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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2008
Opinions
“Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost omnipotent. ”
- Henry Ward Beecher -
Chris Bridges, editor • Email: cbridges@barrowjournal.com
our views
‘Change’ was Barrow’s byword in 2008
T HE EARTH moved in Barrow County in 2008. It was a year
when everything changed. For most of 2008, politics and the
elections dominated the public agenda. There were endless
debates and forums; political signs dotted the landscape. And while
there was a huge interest in the historic presidential election, there was
an even larger interest in several hot local races.
When all the dust settled, Barrow County had tossed out its county
commission in favor of new faces; it had elected a new sheriff; and
Barrow helped elect a new district attorney.
Change had come to Barrow County.
But there were three other big local stories as well in 2008 that may
echo with the word “change” into 2009 and beyond.
First, controversy over the local airport led to an organized citizens’
revolt. Over the last few years, many in Barrow’s leadership had focused
on building the airport into a focus around which to generate economic
growth. The idea was that a larger, more advanced airport would help
bring new industries to the county and bring greater balance to the
county’s lopsided tax digest.
Whether the airport could become a major economic asset is debat
able. What isn’t debatable is that many local citizens didn’t want a larger
airport. Citizens organized at the grassroots level and waged a campaign
against airport expansion plans.
But that citizens’ movement morphed and became larger than a
single-issue effort. If the airport didn’t become a focus for economic
growth, it did become the nexus around which citizens built a powerful
political voice. That voice echoed at the polls with a major shakeup in
the county’s leadership and it later expanded beyond airport issues to
include other county concerns. Those initial anti-airport efforts became
a larger political movement of change in Barrow County during 2008.
Another big issue in 2008 was the local impact of the economic down
turn. Since 2003, Barrow had been booming with a rapid expansion of
subdivisions and commercial real estate ventures. It was the 12th fastest
growing county in the nation during the housing bubble.
But in 2008, all of that came crashing down. From rapid growth to
virtually no growth, Barrow was whip-lashed into an economic tailspin.
Much of the local economy had been driven by the engine of real estate
development and construction. It created thousands of jobs.
So when the bubble popped, the impact sent shockwaves throughout
the community. Unemployment began to rise. Foreclosures skyrock
eted. Government budgets saw revenues drop. Many houses, building
lots and commercial property sit empty.
In 2008, many of the easy assumptions about Barrow County’s future
were called into doubt. The boom became a bust. It was not a welcome
change.
The final big issue in Barrow County during 2008 wasn’t as overt or
dramatic as the airport or housing bust. But during the year, a strong
undercurrent that questioned the Barrow County Board of Education
began to form.
Among the issues in 2008: Controversy over a proposed Mariachi
music class at one high school led to an atmosphere of divisiveness;
problems with a new sports field house caught BOE members off-guard;
computer glitches at the start of the school year frustrated everyone;
a study compiled by a private citizen indicated some Barrow County
graduates were struggling in college, needing additional remediation;
some CRCT results in lower grades were below the state average; and
the economic downturn began to hammer the school system’s finances
with an increasing amount of pressure.
While those issues didn’t explode during 2008, people did began to
question some of the BOE’s leadership, perhaps setting the stage for
further winds of change in the future.
Yes, “change” was the byword for Barrow in 2008. Where that change
will lead, however, remains to be seen.
Remembering a fallen soldier
“Well done, Thou good and faithful servant. ” -
Matthew 25:21
On December 25, 2006 while many of us were
celebrating Christmas with our families — safe and
warm, happy and well-fed — an Army Sergeant 1st
Class named Dexter Wheelous fell, the result of
wounds he suffered “when an improvised explosive
device detonated near his vehicle during combat
operations in Baghdad.”
He was 37.
He was from Winder.
He was assigned to the 842nd Military Training
and Transition team, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st
Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas.
I didn’t know this man, but he was apparently
quite a guy. Just read some of the quotes about him
on a really wonderful, uplifting, incredibly sad Blog,
www.remember-the-fallen.blogSDQt.com:
“Road Dog! you will never be forgotten; you are a
true soldier. I am grateful to have had a friend who
made me a better person and leader.”
“Wheelous was my soldier in 1987 while stationed
in Germany. Although I was the senior, I often found
myself learning about patience and ‘not stressing’
from Dexter. We laughed a lot and often shared
long conversations about life and the Army. He truly
loved the Army and was dedicated to it.”
“I can’t believe you are gone. Man, you were a
true leader that always kept a positive attitude, no
matter what. You made a great impression on me
and when I think of a leader I think of you. You live
on in all of us whose lives you touched.”
“He was truly a great soldier. He was always
laughing. If I needed a job done, I could always
count on him to do it. He never had any complaints.
He always kept a smile on his face no matter what
the situation. It was truly a blessing to know him and
serve with him.”
“My brother, I will always love you. I will for
ever miss your laugh, smile and you telling me
‘Everything will be alright.’”
The tribute to Sgt. Wheeler on the Blog said he
was known by friends and family as, “Byrd.” It said
he left behind a “devoted wife, four brothers, four
sisters, a host of relatives and
a community of friends who
loved him dearly.”
The photos of him show
a tall, proud, serious-looking
man replete in full dress uni
form. He looks like a guy who
could inspire others and get
the job done. I am sure he is
missed.
Thankfully, I have not had
any Iraq-Afghanistan veter
ans in my circle of family or
friends. It’s not that I don’t
respect what they do/have done/will continue to
do, it’s just that I am weak of constitution.
I do not have the bravery in my heart that
those soldiers’ mothers, wives, sisters, fiancees,
girlfriends, husbands, children, parents, boyfriends,
etc. have. I could not stand bravely — as I have seen
them do at the airport — and, smile and wave and
appear to be okay as they say, “Goodbye.”
I would be a wreck, a worried, tear-stained,
unsmiling mess of a mother/wife, not the kind that
gives you courage and faith as you walk away to face
the violent unknown.
In my travels, at the airport and the hospital and,
as a wedding photographer, I have seen, and, been
inspired and touched, by so many moments, sights
and stories since this most recent war began.
Several years ago, when this war was new, I was
at Hartsfield and a group of soldiers headed for
Iraq or Afghanistan, marched by. Strong and proud
they were, heads held high, faces hopeful and
determined-looking.
Everyone in the airport stopped as they passed by,
looked, then began to clap and cheer. There were
tears in many eyes as we watched our brave heroes
march by to, at best, an uncertain fate.
At the hospital where I work, there have been
young wives and nurses with husbands faraway,
serving in these conflicts. There have also been
mothers in various positions, sending their sons
and daughters away. So far, everyone that I’ve
known of has come back, haunted, but at least
physically okay.
In the wedding photo biz, there was the bride
whose dad just got back from two tours of duty in
Iraq. He was resplendent in his highly decorated
dress uniform. He was clearly so happy to be back
in his daughter’s life.
But at times when he thought no one was looking,
he had very sad and distant eyes.
At another wedding, the bride’s twin brother not
present because his tour of duty in Iraq had been
extended. His young wife read his touching toast
with more than one crack in her voice and more
than several pauses to gulp back her tears. The
families on both sides of this wedding had long
histories of military service, so each table was deco
rated with a picture of a soldier in past or current
service. The photo of the bride’s twin, looking very
much like Sgt. Wheelous in terms of strength and
determination, was my favorite.
A Christmas card this year from an old friend,
features the phrase, “We choose Hope!” as my
friend describes how dedicated her son is to being
a Marine and how he will be shipped out to soon
serve in Iraq. I hope the people in the airport cheer
for him when he leaves, and God-willing, when he
comes back.
I hope Sgt. Wheelous got cheered for, as well, on
one of his many trips through airports going to and
from all the places the Army sent him to over the
years. We can’t do much, us faint of heart - but, we
can remember all the men and women like Dexter
Wheelous, who died serving their country.
And we can add a prayer of thanks and praise for
them as we say grace around our tables this, and
every day of the year.
Lorin Sinn-Clark is a columnist for the Barrow
Journal. She can be reached at lorin@barrowjour-
nal.com.
A Barrow wish
list for 2009
THE RINGING in of a new year
brings with it a renewed sense of
hope and opti
mism.
It always
seems to be
that way. No
matter how
much we have
been disap
pointed by the
previous 12
months, the
arrival of Jan. 1
means a sense
of renewed
chris
bridges
enthusiasm, if only for a little while.
We all hope the turning of the page
to a new year will bring better things,
both personally and professionally.
For Barrow County, there are sev
eral items that would improve things
in general during the next year.
With that in mind let’s hope before
2009 gives way to 2010, we see at
least some improvements in the fol
lowing areas:
• Traffic. Some significant improve
ments are desperately needed for the
traffic situation in downtown Winder.
A common sense approach would
be a good place to start. When you
have traffic congestion due to the fact
vehicles are trying to travel down a
path that was outdated 25 years ago,
then you can’t help but have a prob
lem. City officials cannot continue to
allow more and more businesses into
the downtown area with no regard
for what it does to traffic. A new
business does not have to placed on
every available inch of space in the
downtown Winder area. Hopefully,
the current mayor and council can
accomplish something in the area of
traffic. It has not received much help
in the past.
• Owner responsibility. Since I
moved to Winder in 1997 I have
looked at various buildings in the
downtown area and wondered a
simple question: “Why in the world
are the owners of builders allowed
to let their properties deteriorate to
such deplorable conditions?” The old
Winder motel is a prime example of
this, along with the old Peskins build
ing, which since its closing, has been
decaying and is now on the verge of
collapse. With property ownership
comes responsibility, although some
property owners in the downtown
area apparently don’t realize it.
• Non-partisan politics. In Barrow
County, we have become too con
sumed by labels when it comes
to politics. In local elections, all it
takes to get elected is to have an
“R” by your name, as in Republican.
Whether you are a Democrat or
Republican has little to do with poli
tics at the local level. When people
go into a voting booth and make their
decision based on whether an “R” or
a “D” is by a candidate’s name, then
it is lazy voting. I say make all local
races non-partisan. This would make
voters research what candidates
really stand for. An informed voter is
always the best kind. Besides, what
does it matter if a sheriff or a probate
judge or a coroner is a Republican or
Democrat?
• Working together. With several
new members on the Barrow County
Board of Commissioners, it will be
interesting to see just how well this
group works together starting in
the new year. Let’s hope the group
remembers the main goal is to put
the needs of Barrow County’s citi
zens first. That’s why each member
has been elected. Discussion and
debate are always needed and are
even healthy, but they should never
lose sight of the No. 1 goal which is
to represent the county and its citi
zens’ interests.
• Solid-paying jobs. The arrival of
some new businesses in Barrow
County which offer wages which
can support a family, not just new
businesses that pay minimum wage.
We already have more than enough
minimum-wage-paying businesses
that shuffle workers through like cat
tle. What we need is a solid company
(or companies) that offer above pay
scale and benefits for those who are
loyal and hard-working.
Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow
Journal. He can be reached at abridges@
barrowjournal. com.