Fresh Loaf

(Photo Joeff Davis)

Elaine McCall has kept honey bees next to her Dekalb County home for four years. She harvests the honey for use in food and drinks.

Is it common for you to get stung by bees?

Actually, no. The bees are pretty gracious. I’ve only been stung about four times by my own bees. This will be my fourth season. No one else has been stung by my bees either. My kids are always out in the yard they’ve never been stung. Honey bees are very gentle

What is honey? Does it actually go through the digestive system of the bee?

They have a nectar stomach. It’s sort of a storage bin that’s actually inside their bodies. So they swallow the nectar and then bring it back up, but it’s not like we regurgitate things. It’s not bee vomit or anything. It’s just them bringing it out of their honey stomach and putting it into the cells. Then they flap their wings to evaporate all of the water out of it.

How do you extract the honey?

It’s really a nerve-wracking thing for me. If there’s ever a time when the bees aren’t going to be nice, it’s when you’re taking the honey out of the hive. My method probably isn’t that efficient, but it works for me because I only have one hive.

I’ll go in and see what hives are ready to be harvested. Then I take the bee brush and brush off all of the bees. Then I put the frame to the side and bring them in [the house] gradually to make sure that they’re aren’t any bees on them. (more…)

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Lee Ho has been repairing TVs in his Decatur shop since 1974. The price list in the shop includes repairs for black and white TVs and tape decks. He promises he can repair any model TV from any company.

“Repairs are not easy. We have three or four people working each day. We probably repair seven, maybe 10 per day.”

“The Korean products are really good. Samsung and LG. And the next best brands would be from Japan. Sony, Panasonic, Toshiba. With these, it’s really easy to find parts.”

On new LCD and plasma TVs: “These new products create problems. There’s such a small space and there’s no air circulation. They usually create a large amount of work. New products aren’t made to work as long.

On old TVs: “Televisions that have been around for twenty years are still working good. I still repair a lot of TV’s made in 1980. It’s easy to find parts for them.”

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Goddess Garden Atlanta is an acre of wilderness near North Avenue and Freedom Parkway that’s open to the public. Using native plants, minimal tools, and no pesticides or herbicides, Shasta Zaring has created what she calls a sacred, healing space.

“We work with the natural earth currents that run through here. I brought my spirituality into practice by creating this sacred space.”

“A lot of gardeners don’t like chaos. They try to make everything neat and tidy. I leave areas completely in chaos. I know how to manage them.”

“Kudzu is a wonderful habitat and it gets the most beautiful purple flowers on it. It’s also one of the most powerful healing herbs on the planet. The whole plant is edible. People in China during times of severe drought can survive for years at a time on kudzu.”

“I was initiated as a priestess in 1982. I’m a priestess of Isis and Sekhmet of Egypt and Quanyin of the Asian and Buddhists cultures. I’m working with Changing Woman of the Navajo and Apache.”

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

If you live in Villa Rica, you know 31-year-old J. Collins as your mayor for the past five years. If you die in Villa Rica, your family and friends might know him as the funeral and embalmer at J. Collins Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

“I’m what you call an old-fashioned country undertaker. I live above the funeral home.”

“Generally winter months are busiest. We’re busy from November through March.”

“I didn’t grow up thinking I would be a funeral director. I worked in a funeral home after I graduated high school as a part-time job. It was just a way to earn some extra money.”

How does funeral directing help him in politics? “Being in funeral services, you deal with people on a very personal level. I’ve always been a people person.”

“Being in such a small town, most of the people I take care of are friends, neighbors and relatives. It takes an emotional toll.”

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Amount former Atlanta police officer Daniel Betts illegally took weekly from an apartment complex to provide extra patrols: $120

According to the FBI, minimum amount former Atlanta police officer Gregg Junnier took weekly from several businesses to provide extra patrols: $400

Years in prison Junnier faces for his role in the 2006 killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston during a drug raid: 10

Years in prison former Atlanta police officer Jason Smith faces for his role in Johnston’s killing: 12

Number of cases involving the indicted officers now being reviewed by the Fulton County district attorney: 40

Men convicted on Junnier’s and Smith’s testimony who’ve been released from prison: 4

Cases dropped by Fulton County district attorney because they relied on Junnier’s and Smith’s testimony: 41

Age of middle-schooler Atlanta police officer Wilson Carstaffin is accused of molesting: 12

Sources: AJC, 11 Alive, New York Times

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Jack Greenway opened B & J Awards T-Shirts in Doraville in 1976 with his wife, Brenda. He makes and sells trophies, mostly to nearby recreational sports teams and businesses.

How long have you owned a trophy shop?

Since 1976. I used to work for another trophy shop and I decided to start my own.

Did you receive any trophies when you were a child?

I never got any when I was a kid. When I was 18, I won a trophy for drag racing. I don’t have it anymore. I think I gave it to my nephew.

For whom do you make the majority of your awards?

I generally make trophies for recreational sports like soccer, baseball, football and things like that. I do a lot with the Doraville Recreational Park.

What machines or special equipment do you use?

I have a special laser engraver and another standard engraver. I also have a special saw to cut the wood and other materials into the lengths that I need.

How do you feel about participation trophies?

The kids want and expect them. It’s not really for being the champion, it’s more for sentimental value. I used to coach myself and I always gave participation trophies to the kids I coached.

Do you think everyone is a winner?

I don’t think everybody is a winner. I think that these leagues where everyone plays and no one wins are wrong. It takes away the teaching aspect. The kids need to learn not to expect to be rewarded for things that they don’t accomplish. I think that people should keep score and that there should be a winner. I think competition is a good thing.

Do you make trophies for pranks or jokes?

I make more prank trophies for golf and bowling than other sports. Someone might order a golf trophy as a prank and they’ll have it inscribed with “Take Up Bowling.” I also sell a trophy with a horse’s rear end on it. People will get that one for someone who finishes last or something.

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