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thesy lvaniatimes. com
The Sylvania Times
Wednesday, April 3, 2024 - Page 7
-Editorials & More-
From the
Editor’s Desk
By Joe Brady, Editor
The Times
news@sylvaniatimes.com
I think by now, everybody knows
that those of us at the newspaper
aren’t the brightest lamps in the
room, nor are we the most tech savvy.
The office will always be fodder for
a good, lighthearted news article. For
Millennia's, they take for granted
what we older folks find a real
straggle.
Last week I asked Sam to send me
some information he had received
through an open records request.
Well, the information was on his cell
phone. Now, cell phones are great
little communication devices. What
would we do without them growing
from our hands and attaching to our
ears? But, the question remains, how
do you get information out of it and
into a computer for instance?
Well Sam, being 60 and all,
has it own ideas about retrieving
information from his small talking
device. Not wanting to appear stupid,
he thought about it, praying for an
answer to his dilemma. And then
it hit him! As the old saying goes,
there’s more than one way to skin a
cat. With phone in tow he walks to
the copier machine.
And you guessed it, turns the
screen on and lays it down on the
glass of the copier. He hits the green
Sutton, proud of himself for figuring
it out on his own. What spits out
the other end of the copier? Black
pages, that’s what. You can’t copy
or as our generation says, xerox, the
information on your phone. It ain’t
happening.
Now, Sam’s secret would have
been safe had he not walked away in
utter frustration, leaving the copies
at the printer. Lori picks them up and
brings them to me, “I don’t think Sam
can print from his phone.” All I could
say was, “bless his heart!”
Now, remember, we are all the
same age in the office, none of us
had a cTue as to fixing the dilemma.
Was it even possible to print from
your phone. My two favorite people
m all the world know better now
than to laugh when I call them with a
technical question but with a snicker
Lauren explained how to perform the
task! Y’all, that is the coolest thing
ever! You can just print stuff right
from your phone! Oh my! That’s all
for now, take care!
Disclaimer: I wasn’t at the office
on this day, or I would have shown
the lay people how to use their
iphones! Debbie Hearn.
2024 SOLA!
ECLIPSE
PRE-EOIPSE KICKO
SATURDAY, APRIL I
SCREVEN COUNTY I IRRflii
SCHS science teacher Laura Mills will be sharing her knowledge of
what an eclipse is and how to view it safely.
ECLIPSE IIVESTREAM
MONDAY, APRIL 8 AT 1:30 PM
SCREVEN COUNTY EIRRARY
Georgia’s view of the eclipse will only be partial, but we’ll have
livestream from the path of total eclipse on the big screen. It’s the next
best thing to being there! The eclipse will begin at 1:45 pm, and
maximum coverage (roughly 80% covered) will be reached around 3 pm.
We will also have a viewing station set up outside, weather permitting.
Want to see the eclipse live? Don't risk your eyesight by watching
without protection! Solar viewing glasses available while supplies last.
Also, do not view eclipse through binoculars, telescopes, or cellphones.
THE SCREVEN COUNTY LIBRARY
106 S. Community Drive, Sylvania GA 30467 * 912-564-7526
www.sirls.org * www.facebook.com/screvencountvlibrarv
THE
POETSI___
CORNER
Holy Sonnet 10
by John Donne
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swelFst thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
Written between February and August 1609 - First published in Songs and Sonnets (1633)
Country Kingdom of England - Series Holy Sonnets - Subject(s) Christianity, Mortality,
Resurrection, Eternal Life - Genre(s) religious poetry, devotional poetry - Form Sonnet
Here in Death, be not Proud, the speaker accuses the death of having illusions of grandeur.
He claims that while Death thinks that he has the power to kill, he actually does not.
“Death, not be Proud” is written in England of the seventeenth century. It was the time
when the British were expanding across the world. Also, it had been a time of great religious
turmoil.
His beliefs are reflected in “Death, be not Proud.” It shows that he is confirmed about
choosing the proper path which can grant access to the afterlife.
PA Pastor Bil1 Kent >
'A^ A I Memorial Baptist Church
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Maximizing Worship
Time
The world record was set for the loudest stadium in 2014 when the New England
Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs played at Arrowhead Stadium. The decibel level
reached 142.2. It was louder than an airplane when it lifts off from the ground at takeoff.
Many other stadiums boast of loud fans who make sure the opposing team gets rattled
when trying to snap the ball. The home team fans are sometimes a huge advantage. It's
helpful to get key victories but it's also normal and natural for fans to express our support
for our favorite teams. As long as we understand the difference between admiring the
accomplishments of athletes and actually worshipping somebody, then we have a clear
conscience when we take a break from the daily grind of our work schedule and personal
responsibilities to enjoy games for a few hours each week.
When we do worship God with a congregation in a local church, it's important to have
a proper attitude by understanding who God is and giving the Lord reverence and deep
respect. God is the Creator who made the Sun, Moon and Stars as well as the Earth,
plants, animals, birds, fish and people. In a sense, everything belongs to the Lord. "The
earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For
He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters," (Psalm 24:1-2).
Therefore, all creatures should bow before God. We should be still and silent when we
approach such a great Being. God is invisible and also infinite in wisdom and power.
The greatness of God stirs our hearts to worship the Lord through singing. We want to
sing to God to pause in wonder at the marvelous works of God and adore our Redeemer.
"Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with
psalms," (Psalm 95:1-2). In addition to singing, we also give our first and best gifts back
to God. Believers are grateful for all God has done and we want to give a portion back
to the Lord in order to help others have opportunities to learn about our dear Savior.
Since we love God, we communicate with the Lord through prayer and God speaks to
us through Scripture and also he speaks to our minds through the Holy Spirit to remind
us of the best way to live daily. We gain peace of mind when we speak to the Lord
through prayer. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus," (Philippians 4:6-7). When we take time to speak to God and also hear from Him,
we are blessed in ways beyond description.
General Assembly Wraps Up Session
-Special to The Times
Tax cuts, private-school vouchers,
and health-care reform topped the list of
accomplishments for the 2024 General
Assembly session, which wrapped up just
before 1 a.m. Friday following a frenetic
marathon of nearly 15 hours.
Vouchers and reforms to Georgia’s
Certificate of Need (CON) law came after
years of unsuccessful efforts by majority
Republicans to move the needle on school
choice and improve access to health care
by making it easier to build hospitals and
provide new medical services.
Lawmakers passed a tax-cut package
championed by Republican Gov. Brian
Kemp and GOP legislative leaders,
including a measure accelerating a state
income-tax rollback that took effect this
year, which will reduce the income tax
rate from 5.49% to 5.39%. Two other
bills would raise Georgia’s child-tax
credit from $3,000 to $4,000 and double
the state’s homestead tax exemption from
$2,000 to $4,000.
Legislative Democrats have long
blocked Republican attempts to enact
private-school vouchers, including a
House floor vote last year that stopped
a bid to offer vouchers worth up to
$6,500 to Georgia students attending
low-performing public schools. But GOP
leaders found the votes they needed to get
the bill through this year, passing it along
party lines.
A bill making significant changes to the
decades-old CON law also finally made
it over the finish line. The measure is
aimed particularly at improving health
care access in rural Georgia, including an
exemption from the expensive, time-
consuming process of obtaining a CON
for parties seeking to build hospitals in
rural counties.
The legislation also would raise the
state’s rural hospital tax credit from
an annual cap of $75 million to $100
million.
But the General Assembly again
stopped short of fully expanding
Georgia’s Medicaid program as
legislative Democrats have long sought.
However, Medicaid expansion made
more progress than ever before when
it was blocked by a tie vote in a Senate
committee.
Republicans argued lawmakers need to
give Gov. Brian Kemp’s limited Medicaid
expansion program - Georgia Pathways
- more time to get up and running.
Launched last summer, the program has
only signed up about 2,900 enrollees
despite having spent $26 million.
“We think the governor has a great plan
with Pathways,” said House Speaker Jon
Bums, R-Newington.
But Bums went on to say a new state
commission the CON bill would create
will consider Medicaid expansion.
“We want to take a look at every
possibility,” he said.
Republicans entered the 2024
session hoping to accomplish another
longstanding goal - tort refomi. But
Kemp announced at the start of the
session that the issue needs further study
before considering major changes.
“Like every major undertaking our
state has tackled in the past, we will
work on a Georgia-specific solution; one
designed to make meaningful reforms
in this area over the next several years,”
Kemp said in January at the annual Eggs
and Issues breakfast sponsored by the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
With those marching orders, lawmakers
settled for passing legislation limiting the
ability of plaintiffs in lawsuits against
commercial trackers to file what are
known as “direct action” lawsuits against
a tracking company’s insurance carrier.
Another hill that passed authorizes
gathering additional data on tort cases to
inform future legislation.
SEE SESSION ON PAGE 8
Ossoff Launches Inquiry to Keep
Children Safe From Lead
-Special to The Times
U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working to
protect Georgia families and children from lead
contamination.
Today, Sen. Ossoff launched an inquiry
with the Government Accountability Office
(GAO) into how the Consumer Protection
Safety Commission (CPSC) conducts testing
on products intended for children ages 12 and
under for potential lead contamination and other
safety hazards.
Sen. Ossoff requested information about how
the CPSC oversees third-party labs that conduct
testing on children’s toys, and whether safety
standards need to be updated.
“Since CPSIA’s enactment more than 14
years ago, CPSC has taken steps to implement
its heightened safety regime for children’s toys.
Despite these improvements, questions remain
about the effectiveness of the laboratory testing
and certification regime in preventing toxic toys
from reaching children. Additionally, as more
is learned about the harm that can result from
certain heavy metals and other substances that
can be present in toys, it is critical for CPSC
to revisit the adequacy of its current safety
standards,” Sen. Ossoff wrote to the GAO.
The Consumer Protection Safety
Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys
that could potentially expose children to lead,
which is invisible to the naked eye and has no
smell. Exposure to lead can seriously hann
a child’s health, including damage to the
brain and nervous system, slowed growth and
development, learning and behavior problems,
and hearing and speech problems.
The Georgia Healthy Homes and Lead
Poisoning Prevention surveillance program,
which collects and analyzes data that is used to
help plan, implement, and evaluate Georgia’s
lead poisoning prevention activities, found that
in 2023 of the 5,051 children under 6 tested for
lead poisoning in Albany, Georgia.
Sen. Ossoff requested GAO answer the
following questions:
1. How does CPSC monitor and assess safety
hazards and incidents related to lead, phthalates,
and other potentially toxic substances in
children’s toys?
2. How does CPSC oversee compliance with
third-party lab testing requirements related
to lead, phthalates and other toxic substances
in children’s toys? How has it assessed the
effectiveness of these oversight efforts?
3. How many “firewalled” testing laboratories
have been accredited by CPSC annually
since CPSC began implementing the third-
party testing requirements? How does CPSC
oversee compliance with the “undue influence”
requirement for firewalled labs?
4. To what extent has CPSC assessed the
need to update its toy safety standard or third-
party testing requirements to strengthen safety
protections related to lead, phthalates and other
toxic substances in children’s toys?
Sen. Ossoff continues to advocate for
the safety and well-being of children across
Georgia.
Earlier this year, Sen. Ossoff requested
answers from Yoocaa about the safety of their
Baby Loungers following a recent recall.
In November, Sen. Ossoff requested answers
from Mattel following “Thomas & Friends” toy
recalls.
In October, Sen. Ossoff requested answers
about baby bib and blanket safety following
recalls due to potential choking hazards with
the detachable care instruction label.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff demanded answers from
Green Sprouts about the safety of their child
drinking cups after they recalled them due to
lead contamination risks.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff also pressed the U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) and
the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) to improve efficiency and coordination
in processing product recalls in order to protect
families from dangerous products in 2022.
