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Author Topic: Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe  (Read 5091 times)

Offline thorfourwinds

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Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe
« on: August 31, 2014, 07:52:47 pm »


Lake Burton, Rabun County, Georgia


Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by Thor Anderson - GoFundMe




A fire that started minutes before midnight destroyed the iconic Lake Burton Grocery.



Joe Durkin, owner, said prior to firefighters arriving, flames had broken the store’s windows and were about six feet high. The structure has been deemed a total loss. “It was a 75-year-old building and it really just tore it up and destroyed everything,” Durkin said.



Rabun County Fire Chief Daniel Johnson said the structure was fully involved within a few minutes after the fire started and a crew of about 25 firefighters from three stations responded to the call. He said the cause of the fire was still unknown, but he suspected the building might have been struck by lightning.




Durkin and family have owned the store for seven years, and despite the setbacks he said he is still happy to be in the service industry.

“You’ve got to love the business to do it,” Durkin said. “You’ve got to be able to serve that food and serve the customer with a smile on your face every day.”






Businesses like Durkin’s are relatively scarce in the western part of Rabun county.

Mike Bozeman said he had been coming to the store for many years and that he hoped the store would reopen sooner than later.

“That little store has been just an institution to us,” Bozeman said. “They’ve really worked hard building it up and maintaining it.”

“It’s indispensable,” long-time customer Sam King said of the store. “We’re basically 10 miles from town, so when you need a gallon of milk or a great sandwich that’s where you’d go.”


What insurance there was has proven to be insignificant in light of today's cost of rebuilding the Highway 76 West culinary legend.

“I’m just overwhelmed by the support of the community,” Durkin said.

“We’re going to build it back and a little stronger,” Durkin said. “We were hit by the tornado three years ago and that didn’t stop us.”

FROM THE DURKIN FAMILY:

To our family, friends, the Rabun community and beyond,

As you all know our lives were turned upside down recently when our store, Lake Burton Grocery was lost due to fire. The compassion and generosity of this community began while the fire still burned and has continued each day. We are extremely grateful for everything that the community has done for us. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for all your support. We at Lake Burton Grocery feel blessed to call such a beautiful, compassionate, and loyal place our home.

God Bless,
Lake Burton Grocery
Joe, Pati, Barb, Troy, Heather, Phyllis, Billie, Shannon, and Amber



Here's the link to share the progress of rebuilding: Lake Burton Grocery on Facebook

Donations to the Lake Burton Grocery Benefit Fund can be made at Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding - GoFundMe


Dead Tree to See New Life | Sky 104 & Real Country 100.3

August 6, 2014



R.K. Harniman aka “Tree”


A dead 120-foot White pine near Star Mountain will see new life in the way of art. The tree was taken down this morning by OPERATIONS TREE and transported by Moon Smith's Crane Service to Goats on the Roof, where 3-time World Champion R.K. Harniman - otherwise known as “Tree Carver” - will turn it into a masterpiece…

“The physical carving that’s going to go out to Lake Burton; probably about 8 to 10 feet. Then the rest of the tree will all be carved into other things and stuff like that, you know, so we just don’t waste the tree.”




Thor prepares to take down the 120-foot White Pine


And what will the carving be of…

“We’re talking to some people out there, to see what kind of thing might be a proper thing, but for now we’re talking bear holding a fish,” Harniman stated.

'Tree' will being doing the carving at Goats on the Roof on Hwy 441 south of Clayton at the Tiger Connector, on display to the public.




Thor, the 'study' bear, and Robert "Tree" Harniman
at carving host site Goats on the Roof in Tiger, Georgia


The Clayton Tribune - Tree Carver creates sculpture for Lake Burton Grocery

When Thor Anderson heard that Joe Durkin lost Lake Burton Grocery to a fire, he decided he wanted to do something to assist in the rebuilding process.

Understanding the costs associated with rebuilding a business, Anderson set up a GoFundMe site where people can go to donate to assist Durkin in covering the cost of rebuilding his business.

“This is one of our own, and if we can help each other out, we should,” Anderson said.

Having worked in media before entering the tree industry as owner of OPERATIONS TREE DISASTER RELIEF TEAM, Anderson knew that to get the public’s attention there would need to be a wow factor to really drive donations. He also knew just the man to make it happen.

Enter Robert “Tree Carver” Harniman, renowned wood sculptor, local legend and celebrated artist.

Harniman boasts of having won multiple world championship carving titles and has produced works that have been displayed throughout the country, including a 40-foot-tall likeness of Sir Walter Raleigh in honor of the country’s bicentennial, which now resides in Manteo, North Carolina.




One part publicity stunt and another part routine work, Anderson and his OPERATIONS TREE crew took down a dead 120-foot tall white pine for Harniman to carve, with plans for the sculpture to be displayed in front of the newly rebuilt Lake Burton Grocery upon completion.

Though Harniman said the majority of the wood from the tree was virtually unusable, he plans to use a few larger sections to create a sculpture of a bear holding a fish.

To better understand the makeup and the feel of the wood, Harniman made a sample carving of a black bear holding a fishing pole which is currently displayed at Goats on the Roof, where he plans on completing the project.

In addition to the sculpture, Harniman said he hoped to a water feature around it to make it more of a monument than a singular piece of art.

“I want to do a water feature,” Harniman said. “I’m thinking rocks and nature."

As an artist who asserts that he has been commissioned by the likes of Budweiser to produce works, Harniman said he was working for free on the project, for the good of the community.

"The project is more than the finished sculpture.

It's the spectacle of its creation."






(credit: tree carver admirer)


“I never carve unless people are watching,” Harniman said.

“The idea is for it to be an attraction for the people you’re carving for,” he added.

Donations to the Lake Burton Grocery Benefit Fund can be made at Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding - GoFundMe




Related stories:

Lake Burton Grocery owner: ‘I will be back!’ | Georgia ...

Lake Burton Grocery owner Joe Durkin said he will rebuild his business, a combination store/restaurant on U.S. Highway 76 west of Clayton near Anchorage Boat Dock.

“I don’t quit!” Durkin said. “I’ve been through south Florida with too many hurricanes. I came up here and we had the tornado three years ago. Now I have a fire. I don’t quit. I will be back – and that’s just the way it’s going to be. That’s how I live.”


Fire Destroys Local Business | Sky 104 & Real County 100.3

A stately, very dead 120-foot white pine on Rickman Airfield near Star Mountain will enjoy a new life as a creative carving of a bear holding a fish, proudly displayed at the new Lake Burton Grocery site.

The Lake Burton Grocery Rebuild Fund Project Bear is conceived, coordinated and sponsored by Thor Anderson of OPERATIONS TREE DISASTER RELIEF TEAM, who took down the 120-foot white pine, with special thanks to Moon Smith's Crane Service for also moving the tree and Goats on the Roof for hosting the carving event.

The "Durkin Family Bear with Fish" will be carved by three-time world champion Robert "Tree Carver" Harniman as a focal-point of the rebuilding effort and will enjoy a prominent position at the new 'Durk's EatAway'. The carving is taking place daily in front of Goats on the Roof on Highway 441 south of Clayton at the Tiger Connector.

A small bear is on display now at that location that will be used as a study for the larger sculpture that will be completed in 'a couple of weeks, weather permitting.'

'Tree' has dedicated and donated this unique creation to the Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding Fund to help draw attention to one of our own in their time of need.

UPDATE:



"Tree Carver" RKH is also carving a pair of Georgia Bulldogs to guard the bear and fish and fowl that now populate the Goats on the Roof site.




FULL DISCLOSURE: 'Tree Carver' Robert K. Harniman is a proud member of TEAM RABUN.






With great respect,


tfw
Peace Love Light
Liberty & Equality or Revolution

Hec'el oinipikte  (that we shall live)


« Last Edit: February 06, 2015, 10:10:13 am by thorfourwinds »
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Offline thorfourwinds

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Re: Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2014, 04:09:09 pm »
Bump...
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Offline thorfourwinds

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Re: Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2014, 08:47:17 am »
UPDATE




Special thanks to Marvin Reid of REID TREE for assistance in moving and
placing additional carving blanks (8-ft pine logs over 2 feet in diameter).





A Georgia Bulldog (what else   :P  ) emerges from a white pine tree by the gentle hand of Tree Carver.




Still showing his football prowess from Yale, Tree wrestles the ball
away from another opponent on the gridiron of Goats on the Roof.


« Last Edit: September 10, 2014, 08:49:44 am by thorfourwinds »
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Re: Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2014, 09:15:30 am »
Harnie Goes the Limit


by Andrew Kreig

In 10 years of daily newspaper work, I've met a lot of interesting, powerful, or just plain bizarre characters.

I vividly recall these visits: with the East Hartford "Catman," who lived in one room with 100 cats that rarely went outside; with an elderly gent from Australia who believed Hippies were peace-keeping emissaries from outer space sent to Earth by the "Inter-galactic Council;" and a self-schooled yarn-spinner who filled most of his fellow wine-drinkers on the New Haven Green into thinking that he is a defrocked Yale University philosophy professor.

But, if I had to choose "My Most Unforgettable Character," it would not be one of those eccentrics, nor some exemplary citizen of the type populating the regular Reader's Digest feature on unforgettable characters.

My choice would be a gregarious and at times self-destructive artist. He lives each day with the self-centered verve you would expect from someone facing imminent death who had decided to make the best of it.


"Tree Carver" RK Harniman


Sculptor R.K. "Harnie" Harniman (aka "Tree Carver")  moved from New Haven, Ct, to North Carolina five years ago, saddening many Northern friends and the landlord to whom he owed 10 months back rent.

On a trip south this winter, I found Harnie had become a well-known figure in Charlotte. The handsome, bearded artist, now affluent, strolls along the city's streets like an electioneering politician, rapping hello on store windows or stopping passersby with banter.

He's best know for creating huge sculptors from trees by day - hence "Tree Carver". At night, he loves to drink, dance and brawl. A non-stop raconteur, he craves the limelight, which he's finding in his new hometown.

His four-bedroom home was the scene of a Halloween party that attracted 500 guests last October. Another in August brought 1,000 persons at $10 a head to the 100 acre site. The August party, hosted by Harnie and several of his friends, featured seven bands, two radio disc jockeys, a 240foot long waterside into two specially created swimming pools, 400 pounds of barbecued meat, 39 kegs of beer - and free helicopter rides for those who wanted to survey the scene.



"Tree Carver" RK Harniman carving another Georgia Bulldog with one of his bear statues in the background

I met Harnie in 1974 when I wrote an article about a 13 foot high tree sculpture he did for free in New Haven's Edgewood Park as a memorial for a deceased friend of his.

I recall that take floor of his New Haven loft was carpeted with tree bark, the kitchen sink was brown with ancient dirt, and spattered with plaster and paint. I was once served a curious meal there: slightly stale bread seasoned with oil from a tuna can.

The tuna meat was saved for later in an unusual show of foresight by the artist, who often ran out of gasoline while driving around New Haven. He sometimes spent large chunks of his art commissions on the day he got them on restaurant steak dinners he financed for up to a dozen friends.

Two shopping malls hired him to create wood statues at least 20 feet high. In Raleigh, he carved a figure of Sir Walter Raleigh as a bicentennial project.

In carving the 24-foot-high figure of a "mountain man" in a Charlotte mall, the artist continued his custom of chatting with shoppers as he worked. But he chafed under the restrictions from mall officials, who criticized his delays and finally put his carving in the basement before he could finish it.

Harnie received a substantial inheritance from an aunt last year, giving him new independence from art buyers. His goal now is to buy a mountain top where he can carve mammoth tree sculptures in a sort of artistic amusement park open to the public.



In the meantime, he has amused himself in buying and building two bars in Charlotte. He has done much of the basic construction himself, sometimes working with the chainsaws that he used to hew the preliminary outlines of his tree carvings.

"My philosophy is to work hard and to party hard," said the muscular former (Yale) college sprinter, who refuses to take time for the surgery to correct his serious hernia condition. Any pal of his is liable to receive a surprise visit, coupled with manically-told yarns of adventure.

The tree carver is likely to shout a greeting through an outside loudspeaker in his customized, six-bed, monogrammed, motorized camper. In his favorite yarns, he portrays himself as an audacious imp.

One story has him fighting a New Haven policeman, another having outlandish fun at a Yale University gathering, another driving at high speeds at 2 a.m. through Charlotte woods and fields in the dune-buggy he built called "The Termite."

When a Charlotte newspaper reporter interviewed him three years ago on his art work, Harnie gleefully recounted, several times, the story of one of his classic brawls, which has hospitalized him for two days shortly before the interview.


On stage for the Georgia-Carolina game at the Universal Joint in Clayton, Georgia

His account has him fighting three men in the aftermath of insults at a party. Harnie, telling of how he regained consciousness after a surprise attack on him, used his shoulder to break down the doors to two apartments in a Charlotte singles complex in search of his assailants-who greeted his entrance with a drawn gun.

"That's why I like this country. They"ll let you do anything you want," said Harnie, recalling both the artistic support and the relative freedom from reprisal for his escapades that he has enjoyed in North Carolina.

But, he added, "You can't fool with 'em too much down here - or they'll shoot you."

Says a friend: "Harnie pushes the limit pretty often - so he knows what it is."




A Tree Carver original concept drawing of the
proposed Catamount carving for Western Carolina College
(ffered for charity) 27 September 2014 www.mountainheritageday.com




« Last Edit: September 26, 2014, 06:58:21 am by thorfourwinds »
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Offline thorfourwinds

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Re: Lake Burton Grocery Rebuilding by thorfourwinds - GoFundMe
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2014, 07:11:23 am »
Greetings:

We thought this might be of interest, as Andrew is a friend and is/was a member here.    :o

And it serves as a shameless BUMP for our Lake Burton Grocery charity effort.
   :P



Andrew Kreig

Andrew Kreig is the author of "Presidential Puppetry: Obama, Romney and Their Masters," the first book in hardcover about the national surveillance scandal and the rest of the Obama second term to date.

Drawing on four years of research and the author's diverse sources, the book exposes many unreported or under-reported news stories about government operations in the United States and globally.

The book argues that the process has gone astray in important respects, and now threatens the American way of life.

The first book also is one of the first to examine the 2012 elections.

"Puppetry" reveals the disloyalty of CIA Director David Petraeus, Karl Rove’s attempt to rig 2012 election results, and unreported scandals among top second-term Obama appointees.

With reporting current as of the end of June 2013, "Puppetry" places its revelations into the context of more than a century of history.

The 350-page narrative is supported by more than 1,000 endnotes. It is published in hardback, paperbound, and EBook editions, with availability worldwide via major distributors.

www.presidentialpuppetry.com.

Kreig, in addition to his book-writing, directs the business consultancy Eagle View Capital Strategies and, separately, the non-partisan Justice Integrity Project, an investigative reporting organization.

Those efforts follow his dozen years from 1996 to 2008 as president and CEO of the Wireless Communications Association International, a worldwide leader in advocacy to create the broadband wireless industry.

He is an attorney, author, and journalist active in civic affairs who has been listed continuously since the mid-1990s in such reference books as "Who's Who in America" and "Who's Who in the World."

He is a member of a number of professional, business, and civic groups, including several at the board, advisory committee, or research fellow level.

Presidential Puppetry, Obama, Rove, Petraeus, Romney

Article: Review: Andrew Kreig, "Presidential Puppetry: Obama, Romney, and Their Masters" | OpEdNews

And another proud member of TEAM RABUN








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