Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2016
A trip to South Dakota
PIERRE, S. D. - This
was the way it was in South
Dakota last week, at least
for one impressionable
traveler who never met
a different landscape he
didn’t like.
But, I have never been to
Afghanistan.
Getting to the banks
of the Missouri, in South
Dakota's capital city,
required passing through
Denver where a faux pas
became one of the most
serendipitous experiences
ever recalled.
Everybody finds his way
around these days by engag
ing a Global Positioning
System which makes one
reflect on history when the
“Wise Men” only needed
one star to find their way to
a stable in Bethlehem.
Magellan found his way
around the world without
GPS.
Columbus.
The Indians.
The Vikings, Daniel
Boone and Abraham relied
on instincts, the sun, the
moon and the stats to reach
their destinations.
If you are headed to a
neighbor’s house across
town, even if it is only a
couple of miles, one of
On-Star’s friendly folk will
“talk” you there.
I have a friend, Grant
Dipman, who is the general
manager of the Ritz Carlton
in Denver, and Googled his
address through the UGA
data base.
I got the address of the
hotel which also included
his home address.
After plugging in what
I thought was his office
address, suddenly I am
led by On-Star to a res
idential street in a beau
tiful neighborhood which
brought about the serendip
ity referred to above.
Last week was peak for
fall color in Denver. The
hardwoods of York Street
were literally aglow, with
golden hues rich, deep and
beckoning to the eye and
the emotions.
The abundant ash, cot
tonwood and aspen formed
an arbor which caused a
parking of the car. exit
ing and walking around
the neighborhood. Envel-
loran
smith
oped in all that bountiful
color, you felt unalterably
connected to nature.
Nature holds sway with
us if we let it. which brings
about regret that we don’t
immerse ourselves into
nature’s embrace more
often.
From Denver to Pierre,
which is different, but stim
ulating nonetheless, you
find fall color intermittent
ly about.
A cottonwood by the
Missouri (“I listened in
vain for a murmur.”) a
golden ash near the Capitol
and colorful locust on Mary
Street, where my friends
Homer and Pat Harding
live, confirm that color,
even in sparse doses, is
always welcomed through
out our country in the fall.
A brief respite by the
Missouri River, allows for
reflection on the Lewis and
Clark expedition in 1802.
“Undaunted Courage,”
author Stephen Ambrose
wrote about these two
American heroes.
There is a natural history
museum here that is chock
full of artifacts and mem
orabilia that are illuminat
ing about the people who
moved west more than a
century ago.
This time of the year,
the hunting season gathers
momentum like a blizzard
in January.
In the next 30 days, you
can get up in the morning,
kill a multi-antlered buck
and then get your limit of
Canada geese and your
pheasant by noon.
If you are up to it. you
can then go out on the Mis
souri and boat a few wall
eye.
At the local motels, you
can bring in your boun
ty and cook on the grills
which are put in place for
that purpose. For so many
in our western states, the
outdoor life is the good life.
The varied landscape,
constantly makes an
impression on a visitor.
You leave the mile high
city of Denver, in the heart
of the Rockies for the prai
ries of South Dakota where
a few buffalo still roam.
(“Dances with Wolves”
was fdmed in these parts,
a perfect setting for that
story.)
The rolling hills are
dotted with cattle graz
ing. making for a scene
of serenity and loneliness
when the countryside is so
vast.
When the temperatures
drop and snow showers
come relentlessly, you can
appreciate those nearby
fields with rolls of hay that
stretch across the landscape
as far as you can see.
As the guest of Brad
Reinke, who grew up in
Pierre and is afflicted with
all kinds of hunting impuls
es, I got in on the first
pheasant hunt of the sea
son, a time when the pheas
ant fly the fastest.
All I can say is that if I
were hunting for my sup
per, I wouldn’t have gone
hungry.
Brad and his father Dar
rell are the consummate
hosts.
Their rolling property
and pheasant habitat on
600 acres where they have
planted more than 15,000
trees (mostly cedar, plum
and Russian olive) brings
about good feelings to have
contributed to the South
Dakota economy which is
enhanced by out of state
pheasant hunters.
Out of state hunters bring
about a multi-million dollar
impact on the South Dakota
economy.
In hosting his friends for
the best in pheasant hunt
ing. Brad makes a poignant
comment.
“This would be no fun
for us if we didn’t share.”
How nice!
Loran Smith is a col
umnist for the Barrow
News-Journal. He is
co-host of the University of
Georgia football radio pre
game show.
Random Rants in Rhyme
Most important election
“The most important election of my life,”
is a saying that has grown almost trite.
But this election has an element
that, in my life, has no precedent.
The president we elect by our support
will appoint at least two justices to the Supreme Court,
(and that the number could easily rise to three
is a distinct and real possibility).
Considering the fact there are only nine
justices on the court, that might incline
the court to possibly change some decisions
that have been made, and caused much division.
In bygone years, the Supreme Court only made
decisions based on laws that had been laid.
The present court ignores our Constitution,
and base decisions on their personal opinion.
Prayer and Bible reading are gone from our schools
and government, where, before, they had been tools
to shape our laws and mold good character.
The results of this have been continued disaster.
Abortion has been made the law of the land
and America has millions of murders on her hands.
Pastors are threatened when they preach the Bible
teachings on those several alternate lifestyles.
If these facts do not make your life miserable,
then vote for the president who is the liberal.
She is certain to continue to take that stand,
and decadent decay will still pervade our land.
skelton
ELIZABETH MAE SHINN BORN
Amy Jean and Randy Joel Shinn Jr., of Hoschton, welcomed a daughter,
Elizabeth Mae Shinn, born on Oct. 4, 2016. She weighed eight pounds,
nine ounces and was 21 inches long. She was born at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Braselton. She joins sisters Taylor, 15, Chloe, 11 and
McKinley, 21-months. Her maternal grandparents are Larry Taylor, of
Hoschton, and Linda Taylor, of Oakwood. Paternal grandparents are the
late Randy Shinn, Cindy Shinn, of Yuma, Ariz., and Kimberly Rambo, of
Dahlonega. Her maternal great-grandparent is Ethel Phillips, of Oakwood.
Letters to the Editor—
Why I support Dwight Acey
Dear Editor:
I do not usually post let
ters, but I must tell a story
about what happened at
the poll last Friday.
After seeing both my
husband, Dwight Acey,
and Bill Brown’s names
on the sample paper bal
lot, I was ready to cast my
vote on Friday.
However, when I saw
the digital ballot, on the
machine at the county
building, I was shocked.
I saw Bill Brown’s
name printed larger and
with bold letters popping
out of the ballot page.
Dwight’s name was close
underneath his. almost
obscured.
It was nothing like
the actual sample ballot
which had equal print
size, and a proper dis
tance between them.
Despite the almost
Mercator projection
on the digital screen. I
know that residents will
be smart enough to see
through Brown’s poor
judgments.
Indeed, Brown’s insis
tence on funding the
disastrous airport expan
sion that only wasted
millions is very troubling
and a prime example.
This is why residents
are supporting Dwight:
He will not raise taxes
recklessly.
The last 10 years our
taxes have been consis
tently raised-not always
for good reason.
His determination to
keep his promises are
well known. I have wit
nessed over 22 years this
trait even in situations
that are difficult.
He always persevered.
He puts people first.
This is what I call
integrity.
I know integrity when
I see it, because I was
raised in a family that
placed integrity and com
munity service first.
The great-uncle of my
grandfather, who estab
lished Tokyo Institute of
Technology, the MIT of
Japan, in 1882. and later
became an ambassador to
the U.S., was described
as a gentleman of integ
rity by the British writer,
Robert Louis Stevenson,
who wrote “Treasure
Island.”
I would not just pick
anybody for my life part
ner. It had to be a person
of integrity and credibil
ity.
I am very proud to say
that Dwight Acey has the
dignity and drive to better
and maintain our county
for future generations.
Yoshiko Tagami Acey
Winder
WBHS pilots new attendance
campaign
Dear Editor:
Winder-Barrow High
School is excited to pilot
a new attendance cam
paign during the 20lb-
2017 school year.
Given the important
role “being here” plays
in a student’s academic
success, coupled with
the pride and tradition of
graduating from WBHS
at the 50-yard line, we are
launching the “Be Here,
See You There” initiative
to encourage the best pos
sible attendance for every
student, every day.
The highlights of our
program include:
•Posters placed around
the building emphasiz
ing our attendance cam
paign. To tie together
the concepts of atten
dance and achievement,
these posters are placed
side-by-side with the Bar-
row County graduation
requirements.
•The use of WBHS
social media accounts to
recognize:
-students with excellent
attendance.
-students with improved
attendance.
•Incentives, including:
-tickets to WBHS ath
letic events.
-monthly reward par
ties.
-a once-per-semester
field day party/cookout.
We encourage you to
join us in this process
by continuing, in con
junction with our teach
ers and administrators, to
remind your student(s) of
the importance of being
at school each and every
day.
Working together, we
are convinced that our
students will continue the
progress made over the
last several years.
We intend to update
our community frequent
ly regarding our academic
successes.
Please look for these
accomplishments in
this newspaper and via
the social media sites of
Facebook and Twitter.
WBHS is a vital part of
this community, and we
appreciate your support
as we continue with our
mission of “improving
minds, improving lives.”
GO DOGGS!
Sincerely,
Dr. A1 Darby, Principal
Winder-Barrow High
School
Buffington continued from 4A
On the other hand, the conservative candidate
has shown a list of men to us, of late,
that he would consider for appointment to the court.
They were conservative men of good report.
The choice is clearly in the voters’ hands -
If you want America to be a Godless land,
then vote for the woman who takes a strong liberal stand.
As for me. I want to see America great again.
© 2016. cbs
At its core, this is a local
problem and demands
local solutions.
We can’t lock up every
one who is addicted to
meth or prescription pills
— the direct cost is far more
than any community could
afford.
But the indirect cost
of doing nothing is even
worse.
There is a crisis in rural
and suburban America
today and it has nothing
to do with terrorism or pol
itics.
A new drug culture has
emerged and it is tearing
both families and commu
nities apart all across rural
and exurban America.
We ignore it at our own
peril.
Mike Buffington is
co-publisher of Mainstreet
Newspapers, Inc. He can
be reached at mike@main-
streetnews.com.