2016 Summer Features

National Parks

America loves to celebrate anniversaries in the 100s — birthdays, historic buildings, weather patterns — so the fact our national parks are a century old is the perfect occasion to give them special attention all year long. President Woodrow Wilson started it all on August 25, 1916, when he signed the legislation to create the National Park Service (NPS). Georgia can’t claim the first one, that’s Yosemite, but the Peach State has plenty and Georgia Connector believes in honoring them. Click here for the full article.

Lake Country Brewing

It’s a frigid winter afternoon, and I’m standing inside an abandoned building next to the train tracks drinking beer with three guys I just met. That scenario may sound like a group of teenagers skipping class and looking for trouble, but two of the three guys actually own the place, a derelict structure where shafts of sunlight shine through broken windows from above providing the only light. John and Nathan McGarity, a father/son real estate team from McDonough, are in the process of turning the building into a craft brewery. This is one of the more highly anticipated recent developments not only in Greensboro, but in the surrounding area known as Lake Country, home to Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair. Click here to keep reading.

A Sparkling Fourth

In the years preceding the historical moment when a group of men gathered and said, “No more,” the actual date of celebrating America’s independence has been one of differing opinions. Like John Adams, some believed that the celebration should occur on the second of July, the date that it was agreed that the thirteen colonies would begin the quest of separating from England. Another date that has been argued as the correct date is August 2, when the final signatures of the Declaration of Independence were added. However, the significance to the fourth of July is when the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was completed. For the full article, click here.

Green Flames

A Monroe couple is expressing their concern and care for the environment not only in their lifestyle but also as “green” entrepreneurs. After several years operating their family farm, Crista Carrell and Rick Huszagh began producing biodiesel fuel, which grew into Down to Earth Energy, followed by Smarter Starter charcoal lighter fluid, both products processed from vegetable oil that restaurants had used for frying. “I feel that we all have a limited time on earth and should be good stewards, caring for the earth,” says Huszagh. “All we do has an environmental aspect.” Click here to read more.