About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 2017)
A4 Lake Oconee News Friday, July 28,2017 Start the conversation Send us your opinions by Monday at 1 p.m. news@lakeoconeenews.us 11 i| .... trtgf Before I die A professor who made a difference If you are a regular observer of this space, you are no doubt familiar with the story I am about to share. I have told it several times over the years. With your indulgence, I would like to tell it again. It is about seeking out a college professor to thank him for turning my life around. Dr. Raymond A. Cook is his name. Today, he lives in Valdosta, a professor emeritus of English at Valdosta State Universi ty and former president of Young Harris College. When our paths crossed that fateful spring quarter many years ago, he was an English professor at Georgia State. I was a sophomore on academic probation and in danger of flunking out of school. My high school friends had already quit school and had gotten jobs that did not look as menial then as they really were. It seemed just a matter of time until I would join them. And then, I ended up in an English literature class taught by Dr. Cook. Two things happened in that class that changed my life. First was the way he taught. Dr. Cook would begin reading Shakespeare or Chaucer or whomever from the textbook and without missing a beat, close the book lean back and focus on some distant point in space as he contin- Dick Yarbrough Guest Columnist ued to recite. I found myself mesmerized as I listened to him. His obvious passion for the written word connected with me. It got me interest ed in his class, in school and in doing better work. One day, Dr. Cook asked someone to analyze “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Much-in- spired by now, I volunteered and proceeded to proclaim it one of the world’s great poems. Big mistake. (Trust me on this one — “Trees” is a poorly constructed poem as I was to find out.) Even these many years later, I can remember the scowl on the face of this kind and gentle man. When I had finished, he proceeded to dress me down in front of the class for not having taken the time to properly study the poem and for not knowing what I was talking about. “Mr. Yarbrough,” he said sternly, “From now on, you think before you speak!” SEE YARBROUGH » A6 For the past month or so, a facade in downtown Athens at a slight diagonal across from the town’s lone, beleaguered gentle man’s club, has been home to an installation of an international art project called simply a “Before I Die Wall.” These walls, created at first by New Or leans-based artist Cindy Chang, allow people to anonymously stencil in the end of the sentence “Before I die I want to ...” Accord ing to the project’s website, walls have been put up in 76 countries, from Venezu- Katherine Klimt Staff Writer ela to Japan to Kazakhstan, and stenciled in nearly 40 languages. Perusing these pictures from around the world, two things become undeniable: people enjoy writing down their innermost desires (or whatever a steady diet of inspirational Internet memes and the mad-jeal- ousy inducing machine called Instagram have con vinced them are their in nermost desires) in colorful chalk, and people every where pine for the same things, mainly romantic fulfillment and exciting, social-media worthy expe riences. I don’t disparage this; after all, it was a great man (Langston Hughes) who en capsulated life’s tendency to disappoint in a clipped little poem of almost un bearable bleakness: “Folks, I’m telling you, / Birthing is hard / And dying is mean - / So get yourself / A little loving / In between.”* I personally have long harbored a deep desire for travel to all but the most dangerous places for the simple reason that I want to see them. I want to hear the stories of those who live in Egypt or Ireland or Ra- SEE PETTY » A6 Local news is important Local news has always been a part of my life, and it has been a part of yours, too. People don’t always realize it, but the most important news you can receive is what happens in your community. The goal we strive to achieve in Milledgeville and throughout Baldwin County is to deliver local news first. From the time I was young, knowing what was going on around me was Petty Staff Writer vital to my upbringing. For example, as a child I grew up in Norman, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City. When I was 6-years- old, the Oklahoma City Bombing happened. Of course, this tragedy was covered internationally, and the information about Timothy McVeigh, his motives and agenda were all well known. However, in Norman and throughout Oklahoma, we had different questions. Who were the people who passed away or were injured? Were these people our friends, neighbors or people we did business with? Would there be follow up attempts here? How was day-to-day life going to change here? In 1999, another catastro phe happened in our area when a F5 tornado went through our area. What roads are not passable? How much damage was caused by the tornado? Is everybody else alright? How can we help? These questions are not going to be answered by CNN, Fox News or the New York Times. These are ques tions that will be addressed by your local media. So what does community journalism mean here? It means covering the local government meetings to know what actions are occurring. Are they building a new facility with your tax dollars? Are they changing the millage rate or property values? Maybe they are trying to bring a new industry into town. It means covering crime. Is there a burglar on the loose, or worse, a murderer? Are dangerous drivers putting your families at risk? What about petty crimes, are they affecting your neighborhood? It means covering educa tion. How are the schools preparing your children for life after high school? What changes are being made to where your child will go to school? Are they going above and beyond to SEE PETTY » A6 Lake Oconee News General Excellence Award Winner 2015-2016 GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION President / Publisher A. Mark Smith Vice President Jo Ann Smith Vice President, General Manager Mark Smith Jr. Vice President, Circulation Matt Smith Vice President Michael Smith Associate Editor T. Michael Stone Sports Editor Justin Hubbard Staff Writer Wil Petty Staff Writer Shannon Sneed Staff Writer Katherine Klimt Display Advertising Manager Vicki Parker Advertising Representative Anjie Brown Advertising Representative Mary de Guiseppi Advertising Representative Michael Payne Advertising Representative Shannon Thompson Eatonton Messenger Associate Editor Lynn Hobbs Lakelife Editor Beverly Harvey Lakelife Associate Editor Hank Segars National Advertising Manager Amy Hood Legal Advertising/Circulation Becky Meyer Production and Technology Manager Josh Lurie Graphic Artist Lindsay Pilcher Graphic Artist Mark Brill Business Manager Cassandra Fowler DEDICATION Battle B. Smith EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 1956-1988 Micky Smith EDITOR AND PUBLISHER 1989-2003 ADVERTISING, NEWS AND INFORMATION Lake Oconee 1106 MARKET ST. • GREENSBORO 706-454-1290 Fax 706-454-1292 Madison 195 W. JEFFERSON ST. 706-342-9833 Fax 706-342-9839 Call 706-485-3501 for subscription information Subscription Rates One Year Two Years Putnam, Morgan, Greene counties $35 $65 Other Georgia counties $45 $80 Out of Georgia $55 $95 Postmaster: Send address changes to the ,1106 Market St., Greensboro, GA 30642. Periodicals postage paid at Greensboro, GA 30642. The (USPS 024-046) is published every Friday by Smith Communications Inc., 1106 Market St., Greensboro, GA 30642. All rights reserved. Reprints by permission of the and individual writers only. State and Federal Elected Officials Gov. Nathan Deal (R) 203 State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 (404) 656-1776 Web/e-mail: gagovernor.org Sen. David Perdue (R) B40D Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-3521 Sen. Burt Jones (R) 407 East Second St., Jackson, GA 30233 Phone: (770) 775-4880 Fax: (770) 234-6752 Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-3643 Rep. Dave Belton (R) 401-B Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. Atlanta, GA 30334 404.656.0152-Office dc.belton@house.ga.gov Rep. Jody Hice (R) 1516 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-4101 Fax: (202) 226-0776 Rep. Trey Rhodes (R) Room 612-B Coverdell Legislative Office Building Atlanta, GA 30334 404-656-0325 trey.rhodes@house.ga.gov The deadline to submit letters to the editor each week is Monday at 1 p.m. Send letters and other news to news@lakeoconeenews.us
