Newspaper Page Text
4A
♦ SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008
EDITORIAL
Tooling around on
Sunday afternoon
Webster’s defines tooling as
“to cause to go, to drive, to
convey in a vehicle”.
Last Sunday afternoon, I was tooling
around Perry with my dog, Hershey,
in my dirty Ford pick-up truck seeing
what I could see. That’s what coun
try folks used to do on Sunday after
noons.
Of course, what you were trying
to see depended on your age. When
young, it was girls (or boys) and then
later it was where you could get a good
ice cream cone (that’s kinda where I
am now).
This past Sunday, I was just look
ing at our pretty little town so I could
report my findings to you. However,
I did get me one of those new frosty
floats from Wendy’s.
Here goes:
1. Tooling down Carroll Street, I’ll
start with my kin folks’ new Christian
bookstore in downtown Perry. It’s
name, Beauty For Ashes (you Biblical
scholars will know it’s in the Bible).
Very nice. A credit to our downtown.
Books, CDs, T-shirts, all kinds of gift
items. And, if they don’t have it, they’ll
order it. Go by and give 'em a look.
2. Driving down Ball Street wonder
ing if the Ball Street Extension project
will ever be completed.
You know, the Empire State Building
was completed in just a little over a
year. Construction began on March
17, 1930, and the building officially
opened on May 1, 1931. It takes a lot
longer than that to get a traffic signal
approved and put in place. I guess it
"...It's nothing unusual. All graduates
think they have the world on a string."
Freezer burned, left to stew
My wife decided recently we
(me) would move our freez
er out on the back porch
to make room for other things in the
laundry room. (Like the big dresser-like
cabinet almost the same exact size and
weight she had me move in to take its
place.)
Along with that of course came the
“mandatory” defrosting.
And along with the defrosting came
an adventure not unlike anything seen
on the Discovery Channel itself.
Here are some of the “unique” items
I found between the hamburger and
potpies.
A squirrel. No, I don’t mean: “dead
squirrel field dressed and ready to cook”
- as in “squirrel and dumplings” (which
I tried one time and don’t think I’ll be
recommending here. “I do not like them
Sam I Am.”). I mean: “dead squirrel
fully intact, fur coat, guts and all.”
Now I know these suckers are every
where but in the freezer! And in a plas
tic bag nonetheless. Hmm ... Sounds
like the work of a 9-year-old ...
And speaking of which brings me to
item No. 2: A fish. A bass actually - all
approximate one pound of it. Not scaled.
Not filleted. Just there - with those big
round eyes still looking up and out, beg
ging the question: “Why?” “Why?” “Oh
the horror ... the horror ...”
Ah yes. I remember circumstances
leading up to this well.
Larry
Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgb-law.com
says lots about our country, today, and
also about the work ethic. We need to
do better.
3. Speaking of traffic signals, it
seems to me that the ones in down
town Perry have become, once again,
un-synced. Try going from our law
office to the new Walgreen Pharmacy
building without having to stop once or
twice - virtually, impossible.
Is it the signals, or is it me? I guess
our DOT Board member (that’s Larry)
ought to get on this.
4. Mentioning Walgreen’s new store
reminds me to say, “it looks as if the
store is going to be very nice”. Now, we
have about the same number of drug
stores in downtown Perry that we had
50 or 60 years ago.
There are differences: a) there are
probably more products on one aisle of
the new mega-stores than in all of the
drugstores in 1960; and, b) none of the
2008 drugstores serve the wonderful
milkshakes and sandwiches that all
of the stores did when I was in high
school.
I wish I could have one more choco
late shake and grilled hotdog fixed by
Mozelle Sutton.
Don
Moncrief
Managing Editor
donm@evansnewspapers.com
“But you’ve just got to have it mount
ed,” were the pleas of you-know-who
- it being her first “big” catch and this
back in LaGrange back around 2004.
“No, I don’t think so. Honey, in terms
of bass, it’s really not that big.”
“Not that big! He’s a monster!”
I knew where this was headed so in
the ice chest it went with me intending
to filet it later and her intent on keep
ing a close eye on its whereabouts. She
knew in other words, so when we got
home she ensured it went right where
she could find (forget about) it.
And that leads me into item No. 3.
An empty oyster can. And inside that
empty oyster can, a band-aid. That’s
right. Somewhere out in that big, wide
open space we call the ocean, there’s a
fish swimming around minus his or her
Curad.
The story behind the can and the
band-aid: It was a very cold winter
day in 2003 (the year is scarred on my
memory forever - you’ll read why in a
second) when Don Moncrief decided:
“Man, wouldn’t a big bowl of oyster
ill
iiSi§B' vSr
■ s 'iH
5. What about the new, improved
intersection at Macon Road and Main
Street? Improvements were really
needed, and thanks to a donation of
land by the Perry United Methodist
Church and good work by the City of
Perry, it is done!
Now, I can make the turn when I
head north on my way home.
6. We’ve got a good, little city with
fine elected officials (not perfect, but
way above-average) and great city
employees. A good example of recent
good works is the vast improvements
being made to what I will call the
City’s Big Indian Creek Park. A 10-foot
wide sidewalk about a half-mile long is
being constructed along the creek. In
fact, it might already be in place. And,
it’s handicap accessible. Those who
have walked it tell me “it’s beautiful”.
I haven’t walked it yet, but intend to
do so within the next few days.
I hope I have better luck than when
Bobby Tuggle tricked me into canoing
down Big Indian. I spent more time in
the creek than on it! Congratulations
on a good job to the City, and thanks to
the Perry Rotary Club for your spon
sorship and help.
7. And out at the AgCenter, the new
Executive Director, Randy Moore, is
excited about the Governor’s Go Fish
project. Randy thinks it’s going to be
“very good”! I agree. Go Randy, go
fish!
Well, there’s a lot more, but I’m out
of space. But, I really enjoyed tooling
around our town - and Hershey said
she enjoyed it, too.
stew warm me up right about now.”
Boy how he loved oyster stew - to the
chagrin of his family members who
hated it.
So he pulled the can out, opened it up,
poured its contents into a pan, added
butter, salt, pepper and milk and stood
back to wait for it to heat - stirring
occasionally. Oh, this is going to be so
very good, he drooled.
When it reached just the right tem
perature, he took it off, poured it into
the bowl, got the crackers and began
to eat. ,
Then, around about the fifth or so
bite - you might want to brace your
self a bit - he lifted the spoon, got it to
within about two or three inches of his
mouth and saw: A band-aid!
A band-aid! Don Moncrief s eyes went
as big as the aforementioned fish (I’m
not even going to describe what his
stomach did). And he did not have any
cuts on any part of his body. It was
“not” his band-aid! It could only have
been placed there -1 wince even now to
have to say it - by accident or whatever,
by a factory worker!
So the can and the band-aid went into
a plastic bag and into the freezer while I
pondered whether or not I was going to
sue them for millions.
And to be quite honest, there they
will remain until the next bicentennial
defrosting or maybe even longer.
Some things should never thaw.
"One voice can make a difference"
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Hoise racing’s potential untapped
I would like to add comment to an on point letter to the
editor regarding pari-mutuel horse racing in our state of
Georgia.
Besides the letter’s contents of separation of church and
state, and the fact that you can go into any convenience
store and have the choice of playing up to 40 different
scratch off games and multiple lotteries, I would like to make
a few personal points regarding gambling.
I have been breeding Standardbred harness racehorses
here in Perry for the past 10 years, only to have them leave
and race in other states and provinces such as Ontario,
Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and New
York. My horses leave here at 18 months old for training and
racing in these states that have pari-mutuel racing programs.
I also pay nomination fees, stakes supplements, et cetera for
them to be eligible for these races.
When I sell a horse at auction, those particular states ben
efit from sales taxes as well as money generated into their
local economy.
While the horses reside in Georgia, I feed both mare and
foal, utilize veterinary services, farriers, maintain the prop
erty, stalls, fences, buy tack and equipment, etc. In other
words I employ many individuals and that money also leaves
when the horses do.
Standardbreds are race-eligible up to 15 years of age, so
we potentially lose up to 13 years and hundreds of thou
sands of dollars in revenue, not to mention their retirement
in Georgia.
I am already gambling in raising horses to make them
competitive athletes, not unlike the multi-billion dollar thor
oughbred industry. By the time a foal is born and has been
blessed from injury and sickness, I am looking at upwards
of $25,000 in expenses before they leave the starting gate
for the first time. Only very few make it to the top of their
sport, but many, many as myself contribute to the agricul
tural industry by risking hard-earned money for a chance at
a dream.
We in Houston County are privileged to have some of the
finest politicians along with some of the best agricultural land
in the country. My intention is not to criticize anyone in par
ticular, but to express my disappointment in not considering
horse racing more closely as an untapped way to generate
money other than higher taxes, impact fees, SPLOST and
the lottery.
P.S. You should see the next Florida bred champion filly,
born six weeks ago, running in our pastures.
- Jimmy Steffen, Perry
Insurance bill will prove harmful
State Sen. Cecil Staten’s recent touting of Senate Bill
276, that is backed by the insurance industry, will soon
prove to be harmful to motorists.
It will remove vital and effective consumer protection over
sight that will produce higher auto insurance rates. This has
happened in most other states.
The weaker the regulatory system, the more the likelihood
of insurers ripping us off with increases. What Staten has
purposely overlooked is that in captive markets, like here in
Georgia where insurance is mandatory, one needs consumer
protection oversight of the insurance companies who have
never actually believed in the competitive marketplace.
- Frank IK Gadbois, Warner Robins
Rededication, proud of heritage
The United Daughters of the Confederacy and The Sons
of Confederate Veterans will conduct the rededication
and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the monument
erected in Perry in 1908 to honor the Confederate soldiers
who fought and died during the war between the U.S.A. and
the C.S.A. The event is scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m. at
the monument site in downtown Perry.
I’m proud to honor my four great-grandfathers, one of
whom died during the conflict, who served in the defense of
their country, The Confederate States of America.
It should be noted that at least 125 Confederate veterans
are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Perry.
- Norlis C. “Skeet” Chapman, Perry
ploustmt Pome Hournol
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■ Foy S. Evans 1919-2008
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