Newspaper Page Text
♦ IHURSOAY, AUGUST 2, 2007
4A
OPINION
Daniel F. Evans
President
Editor and Publisher
Julie B. Evans
Vice President
Group Marketing
Stop, stop, stop!
What does that flashing light mean?
It means “Pay attention! Change
is coming soon.”
We are very
happy to see
the i;apid prog
ress on the
long-awaited
traffic signal
at the inter
section of U.S.
41 (Macon Road) and Perimeter Road in
Perry.
County Public Works Director Tommy
Stalnaker said recently that he hoped the
signal would be functioning by the time
school starts, and it’s very close indeed.
We hope that those who travel past that
intersection regularly are taking note, and
that they understand that the flashing
lights are temporary and are there just for
this week as a warning that “stop and go”
lights will begin soon.
In fact, the red, green and yellow signals
will be fully-operational on Tuesday.
Start paying attention now, and be espe
cially careful when the new system gets
under way next week, because while drivers
are used to long waits on Perimeter at that
intersection, they’re also used to sailing
right on through when they’re on U.S. 41.
Kids will be kids
Houston County Schools will open on
Monday, which means that it’s time
to be especially watchful, and maybe
even leave for work a little sooner if you’re
an impatient sort of driver.
Keep in mind that no matter what the law
is, kids will be kids. They’ll run into the
street after balls, they’ll step into intersec
tions • talking to their friends and they’ll
take risks they shouldn’t take when they’re
in a hurry.
A kid is no match for a moving car, and,
it’s incumbent on all of us to keep our eyes
on them and drive with extra care dur
ing the hours that they’re on their way to
school or on their way home.
Get out the bug spray
There have been reports of two mosqui
to-borne viruses in Georgia in recent
days. Equine encephalitis has shown
up in Bibb and Lowndes Counties and West
Nile Virus has been identified in Fulton
County.
These haven’t reached the human popu
lation yet, but they have before, and they
could again.
If you live in an area that is not sprayed
regularly and you work outside, now’s the
time to start using insect repellant.
It’s also a good idea to check your yard out
for standing water. Mosquitos can breed in
very small amounts of water, so if there’s a
bucket or flower pot with rainwater in it,
tip it out.
Letter to the Editor
School plan won't work
Mr. (Foy) Evans,
I read, with great interest, your article about year round
schools. In a nutshell, “It won’t work”. When I was living
in Florida and my son was in the third grade, the Orange
County School District (Orlando) tried that and after one
year abandoned the plan. It was a dismal failure.
Here are a few of the reasons why: 1. The support
personnel (bus drivers, office help, security etc. all had
summer jobs and would not/could not give them up) that
caused additional expense to have “summer hires”; 2.
The tremendous cost of additional operating expenses i.e.
fuel for the buses, utility costs (air conditioning, water)
etc. was more than budgeted; 3. Most parents had several
children in elementary, middle and/or high school and
they all had different schedules. This scheduling conflict
had some kids attending middle school while the high
school kids were out and when the high schools were out,
the elementary and/or middle schools were in session. It
was total chaos!
All this pointed toward higher school taxes and when
that was announced the parents angrily voiced their
opinion to the school board. The school board members
“seeing” the light opted out of the plan the very next year
giving the excuse of “additional expenses.
Richard Powers
Foy S. Evans
Editor Emeritus
Don Moncrief
Managing Editor
In fact, the red, green
and yellow signals wiH
be fully-operational on
Tuesday.
Good education 'doesn't just Happen'
I wrote my first column on education
in Houston County almost 59 years
ago. In that column I wrote, “In my
opinion, the most important thing in
the world that we can give our children
is a good education.”
I feel the same way today.
A good education can be the foun
dation upon which a young person
can build his or her life. Without a
good education, a young person is at
the mercy of a ruthless market place,
which has little use for employees who
do not measure up.
I also wrote in that column that, in
my opinion, “teaching is one of the
most noble and important of all profes
sions.” I feel the same way today about
that statement, too.
My two sisters were schoolteach
ers. They began teaching at the age of
18, right out of Georgia Southwestern
College.
For most of the next 50 years they
devoted themselves to the classroom
and their students while adding to
their educations along the way.
One of my sisters realized, after
more than a quarter of a century, that
something was missing and she took
a course in phonics at Penn State
University. She told me that she was
tired of being unable to sound out
words and having difficulty looking up
words with which she was unfamiliar
mme a m mi wm mmw mmm:
m WCOS 'fOj FATHER ABOUT 6EX ?
K..(M?AUgSgAI? ...OENQU? If
% t#ui toe our next W^aerit. '— ; — 7
OEMOCRffIt CAtOTATEi).
JWf WRM Ftel 'n MOM, W, \
A pizza a day keeps wrinkles away
/ / T"V o you see them? Do you see
I 1 them?”
1 J My wife’s face was about
two inches from mine. I was supposed
to be noticing something about her
face.
“Do you see them? They’re wrinkles.
And they weren’t here a year ago,” she
said, with a hint that I was somehow
responsible.
“So, do you see them?”
Again, her face was about two inches
from mine, but I honestly didn’t notice
any wrinkles. I did, though, notice that
her lunch included onions.
“No, your face looks exactly like it
was the day I met you,” I said assured
ly. My assurance didn’t seem to soothe
her angst.
I don’t notice wrinkles of the skin, or
blemishes, or dry patches, or goiters,
for that matter. I know nothing of skin
care - never have, really. I remember
someone once offering me some mois
turizer.
“What’s that?”
“It’s moisturizer. Here, try some,”
they said.
“What’s it for?”
“It moisturizes your skin,” they
answered.
“Why do I need my skin moistur
ized?”
Crickets chirped. Somewhere in the
distance, miles away, I heard a hum
mingbird land on a leaf.
OPINION
in the dictionary. My other sister and
I had phonics from the first grade on
and had no such handicap.
Education has changed a lot since
I went to school. So has the world in
which we live. So have what is expected
of young people when they go out into
the world.
Probably one of the most significant
and important developments in public
school education was recognition, a
few decades ago, that not all children
are college material but there is a big
demand for their talents in the work
place.
Georgia made a giant leap forward
when it created the network of technical
schools. Students who find book work
boring or difficult have talents that
can be nurtured in technical schools,
providing us with skilled workers nec
essary in everyday life. Thousands of
graduates of Middle Georgia Technical
College are filling vital jobs at Robins
AFB today.
“I don’t know” was the eventual
response.
It is indeed ironic that, while I don’t
notice, or give a flip, about skin care, I
have uncovered the secret to a lifetime
of wrinkle-free skin.
I came upon this discovery where
all startling revelations are borne - on
TV The other day, I was perusing the
channels when I saw Aretha Franklin
singing. I paused the remote control
for a moment to listen to her distinct
song stylings.
“This must be from a long time ago,”
I said aloud to myself. “Her face looks
really young.”
Not so. Further viewing revealed
that the performance was recent.
How did her face look so smooth and
crease-free at the age of 65? Her mug
showed none of the plastic surgery
markings evident in other celebrities
- Exhibit A being Joan Rivers, who
now looks more like that Madame pup
pet (anyone remember “Solid Gold?”
HH Wm
Hfiift Ifj
Foy
Evans
Columnist
foyevansl9@cox.net
! ? i"
Len
Robbins
Columnist
airpub@planttel.net
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
From the time I came to Houston
County our school system has been rec
ognized as one of the best in the state.
It all begins with a board of education
that strives for the best, with a super
intendent with the right credentials
and the ability to translate them into
action and a corps of dedicated teach
ers, who courageously face unbeliev
able challenges each day.
The Houston County school system
has met greater challenges than most
in recent years, with enough new stu
dents each year to fill an entire school.
While meeting these challenges, the
school system regularly ranks among
the best in the state. It didn’t “just
happen.” Many dedicated people are
making it happen.
It is easy for critics to stand on the
sidelines and nit-pick for alleged flaws
in the system. There always will be
people who find fault. There always
will be room for improvement. The
important thing is that the people we
have put in charge are dedicated to set
ting a high standard and then finding
ways to improve on that.
As a new school year opens our pub
lic schools are in good hands. Now let
our students and parents take advan
tage of what is available to them.
Unfortunately, some wont.
I hope not) than an actual human
being.
No, the Queen of Soul is free of plas
tic.
A brief investigation uncovered her
secret. Aretha Franklin has retained
a fresh, youthful face via the following
regiment: She has gained five to 10
pounds a year for the last 30 years.
It’s a little known fact that skin
stretches. As Aretha’s case scientifi
cally concludes, if you stretch your skin
a little bit each year, it will become
tighter and tighter and wrinkles won’t
develop. What’s critical is that you
don’t skip a year and stay the same
weight.
It’s that simple.
Unknowingly, I have followed
this same regiment for years, which
accounts for my youthful glow.
Now, mind you, while gaining such
weight year after year clears wrinkles
from your face, it can, as evidenced by
Aretha, create crevices, indentations,
or ravines in other parts of your per
son.
But that’s a small price to pay for
smooth, clear, kissable skin when
you’re fighting time.
Actually, it’s a large price - but
maybe not as expensive as a plastic
surgeon.
Eat on, look young. It makes you feel
like a natural woman.