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www. internalme dicineams.com
LaAt Chance
PAGE 8A
Reporter
August 20, 2008
Internal Medicine Associates
of Middle Georgia
Craig Caldwell, M.D. • Dr. Jeremy Goodwin
97 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive • Forsyth, Georgia 31029
(478) 994-1010
Concerned About
Thin Bonesi
A safe and easy test that can assess your risk
of developing osteoporosis is available in Forsyth.
Monroe County residents
Bud Queen and Franklin
and Aimee Freeman were
among 325 participants in
the Georgia River Network
(GRN) Paddle Georgia’s
fourth annual Canoe-A-
Thon on the Flint River
June 21-27. The event
raised over $11,000 for the
Georgia River Network.
Queen won a canoe for
being the second highest
fund-raiser with a total of
$1,228.
The 95-mile Canoe-A-
Thon began at the Flint
River Bridge on Hwy 74 in
Thomaston and ended in
Montezuma. The partici
pants canoed from 12 to 20
miles a day. The Flint
River’s upper shoals were
the most difficult to maneu
ver due to the low water.
There were several mom
and daughter and father
and son participants. The
canoers ages ranged from
six to 70 and many were on
their second or third Canoe-
A-Thon.
The highlight of the trip,
says Queen, was President
Jimmy Carter’s presenta
tion in Montezuma where
he announced the creation
of a new Flint Riverkeep-
ers organization. The
Riverkeeper will monitor
the river and engage the
Flint River Watershed com
munity. President Carter
graciously mixed and min
gled with the canoe partici
pants.
Queen thanks the follow
ing sponsors: Dean and
Betty Huckabee (High Falls
BBQ), Georgia Power
(Plant Scherer), Mary Burt
(Edward D. Jones), Cheryl
Treadwell (Forsyth’s
Holiday Inn Express), Julie
Greer (Greenwood
Realtors), Tom and Rebecca
Weber, the High Falls
Towaliga Watershed
Alliance, Linda and Tom
Castleberry, Lisa and Andy
Sayers, Tom and Sandy
Williams, Doc and Gail
Coombs, James Holland,
Bonnie Gehling, Roz and
Richard Goudeau, Betty
Esco, Peg Jones and Mark
and Yvonne Hunter.
Plans are already under
way for the 2009 Paddle
Georgia Canoe-A-Thon on
the Broad and Savannah
River next June. This event
is open to the public and
the sign up will be
announced in the spring of
2009.
Bud Queen won a canoe for being the second highest
fund-raiser with a total of $1,228.50. Below: Aimee and
Franklin Freeman enjoy an end of journey fish fry.
38 E. Johnston St. • Forsyth, GA • 478-992-9900
Monroe County Outdoors
Conservation needs Hannah
Uth ANMVERSAi?}'
T hose of us who
feel that nature
plays a keys a
key role in our
quality of life
have long lamented that far
too many of our young peo
ple are not connecting with the
natural world. In the minds of
this new generation, it simply
isn’t cool to go fish
ing, hunting, bird
watching or catch
ing toads and bugs.
Why would they
ever engage in such
activities when they
can destroy legions
of bad guys playing
heart-stopping
video games, lis
ten to songs on
their IPods, or
spend hours in
front of a com
puter or television? They are
suffering from what is called
nature-deficit disorder.
Over the years a host of
techniques and tools have
been employed to heighten
our children’s appreciation
of the natural world. They
have included magazines
great mazagines such as
My Big Back Yard and
Ranger Rick, as well as
innovative education ini
tiatives like Project Wild,
Project Wet and Project
Learning Tree. Although
these well-meaning efforts
have helped, they alone
aren’t the answer — in the
minds of many, progress
has been agonizingly slow.
We need something else -
but what?
During the past four
decades I have talked to
literally thousands of stu
dents both in the class
room and on field trips.
Based on my experiences, I
am convinced that elemen
tary school students are
full of enthusiasm and
interest in the natural
world. They seem to
embrace what the famous
conservationist and writer
Rachel Carson called a
sense of wonder for the
natural world. However,
this interest is lost or at
least suppressed in junior
and senior high school stu
dents. While I don’t fully
understand why this is the
case, it is obvious that our
approach to conservation
education directed at
teenagers isn’t working.
I have long pondered this
problem. Finally, trying to
think outside of the box, I
have decided we need use
a celebrity to reach the
kids that, in very few
years, will be voters and
play a key role in deciding
the face of the environ
ment. I then asked myself
the question,
“Who would be
immensely popu
lar would able to
touch a cord with
our young peo
ple?” I considered
several candi
dates. Barry
Bonds in current
ly out of work.
President
Bush will soon
be unem
ployed. They
might be interested in this
important job. A1 Gore or
President Carter might fit
the bill. Perhaps the
famous ecologist E.O.
Wilson is what we need.
Then it dawned on me. The
best candidate for the job
is Hannah Montana. Now
before you say the man has
lost his mind, let me
explain why I feel she
would succeed where oth
ers have failed.
The meteoric rise of the
pop phenomenon Miley
Cyrus a.k.a. Hannah
Montana is mind boggling.
In a matter of a couple of
years, this 15-year old
singer/actress is arguably
the most recognizable and
popular teen performer in
the world. Her television
show is regularly watched
by millions of youngsters.
Her albums are instant
hits. Tickets to her con
certs sell out within hours
of their going on sale. A
recent made for television
Hannah Montana 3-D
movie resulted in a mad
scramble for the special
free Hannah Montana 3-D
glasses needed to view the
event.
Oh, but it doesn’t stop
there. The name and
image of Hannah Montana
is being used to market an
unbelievable range of prod
ucts. Recently on a visit to
WalMart, in less than 14
minutes, my granddaugh
ter and I counted 28 prod
ucts emblazoned with the
Hannah Montana logo.
They ranged from posters,
books, and school supplies
to clothing, sleepwear and
even life preservers.
The use of celebrities to
sell merchandise and pro
mote causes in not new.
The pictures, names and
voices of kings, queens,
and presidents as well as
sports personalities and
movie stars have been
used to promote such
things as war bonds,
health awareness, food,
cosmetics, tobacco prod
ucts, footwear and every
thing in between. With
that in mind, why can’t
this talented teen convince
young people that conser
vation and the natural
world are important to
them?
Think about it. A single
Hannah Montana televi
sion show infused with
subtle conservation mes
sages or Hannah and her
friends enjoying nature
would reach more young
people than the conserva
tion community could in
years. It doesn’t stop there;
she perform concerts dedi
cated to the wise use of our
natural resources. Can you
imagine Hannah Montana
fishing rods, summer
camps, binoculars, tents,
bird feeders and nature
guides? The possibilities
are endless.
Seriously, the point I am
trying to make is that a
conservation-minded
celebrity popular with the
demographic group where
current conservation
efforts have been abysmal
would give conservation
education a much-needed
jumpstart. If Tiger Woods
can encourage youngsters
that playing golf is neat, I
guarantee you Hannah
Montana can help young
sters appreciate the natu
ral world.
Don’t you think it’s worth
a try?
Terry Johnson is the
retired Program Manager
of the Georgia Nongame-
Endangered Wildlife
Program. He is currently
Executive Director of TERN
(The Nongame Wildlife
Section's Friends Group)
and conducts wildlife
research and survey proj
ects and presents programs
Montana
and writes about wildlife.
He can be reached via
Thanks Monroe County
It's been a pleasure to serve you for
eleven years. We look foward to many
more years of service.
| CqlemaN
» ^.ASSOCIATES, USTCL
Forsyth* Oa.,
A l. A M O S I.J FL V K Y O R B
email at
TJWoodDuck@aol. com.
This is one of the most anticipated editions of
the year! It will include Mary Persons and
Monroe Academy football previews, pictures of
all the players, cheerleaders, band, interviews
with the coaches, and much more!
Call Carolyn Martel
478-960-2259
Deadline: August 20th
Run Date: August 27,2008
1%
'm ^ the Monroe County j
Reporter
Local canoeists reel in
big bucks for G eorgia rivers