March 2010 - Flint Energies

Energy Lines
March 2010
The of f icial new sletter of
Festival-goers stroll through the
cherry trees in downtown Macon.
F
Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival
Story and photos
by Jackie Kennedy
a hit with families
or the Biggs family of Macon,
the annual Cherry Blossom
Festival is more than a community
event—it’s a family tradition.
For 10 days each spring, local families
along with visitors from all over
the globe descend upon downtown
Macon to enjoy concerts, parades,
exhibits, carnivals and more amidst
a pink paradise provided by more
than 300,000 Yoshino cherry trees in
bloom throughout the city. In fact, the
splendor of this springtime burst of
color has earned the city a listing in the
Congressional Record as the “Cherry
Blossom Capital of the World.”
For Gary and Heather Biggs and their
children, Makayla and Beau, Macon
is home. And the annual Cherry
Blossom Festival each March/April is
a not-to-miss event.
“Heather’s been in the parade three
times,” says Gary. Both graduates
of Central Fellowship Christian
Academy, the Biggses look forward
to the event each year.
“We’ve grown up here and every
year we attend the Cherry Blossom
Festival,” says Heather.
“It’s a
tradition, so we keep it going and now
go with our children. We do the arts
and crafts and festival events and go
to Central City Park during the week
for activities there. My parents come
down and my sister, Holly, comes
home from Texas. It’s the biggest
event of the year for Macon, but it’s
not just a community tradition for
us—it’s a family tradition as well.”
Among numerous awards, the festival
has garnered in its 30-year history is
the Grand Pinnacle award, bestowed
by the International Festival and
Events Association on the Cherry
Blossom Festival twice—in 2004 and
2007; basically, the award honors the
festival deemed best in the world.
Continued on page 26B
March 2010
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
www.flintenergies.com
26A
300,000
More than
Yoshino Cherry Trees bloom
each year to welcome
visitors to the annual Macon
Cherry Blossom Festival.
Continued from page 26A
Featuring 10 days packed with
hundreds of events to entertain all
ages and backgrounds, the festival is
consistently listed as one of the Top
20 Events in the South, Top 50 Events
in the U.S. and Top 100 Events in
North America. It’s come a long way
since it premiered in 1982 as a threeday festival with 30 events.
The Macon Cherry Blossom Festival
and the Yoshino cherry trees for
which it is named share a unique
history. It all started in 1949 when
William A. Fickling Sr., a local
realtor, discovered a Yoshino cherry
tree in his backyard, the first such
tree in Macon. Awed by its beauty, he
discovered its identity in 1952 while
on a business trip in Washington D.C.,
where Yoshino cherry trees blanket
the nation’s capital.
Back home in Macon, Fickling began
propagating the Yoshinos and sharing
them freely with his neighbors
and the entire Macon community,
including Carolyn Crayton, who
would become the founder of the
Cherry Blossom Festival. In 1973,
Fickling donated 500 trees that were
planted in Crayton’s Wesleyan Woods
neighborhood. As the years passed,
the trees grew in number and became
a signature item in Macon.
Overjoyed by the beauty of the pink
blooms throughout the city, Crayton,
then-executive director for the Keep
Macon-Bibb Beautiful Commission,
proposed a Cherry Blossom Festival
to celebrate the trees and to honor
Fickling for his contributions to the
community. The first Cherry Blossom
Festival was held in 1982 and based
on the principles of “love, beauty and
international friendship.”
So much of the charm of Macon as
it is today can be credited to the late
William A. Fickling Sr. His gift of
Yoshino cherry trees continues through
the Fickling Family Foundation,
which donates thousands of cherry
trees to Macon-Bibb residents each
year, ensuring a beautiful backdrop for
the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Along with the beautiful blooms, a
myriad of activities beckon families
to the festival each year, ranging from
gospel singings and nightly concerts
to carnival rides and kite flying.
A fan favorite each year is the annual
Cherry Blossom Bed Race, a hoot
of a competition that features teams
decorating and racing beds down
Cherry Street. Prizes are awarded for
the fastest, funniest and most original
racing bed.
Activities at Central City Park include
daily entertainment, more than 100
vendors offering daily specials, 20
food vendors and various displays
featuring everything from model train
exhibits to Oriental gardens.
The annual Hot Air Balloon Tether
Rides and Evening Glow is a family
favorite featuring military fly-bys,
kite-flying demonstrations, food
vendors and children’s activities.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival
Parade is another favorite, with
colorful floats, marching bands and
costumed performers setting the
mood for the 10 days of excitement
to follow. Other festival activities
include a 15K and 5K race, tour of
homes, street party and a closing
event complete with fireworks and
live music.
Don’t miss a minute of the fun. Make
plans now for the 2010 Macon Cherry
Blossom Festival set for March 19-28.
For more information, visit www.
cherryblossom.com.
•
The Clydesdales horses are a favorite attraction at the Cherry Blossom Festival.
26B
TOGE T H E RW ES AV E . C O M
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
Lacie the Pink Poodle, invites all
to Cherry Blossom Festival
F
By Jackie Kennedy
or years, there have been pink
poodle sightings at the Macon
Cherry Blossom Festival. During the
festival’s 10-day run in late March/
early April, the oddly-colored standard
poodle with soft pink, woolly hair has
been a standout, to say the least. It’s
simply not every day you see a forreal—from her nose to the tip of her
pom-pom tail—pink dog.
But during the Cherry Blossom
Festival, Lacie the Pink Poodle seems
to be everywhere. Visit Central City
Park, and there she’ll be, waiting with
her handlers in line for a fried turkey
leg. View the annual Cherry Blossom
Parade and there’s Lacie again,
strutting her regal stuff down Cherry
Street, practically nodding to the
crowds as if to recognize waves and
shouts from her adoring fans. This
proud poodle seems quite confidant
of her celebrity.
And she should. Due to the immense
popularity of Lacie the Pink Poodle,
another pink poodle was chosen last
year as the parade’s official mascot:
“Petals the Pink Poodle.” A cartoon
character adorning everything from
postcards to T-shirts, Petals’ role
as official mascot follows a decade
of Lacie the Pink Poodle and her
predecessors serving as the festival’s
unofficial mascot.
“The festival did a survey, and the
pink poodle got the most positive
responses,” says Paul Williams who,
with wife Alice, owns and handles
the real, four-legged, Lacie the Pink
Poodle. With Petals chosen as the
official mascot, there now are two
pink poodles—the dyed-in-the-wool,
real, four-legged Lacie, and Petals,
the cartoon character. So, what are
Lacie’s owners’ thinking?
“We believe imitation is the highest
form of flattery,” says Paul. In fact,
due to Petals’ introduction last year
Continued on page 26D
Paul and Alice Williams make
friends everywhere they go,
thanks to their four-legged
“child,” Lacie the Pink Poodle.
New friends they made at last
year’s Macon Cherry Blossom
Festival include Rachel Kennedy,
left, of LaGrange, and Kathryn
Allen, of Centerville.
March 2010
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
www.flintenergies.com
26C
Continued from page 26C
as the official mascot, the Williamses
believe their beloved Lacie is gaining
additional attention. Says Paul: “She
was more popular than ever last year
because of Petals.”
Along with the yearly rounds she
makes at the Cherry Blossom Festival,
Lacie the Pink Poodle is a crowd
favorite at events throughout town,
from ribbon cuttings to nursing home
gatherings. Reactions from children
and senior citizens are the best,
according to the handlers.
“We take her to extended-care homes
and nursing homes, and it’s the biggest
blessing Alice and I get—to see the
joy she brings to patients,” says Paul.
“And when children see her, there are
always squeals. Even children who are
typically afraid of dogs will pet Lacie,
and their parents are amazed. We’ve
probably gotten a million smiles in
the years we’ve been doing this.”
That’s been about 12 years. Prior
to Lacie, there was Casper, a
male standard poodle who got the
Williamses into their role as goodwill
ambassadors sporting a pink poodle.
Before Casper, there was Teddy,
Macon’s first pink poodle. Paul and
‘It’s about community
involvement. Somebody
told me I ought to charge
for this, and I said I wouldn’t
work this hard for money.’
—Paul Williams,
owner of Lacie the Pink Poodle
Denise Bardel of Bardel Bows in Fort
Valley were the first to introduce a
pink poodle. Teddy accompanied the
couple to local events and the pink
poodle began to grow a following
among fans, young and old.
26D
“They did it a few years and then
moved to Byron. Since peaches
are the thing in Byron, they started
dying Teddy a peach color,” says
Paul. Suddenly, Byron had a peach
poodle, but Macon was without its
pink poodle. Recognizing a void, the
Williamses stepped in.
“At that time, on a lark, we had
started dying Casper,” says Paul. “We
dyed him red, white and blue for the
Fourth of July, orange and black for
Halloween, and green for St. Patrick’s
Day. Everyone knew the pink poodle,
and there was a void, so we started
dying Casper pink.”
As Casper aged, Lacie stepped up
to the pink poodle plate, making the
rounds with Casper her first year
at the festival and taking the reins
the next. She’s been the official
TOGE T H E RW ES AV E . C O M
“unofficial” pink poodle for five years
now. Enter an event with a hot pink
poodle at the opposite end of a leash,
and there’s sure to be talk. “You meet
a lot of folks this way,” says Paul.
The pink poodle became a fixture at
area events, from fashion shows to
festivals, and a mascot for the family
business, Pet Grooming by Paul and
Alice on Pio Nono Avenue in Macon.
“It’s about community involvement,”
says Paul, adding that the couple
receives no monetary compensation
for their pink poodle’s public outings.
“Somebody told me I ought to charge
for this, and I said I wouldn’t work
this hard for money.”
Ask “Why poodles?” and Paul answers:
“They don’t shed, don’t carry a doggie
odor and are smarter than most people
you meet.”
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
Married for more than 40 years and
the “parents of four-legged children
only,” Paul and Alice met their first
poodle soon after they married.
“We had these friends who had a
poodle,” Paul reminisces. “We’d visit
Joan and Charlie so we could play
with Buffy. They were nice people, but
Buffy was the center of the universe.”
When the young couple heard of toy
poodle pups in the neighborhood, they
set out to find them. “The first thing
my wife and I ever financed was a toy
poodle,” says Paul. “I was a Marine
Corps private making less than $200 a
month. We put $15 down and paid $10
a week on payday to buy a $150 dog
we couldn’t afford.”
They named the new pup Tammy
(after country music star Tammy
Wynette) and, since they couldn’t
P
afford to pay to have their tiny poodle
groomed, Paul started working at a
local pet shop where he did a two-year
apprenticeship. He’d come home and
teach Alice the tricks of the grooming
trade and, in 1972, they opened their
own business; it’s being going strong
for 38 years.
“As God would have it, it’s been good
to us,” says Paul.
Sharing their pink poodle, first Casper
and now Lacie, with their community
during the Cherry Blossom Festival is
one way the couple gives back.
“Being homebred and born here,
Macon’s just a little town to me,” says
Paul. “But for those 10 days during
the festival, it’s an international city.”
The Williamses have been amazed
to find how far people travel to visit
Macon at festival time. And they’ve
What it takes
to make this poodle
had at least one visitor say he came
all the way from Texas just to see their
pink poodle.
“A couple of years ago, there was a
group of young children in a dance
troupe from Taiwan,” says Paul.
“They swarmed Lacie. Not a one
spoke English, but everyone wanted to
touch the pink poodle and have their
picture made with her. All these little
girls were surrounding this one pink
poodle, squealing with excitement.
Across all language barriers, this dog
speaks volumes. The pink poodle and
the festival itself seem to say, ‘Just
come here and we’ll love you.’ Of
course, I believe that’s what the South
does in the first place.”
As for Lacie, she’s all Southern
charm, Scarlett O’Hara-style. “A lot
of folks say she’s stuck up,” says Paul.
pink
Continued on page 26H
erfecting Lacie the Pink Poodle’s precise locks is time-consuming, yet heartfelt, work.
First, Paul Williams does the “rough-in,” the initial phase of grooming, which includes a bath, thorough brushing
and shaving her face and feet. Next, his wife Alice, an award-winning groomer, does the “finish” work, which
involves using scissors to clip “here and there” and snip the tail in pom-pom fashion. To apply pink to her hairy coat, Lacie’s
owners use a special product that’s vegetable-based and applied liberally throughout.
“Lacie goes to the beauty shop, our beauty shop, just like a lady does,” says Paul. “It takes about 30
minutes to apply the dye and another 40 for her to sit. Then she’s rinsed and rinsed and rinsed,
and then we blow-dry her hair until it’s nice and fluffy.” Next, her bows are put in, her toenails
are painted and she’s ready to show off.
“She knows that since we’ve spent so much extra time and attention on her, she’s headed for
an outing, and she’s excited about it,” says Paul.
To keep her good looks, Lacie is treated to a touch-up dye on her roots every four to eight weeks,
“depending on how many hands have petted her,” says Paul. The perfectly polite poodle stays pink
year-round.
March 2010
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
www.flintenergies.com
26E
ATTENTION FLINT MEMBERS:
GPS project under way
Employees of Chapel Mapping Inc. are walking Flint Energies’
entire service territory recording GPS data and taking photos of Flint
equipment like meters, poles and transformers.
To speed up the process, they will not knock on each member’s door,
but will approach Flint Energies’ equipment on your property quickly
and move on to the next piece of equipment down the line. Chapel
Mapping employees will be wearing a safety vest, utility belt and have
a yellow, handheld GPS device and digital camera. They may be in
your area this month. Please make sure there is access to all Flint
equipment at your location. This two-year project will improve efficiency
and aid in preparing for restoration in the event of an outage.
Spring-cleaning tips for a
more energy-efficient home
and lower energy costs:
• Find electronics you
might be able to turn off
or unplug—cell phone
chargers, TVs, lights
when you leave a room
• Keep HVAC filters clean
• Keep air vents clear of
obstructions
• Vaccum your refrigerator
coils and keep the
refrigerator temperature
between 36 degrees and
40 degrees
• Compact fluorescent
lamps can replace bulbs
in most table lamps
and will save up to 75
percent in lighting energy,
produce more light and
last up to 10 times longer
• Wash full loads of
clothes in the coolest
water possible, and rinse
clothes in cold water.
26F
Inspecting your roof can
save you money in the future
N
ow that spring is here, it’s a good
time to see how well your roof
has weathered the rigors of winter.
Few things can shorten the life of
your home faster than a roof leak.
Even a minor roof leak can damage
your attic insulation before you notice
it from inside.
You can do a roof inspection either
by using binoculars from the ground,
looking out a second story window or
standing on a ladder. If you choose to
climb up on your roof, use a sturdy
ladder, and be sure you are comfortable
with heights. Otherwise, stick to the
ground to assess these items.
Look for any loose or missing
shingles. If there are just a few, have a
roofing contractor repair them. If the
damage is widespread, it may be time
for a replacement.
Look for places where leaves and
other debris accumulate. Clean or
TOGE T H E RW E S AV E . C O M
have these areas cleaned every year,
since they will often be the first places
to fail as your roof reaches the end of
its lifespan.
Make sure your gutters aren’t clogged.
Gutters are intended to protect your
home from water damage, and they
can’t function if they are full of debris.
Look at the base of your downspouts,
too, to confirm that water doesn’t
puddle up against your home’s
foundation.
Inspect your chimneys. Be sure that
the mortar joints in masonry chimneys
are solid, and that no bricks are
missing. Check that metal chimneys
are straight and that no holes have
developed. A little rust is normal, but
extensive corrosion could indicate
trouble elsewhere in the system. If
you note any such problems, have a
heating contractor to perform repairs.
Source: Chris Dorsi, Saturn Resource
Management (www.srmi.biz)
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
I THOUGHT I WAS TIGHT
WITH MY MONEY. NOW
I’M AIRTIGHT.
All it t o o k wa s a tube of caulk and half an after noon.
Now, I ’ m s av i n g $212 a year by sealing a few cracks
arou n d t h e h o u se. What can you do? Find out how the
little c h a n g e s a dd up at TogetherWeSave.com.
March 2010
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
TOGETHERWESAVE.COM
www.flintenergies.com
26G
Meet
Tess Perry,
Member Services Representative
at the Member Center in Warner Robins
Mark your calendar
F
Your Annual Meeting is Oct. 26
lint Energies will celebrate its 73rd Annual Meeting Oct. 26 at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry. Doors open at 9 a.m., and the
business session begins at 10 a.m.
Though the annual meeting is seven months away, the election process starts as
early as April, when the Nominating Committee is appointed. Members have
a voice and a vote in how Flint Energies is run, and one of the most important
areas of an annual meeting is the election of a Board of Directors to govern the
cooperative.
The following directors’ terms will expire Oct. 26, 2010: Jeffrey P. Wainwright
of Reynolds, Area II Post 1; Jane W. Perfect of Elko, Area IV Post 1; David H.
Cleveland of Fort Valley, Area VI Post 1; Paul E. Hibbitts of Warner Robins, Area
VII Post 2.
Election of Directors
Members elect directors for a three-year term. They serve until expiration of their term or
until a successor is qualified and elected. Members vote by mail ballot prior to the meeting
and results are announced at the meeting. The term of any vacancy coincides with the vacated
directorship’s term. Members receive mail ballots in early October, attached to the cover of
their GEORGIA Magazine. Complete, sign and mail the ballot to Flint’s independent auditing
firm in the attached reply envelope.
Continued from page 26E
“She just knows she’s pretty. She’s
been told enough to know she is and,
of course, she likes to pose for the
camera. She’s such a lady when she’s
out. I’ve always bragged that she’s
never embarrassed me in public, but
at home, she’s a clown. She’ll cut up
and do anything she can to show us
she loves us just a little bit more.”
The Williamses expect Lacie to reign
as the Pink Poodle for many years to
come. But they’ve already decided,
says Paul, that “when and if” they do
have to get a new poodle, they’ll name
her Blossom.
Visit Macon’s 28th Annual Cherry
Blossom Festival from March 19
to 28. For more on the festival, visit
www.cherryblossom.com.
For more on the Williamses and
their dynamic dog, visit www.
pinkpoodlemaconga.com.
•
Qualifications for Directors
Qualifiers must be at least 18 years old and a Flint Energies member for at least one year prior
to the date on which he or she would take office, and cannot be an immediate relative of a Flint
Energies employee. No person who is elected by the general electorate for an elected public
office in connection with which any remuneration is received either as salary, fee per diem or
reimbursement for services in any form shall take or hold office as a director.
Additional qualifications are found in the Flint Energies Rules, Regulations and Bylaws booklet.
Copies are available at all Flint offices and online at www.flintenergies.com in the News section.
Nominations of Directors
The Board of Directors will appoint a Nominating Committee April 27. The Nominating
Committee will consider resumes that are mailed to the chairperson at Flint Energies’ Reynolds
headquarters. The committee will meet June 22 to complete nominations and will post them at
the Reynolds office on June 23. Nominations by petition must be submitted by Aug. 27 as well.
People nominated by committee or petition shall be placed on the ballot. Ballots will be mailed
Sept. 26 as a cover wrap on the outside of the October GEORGIA Magazine. Members should
mail ballots by Oct. 15 so they are received by Oct. 25. Mail ballot participants are eligible for
mail ballot prizes. For members who wish to, ballots can be cast at the meeting as well. If you
do not receive your mail ballot by Oct. 10, visit Flint Energies for a ballot.
26H
TOG E T H E RW ES AV E . C O M
Congratulations
to Mr. Donald McCune of Warner Robins
for winning the $100 Walmart gift card
drawing for filling out and returning the
newsletter survey from the November
2009 issue of GEORGIA Magazine.
Valuable input was gained from the survey
responses and will be applied to make this
newsletter a helpful source of information
for members.
GEORGIA MAGAZINE