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VOL. 01 NO. 13
Griffin now home to hot dog royalty Rock Ranch one of seven
Known to his customers as "The Hot Dog King," Shane Bowman and his son Chris will open a 50s-style hot dog shop at 414 Solomon Street in mid-July. JESSICA GREGORY
Driving down Solomon Street in Griffin, its hard to miss the giant hot dog placed atop that small building beside Louises Cafeteria. Or the super-sized soda bottles that tower above both sides of the building. The placement of these largerthan-life, custom-made signs signal the opening of Shanes Famous Super Dogs, a 50s-style hot dog shop, which will happen on or before July 19. Wall-to-wall windows make this small shop feel much larger, and the red and white checked floor, chrome accessories and stand-up bar complete the 50s atmosphere. All the serious hot dog shops have a stand up bar because its quick and on the go, said Chris Bowman, restaurant manager and son of owner Shane Bowman. For those who prefer to sit down, seating is available inside the shop as well as outside on the patio. Shanes will offer steamed, grilled and even fried hot dogs with fixins such as chili, slaw, and kraut. But one thing youll never see Shane or Chris put on their hot dogs is ketchup. Ketchup ruins the taste of quality meat, they say. Customers are free to add ketchup, but well never
CONTINUED, hOt dOGs, PG 2
To infinity and beyond The Rock Ranch selected as one of seven nationwide NASA Space Farms
SHEILA MARSHALL
The Rock Ranch, the1,250-acre ranch owned by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy, will be one of only seven farms across the country chosen to participate in NASAs Space Farm 7 project, a collaborative outreach project designed to promote the space program, as well as educate children, through agribusinesses across the United States. NASA is now focusing its attention on creating a sustainable environment in space so that future generations can actually live and work there. A key component of any future sustainability, whether on a different planet or on the international space station, will be having the ability to grow food in space. The seven Space Farms here on Earth will showcase demonstrations on how that can be done, say Rock Ranch officials. In 1969 I sat with my family glued to a television watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon for the first time, said Jeff Manley, General Manager of The Rock Ranch. So, now that we have the opportunity to commemorate with NASA their decades of successes, it is truly an honor.
Manley adds, it is our goal through this collaborative project with NASA to instill in young people today the inspiration and desire to explore, that the heroes of NASA have provided our nation over the past 50 years. As a Space Farm 7 participant, The Rock Ranch will adopt a space theme throughout its annual Fall Family Fun Days. Included will be the incorporation of a space theme an astronaut in its popular cornfield maze. Located throughout the maze will be attractions with handson educational experiences to strengthen guests knowledge of space exploration. Additional activities will be included in Space Farm 7, such as traveling displays from Kennedy Space Center, and an astronaut will also be on hand for the events kickoff in September. This year NASA has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first American in space, the 30th anniversary of the first Space Shuttle mission and the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescopes deployment in space. NASA also recently completed construction of the International Space Station and will conclude the Space Shuttle Program after the final shuttle launch in July. The Rock Ranchs Fall Family Fun Days and the Space Farm 7 program will be held Saturdays beginning Sept. 24, running through Nov. 13.
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Jason Clark and his cast of creepy-crawlers have starred in several films.
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attorneys duty to test the states case attack it, beat it, question it suggest any and all possible theories other than the one the state is championing. If the state has a solid case, then nothing the defense says will matter. If the state has proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, that no other theory is possible defendant, she stated. Morris also spoke out with specific regard to the Anthony case, one that she said as a death penalty case is the ultimate, highest, most severe and final punishment the government can give to a human being. As such, she asked one question, the answer of which she believes is at the very core of the American criminal justice system. Dont you, as a citizen of the most free and democratic society in the world, want to be assured that there is no other possible reasonable explanation for what happened to Caylee other than her mother deliberately and maliciously killed her before being comfortable with a death warrant being signed? she asked. As a society, we have decided to live under a system that will not allow a person to be convicted of murder just because we think they are morally disgusting, dishonest or suspicious. We demand more. She then pointed out that the Anthony jury, which she described as twelve reasonable, normal, diverse people, applied the laws of Florida to the evidence presented, unanimously determining there was not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Anthony killed young Caylee. There was no split decision; there was no hung jury. The jurors did not come out and tell the judge that some of them wanted to convict and some didnt, she said. They only deliberated for what amounted to about an hour per criminal charge before reaching a unanimous verdict. To those who have responded to the verdict with outrage, alleging the jury did not allow devote adequate time to consider the evidence presented, Morris points out the challenge that would be experienced if a group of 12 individuals attempted to reach a decision of tremendously less importance what to have for dinner stating that process could possibly take longer to decide. This is the most serious of all cases in the legal system and the jury bravely and honorably followed the law. They should be applauded, she said. If people are outraged, it should be at the media that glossed over or ignored facts in favor of character attacks and hysterical, emotional speculation. When it comes to criminal law in the media today, it seems we cannot trust those reporting the news to give us an unbiased, accurate accounting of facts. Sensationalism sells.
Standing in opposition to every prosecutor, though, is a defense attorney equally passionate about preserving their clients life. To better understand the process involved, Stacey Flynn Morris, a local attorney with extensive criminal defense experience, including capital murder cases, described what is perhaps the most basic tenet of the criminal justice system. The prosecution bears the burden of proving their case beyond a reasonable doubt, Morris stated simply before elaborating on the defense attorneys role in the process. The defense attorney stands between the defendant and a lifetime in prison, or in this case, potentially death. It is the defense
"As a society, we have decided to live under a system that will not allow a person to be convicted of murder just because we think they are morally disgusting, dishonest or suspicious. We demand more. - Local defense attorney Stacey Flynn Morris
other than the one listed in the indictment, a sworn jury will have no choice but to convict. If the state hasnt met this burden, then the jury, by law, must acquit the
sherrif, cont.
Stewart, 63, began his 39-year career in law enforcement with the Griffin Police Department in 1972 and was first elected sheriff in 2000. Stewart was known for his strong ties to the community. While a strong proponent of law enforcement in all areas, Stewart was particularly opposed to drugs and consistently worked to drive them from Spalding County. He also believed in supporting and encouraging youth. In that capacity, he sponsored an annual trip for local fifth-grade students to travel to Washington, D.C. to learn more about our nations government. Stewart is survived by his wife, Janice Stewart; son, Jay Stewart; and daughter, Hope Stewart, among other relatives. After final respects are paid to Stewart, the business of moving forward will begin
Friday when Spalding County Probate Judge DeWitt Simonton will announce his appointment to serve as interim sheriff. The law requires that when a sheriff dies in office, the responsibility falls into the hands of the probate judge, said Spalding County Elections Registrar Terry Colling. In respect to Sheriff Stewart, I will announce the interim sheriff Friday, Simonton said. This is a very solemn time, and because of that and to honor Sheriff Stewart, I will make the announcement and the interim sheriff will be sworn in some time Friday. Colling also said Simonton has ordered a special election to be held Sept. 20. All this election will do is fill Sheriff Stewarts term through 2012, Colling explained. There will be a sheriffs election next year, just as was scheduled
Shane Bowman (l), owner of Shane's Famous Super Dogs, and his son Chris (r).
mortar restaurant. Though he looked into several locations for his hot dog stand, Bowman said he chose Griffin because they live here and wanted to keep it local. Shane mentions how appreciative he is of the amount of help city and county officials have been during the process of opening up shop.
Ive heard a lot of good things about Freds Footlongs; I want to be the new hot dog shop landmark in Griffin. Thats why I went with the super-sized signs - I wanted something to stand out, said Shane. To stay updated about a specific opening date, visit www.georgiashotdogking.com.
Have any of these actors surprised you by being different in reality than they are in their films or as they are portrayed in the media? Rob Zombie surprised me the most. I watched some of his music videos and didnt expect him to be as down to earth and as friendly as he was to my family and me. What is the funniest experience youve had on a movie set? I was filming Hall Pass and was told I had to shave my head and wear a nose ring for a scene inside a club. I was holding one of my pythons and was to place it on Owen Wilsons shoulders. Then the camera cuts to Owen lying on the floor with his face blood red and the python coiled firmly around his neck. Of course, this was a replica python made for the movie that cost $6,000. Ive seen plenty of rubber snakes before but this really looked like the real thing. During the scene, I was to kneel behind Owen and begin punching the rubber snake to get it off his neck. They yelled action and I started punching. It did not occur to me that I was supposed to act like I was
specific actions for the spiders to perform. I had my wife Sarah there to help. Blowing gently on a spider makes it want to walk away usually. The problem we encountered was blowing on him and still remaining off camera. The 4 blow straws we had just werent doing the trick. I had the bright idea of using a hair dryer. I quickly learned to use the low setting because Sarah blew the tarantulas off set with it on high. The tarantulas were quickly captured and the hair dryer technique was mastered by the end of the day. What types of critters have you handled for movies? Usually, were just called on for reptiles and amphibians. Since we house over a hundred of them, a variety is never in short supply. Weve also provided goats, pigs and even mice and rats. What is the most shocking or surprising request youve encountered? I was asked to provide dead rats for a movie called Terminal. Luckily, I had a few hundred frozen rats in my freezer.
punching. Owen looked up at me and said, You know you can fake the punches dont you? Thats when they sent in the stunt coordinator to work with me. After it was all over, I decided to keep my head shaved but definitely lost the nose ring! Have you had any dangerous encounters while filming a movie, or any close calls? No close calls ever. We have plenty of time to plan what were going to do and know well in advance which animals we want to use. We make sure all our bases are covered before we ever get on set. The times we get asked to film with tarantulas are in my opinion worse than working with the rattlesnakes. I can prevent myself or anyone nearby from being bitten by the snake. What I cant prevent is the fact that tarantulas can throw microscopic hairs at you when they get upset. These hairs are very irritating to the skin and eyes and can make your day very unpleasant if you accidentally inhale them. How have the celebrities youve worked with reacted to the animals you bring? Rob Zombie absolutely loved the pig we brought to his movie. He spent a lot of time holding it on set. I named the pig Henry after my Dad. My Dad was never thrilled with that decision. The cool thing was that they even say Henrys name in the movie. Can you share an amusing anecdote from your film work? We were asked to do some work with several tarantulas for a film being produced on behalf of Harvard University. There were several scenes that required
What is your favorite aspect of this side of your work life? I always say that I love answering my phone. I never know whos calling and what theyre about to ask for. There are surprises every day. Film work just adds another twist to our life that I find to be challenging but a lot of fun. What is the most challenging? Trying to meet the filmmakers expectations while knowing what the limits of your animals are. If Im asked to do something that is not safe for crew members, the animal, or myself then we simply dont do it. Do you plan to continue to pursue this type of work? Well, we havent pursued it to begin with. We simply follow Gods lead and allow him to continuously lead my family and I in a direction that is always better than what we could do for ourselves. Do you feel this gives you an even greater platform to educate the public regarding reptiles? Operating a reptile rescue can be expensive. Having steady work means a steady income, which allows us more opportunities to educate. So yes, even if the public doesnt learn about reptiles by watching a bad movie, they learn about Southeastern Reptile Rescue and the other work that we do, which is definitely a plus.
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a parent, family, or church. However, some people dont have that in their world, and they are soon overwhelmed and alone with the task of coping. So, I believe counteracting the negative with positive such as support, love, and even just friendship will change the person which will then change the problem. My hearts desire is to share my love, support, and encouragement to people I see underneath addiction, abuse, and violence. My heart longs to give friendship to the lonely, hope to the disappointed, love to the abandoned, and encouragement to the heavy-hearted. If everyones hearts desire was to be alert to other peoples hurts and to help lift them up, that fairy tale community would soon emerge. I already see it in Griffin every day. Instead of dwelling on the arrests, drug busts, and robberies, I look for blood drives, food pantries, community centers, and outreach programs. And I see them, and that is exciting! So my vision of that wonderful, warm community of people grows clearer and closer every day, because when I look closer at Griffin, looking for the positive, I see more and more of it. The anticipation of the good changes my perspective. When I reach out, meet more people, and become a part of the good going on, then that vision has suddenly become a reality. Look around. Get involved in making someone elses life experiences joyful. By doing this you are overcoming the problem and making Griffin Great and Growing into a Better Place. Signed, Angela Banister
Loving Hurt
DUSTY TAKLE
Ive always heard and maintained the philosophy that sometimes youve got to play hurt. In other words, sometimes, youve got to play and give and serve even when you dont feel like playing and giving and serving. Most athletes will continue to play their game hurt, because they are passionate about that game. So, its not really that much of a sacrifice. The real sacrifice comes in loving hurt. My husband Kris is my safe place. He is the one who understands when I dont feel like giving or serving. Hes the one who loves me no matter what. That being said, its pretty dang easy to bow out on serving him when Im physically or mentally exhausted or hurting. Besides, he understands. And, with my recent back injury, I was little good to anyone, and Kris served me without a single complaint. Hes good like that. Hes compassionate and understanding. But, it hit me a few days ago. Sometimes, youve got to love hurt. Im not just talking about loving in spite of the proverbial headache. Well, sort of, I am. I am talking about stepping outside of yourself. Outside off your physical pain. Outside of your emotional pain. Outside of your exhaustion. Outside of your broken heart. Outside of your stuff. And, choosing to love hurt. You see, often, the person we love the most is the person we serve the least. Loving hurt for you may look like having to forgive while hurt. It might be loving even though your feelings are hurt. Loving even though you are disappointed. Loving even though you are mentally exhausted and feel like you just cant take any more. Because, when we do love hurt, that love never returns void. It is never without effect. Because, love never, ever fails. And that is one certainty I know with all of my heart.
Each week at www.the-grip.net a Get A Grip poll will Griffin: 'Great and be posted. The results and any related content will be growing,' but what are published in the consecutive print edition of The Grip. we growing into? Visit www.the-grip.net or text your vote today!
Current Poll:
Should Casey Anthony have been convicted of killing her daughter?
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To the editor: I have a vision of a wonderful, warm community where people of all walks of life live side by side in their town: smiling and laughing together, encouraging and supporting each other, and learning and growing together. In a world where it seems addiction, abuse, and violence dominate, this sounds like a fairy tale that when heard is brushed off as unrealistic. But why does it seem so out of reach and only regarded as a dream world and not as a possibility? I believe a lot of times we see the problems in society, and we genuinely want them to be overcome. But when we focus on the problem, we give it more power. We forget that underneath the problem is the person. The person and the problem are separate, but I think a lot of times we see them as one in the same. The person is not an addiction, an abuse, or violence. The person is a combination of emotions, feelings, and life experiences. So, to change the problem, we should focus on the person. If their emotions, feelings, and life experiences are negative disappointment, abandonment, and loneliness then a negative result will emerge into the problem of addition, abuse, and violence. When we think of people in this way, our perspective changes a little, or should, because dont we all feel and experience these things at some times? But usually, we have someone else in our lives to counteract these negatives: a friend,
Letters on this subject are encouraged and should be emailed to jessica@ the-grip.net or posted to PO Box 2251, Griffin, GA 30224.
and the undercover hippie. True hippies are the most dangerous because much like stray dogs or cats, once a true hippie is given food or water they are almost impossible to get rid of. It is not uncommon for a good Samaritan who offered a true hippie a sandwich to find the true hippie living in his storage shed and foraging his trash can several months later. Fortunately true hippies are easily spotted. They usually wear hooded Bob Marley sweatshirts, patchwork pants, hemp jewelry and Jesus-style sandals. They are generally dread-locked and filthy with males and females being equally hairy. If any effort is made to conceal their stench it is with either Egyptian Musk or patchouli. When speaking, true hippies will begin each sentence with the words dude, man or bro. Trust fund hippies are usually teens and young adults from rich families whose wealth allows them to follow bands or hike the Appalachian Trail for months at a time without having to worry about little things like money or responsibility. They are not true hippies because they do not hold the economic and social belief
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Trust fund hippies can be identified by their Land Rovers or Range Rovers which will have a North Face or Kavu sticker next to the parking permit from their private school in the rear window. Their clothing will appear similar to true hippies but will be much cleaner and free of lice. Also, unlike true hippies, a trust fund hippies clothing will change from day to day and will be seasonally appropriate whereas true hippies wear the same clothes year round regardless of weather conditions. Trust fund hippies can be overheard pleading with
While this concealment can fool the average observer, a trained eye can still detect their presence. Look for the suspected hippie to be driving a Prius or an older model Subaru with a faded Gore/Lieberman 2000 bumper sticker. Look for them to be outside playing guitar or working in the yard during major sporting events as they dislike all sports except frisbee and soccer. If spotted at a grocery store listen for them questioning the butcher about whether the cows and pigs were fed organic corn, allowed to roam free, spoken to in soothing tones and read bed time stories thus ensuring they were happy little farm animals.
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enough to satisfy Michels sense of civic responsibility, because in addition to being a volunteer firefighter, he also serves in another crucial capacity. I also volunteer as an emergency medical technician a first responder as its called in Pike County which means I run medical calls as well as the fire calls, he said. Despite the myriad of
qualifications, Michel said he was not prepared for the news he was to be honored as the national American Legion Firefighter of the Year. When I was told, I was shocked and taken aback. I was kind of in disbelief. With all the other agencies represented from across the United States I mean New York and Chicago, places like that its pretty amazing. Its still sinking in a little each day, he said of the award to be presented August 30 in Minneapolis, Minn. I dont do it for the awards, though. Im not going to get bigheaded about it, but its definitely a real honor to receive this award.
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him and calling him and he got tired of hearing from us. He got tired of us calling and had us come in and put in applications, thinking he would stop hearing from us then. Instead, it began Michels journey on a fast track. I began over seven years ago, in April 2004 before the end of high school in Pike County, he said, adding that he also began working for Griffin FireRescue in January 2008. I started volunteering when I was 18 and by the time I was 21, they put me in charge of 1,000 peoples homes and lives when they made me captain at Station 3. Within my first three years, I had a station; they tore it down and started building a new one. It was a strange way to start. I had some challenges from the beginning, but we overcame them. I have a new station, a new truck and a great group of guys. Pretty much every time we meet, I have someone new come in, so Im basically starting over training someone new. A lot of my guys are paid firefighters, but a lot of them are also volunteers, and Ill fight fire with them any time. He went on to explain the reason why he speaks in possessive terms when discussing his work as a Pike County Firefighter. I take this all way personally. I feel a deep responsibility for all the people and property I have protection over, he said. While all Pike County firefighters are volunteers, Michel has chosen to continue giving of himself to his community as the departments public safety educator, fire department training officer and a member of Griffin Fire-Rescues Honor Guard. However, that is apparently not
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