Georgia Magazine - October 2012 - (Page 14)

Compiled by ViCtoria SCharf deCaStro barbecue at its best car show in downtown Lyons on Oct. 13, and then head over to Partin Park where many professional barbecue teams compete in the People’s Choice competition, and patrons can purchase tickets to taste and judge pork shoulder entries. Activities include music, a kids’ creative play area, a professional chainsaw show and auction, primitive skills demonstrations and a variety of artisans with an Indian artifacts show. Visitors can bring their American Indian artifacts to have them dated and documented by an archaeologist. Visit www.thereal squeal.com for more details on activities and two new events: a sporting clays tournament and The Real Squeal Razorback Mud Run, an adventure race through the woods, swamp, mud and a series of natural and man-made obstacles. It’s all for fun, and proceeds go to a local charity. Call (912) 526-6445 or email bhtlyons@nctv.com for more information. —Tammye Vaughn, Altamaha EMC altamaha emC The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival grows in popularity each year. Lyons Better Hometown is hosting its third annual barbecue festival The Real Squeal: Lyons Barbeque & Music Festival in Lyons Oct. 12-13. Real Squeal is a Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event with both professional and amateur barbecue competitions. The festival is made possible with a lot of community support in the form of sponsorships and volunteers. Altamaha Electric Membership Corp. in Lyons has supported Real Squeal since its inception in 2010. As part of its sponsorship, the electric co-op ran power to portions of Partin Park in Lyons that didn’t have elec- tricity the first year, enabling the festival to accommodate more vendors. Co-op employees volunteer each year to work the events, including CEO Romanous Dotson who serves as a tasting judge for the amateur barbecue contest each year. The amateur contest kicks off the festival on Oct. 12 in downtown Lyons with a street dance, great barbecue, traditional festival food and a classic car cruise-in. Festival-goers can stop by the GTC protects rare native fish While constructing an electric transmission line in Paulding County, Tucker-based Georgia Transmission Corp. (GTC) made a significant investment to protect a federally threatened species of fish native to the area. The Cherokee darter is roughly 1 to 2 inches long, found only in the Etowah River basin and nowhere else in the world. The fish has been on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) Endangered Species List since 1994. “Cherokee darters are very sensitive to sedimentation and pollution,” says Chris Smith, an environmental and regulatory coordinator with More online at www.georgiamagazine.org ALTAMAHA EMC GEORGIA TRANSMISSION CORP. Construction inspection manager Jay Horsley, left, and construction inspector Jeff Adkins, both of Georgia Transmission Corp. (GTC), watch as a helicopter airlifts cut trees for GTC’s Dabbs Bridge 230-kV transmission line. The helicopter was used for clearing to minimize the disturbance of soil, protecting nearby streams. 14 GTC’s Environmental Services. “Their existence indicates a healthy water system, and their protection helps ensure clean water.” GTC consulted with the wildlife service to identify the best management practices to minimize significant impact on the Cherokee darter’s habitat in three streams. “This project is a testament to GTC’s dedication to the environment and being a good steward of Georgia’s resources,” Smith says. For more information about the Cherokee darters and conservation efforts in the Etowah River basin, visit www.etowahhcp.org. GEORGIA MAGAZINE http://www.therealsqueal.com http://www.therealsqueal.com http://www.etowahhcp.org http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - October 2012