Newspaper Page Text
♦ TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2006
4A
Muusixut Itailg
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
Two out of three
Two out of three ain’t bad ... ain’t bad at all.
Warner Robins and Northside both earned a
Georgia High School Association state semifinal
bid this past weekend with wins.
Houston County, fell, although we’re still proud of our
Bears. They advanced past two opponents - two rounds
- before coming
up against a tough
Roswell team. So
they’ve got noth
ing to hang their
heads over.
As far as the
Demons and
Eagles, there were
plenty of people
unhappy when
Warner Robins
and Northside
were separated in
classification - the
Demons moving
up to AAAAA, the
Eagles opting to
remain in AAAA.
But, if that
weren’t the case,
with playoff brack
ets aligning the
way they do, there
is no way we could be venturing to the Georgia Dome
this weekend (Friday for Northside, Saturday for Warner
Robins) to see not one, but two of our teams in action.
The quality of football in Houston County has for years
been known throughout the state. We have the greatest
coaches. They work tirelessly. We have the greatest pro
grams. They, as a result of the coaches' work, are as solid
as a rock year in and year out.
And, we have the greatest players.
The only thing left to do now is to buy tickets and show
your support.
Letter to the Epttor
Shared frustration
I would like to respond to the recent letter to the editor
written by Greg Carroll. Mr. Carroll has stated the same
frustration many of us in our community have expressed
in recent years. It must be noted that every major street
in Perry is either a state or federal highway. Thus, they
come under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Department
of Transportation (Georgia DOT). They, and they alone,
have control over all traffic signals in Perry and they are
timed to move cars on their highways and not on our
“city” streets. They recently made an adjustment to the
light at Washington and Carroll in order that Carroll
Street traffic would not have to wait so long on that
particular light. However, in so doing, those traveling on
Washington Street almost always catch all three lights
on Washington in the “red” cycle. We have requested the
Georgia DOT to visit with us soon and see if we can make
some meaningful changes to the timing of these lights.
In regard to the Highway 41/Meeting Street intersec
tion, this was a Georgia DOT approved project to enhance
the downtown area and was sponsored by the Downtown
Development Authority. There is a possibility that this
project will be “tweaked” in the future in order to avoid
any major problems.
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
Not having to stoop
Let me begin with the fact that I really don’t feel that
I need justify my comments now nor in the future. First,
this is an opinion page. I have opinions as I am sure Mr.
(Frank) Gadbois has.
I will not stoop to the level of insulting anyone for their
opinion as he has to me and has to others in the past. I
unlike Mr. Gadbois don’t see conspiracies under every
rock and behind every bush.
Just so Mr. Gadbois can feel secure, I would like to state
publicly in this forum that unless there is a very good
reason, or I feel an overwhelming need to try another
political run for office, I'do not intend to run for any pub
lic office in Houston County again.
The voters in the county have spoken and unlike others
it doesn’t take a hit on the head with a sledgehammer for
me to understand.
I don’t have the money to run nor do I have a name that
will win in Houston County, and short of changing my
last name just to win, I have no desire to do that. That is
the main reason you get elected in this county.
Some people tell me that it took Lincoln seven times to
run before he won. I don’t have the patience I guess you
could say to wait that long.
So Mr. Gadbois to you and all other conspiracy theo
rists: Feel safe in the fact that Hillary may just get elected
and lead us to the Promised Land of Socialized medicine,
voters that are not American citizens and a Supreme
Court that makes legislation.
Wayne Overholt, Warner Robins
Worth Repeating
“Let cannon and bell at high noon call the people from
sport or study or toil, to reflection on that great life so
nobly lived. Let the universal display from tenement to
State House of the flag of the United States of America
remind the people that our country is the United States
because of Abraham Lincoln.”
Curtis Guild Jr., 1860-191$
U. S. Ambassador to Russia
Lincoln’s Birthday Proclamation, 1908
Audrey Evans
Vice President
Marketing!Advertising
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
The quality of football
in Houston County has
for years been known
throughout the state.
We have the greatest
coaches. They work
tirelessly. We have the
greatest programs.
They, as a result of the
coaches' work, are as
solid as a rock year in
and year out.
It was good to be the 'Boss'
It seems that not many people com
posing the population of Warner
Robins today have any inkling of
the city’s history or the people who
were the backbone of the community
in its beginning.
Warner Robins is only 63 years old.
Only a handful of families can claim
heritage dating back to its beginning.
First there was the rural, farming
community of Wellston, with a sawmill
across Highway 247 and the railroad
tracks. There was a little general store.
A few homes were scattered about.
Then came World War II and the
Army Air Corps decided to build a
base on the east side of the railroad.
Workers came from all over Middle
Georgia. Some lived in spartan apart
ments built by the government.
Most workers at the base commuted,
even throughout the war and for many
more years.
The Georgia legislature created the
city of Warner Robins March 23, 1943.
A mayor and city council were appoint
ed.
The first mayor was C.B. (Boss)
Watson, a respected farmer and leader
in the Wellston community. I have been
told that he was a friend of President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and visited with
the President when he was in Warm
Springs.
His home was located in an oak
grove, and they cut Commercial Circle
around his home, which faced what
became Watson Blvd.
They called him “Boss” and any
one who did not know better believed
it was because he was the “boss.”
Actually, his name was Bostic and he
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If Allred sues Richards, who's left to sue Vick?
The public is always entertained
by watching celebrities fumble
and crumble. Some recent events
illustrate why this cruel and clinical
voyeurism applies doubly to lawyers.
I’m still an active member of my
state bar. Like many who have prac
ticed law, I’m also fed up when legal
posturing becomes more about show
manship than justice. In fact, one of
the real “victims” of recent legal antics
may be free speech itself.
Let’s review some scattered incidents
that have dominated the post-election,
slow news cycle of late.
The FOX TV network announced
that it would air an interview with O.J.
Simpson, who would be promoting his
new book “If I Did It.”
It’s both a disclaimer and a plain
fact that the very idea of Simpson’s
“project” appalled me. It’s still true,
however, that suppression of the book
and interview loudly violates the
supposedly sacrosanct notion of free
speech. Let’s just credit those whose
own speech rights were used to help
stop Simpson’s attempted new public
relations binge.
But it didn’t stop there. A family
member, or members, of the murder
victims did their own interview on
CNN - the big rival of FOX, of course
- and, with lawyer in tow, expressed
their (understandable) outrage about
how FOX parent company Newscorp
had supposedly behaved so badly in
advancing the Simpson project.
What this did, of course, was keep
the whole Simpson story alive, and by
CNN, which took the opportunity to
bash FOX while riding the moral high
OPINION
acquired the nickname “Boss” at an
early age.
He was in his sixth year as mayor of
Warner Robins when I came to town
in late 1948. Mayors served two-year
terms and he had been reelected twice
without opposition after serving his
appointed term.
We got off to sort of a rocky start
when I came to town to start a weekly
newspaper. There already was a weekly
newspaper in town and the city officials
figured that was all that was needed, so
City Clerk Maud Paris told me that I
would not be issued a business license.
I went ahead and printed the first
issue of the Warner Robins Sun and
distributed it, was issued a business
license after the fact and everything
was okay after that.
I liked Boss Watson. He was a soft
spoken man. He exuded self-confidence
in himself and what he wanted to do.
He was highly regarded throughout
the county.
He ran the city of Warner Robins
from the beginning about as he pleased.
Members of city council accepted his
leadership role and experience without
question. He was older than them and,
clearly, wiser.
horse. Never mind that both Newscorp
and FOX ultimately did the right thing
and took a huge financial bath by doing
so.
Next came the sad saga of actor/come
dian Michael Richards, of “Kramer”
and “Seinfeld” TV fame. He was video
taped during a standup comedy routine
in which he used the obviously unac
ceptable “N” word, as it’s called in
polite company.
Richards’ career is damaged, per
haps irrevocably. It’s hard to pity him.
And yet again there’s the nagging
little matter of freedom of speech.
Condemned he should be. But it’s not
stopping there. Now comes a potential
lawsuit, courtesy of publicity hound
Gloria Allred.
Allred reportedly has said that
she represents two of the targets of
Richards’ remarks.
She’s been quoted as saying she is
considering taking legal action for the
emotional distress her clients suffered
from the comedian’s abusive remarks.
I suppose a woman of Allred’s con
siderable skills can find some case law
to support a claim that a five-to- 10-
minute verbal tirade in a comedy club
can result in emotional distress.
But what would the damages be?
Foy
Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox.net
f . —j*-
Matt
Towery
Columnist
Morris News Service
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
No one doubted his ability, his dedi
cation to this fledgling city or his
integrity.
By the time he had served 7 ‘/a years
in office he decided to step aside for
younger people to take on the burden
of the office and to take on the job of
forming the foundation of a real city.
He resigned from office and a suc
cessor was appointed, but as long as he
lived his influence continued to hover
over the changing city. New leaders
sought his advice.
Public service continued as a trade
mark of his family. His son Herman
served on city council and in the Georgia
legislature. His grandson “Sonny" had
a long and distinguished career as a
legislator.
No one - his family or friends - knew
that “Boss” Watson kept the fledgling
city of Warner Robins afloat during his
tenure as mayor many times by meet
ing the payroll with his own money.
This was learned after his death, when
the family found evidence of his expen
ditures.
In my opinion, it is unfortunate that
in a city so young so little is known
about many of the people who buckled
down and did the hard labor that kept
Warner Robins alive during and after
World War 11.
I am writing this because people who
have moved here in the last few decades
should know who “Boss’ Watson was
and appreciate that the flourishing
city they see today might never have
existed without real pioneers, first and
foremost among them being our first
mayor.
Would Allred trot out a psychiatrist
to suggest her clients are so emotion
ally wounded that they can’t function? '
Maybe she’ll have them wear neck
braces in court to establish a claim of
verbal whiplash.
Now it’s being suggested that the
whole “trial” process be junked in
favor of a binding decision, apparently
by an arbitrator.
What a farce.
Whatever she does, many people
believe it won’t be to advance the
cause of justice. And it certainly won’t
bolster the reputations of high-flying
attorneys who seem to swoop down
with talons bared wherever contro
versy breaks out.
There are exceptions to the rule of
free-speech suppression.
Last Sunday, quarterback Michael
Vick of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons took
out his frustrations on a group of heck
ling fans as he left the field by exer
cising his own interpretation of free
speech. He “flipped the bird,” which
is a manual version of the dreaded
“F” word, another un-tolerated speech
word.
I’m a Michael Vick fan. I’m not look
ing for anyone to add to his already
considerable troubles with this inci
dent. But I have to ask, where is the
silk-shirted corporate attorney, appear
ing on a major television talk show to
defend the “rights” of those fans? Why
didn’t Gloria Allred rush to the defense
of the offended women and children
who may now be scarred for life as a
result of Vick’s crudity?
It seems freedom of speech and law
suits are a highly selective matter.