Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2018
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Yesterday’s haircut, today’s choices
I remember the time very
welt.
It was September, 1964. Both
the British Invasion and Rock n’
Roll were in full swing.
The Beatles, the Beach Boys,
and Bobby Vinton were singing
non-stop on our transistor radios
and on our car's AM radios.
American hits,
“My Boyfriend’s
Back”. “Blue
Velvet”, “Surf
City”, were com
peting with the
English hits, “A
Hard Day’s Night”
and “P.S. I Love
You.”
I was caught up
in the rock n’ roll
genre. The Nehru
collarless shirts and
the Beatle haircuts
were magnetic. They pulled me
in.
One morning I got ready for
school and combed my thick
auburn-colored hair down on
my forehead. It may, and this
is a stretch, have reached the
midline of my forehead but I felt
the beat.
Between my second- and
third-period classes, I passed my
football coach in the hallway.
You need to know a little
about Coach Oliver Hunnicutt.
You walked carefully in his
presence, a very dominant per
sonality.
He grew up in Macon, was
blind in one eye and had been
a three-year starter at Georgia.
He was well-known around the
state and had coached teams to
two state championships in 1955
and 1958.
Two of his top players at
LaGrange were Jimmy Burson,
an Auburn All-American, and
Bob Taylor, who made a name
for himself at Georgia with the
famous flea flicker touchdown
against Alabama in 1965.
They played with all heart on
the field. If he told them to run
through a brick wall, consider
it done.
In those days, winning foot
ball coaches pretty much ran
things the way they wanted to.
His circle included Willingham
and Clarke Central’s Billy
Henderson and Valdosta’s
Wright Bazemore. All were
already legends in their prime.
As I passed Coach Hunnicutt,
he stopped, grabbed my arm
and while holding on tightly,
he asked me if I was still on the
football team.
My startled response
was. “Yes. I'll be at
practice today!”
His short comment
was simply, “Not if
you don't get a haircut
before practice!”
To make a longer
story short, I called my
dad from the office, told
him Coach Hunnicutt
said I needed a haircut
before practice and he
arranged to pick me up
on his lunch hour.
We drove to Mr. Home's
Barber Shop, got a haircut and
I was back in school in 45 min
utes with a haircut and no lunch.
It later struck me that
Hunnicutt had a rule requiring
everyone to leave the gym with
their helmet on and it remained
on until you returned to the gym
after practice. Nevertheless, he
spoke and I jumped.
The point of this story is to
reflect back on then and what
happened just last week.
In last week’s pro football
draft, the Cleveland Browns
of the National Football
League (NFL) drafted Antonio
Callaway.
The Browns chose Callaway
in the fourth round which means
he will sign a rookie contract for
big bucks.
But Callaway has a history.
He isn't exactly the kind of guy
you bring home to eat supper
with your parents.
In 2015, as a freshman at the
University of Florida, Callaway
was an All-American return
specialist. The following year
he was the team’s leading pass
receiver. After that, it was all
downhill and mug shot city.
He was kicked off the team
before his junior year for a num
ber of transgressions.
First, he was accused of sexu
al battery but denied the charge
saying he was “...so stoned...I
had no interest in having sex
with anyone.”
Interestingly, the Title IX
hearing regarding the sexual
assault was presided over by a
Florida athletic booster who had
made donations to the Florida
football program.
Later Callaway was arrested
for marijuana possession under
other different circumstances.
He continued to push the
envelope and was involved in
a credit card scheme where he
allegedly used stolen credit card
information to fund accounts at
the university book store.
And, once again, he was
charged with possession of drug
paraphernalia while riding in the
automobile of a convicted felon
who supposedly had a record for
cocaine possession, drug traf
ficking and other felony crimes.
Callaway never made it onto
the Florida football field in 2017
but decided he wanted to try to
make a career in professional
football.
While preparing for the NFL
Draft, he tested positive for mar
ijuana but still made an impres
sive showing.
He sounds like a thug and
should fit right in with some of
the NFL players he will soon be
associated with.
If he fails, Cleveland has no
one to blame but themselves.
They are well aware Callaway
is an athlete but that will bring a
trainload of baggage with him.
We will have to wait and see
what choices he makes now and
if he is the kind of person the
NFL and the Cleveland Browns
want on the field.
I can see Coach Hunnicutt,
Coach Bazemore and Coach
Henderson standing there shak
ing their head saying, “Son, you
need to find something else to
do.” That was, however, another
time and place.
We'll have to wait and see.
Jimmy Terrell is retired from
a career in law enforcement in
Barrow County and is a Winder
city councilman. He can be
reached at ejterrell65@gmail.
com.
Education starts early in the day
I drive through school traffic for
Jefferson schools early in the morn
ing. Early in this case means between
7 and 7:15 a.m. Schools in Georgia,
and our area, generally start about
7:45 or 7:50 a.m. Teachers — and
administrators — often get to school
before 7.
ron
bridgeman
How many
other profession
al folks do you
know who start
work that early
and are expect
ed to be cheer
ful and attuned
to the emotional
swings of kids?
I'm generally
getting ready for
my first cup of
coffee then.
I’m in a school
about 8 a.m. maybe twice a month.
The adults I see are “on” — on their
best behavior, on with smiles and
“good mornings,” on with their brains
functioning.
I wake up easier than I used to at
early hours, but I'm not at my best for
a couple of hours after the alarm goes
off. That alarm usually is at 6 a.m.
Many educators I know start before
6 a.m.
The above is to say teaching is
hard work. It takes amazing amounts
of energy. I get cranky just thinking
about it.
Most teachers in our area make
$45,000-$50,000 a year. Those are
veterans, people who have been
teaching for a number of years. The
newcomers start in the mid- to upper-
$30s.
I've heard Lynn Stevens, vice
chair of the Barrow County Board of
Education, lament the number of jobs
educators are expected to do. She is
right, and it probably is not said, or
emphasized, enough.
It is common in education today
to say relationships with students are
the key to kids finding their place in
school. Teachers also are expected to
be counselors, talk to students about
drugs and sex. worry about people
shooting them or their students and
understand that some of their students
are hungry.
It is not teaching math, which is
a weak point in most systems, or
English, which is a weak point in
nearly every adult, or history, which
seems as though it is nearly unknown
anymore.
We had “civics” for a semester when
I was in high school. We learned, at
least, the theory of how a democratic
republic is supposed to function.
I still remember the diagram for
how a bill is passed in Congress. We
won’t get into the theoretical versus
the reality of that process.
I bring this up because of the con
fluence of two or three threads of
thought: We have races for governor
and the state legislature underway:
the ever-present, mostly ignored need
to redo the state's funding formula
for public schools; and the perennial
search for school board members in
the state.
The current governor appointed a
commission to rethink education in
Georgia. One of its recommendations
was to create a new funding formula
for the state. Nathan Deal has not
proposed any changes.
The most common explanation
for that is “it’s an election year.”
He didn’t propose any changes for
the 2017 legislative session either. It
wouldn't pass, was the general view.
Nearly every Georgia county has
school board elections. The majority
of those will be uncontested.
In Barrow County, four incumbents
did not run again and that’s a big
story. The Barrow BOE will change.
But two of the four districts will have
contested races and I know of no one
who believes the two Democrats have
any chance of winning.
In Commerce, one board member
resigned because he is moving. The
school board picked his replacement
— a former teacher — with no public
discussion. That new board member
will be on the ballot in November
2019.
I am told by educators that Georgia
faces a shortage of teachers in the next
10 to 15 years. It’s because people
my age and slightly younger are retir
ing and colleges are not graduating
enough people to replace them.
No wonder. Who wants to start
work at 7:30 a.m., work at least one or
two nights a week, and deal with 150
or more kids for six or seven hours
a day? What kind of job description
is that?
Ron Bridgeman is a reporter for
Mainstreet News. Send email to him
at ron@mainstreetnews.com.
•The state government
should put much more
funding into mental health
and addiction programs.
Many of those who have
addiction problems have
other mental health or life
problems. Putting these
people in jail isn't getting
them the help they need.
•The state should con
tinue to open the door to
cannabis for medical use
despite its conflicted status
at the federal level. State
legislators often say they
can’t expand medical can
nabis because of the feds,
but that’s just a copout.
State legislators are often
willing to give their mid
dle-finger to the feds on
other issues, so why not
this?
•More drug courts that
focus on changing behav-
Headmaster’s
Corner
ANNIE! - The Athens Christian
School Drama Department will
present Annie on May 3, 4 and 5
at the ACS Drama Center, and it
will be open to the public. Thurs
day and Friday at 7:00, and Satur
day matinee at 2:00.
Seventh grader Ashlyn Dil-
worth will play Annie, the young
orphan who captured the hearts of
Daddy Warbucks and a nation in
the popular Broadway musical.
Senior Henry Hey dinger, who has
performed many roles on the ACS
stage, will play Daddy Warbucks.
Thanks to the many faculty
members and parent volunteers
who put in so many hours on
this performance, especially Play
Director Kathy Dickinson, Set
Designers Eric and Paula Mix
on, and Choreographer Michelle
Cummings. We’re looking for
ward to a great show!
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
Buffington continued from 4A
ior rather than criminal
punishment need to be cre
ated and funded by the
state.
•Every local government
should join in the class-ac
tion lawsuit that is aimed at
suing the pharmaceutical
companies that helped the
opioid crisis. Several area
governments have already
signed on and those that
haven’t should do so.
There are no magic
formulas to ending drug
addiction, just as there has
never been a way to stop
alcoholism. The nation
tried Prohibition for 13
years and that only led
to more crime and pub
lic corruption. The cur
rent prohibition on drugs
has not been successful,
either. Since 1973, we’ve
had a sustained “war on
drugs” where we’ve tried
to use law enforcement as
a weapon to change social
behavior. It hasn't worked.
Screaming “law and order”
failed.
It's time to try some
thing new.
Mike Buffington is
co-publisher of Mainstreet
Newspapers. He can be
reached at mike@main-
streetnews.com.
May 2, 2018 ~ Crossword Puzzle
Across
I. As the flies
5. Witchy woman
8. Journey part
II. Coyly ironic
15. Long sandwich
16. Gowronq
17. Singleton
18. Gambling game
19. Skin affliction
20. Friendly
22. Indigo
23. Extinct bird
24. Frolic
25. Attribute
27. Situate
28. Belt
29. Cartoon frame
30. Bothersome person
32. Casual restaurant
34. Coincide
39. Citrus fruit
42. Part man, part machine
43. Nonprofessionals
45. Corporate symbol
47. Festoon
48. Wear
49. Bose, e.g.
Extol
Snaky shape
Showy flower
Small drop
Smother
Strut conspicuously
Mothball ingredient
Bend in prayer
Bingo’s kin
Non-flying bird
Unlatch, in poems
Result
Kind of tide
Supplicate
Mobster’s man
Female ruff
Tropical tuber
Skunk
“ Crazy” (Garland film)
Soft-shell
51
53.
54.
56.
58.
60.
62.
64.
65.
66.
69.
71.
74.
76.
80.
81.
82.
83.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
have you _
56, to Cicero
Admired star
Promotion
Shelter
Conger
Unit of heredity
wool?”
Down
1. Winner, briefly
2. Regain
3. Elaborate
4. Great distress
5. Core
6. Knight’s protection
7. Frown
8. Tennis stroke
9. Intertwine
10. Barnyard fowl
11. Where to worship from
12. Delhi princess
13. Baby’s furniture
14. Pit
21. Horrify
26. Pottery material
28. Envelope sticker
31. Messy home
33. Jester
35. Literary monogram
36. Spur wheel
37. Cleanse
38. Fowl balls?
40. Extremely poor
41. Snarl
42. Having good manners
43. Navigational aid
44. Licorice-flavor source
46. Breathe hard
48. Circular plate
50. Indy 500, e.g.
52. Electronic component
55. Petal-puller’s word
57. Horsemanship
59. Associate of to
61. Lotion lily
63. Eyeglass
65. Organic compound
67. Scoff
68. Actress Merle
70. Issued by Benedict XVI
72. Verona ary wine
73. Before
75. “ of the Nineties”
76. Engrave with acid
77. None
78. Corner
79. Kimono, e.g.
84. Corrosive stuff
85. Jazz booking
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