why don't we seem interested in Mercer? It is Division I sports, and the Bears are typically competitive. Do we owe support to one of the cornerstone's of the downtown community?

It's all my fault, folks! Sorry ...

2007-01-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

If you head outdoors today and get a face full of sleet, I want you to know that it is my fault. See, I wrote a story about a new jacket Sunday, a Christmas present built to withstand the elements. You can read about it here.

In the article I mentioned that my rugged new piece of outerwear wasn't getting much of a field test thanks to an unseasonably warm winter. That's all well and good, but in the last sentence I crossed the line.

Here is the direct quote:

Now all we need is a little nasty weather.

(Ducking under desk, plugging ears to block obscenities)

Look, I'm sorry. We were having all these 70 degree days. How was I supposed to know it was going to turn cold and rainy? It's not like I want my gas bill to go through the roof, or have to wear two layers of clothes just to let my dogs outside.

It was meant to be a harmless musing, but Mother Nature apparently took affront at my brazen taunting.

Anyway, if you have something to say to me, leave a comment and try not to curse.

A few thoughts for Friday

2007-01-12T11:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not really sure why the death of Ralph the whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium makes me so sad. I mean, I've gone fishing for sharks, caught them and ate them. Not whale sharks, of course, but other types. It is, after all, just a fish.

And yet, I feel terrible about Ralph. Maybe it's because he had a name. ...

Macon is losing its last marble sidewalk. It's already gone, actually. The new foundation is packed and they may be pouring concrete right now. I'm OK with this. The marble sidewalk was looking pretty shabby. Sometimes you just have to let the past be the past. ...

Miss Georgia, a Warner Robins native, will compete for the Miss America title on Jan. 29. That's nice for her, but I doubt I'll be paying attention. Ever since I saw 'Little Miss Sunshine' pageants give me the creeps. ...

Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is interviewing for NFL jobs. Does anyone else think his leaving for the pros would be a good thing for Tech? ...

C. Wright is coming back to Bibb County. The former Northeast head football coach will take over a program at Southwest that hasn't had a winning season since 1989. Wright is a good coach and a better guy. This is a great thing for the Patriots. ...

Bibb County's state legislators have forwarded a plan by the Macon City Council to downsize from 15 to 11. A House vote is all that stands in the way. I'm for this, provided the 11 council members we end up with show up for every meeting and vote. ...

The Cherry Blossom Festival will release its full calendar of events for 2007 next week, according to its Web site. The festival is just two months away, but I'm afraid this unseasonably warm weather is going to bring the blossoms out long before the festival opens. ...

I'm thinking burritos and a movie tonight. If you're thinking the same, see you there. Otherwise, have a great weekend.

Did you get your tree chipped?

2007-01-09T17:03:00.000-05:00

I dropped my Christmas tree off at Central City Park Saturday at the annual 'Bring One for the Chipper' event. I got two dogwood seedlings and a coupon for a free chicken sandwich in return, so I feel like I came out way ahead on the deal.

I had to take all the limbs off my oversized tree to get it down to the park, but I'm glad to know it will be used to mulch area yards instead of consuming landfill space.

Telegraph staff photographer Beau Cabell took some cool photos Saturday. Click here to see the gallery.

Just a couple of updates

2007-01-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

Here's another story about the neighborhood police visits. Looks like you need to call the number to line up a meeting in your area.

Top cops will get out to meet citizens

Also, a friend points out I may have blogged about Midtown Grill before. Maybe so. What can I say? I really like the food. Anyway, I apologize if that was a repeat.

Midtown Grill ... yes, I'm posting about food again

2007-01-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

I ate at Midtown Grill again Saturday night. Why? Because a friend came in from out of state, and anytime someone visits I take them to Midtown Grill. The prices aren't obscene, the atmosphere is perfect for a good conversation and the staff is always friendly.

Mostly, though, the food is great.

If you've been to Midtown, you already know about the pork chops. The chops are perfect and make for a perfect combo when paired with the cheese grits.

I tried the grilled grouper special Saturday. As a Florida boy who grew up eating fish I personally pulled out of the water I tend to be snobby about seafood, but this dish was very good. The generous and thick fillet was topped with mixed peppers and onions cooked to the perfect consistency. My sides were cheese grits and black beans and rice. The grits were excellent as always; the beans and rice (with a dollop of sour cream on top) merely average. I would recommend the redskin mashed potatoes instead, though my dining companions approved of the broccoli-cheese casserole, the pan-seared spinach and the whipped sweet potatoes.

You can choose house, spinach or caesar for your pre-dinner salad. I always go with caesar because I'm not the world's biggest salad eater. Everyone else chose the spinach salad, and it looked delicious (if you like salad) and very fresh.

There are two popular options not on the menu. You can order a plate of three vegetables with a salad, or order four vegetables and no salad. As substantial as the sides are, this is a good option for those who don't need meat for dinner.

If you go to Midtown plan on spending $15-25 per person for dinner and non-alcoholic drinks. The chops are $18.95, but absolutely worth it. Unless you are very hungry, you'll probably be taking the second one home.

What do you want to tell the police?

2007-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

Here's a little brief you may have overlooked in Thursday's paper:

Macon police begin neighborhood talks

The three paragraph brief says police are going to be visiting neighborhoods to give residents "an opportunity to voice opinions about the police department and community issues needing attention."

The article doesn't say what neighborhoods or when, but I'm guessing you could find out by calling the police at 751-7505. I'm posting this a little after midnight on Thursday so calling now would be pointless, but I'll call Friday and try to find out.

I think this could be a great thing if the meeting actually lead to issues being addressed. The question is whether this is a genuine effort at trying to meet the needs of the community or just an appeasing gesture.

If the police were holding a meeting in your neighborhood, what would you want to tell them? Leave a comment and let me know (be sure to include the name of your neighborhood).

Beautiful sunset photos

2007-01-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Telegraph photographer Danny Gilleland captured a beautiful sunset down in Peach County on Tuesday. See the gallery here.

More First Night news

2007-01-03T15:28:00.000-05:00

Here's today's story on macon.com. FN will be back.

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/16370637.htm

First Night. I wanted to enjoy it, but ...

2007-01-02T13:49:00.000-05:00

For a photo gallery from First Night, click here.

I wanted to say great things about First Night today. I did, really. I love Macon, and I want downtown Macon to succeed and be a showplace.

First Night, the family-friendly event on New Year's Eve in downtown Macon, was a flop. I don't know any other way to describe it. Yes, the rain affected attendance, as did it being a Sunday night. But venues that were advertised as open were not, trolleys that would have been helpful in the rain were hard to find, and the locations were too spread out and hard to find unless you are familiar with downtown Macon.

MidSummer Macon, which organized the event, is painting a fairly rosy picture. They sold about 1,500 badges at $8 apiece, and they gave away just as many. That's fine, though I don't think giving away as many freebees as you sell is a recipe for success. I, by the way, had one of the free badges.

I caught the local authors book signing at the Hay House. They were all talking to each other, for the most part. After that, I walked across the hall and caught the ballroom dancing demonstration. For a family friendly event, I thought Tom Jones' 'Sex Bomb' was an odd choice of songs to play, but the dancing was pretty entertaining.

Here's where the evening started to break down.

I consulted the schedule and headed toward the Joshua Cup parking lot, where there were supposed to a garage band playing. It was drizzling at this point, but a covered stage isn't a tough thing to assemble so I figured it was on. Besides, the volunteers at the Hay House who handed out the schedule didn't say anything about any events being cancelled.

Nope. Nothing. No band, no explanation. So I turned around and walked to the Shrine Temple, where I planned to catch Ellison-Bier Band at 10 p.m. I arrived about a half-hour early and stood outside to avoid the insanely loud band that was playing at the time. While waiting, I spoke with a couple (who also got their badges for free) who had gone to the Cannonball House for what the schedule described as 'continuous tours'. They said the doors were locked and the lights were off. They knocked and rang the bell, but got no answer.

By now it was 10. EBB did a good job, but the acoustics in the Shrine are not good and there were only about 25 people in the hall (most friends of the band). You can watch a video clip of the band's performance here.

The rain was picking up. I caught the tail end of the ESP demonstration at St. Joseph's, which was amusing and cheesy. By then it was 11 p.m., and my group was done. Between the rain and blahs, we decided it just wasn't worth staying until midnight to watch the fireworks.

Again, I wanted to say great things about First Night today. But I was disappointed. It's a worthy venture, but it needs better organization, better community involvement, more cooperation from downtown businesses and more activities.

Here's hoping next year is better.

Best of Macon ... Chinese food

2006-12-26T11:05:00.000-05:00

It's a quick post today. I'm just back from the holiday and don't have my wits about me yet. I'm guessing you are all tired of cooking after the weekend and that takeout or dining out is in your immediate future. Thus, my choices for the best Chinese places in town.

Ming's Restaurant, 4650 Forsyth Rd., 405-7885: Ming's is great. Fast, friendly service, and the food is excellent. As with most Chinese places, the prices are affordable and the quantities are huge.

The Mandarin, 3086 Riverside, 477-5728: A sitdown restaurant, but they do takeout orders as well. Mandarin is more polished than your average Chinese place, and the food is always good. One complaint: They only occasionally have wonton soup. A minor quibble because the food is good.

China Gourmet, 3975 Arkwright, 471-0456: A bit more Americanized than some, but the dishes are simple and well-prepared. If you sit in the dining room, you can order hot tea. The food is good, and the lunch specials are great.

There are dozens of other Chinese places in town. I have tried close to a dozen and can say they range from good to OK. I haven't hit a Chinese place yet I would call 'bad.' Some of my co-workers swear by the new place on Zebulon, Sunrise China, but I haven't been there yet so I can't rank it.

What are your favorite Chinese places in Macon? I'm always looking for another place to eat.

Wishing you a safe and merry Christmas

2006-12-21T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, I'm off to celebrate Christmas with my family. I'll see you next week.

I leave you with my favorite seasonal YouTube video. Enjoy.

Counterfeit power cords? Who knew?

2006-12-19T12:06:00.000-05:00

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office arrested five men Sunday at Smiley's Flea Market and seized more than a half-million dollars worth of goods. You can read the whole story here.

Now, if you've ever been to the flea market in south Bibb County on Ga. 247, you aren't a bit surprised someone was selling knockoff goods. The first time I went there, there were dozens of booths selling obviously pirated CDs and movies. But part of Sunday's seizure included "several cases of knockoff power cords and extension cords," according to the story.

Knockoff power cords? Wow. I never would have imagined a need for counterfeit power cords. Aren't extension cords cheap and easily accessible already? You can get a six-foot indoor cord at pretty much every grocery, hardware and discount store for just a dollar or two. Who buys these things?

Was anyone else taken by surprise that there is even such a thing as a knockoff power cord? What makes it a knockoff power cord? Anybody buy one? I'd recommend tossing it immediately before it burns your house down.

Big football Friday night (and Saturday afternoon)

2006-12-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

If you have a chance, check out one of these three football games in the Middle Georgia area this weekend:

AAAA Championship, Fri., 7:30 p.m.: Undefeated Northside hosts Marist at McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Warner Robins. The Eagles have never won a state title, but they will Friday if they can slow down Marist's runing game. I think they can.

AAA Championship, Sat., 3 p.m.: Defending champion Peach County has (maybe) the best offense in the state. Shaw is no piece of cake, but the home team should win in Fort Valley. Peach County is scary good, and they can run and pass with proficiency.

AA Championship, Sat., 4 p.m.: Reportedly, all the reserved tickets for this game are gone and some of them are popping up on e-Bay for $150. That's because undefeated Dublin is hosting undefeated defending state champion Charlton County. This is likely to be the best of the three games.

If you want to know more about any of these games, click here.

Me? I'll be in the office getting what our writers produce in the field on the Web site. If I didn't have to do that, I'd be planning a trip to one of these games. If you want to go, go early or you might find yourself standing for the whole game.

Now here's a way to spend Saturday afternoon

2006-12-10T00:25:00.000-05:00

Sorry no posts in the past few days. I've been firmly planted behind my computer posting updates, photos and audio from the GHSA football semifinals up at the Georgia Dome. I promise I'll post a little more often this coming week.

On that note, there are two state championship games in the area next Saturday afternoon. An afternoon high school football game is a rare thing around here, but you can go to Fort Valley to see Peach County host Shaw at 3 p.m. or you can watch Dublin host Charlton County at 4 p.m. Both should be great.

You can also see Northside host Marist on Friday at 7:30 p.m., but considering the likely temperature and the fact that the game will be broadcast on Georgia Public TV (Peach and Dublin won't), I recommend catching that one at home. McConnell-Talbert Stadium will be plenty full without your help.

P.S.: I still plan to post about the Holiday Tour of Homes, so check back sometime in the next few days.

Keeping dogs on the leash not too much to ask

2006-12-05T17:14:00.000-05:00

Here's a guest rant from a co-worker of mine, entertainment writer Maggie Large. You can read more from Maggie on her local music blog, Amped.

I am a big fan of the Riverwalk ... ahem, the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. I'm down there running at least two or three times a week year-round. It's one of my favorite things about the city. I've even written a column about it.

For the most part, the other park patrons are a friendly and rule-abiding sort. The regulars wave and say hello, and newcomers get a smile too. I love the wide range of ages and activities going on - everything from children playing on the playground or testing out a new scooter to senior citizens on their daily constitutionals, couples picnicking and personal trainers directing workouts.

There are also plenty of dog-walkers. I love seeing the different breeds (and mutts) proudly parading with their owners down the path. I am not a dog owner myself, but I grew up with dogs and would love to have one in the future.

Which is why it pains me to see dog owners behaving badly on the riverwalk. Seriously, is it too much to ask that you put your dogs on a leash? Twice I've seen two middle-aged women power-walking with leashes in their hands, while their pack of pooches run wild and free.

I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. As a runner, it's pretty scary to have a strange dog run up to you. Four dogs is even less pleasant. Plenty of children and elderly people use that trail. Dog owners who have the courtesy to leash their dogs probably don't appreciate packs of dogs bothering them. To top it off, a giant monument at the parking lot clearly states that all dogs must be leashed.

I had to say something. I took off my headphones and said, "Excuse me, this isn't the dog park. Your dogs need to be on leashes." One woman ignored me and the other said, "I know."

I couldn't resist responding.

"What, the rules don't apply to you?"

She shrugged.

And I ran off, fuming. A few days later, I saw the pair again with leashes in hand and dogs running free. I just shook my head at them. I'm sure the city workers just love dealing with the random piles of doggie doo. Not to mention all the other problems loose dogs cause. What really gets me is that there is a dog park in Macon where people can indulge in their leashless desires.

These two (and whoever else doesn't rein in Fido) apparently prefer to inconvenience everyone else at the park rather than follow the rules. They're just as bad as the vandals and litterbugs and they should know better.

Holidays can be a lot of work

2006-12-02T22:47:00.000-05:00

So I spent Saturday getting in the holiday spirit. My enthusiasm fluctuates from year to year, but I'm into it right now.

Anyway, I purchased a tree that wouldn't even fit through one of those bagging machines. This tree is about 10 feet tall, and it's almost that big around. So we called in reinforcements, since there was no way that tree was fitting in my car without netting. A borrowed Ford Explorer later, the tree is taking up about half the sitting room.

This might be the bushiest fir tree I've ever seen. I'm probably coming have to buy several more strings of lights just to cover the thing top to bottom. Oh, and the bottom branches sag so low, the presents are definitely going around instead of under the tree.

I can't help it. A big tree just makes me feel more into the holiday season.

The rest of Saturday was devoted to outside lighting (and the InTown Macon's holiday tour of homes, which I'll get around to blogging about sometime next week). I added about 1000 lights to my display this year, all white and all interconnected in a maze of wiring that is bound to blow the circuit breaker a half-dozen times this month.

Seriously, I have an old house (it turns 87 pretty soon) and the crazy patchwork wiring that goes with it. It doesn't take much to flip a breaker, which is better than a fire.

Anybody else out there feeling more into the holidays this year? Or are you feeling out of it because of the (relatively) warm weather?

First Night in Macon

2006-11-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

First Night will return to Macon again this year, as described in this story by The Telegraph's Phillip Ramati.

I attended the new year's celebration last year before heading up to Coleman Hill to catch the fireworks. It was ... OK. I think the expanded food offerings and transportation plans this year will help. The 'entertainment' left something to be desired last year, so I hope that is stepped up, too. Better bands and more locations are what is needed. Convincing a few more businesses downtown to open up would also help.

I'll go again this year, if for no other reason than to support efforts to revive downtown. I believe in events like this. I just want to have a little more fun than last year.

I-75 roadwork, aka 'The Neverending story'

2006-11-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

I drove back Saturday night from a fishing trip in Florida, and as I headed up I-75 in south Georgia I contemplated how long the road-widening project has been under way.

Does anyone remember a time when there wasn't any construction going on in or just north of Valdosta? There is now a 30-mile stretch of road construction. I distinctly remember seeing those same orange cones not far south of there a decade ago.

I know it takes a long time to widen an interstate and still keep traffic flowing, but doesn't it seem to be an incredibly long process down there?

Just a thought ... and a possible preview of what could happen when the I-75/I-16 interchange remodeling project begins.

Microwave turkey, Part III

2006-11-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

One of my co-workers mentioned last night that he hoped none of you burned your houses down putting aluminum foil in the microwave. I assure you that - used as I have described - putting foil in the microwave is perfectly safe. Do not, however, put foil in by itself, and do not put a balled up piece of foil in the microwave. That could cause sparks and potential fire. This is my disclaimer. You're on your own from here.

I cooked one of my turkeys last night and took a few photos. Click here to see the process from beginning to end. (Gallery should be working by 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, once I get to the office and load it.)

Enjoy.

By Ryan Gilchrest, macon.com

Turkey in the microwave, part II

2006-11-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

OK, I'm back with my Thanksgiving week series.

So how do you cook turkey in microwave, and why is aluminum foil so prominently involved?

Here's the short version:
1. Get a small turkey. Remember, this bird has to fit in your microwave. From experience, I can tell you getting a bird that just barely fits is a bad idea. Measure your microwave, then take about 1.5 inches off each measurement. That's as a big a bird as you want to use. For me, that means something in the 10.5-12 lb. range, which are the most tender birds, anyway.

2. Put the bird breast down in a microwave safe dish, place pats of butter just about everywhere you can, toss on a little Season All.

3. Start cooking. Breast down, you need to cook it 5 minutes a pound. Once you're done with that, flip the bird over and cook it at 70 percent power for another 4 minutes per pound. Add more pats of butter and seasoning when you flip.

BUT ...

4. ... and this is the really important part: You have to check the bird every 20-25 minutes early in the process and every 10-15 later in the process. Identify spots that are cooking too fast and cover those with small pieces of aluminum foil. That will stop the cooking on the surface, but still allow the meat underneath to cook.

I know it sounds nuts, but it works and never fails to produce succulent results. Yes, you can put foil in the microwave. Just make sure to use small strips and don't ball it up.

If you want more details, shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment. And no matter how you cook your bird, have a happy Thanksgiving.

By Ryan Gilchrest, macon.com

It's almost turkey time!

2006-11-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

I bought my turkeys (yes, plural) at Kroger Sunday night. Two fresh 10.5 lb Butterballs. My mouth is already salivating. Man, I love Thanksgiving.

I'm just going to tease you with this for now, but I cook my turkeys in the microwave, and aluminum foil is prominently involved. I've done this for years, and some of my co-workers have shared Thanksgiving dinner with me and can attest to the fact that my microwave still functions afterward. The bird doesn't come out as beautiful as it does in the oven, but it is some of the most succulent bird you'll ever eat. The process works for chicken (and I presume duck, though I've never tried it), too.

I'll let you in on how it works later this week. I'll start with tip no. 1: Do not get a turkey bigger than the inside of your microwave. You would be surprised how easy this is to do.

Anyway, it's almost turkey time and I couldn't be happier. Now, if I could just skip through what promises to be a very busy week ...

By Ryan Gilchrest, macon.com