My name is Jon Goranson. I am a high school teacher of German in Georgia, and play around with ventriloquism also--mainly the characters of Jimmy Carter and Barney Fife. My memories of enjoying the Andy Griffith Show as a child and particularly the character of Barney, along with my wish to keep up my hobby, are my motivations for having this site. I'm grateful to Ranger Pat Aultman, formerly of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm/National Park Service in Plains, GA and the rest of the staff there, for having given me opportunities to perform my Jimmy act--to Melanie Perron of the Surry Arts Council in Mt. Airy, NC (Andy Griffith's hometown) and the owner and staff of the Main Oak Emporium there, for having given me opportunities to perform my Barney act--to Mary Ann Taylor for having custom-made both my Jimmy and my Barney puppets, and to Mike Graham for creating and hosting this site.