1 MAY 08: ALL A-FLITTER

"We hand-packed them this morning." So said a Goodwill Industries employee Wednesday. And amazingly, she was NOT talking about the ice cream at the Ben and Jerry's "scoop shop...."

The staff of Goodwill Industries in Columbus hand-packed 2,035 butterflies in boxes, and released them at a midday open house on Veterans Parkway. Each butterfly a person who gained a job through Goodwill last year. So it was interesting to see many butterflies cling to the onlookers, like they didn't really want to leave.

Goodwill Industries opens a new "retail store and training center" today on Veterans Parkway, where the West Point Stevens outlet store used to be. I saw construction there months ago, and thought Muldoon's at the end of the strip mall was adding a wide new dance floor. Instead, it's getting a new second floor -- which probably won't have nearly enough soundproofing.

The new store on Veterans Parkway will be the only Goodwill store in Columbus, in addition to one in Phenix City. A store on South Lumpkin Road was closed a couple of years ago -- and I can remember when Goodwill had a store downtown on Broadway. Back then, you could cut through the middleman and give clothes directly to beggars.

Invited visitors to Wednesday's open house were given a tour of how Goodwill Industries works. "We really need donations," an employee said to the group I was in -- but a sign said the center wants "gently used items." So much for my plans to donate old running shoes....

Amanda Lester of the Goodwill Industries staff says contrary to what you might think, less than five percent of all donations wind up at the landfill. Does this mean local residents are wise, in donating quality items? Or do homeless people wander by donation sites on weekends, and take the junky stuff?

There was a time when Goodwill Industries provided jobs for workers, by having them repair and refurbish donated items. Amanda Lester says that doesn't happen anymore. So I suppose you should shop with care at the new store -- because Goodwill usually doesn't sell sewing kits with buttons at the checkout.

Amanda Lester said Goodwill Industries's goal is to put items on sale in the store within 24 hours of their donation. The longer the wait, "the less value they have." I'm not sure I agree with that. If your plaid dinner jacket is ten years out of style to begin with, one or two more days really shouldn't matter.

A box lunch was served at the "V.I.P. Luncheon" for the new Veterans Parkway store, including ice cream samples from Goodwill's "PartnerShop" with Ben & Jerry's. This came one day after the annual Ben & Jerry's "free scoop" day - so there may never be a better time to stop by Bruster's and avoid a line.

I don't recall ever eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream before - and the "vanilla fudge chip" flavor was thick, creamy and good. I reached that table as the "Phish Food" flavor ran out. I'll stick to tuna on my sandwiches, thank you....

But back to those butterflies: Kari Finley of Goodwill Industries told me there's a company in Florida which breeds them for special events. Sometimes they're released at weddings. And if anyone leaves the doors open too long at Callaway Gardens, there's a backup plan ready.

The staff packed 2,035 butterflies in big boxes - and at the right moment, officials ranging from Mayor Jim Wetherington to State Senators Ed Harbison and Seth Harp opened the boxes to let them out. As the insects swarmed around the crowd, I couldn't resist telling people around me: "It's a Hitchcock movie!"

Just because butterflies are free does NOT mean they want to soar into the atmosphere. Dozens of them settled on the pavement outside the store, and people had to be careful not to step on them. But as someone told me, it probably beat releasing 2,035 doves -- especially when you consider all the cars parked nearby.

So if you have items ready to give away after spring cleaning, keep the new Goodwill Industries store in mind. And if you're looking for good values on clothing and other items, consider it as well. But at least one person in this shopping center might not like the selection and the low prices -- the manager of the Dollar General store next door.

BLOG UPDATE: "The Truth" should officially begin playing music today, at 103.7 FM. But the station's program manager didn't quite speak the truth Wednesday, when he told WLTZ contemporary Christian music is in Columbus for the "first time." If he can't hear WBUE-FM, maybe he's like his station - based in Cusseta.

Contemporary Christian music actually was on Columbus AM radio about ten years ago. A satellite service was tried at 1270 AM for awhile, but it didn't last. That station turned into "Unforgettable 1270" - which has been forgotten for about seven or eight years now.

Now let's see what we can remember from the Wednesday news....

+ Columbus had a record low temperature of 42 degrees F. Keep that in mind, the next time Columbus State University brings in a guest lecturer on global warming.

+ The Georgia Secretary of State's web site showed Newnan attorney Stephen Camp has filed to run against Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. Trouble is, the web site on Camp's application leads to a bunch of links for everything from summer camps to timeshares. Now that's a unique way to raise campaign funds....

+ The commander of Fort Benning's Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation told WRBL he will retire in July. If Col. Gilberto Perez can't wait until November, this year's God Bless Fort Benning party may have to be moved up.

+ Alabama Attorney General Troy King announced Stanley Boone has pleaded guilty to stealing copying machines from several East Alabama locations. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a copy-cat criminal....

+ Columbus High School won the first ladies' lacrosse playoff game in city history. The team eliminated Pope 16-8 - and while I didn't see the second half, you have to wonder if Pope was pooped.

(If you think about it, only a local public school could have won a lacrosse game over Pope High School. A team from Pacelli would have felt too guilty about it.)

+ Asheville burned the Columbus Catfish 5-3, in a baseball game played at 11:00 a.m. It was justified as a school "field trip," because Oxbow Meadows had animal life on display -- but if the turtle was kept off the field, does it really count?

+ Instant Message to the people in Junction City who are complaining about noisy freight trains: How do you think Junction City got its name? Maybe you can get the CSX railroad to change its schedule, by holding "Petticoat Junction" beauty pageants in the middle of the day.

To offer a story tip, make a PayPal donation, advertise to our readers or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 693 (+ 30, 4.5%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.