Striking it Rich on Labor of Love

   With Labor Day approaching, I can't help but think about the Jayson Blair scandal. Why would someone work so hard at faking stories when so many real people are eager to share the fruits of their labor?
   My regular resources include Senior Forester Dale Higdon with the Georgia Forestry Commission. Dale has inspired at least six columns and he's already planted seeds for two more. Another valuable resource has been Heather Leo with Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful. Whenever I have questions, Heather always replies with same day service. When I need information about the schools, Berney Kirkland, Executive Director to CEO/Supt. tracks it down and zaps it to me in record time.
   Some time back I was contemplating a column on child support issues. I consulted Judge Warren Davis. He sent me six pages of e-mails, answering my questions and giving me resource people to call, plus tips on getting through the system. His staff referred me to David Lipscomb, an attorney in Gwinnett County, who spent valuable time on the phone giving me sound advice by affirming my own beliefs. I've repeatedly said no columnist should write about education unless he or she has spent time in the classroom. Lipscomb said the same of the court system: Don't write about anything until you've sat through at least a couple dozen trials to see for yourself what really goes on. 
   There are other resources out there that I haven't even dug into yet. For example, David M. Richardson puts out N. Lawrenceville/Dacula Health Online that just shows up in my mailbox twice a month. I always know if I have nothing else to write about, I can find loads of ideas there. And just last week, I signed up to receive the online newsletter from Gwinnett's newest high school, Peachtree Ridge. I can't wait to see what columns develop from that.
   With an infinite expanse of cyberspace, there's a gold mine of column material out there. And I experienced that first hand this summer when I wrote about the Norcross Baseball Club, which incidentally finished their first season 2-2.
   I tapped into the Connellsville, PA Web site to see if there was any information on those coal miners' baseball teams my dad and I cheered for over 50 years ago. I typed in my question and the next day, Carl Helinsky replied to verify that my memories were accurate.
   "These were guys that worked all day in the mines, then found time for baseball in the evenings," he wrote. "Those same sand lot teams still exist."
   "Are you a historian or public relations guy?" I asked him.
   "I am just a Web surfer," he wrote. "I visit the Web site usually daily. I get satisfaction when I am able to help someone find their roots."
   Roots? With Mr. Helinsky's labor of love, I think I tapped into something more like a mother lode.

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