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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020 BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL PAGE 3B The benefits of WD-40 The most unusual resolution What does a screen doorknob, a new pair of Nikes, a cantankerous zipper on a favor ite winter jacket, a python snake in India and a naked burglar have in common? They brought about issues that were easily solved by an application of WD- 40. (The trade name, by the way, means “Water Displacement, 40th formula,” which means the inventors got it right on the 40th attempt). I have first hand knowledge about the first three items noted above, but read about the other two on the inter net. The guess here is that many out there have a WD-40 story to tell. The product is that good. My story begins with a new pair of Nike walking shoes, which I was anxious to take possession of. My old walking shoes were flat “wore” out. My feet were hurting, my legs were aching and my knees, which I thought were good for my age, began to experience soreness. I am going to interrupt myself here and insert a full disclosure vignette. For years I have found a way to remove my feet from lace-up shoes without having to untie when finished and then tie them up when I use them again. How long does it take to lace up and tie the strings on a pair of comfortable-fit walking shoes? Probably less than a min ute. but if you get the hang of slipping your shoes on and off without having to take the time to do all that tying and untying, it just seems to be more efficient and orderly. Back to my new Nikes. which arrived serendipitously without shoe laces. They have a plastic zipper that runs horizontal ly on the inside top of your foot. Hot dig- gity dawg. What a godsend for one with a finicky idiosyncrasy. I opened the box, removed the shoes and slipped my left foot into this fabulous footwear. Then I engaged the zipper. Glory, glory, my foot has never felt better when putting on a pair of shoes. Now to the right foot. Everything was fine until I engaged the zipper. Apparently, something minor was askew with the zip per. It only zipped half way. I kept fiddling with the zipper and finally got it zipped all the way. This zipper not working properly first made me think that I would have to go back to a pair of lace-up shoes. I was determined not to let that happen. There had to be something in the way of graphite to solve my problem, I thought. That didn't work, so I donned my worn out dock siders and took my cantankerous new shoe out to a local hardware store and asked the owner, a good friend, for assis tance. He had a couple of suggestions, but the product he had in mind was not in stock. I understood. How many customers out there would confess to hav ing a shoe with a zipper in the first place and then to remedy a dysfunctional one would mean, when it comes to marketing, that he would starve to death even if he marked the product up be yond the cost of the shoe itself. Finally, he shook his head and said, “I’m sorry. Don’t know what to tell you to do.” Sudden ly I thought of WD-40. “We got plenty of that,” he smiled. Soon he rang up the cash register for the cost of a small can of the ver satile product — about what a Diet Coke would cost you at a vending machine at a chain motel. The WD-40 worked like a charm. My Nike zipper is no longer cantankerous, al lowing me to wake up early in the morning and dress quickly and efficiently. My feet slip easily into my Nikes. I go downstairs, make a cup of coffee and belly up to the computer. When daylight comes, I engage the zippers on my Nikes and enjoy a com fortable walk around the neighborhood. Lately when something doesn't work, I spray it with WD-40. My favorite winter jacket also had zipper malfunction. WD- 40 to the rescue. A door knob on a screen door became frozen from wear, weath er and rust. Even a seasoned carpenter's quick fix only lasted about a week, but a healthy application of WD-40 loosened it up. It now works like a bee in clover. About that python in India. It wrapped it self around the undercarriage of a bus. The bus driver sprayed it with WD-40. Problem solved. WD-40, 1; stupid python. 0. And the naked burglar? Police used WD-40 to remove the burglar who became trapped in an air-conditioning vent. WD- 40, 2; stupid burglar and stupid python, 0. Based on all of the foregoing, I have come to the conclusion that WD-40 is un defeated. Loran Smith is a University of Georgia sports radio announcer. He can be reached at loransmith@sports.uga.edu. Normally, I stay away from New Year’s resolutions, but this past year has revealed a flaw in me that is so deep that I have no choice but to face it and resolve to fix it. I am going to set my mind on not inserting myself into other people’s business. Like most people who do this, I come from a place of kindness and well-meaning but, after six or seven situa tions that backfired, it’s time to take action. It’s time to let God be in charge. It’s time to add a bit of cynicism to my way of thinking. It started at the first of the year. We had decided to plant some mature trees on the Rondarosa because we have lost over three dozen, in the past five years, to storms. A landscaper came to us by recom mendation from an expert who is the friend of one of the most trustworthy people I have ever known. In fact, he is renowned across the Southeast for his integrity and stand ing behind his word. Five times, the landscaper post poned us or didn’t show up. Tink said in a rare moment of distrust, “I don’t know about this guy. If we can’t get him to show up and look at the job, that doesn’t bode well for him show ing up to do the job.” Tink is the most trusting and patient person which makes him excellent in his job as a television showrunner. It takes a lot for him to see bad in any one. Yet, unusually, he was warning me before he met this landscaper. I shrugged Tink off and said, “This recommendation came, in a round about way, from one of the most honorable men I have ever known. It didn’t come directly from him but it came from someone he trusts." We were trying to get the trees bought and put in the ground where winter’s rain was still plenty so they’d be well grounded when summer’s heat and drought came. “You’re going to have a hard time keeping those trees alive in July and August,” warned a friend with a horti cultural degree. Finally, in early March, the land scaper, who put us off for three months, showed up. He was amicable and humble. Almost immediately, he started talking about his studying of the Bible and he asked us to pray for him. That’s when I should have run. I learned years ago, when I built a house, that any con tractor who shows up, tell ing you straight off about his Christian values, should be fired immediately. Normal ly, the ones who followed the teachings of the Bible, show you. They don’t tell you. Tink left for a few months, off on-location, shooting, and I was left with the problems and this guy turned out to be one of the biggest problems I’ve ever endured. I thought I could help him change, help him to see the light and correct the error of his ways. I rolled up my sleeves and went to work. I called him up and had a good talking-to about his lying ways. He agreed and apol ogized. He promised to be better, the kind of man God wanted him to be. Then, he showed up, and he sweetly conned me again. In the end, though bruised and bloodied, I prevailed. I realized how blessed I’d been after it occurred to me to check for online re views of his work. Each one-star review told the same story almost verbatim: “He charms, takes money, and never returns.” He was one of six people who taught me lessons this past year about jump ing into people’s business and trying to help them. I feel like I have earned a Medal of Valor on the battlefield of life. Lastly, Tink was right. I admit that now for all to know. In 2021, everyone can fix them selves and their own problems. I have retired. Resolutely. Ronda Rich is the best-selling au thor of Let Me Tell You Something. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter. Local students make academic honors lists at Georgia College The following local stu dents completed courses with exemplary marks and made the President’s List with a 4.0 grade-point av erage for the fall 2020 se mester at Georgia College in Milledgeville: •Caroline Daves of Hoschton •Kennedy Dickson of Hoschton •Cassie Gray of Statham •Shelby Hayes of Hoschton •Grace Jackson of Beth lehem •Callie Little of Auburn •Payton Mitchell of Hoschton •Olivia Morgan of Beth lehem •Taylor Pruett of Hoschton •Maegan Stephens of Braselton. DEAN’S LIST The following students earned a GPA of at least 3.5 for the fall semester at Geor gia College and were named to the Dean’s List: •Abbey Adams of Bra selton •Lauren Ballenger of Bra selton •Andrea Blair of Bethle hem •Angela Cote of Braselton •Catherine Deer of Bra selton SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY Applications & Appeals We Do All The Hard Work! Hynes & Associates LLC Disability Advocates Call 678-935-3923 • SSIHelp.org 16 Years Experience • No Fee Unless Approved December 23, 2020 Crossword Answers s L 1 T L A T H 1 C E R M E M O O B E Y 1 S O W p O R E E V E T A R P A P E R 1 T S J A N E P A C T T O T A D H E S 1 V E C E E 1 O R E s E S s p E R T E L S E L O O K L O D E s P A S •Estefania Esmerio-Rive- Statham ‘Whitney Jira of Bethle- hem ra of Hoschton ‘Tristan Hooper of Beth- hem ‘Cameron Shaw of •Vincent Farley of lehem ‘Michelle LaPorte of Statham Hoschton *Rylee Hunter of Winder »Alyssa Taliaferro of Au- •Elizabeth Harris of Hoschton ‘John Murphy of Bethle- burn. City of Winder FY 2020 REPORT ON PROJECTS FUNDEDTHROUGH SPECIAL PURPOSE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX Expenditures Estimated Cost * Prior Current Project Original Current Years Year Total 2012 SPLOST Local Street Projects Water and Sewer Infrastructure, $ 2,451,259 $ 2,451,259 $ 2,399,220 $ 129,129 $ 2,528,349 Improvements, Facilities and Equipment 4,357,793 4,357,793 2,115,830 392,452 2,508,282 Total $ 6,809,052 $ 6,809,052 $ 4,515,050 $ 521,581 $ 5,036,631 Expenditures Estimated Cost * Prior Current Project Original Current Years Year Total 2018 SPLOST Roads/Sidewalks/Parking Areas/ Stormwater Projects Police Department Facilities $ 5,004,274 $ 5,004,274 $ 580,954 $ 1,751,280 $ 2,332,234 and Equipment 1,501,282 1,501,282 95,900 192,446 288,346 Fire Department Facilities and Equipment Recreation/Parks/Greenspace 1,501,282 1,501,282 1,501,903 312,790 1,814,693 Projects Administrative Facilities 1,510,282 1,510,282 121,876 1,671,247 1,793,123 and Equipment 500,428 500,428 79,156 1,649,598 1,728,754 Total $ 10,017,548 $ 10,017,548 $ 2,379,789 $ 5,577,361 $ 7,957,150 Current year expenditures $ 5,577,361 Fire Department Facilities and Equipment expenditures financed through other revenues, financing sources, and transfers from other funds 609,366 Principal paid on capital lease payable 570,582 Total expenditures and transfers out of the SPLOST 2018 fund $ 6,757,309 * Estimated cost represents the portion of these projects to be financed with Special Purpose Option Sales Tax. Actual costs that are in excess of these amounts have been financed through alternative funds. This report is presented in compliance with O.C.G.A. 48-8-122