Savannah River Sierran

http://www.sierraclub.org/georgia/savannah-river Vol. 38 # 3

News from the Savannah River Group, May—Sept 2020

Until further notice we will be having our Monthly meetings on Zoom.

Tuesday : 15 Sept, 6:30 pm SRG Monthly Meeting

"Gullibility: the next Pandemic," by Dr. Frank Carl, SRG's Conservation Chair and Chair of the

Augusta Freethought Society, will share how so called trusted sources mislead the public. You will

need to register in advance for this meeting at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwscumgpjotGNEmRH5tBvdU3BteYIKvf4ZB

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Hope you can join us!

Future Newsletters Due to the Coronavirus, this is the third Newsletter the Savannah River Group of the Georgia Sierra Club has published in 2020. To save trees, reduce paper usage, and to align with Sierra Club's values, we will be

sending our future newsletters electronically to those we have an email on file. We

will continue to mail the newsletter to those we do not have an email address for. If

you have received a paper newsletter but would like to receive it through email

please do one of the following:

· Send an email to Bill Jackson at billjakson01@gmail.com and enter in the sub-

ject line Send Paperless SRG Newsletter; OR

· You may update your information at the following site :

https://myaccount.sierraclub.org

Currently due to the coronavirus pandemic we are not conducting Outings and other Outdoor ta-bling or activities. We will keep you posted as soon as we know a date we are allowed to resume.

SRG Executive Committee 2020 Election

The Savannah River Group's Executive Committee (EXCOM) has three seats up for election. If you would like to run or to nominate someone or to learn what the respon-sibilities are for an EXCOM member contact one of the members on the Nominating Committee (either Margaret Tuck at marg.tuck@gmail.com or Tim Nelken at td.nelken@gmail.com no later than September 21, 2020. The next newsletter will in-clude the names of the nominees for EXCOM and information about emailing or mailing your bal-lot.

Chair’s Corner : Sierra Club Endorsements in Elections

Although we still have a runoff election coming up to decide on the final candidates for a few positions, most of the

candidates have been decided and many ballots have been finalized. Now comes the season for endorsements. While the

Sierra Club could endorse in the primaries, if it wished, the sheer number of candidates usually makes such an endeavor

Herculean. So, it is rarely attempted.

The Sierra Club insists that we treat all candidates equally and that we construct our questionnaires to emphasize

environmental issues and that we submit identical questionnaires to all the candidates for a given position with the

same deadline for completion. The Sierra Club insists on fairness, but failure to return a questionnaire is considered a

negative response.

Given that in the United States we have elections and appointments at many governmental levels, the Sierra Club rules

for endorsement or opposition in elections or appointments are nuanced. For example, all official Sierra Club

endorsements or opposition to national elections (president) or appointments (supreme court) must officially originate

at national, but chapters, especially those specifically affected, can make recommendations. After the decision is made,

all chapters and groups are expected to support the decision.

Endorsements for state level elections like Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Supreme Court or US

Senate usually start at the chapter level. But endorsements for US House races generally begin at the group level. Of

these offices only US Senate and US House seats are up for election this year. For the US Senate, the Georgia Chapter

Political Committee is in the process of vetting the candidates. We will be electing both US senators this year. David

Perdue’s six-year term is up. He is running for re-election as the Republican candidate. Jon Ossoff has won the

Democratic primary and is Perdue’s primary opposition, but there are three other candidates in the race, Shane Hazel

(Libertarian), Clifton Kilby (Independent) and Tom Jones (Independent).

The second US Senate election is to fill the seat of Johnny Isakson, who retired last fall. The Governor appointed Kelly

Loeffler to that seat on Isakson’s retirement. She is running for election to the seat, but a strange legal situation

prevented the holding of primaries for that seat, so she has opposition not only from Democrats, but from another

Republican. The major contenders are Doug Collins, the other Republican, and three Democrats, Raphael Warnock,

Matthew Liebermann and Ed Tarver. There will likely be a runoff for that seat.

In South Carolina Lindsey Graham is running for re-election to the US Senate. He has Democratic opposition in Jaime

Harrison. The South Carolina Chapter Office is closed due to COVID so I doubt that they are planning an endorsement

in that race.

There are two US House districts in Georgia that overlap the Savannah River Group’s membership area. They are

Georgia US House Districts 12 and 10, where Liz Johnson (D) is running against the incumbent Rick Allen (R) in the

former and Tabitha Johnson-Green (D) is running against the incumbent Jody Hice (R) in the latter. There are also two

US House districts in South Carolina that overlap with the Savannah River Group’s membership area. They are South

Carolina US House Districts 2 and 3, where Adair

Most incumbents in the State Senates and State Houses in the Savannah River Group membership area are running

unopposed. For example, there are three Georgia Senate districts (22, 23, 24) with overlap in the SRG membership

area. The open seat being vacated by Jesse Stone is being sought by Ceretta Smith (D) and Max Burns (R). But Harold

Jones (D) and Lee Anderson (R) are running unopposed. However, in South Carolina, Lisa Williams (D) is running

against Tom Young (R), the incumbent in State Senate District 24 while Shirley Green Fayson (D) is running against

incumbent Shane Massey (R) in Senate District 25.

Only three of 13 State House races on both sides of the river in the SRG area are being contested. House District 122 in

Georgia has incumbent Jodi Lott (R) pitted against Doris Crutchfield (D) and South Carolina House Districts 012 and

083 in the SRG area have challengers to the incumbents. In 012 James Pearmen (R) and Robbie Bryant (G) are

challenging Anne Parks (D) and in 083 Evelyn Robinson (D) is challenging Bill Hixon (R). The other 10 candidates for

state House seats are incumbents running unopposed.

There are numerous other local elections for city councils, county commissions and other offices that are too numerous

to cover here. But if you have a favorite candidate who you think may qualify for a Sierra Club endorsement, please let

me know. The SRG Political Committee is looking for excellent candidates to help.

Frank Carl, Temporary Political Committee Chair

Outings during Covid-19

I hope everyone is staying well during this Coronavirus mess. Especially important, I hope everyone is staying active. I know its crucial for my mental health. It’s been difficult to combine staying active while socially distancing and deal with the high temperatures. One way around these problems has been kayaking with friends on Columbia County’s Serene 18 paddle trail www.serene18.com .

These are 4 paddle trails that equal 18 miles total. After you finish each one you get a Passport stamped. Finish them all and get a free T-shirt.

My friends, all Sierra Club Outings Leaders, and I have been doing a trail once a week starting at 7am. The trails include Clarks Hill Lake, Betty’s Branch, Stallings Island, and the Augusta Canal. We’ve found that by wetting our-selves down we stay cool and are able to socially distance ourselves in the kayaks.

Clarks Hill Lake has lots of beaches to go swimming. Lots of fun. Kayaks and canoes are available for rent at all locations.

Another activity is biking once a week. We get together early and ride the Augusta Canal, the North Augusta Greeneway, or Euchee Creek Greenway which just opened with an 11 mile loop next to Patriots Park. The bridge and ramps over Hawk’s Gully are now completed and open so we can now bike

down the Augusta Canal Towpath all the way to downtown Augusta from Savannah Rapids without getting off the bicycle. After riding we try to find an outdoor place to eat while socially distancing ourselves.

I also try to stay active walking my dog. The bike trails are also good walking trails. There are also hiking trails that can be done early in the morning that are close. Start by checking out your local parks. In Columbia County, Blanchard Woods . Trail is a 5 kilometer woods trail through cool woods. Around Clarks Hill Lake is the Bartram Trail. Mistletoe State Park has the Rock Dam Trail.

Richmond County has some great parks with walking trails that include Phinizy Swamp, Pendleton King Park, and Diamond Lakes Park. In South Carolina, Sum-ter National Forest has Turkey Creek and Horn Creek trails. North Augusta has the Savannah River Bluffs while Aiken has the wonderful Hitchcock Woods.

The best way to stay healthy and increase your immune system is to get out.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the Sierra Club will be having public outings anytime soon. So go online and look up some of these places and explore on your own or with friends while socially dis-tancing. When the Sierra Club starts outings again we can explore these places together. Until then, Stay Well and Stay Active!!

Your Outings Chair, Cathy Black

Group Directory * EXCOM Mem bers C0-Chairs: * Linda McBurney, (706) 631-1489, msmcb@outlook.com * Sam Booher, (706) 863-2324, sbooher@aol.com (Editor ) Vice Chair: Greg Sutherland, (706) 699-3506, greg3080@mac.com Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Diane Sprague, (706) 284-3991, dasprague@gmail.com

Membership: Bill Jackson, (803) 442-6347, billjakson01@gmail.com

Outreach Coordinator: * Ann Sutherland, (706) 699-0210, aws30808@gmail.com

Web Master: Charlotte Gardner, (706) 868-1667, vern.gardner445@comcast.net

Political Chair: Frank Carl, (706) 364-5253, frankcarl@knology.net

Outings Chair: * Cathy Black, (706) 284-0230, sonnyandcathyblack@gmail.com

Outings Vice Chair: * Larry Kom p, larrkom p@gm ail.com

Conservation Chair: Frank Carl, (706) 364-5253, frankcarl@knology.net

Conservation Vice Chair: Vacant

Chairs, Adopt A Stream Program Richmond: Frank Carl, (706) 364-5253, frankcarl@knology.net Columbia: * Tim Nelken, (706) 945-3454, td.nelken@gmail.com

Co- Chairs: Adopt A Highway * Tim Nelken, (706) 945-3454, td.nelken@gmail.com Stephen Heyl, (803) 279-0482, Stephen@woodhurstarchitects.com

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Contributions, gifts and dues to the Sierra Club are not tax deductible; they

support our effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying efforts. Your

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your Chapter newsletter. Please include code: F94Q W 3411 -1

Check out our SRG Media Sites Web site ——- https: sierraclub.org/georgia/savannah-river Facebook Page —- https://www.facebook.com/groups/241982449162866/ Meet-up Page— http://www.meetup.com/Georgia-Sierra-Club- Savannah-River-Group-Augusta-GA/members/149591192/events/222992161/

Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) Monitoring

Adopt A Stream monitoring has continued during this pandemic period. However, it is limited to only two people at each site. If you are interested in AAS training , call or E-mail Frank Carl to ob-tain information at 706-364-5253 or frankcarl@knology.net

Suitcases for foster home children

When the need arises to move a child to a foster home, social services do not have the financial

means to purchase suitcases or duffel bags to pack a child’s meager belongings before being brought

to a foster home. If they do not have any donated duffel bags/suitcases social services must use trash

bags. It is horrific enough that a child has been abused or neglected, but then to have all his/her be-

longings placed into a trash bag places a feeling of worthlessness on the child. It makes him/her feel

like garbage.

Donations of new or used suitcases in good condition that are the size of carry-on bags or duffle bags

would really be appreciated . Your donation of suitcases are accepted at the following location:

Child Enrichment Inc., Augusta Judicial Circuit Office, 2300 Walden Dr., Augusta, GA 30904

Telephone: (706) 737-4631 Please share this with your friends and your community. Thanks.