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Tribune & Georgian
Opinion
Wednesday, April 24,2013
The Tribune & Georgian encourages local residents to con
tact their elected leaders and share their views on local is
sues. Their information is below.
Rep. Jason Spencer, State House
District 180
Jason.spencer@house.ga.gov
www.staterepspencer.com
Camden — (912) 541 -0243
28 Yachtsmen Court,Woodbine GA 31569
Atlanta — (404) 656-0126
41 l-E Coverdell Legislative Office Building,
Atlanta GA 30334
Rep. Ellis Black, State House
District 174
blackellis@bellsouth.net
www.ellisblack.com
Valdosta — (229) 251 -0303
5900 Jumping Gully Road
Valdosta GA 3 1601
Atlanta — (404) 656-0287
Suite 607, Coverdell Legislative
Office Building
Atlanta GA 30334
Newspapers: A vital cog in democracy
Sen. William Ligon, State Senate
William@senatorligon.com
www.senatorligon.com
Glynn — (912) 261-2263
158 Scranton Connector,
Brunswick GA 31525
Atlanta — (404) 656-0045
323-B Coverdell Legislative Office Building
18 Capitol Square,Atlanta GA 30334
Rep. Jack Kingston, U.S. House
Kingston.house.gov
Brunswick — (912) 265-9010
805 Gloucester St., Room 304
Brunswick GA 31520
Washington, D.C. — (202) 225-5831
2368 Rayburn HOB,Washington D.C. 20515
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, U.S. Senate
chambliss.senate.gov
South Georgia — (229) 985-21 12
585 S. Main St.
P.O. Box 3217, Moultrie GA 31776
Washington, D.C. — (202) 224-3521
416 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
Sen. Johnny Isakson, U.S. Senate
lsakson.senate.gov
Georgia — (770) 661 -0999
I Overton Park, Suite 970
3625 Cumberland Blvd.Atlanta GA 30339
Washington, D.C. — (202) 224-3643
120 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
Tribune & Qeorgian
P. O. Box 6960 — 206 Osborne Street
St. Marys, Georgia 31558
(912) 882-4927 - Fax (912) 882-6519
Publication Number (086-640)
ISSN Number (1551-8353)
Our Mission
The Tribune & Georgian is published with pride twice weekly
for the people of Camden County by Community Newspa
pers Inc., Athens, Ga. We believe that strong newspapers
build strong communities — “Newspapers get things done!”
Our primary goal is to publish distinguished and profitable
community-oriented newspapers. This mission will be ac
complished through the teamwork of professionals dedi
cated to truth, integrity, loyalty, quality and hard work.
Jill Helton, Publisher
Emily Heglund, Editor
Brad Spaulding, Marketing Director
Foy R. Maloy Jr., Regional Publisher
Tom Wood Dink NeSmith
Chairman/CNI President/CNI
Printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink.
B uried somewhere in
my parents’ house in
Watkinsville is a stack
of aged newspapers — copies
of the Athens Banner-Her
ald, The Oconee Enterprise
and the dearly departed
Athens Observer.
You see, in my family,
community newspapers have
always been the chroniclers
of family lore, of scholastic
achievements, of the fleeting
fame of youth.
In the bottom of that pile,
I know, are some of my most
prized possessions: stories I
wrote as a budding journal
ist. The first-ever clip, writ
ten in the heat of a June
night by a novice intern, told
the gripping tale of an error-
plagued Little League tilt
between Athens Lederal and
Arby’s ... or was it Arby’s and
Burger King? I can’t recall,
but I know that from the
moment the Banner-Herald
hired me on, life has never
been the same.
I spent a couple of sum
mers covering organized
baseball in the Athens area
25 years ago, and recall
vividly sitting in the news
room, watching the real
journalists doing their jobs,
and thinking to myself, per
haps out loud, “That’s the
best job in the world ...”
Charles Davis
Opinion
It still is a great job, an im
portant job, a job worth
doing well. We’ve all fol
lowed the news about the
news business, watching the
drumbeat of layoffs at media
companies large and small as
the digital era ushers in a
wrenching transition. Media
managers are being asked to
do more with less than ever
before, with predictable re
sults.
The somewhat myopic
focus on all things digital be
lies the fact that in commu
nities all over the country,
community newspapers are
thriving. The reason is sim
ple and timeless: In so many
communities the local news
paper remains a viable adver
tising vehicle and is the only
source of verified, profes
sionally presented news and
information.
Municipal governance,
justice and all of the other
news that binds a commu
nity together still forms the
basic covenant between a
town and its newspaper, and
whether it’s a local economic
development story or a de
velopment in the public
schools, the newspaper pro
vides coverage people need.
It’s quite fashionable these
days to be dismissive of the
future of the press. Its many
critics seem all too eager to
write it off as some outdated
anachronism of an earlier
age. I find that attitude trou
bling, and more than a little
puzzling, perhaps because I
know that every day, in com
munities across the state of
Georgia and across the na
tion, reporters, editors, pho
tographers and designers toil
thanklessly to keep us in
formed. Reporters sit
through interminable public
meetings, keeping a watchful
eye on school boards and
city councils, water districts
and non-profits. They ask
difficult questions of people
less than thrilled to answer
them, challenge assump
tions, scrutinize assertions
and shine bright light into
dark corners of society.
Letters to the Editor
Are you driving
under influence?
Dear Editor,
I am sure your first
thought is alcohol or illegal
drug use. Unfortunately, I
have recently learned more
about driving under the in
fluence law than I ever
thought I would need to
know due to a personal expe
rience.
I consulted a lawyer who
told me some interesting
facts. In the state of Georgia,
you can be cited/arrested for
DUI or DUI less safe if the
officer observes your ability
to drive is impaired by alco
hol, drugs, over the counter
or prescribed medications,
any injury, any illness.
Diabetic patients can be
hypoglycemic. If they don’t
tell the officer they are dia
betic, it could happen.
Libromyalgia can cause
balance problems, dementia
or Alzheimer’s, mental ill
ness.
I understand police offi
cers are doing their job. If
they believe someone is
under the influence and a
possible danger to them
selves or other motorists,
they have to arrest them.
This is what we learned:
Lirst-time offender can
face:
• a fine of $300 to $1000
• 10 days to 12 months in
jail, which a judge may sus
pend, stay or probate
• between 20 and 40 hours
community service
• completion of risk re-
duction/DUI school
A lawyer could have
fought this case and maybe
got it thrown out on techni
calities. We chose to take the
punishment.
My lesson learned that I
am sharing is to ask yourself
before you drive: Are you
driving under the influence?
LaQuita Herrin
Kingsland
Moon phase at
birth impacts
Dear Editor,
You can find DNA in your
deep inner feelings.
Finding ancestry platform
that defines heritage. My an
cestry is British, $cottish and
Norwegian. My inner feel
ings knew there was more.
My father and mother
worked and lived in the
Caribbean. I was influenced
by flamenco dancing from a
child. Mun2 Latino music
videos keep me healthy,
dancing today. I knew and
felt this was part of my
chemistry.
I have two Cuban half sis
ters 20 years older. Wedding
at River City in $an Antonio,
overwhelmed by mariachi.
Prince Royce and mariachi
“Inconditional” will touch
the heart, especially flowers
growing up the wall.
Country, like Mexican
music, tells a story. Gospel,
opera, symphony, can bring
a tear, if you feel music.
My DNA includes Span-
ish, Mexican, Portuguese,
with Asian most important.
Born year of dragon felt a
connection with Chinese
culture. Chinese medicine,
acupuncture, massage oil
therapy, life long. Eucalyptus
oil muscular massage and
Chinese liniment foot mas
sage was instrumental in get
ting my companion. $he
kept me.
In so doing, they provide
an indispensable service to
the democracy, offering its
citizens an opportunity to in
form themselves about the
events of the day in a way
that brings them meaning.
The glare of the national
news media sometimes ob
scures the fine work done by
so many community journal
ists daily, soldiering on in
these trying times, bringing
us the news we need to raise
our children, strengthen our
communities and share our
triumphs and our losses.
$o let me take a moment
to thank the countless jour
nalists out there who aren’t
splashed across the cable TV
gabfests spewing opinion
24/7, but who instead tell the
true stories of America —
even if it is a humble Little
League game on a warm
$outhern night. Community
newspapers remain a rich
part of the media diet, and
for that, I am thankful.
Charles N. Davis is a professor
at the Missouri School of Journal
ism and the facilitator of the Media
of the Future Initiative for Mizzou
Advantage. Davis has been chosen
to be the next dean of the Grady
College of Journalism and Mass
Communication at the University
of Georgia.
Raja, a Sikh from Kashmir,
lived a Mongolian lifestyle,
taught me lifestyle, spiritual
hygiene and meditation plus
the no fear element. He and
a rabbi said, “Focus on hu
manity, find spiritual rewards
and inner peace by giving
back to others less fortu
nate.”
Great responsible women
elders of different cultures
taught all the healing reme
dies and skills to survive plus
picking a wife. Passion and
enthusiasm for life had to be
more than ancestry.
Catholic to rural Baptist to
orthodox Hebrew synagogue
and $ikhism and influence
AME church a long journey.
You find great knowledge
with different religions and
cultures.
Twenty-eight year re
search on health and moon
phase births. Example: Full-
moon week births, emo
tional decisions, introverted.
Last quarter: reckless, last-
minute rushing, off road ve
hicle. New moon, first
quarter: organized, patient,
long-range planner.
See LETTERS, page 5A