About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2017)
A4 Lake Oconee News Friday, September 15,2017 Start the conversation Send us your opinions by Monday at 1 p.m. news@lakeoconeenews.us 11 i| .... trtgf Mentoring in Madison We hear about employ ees having mentors in the workplace, colleagues who offer guidance to enhance careers. There are even life coaches, those who help others to meet the challeng es that come in everyday life. Parents and teachers have always been mentors. Many students need advice, counsel and friendship . . . and that’s what the mento ring program in Madison is all about. Not all the school systems in Lake Country have programs that enable adults in the community volunteer to assist students as mentors. We are fortu nate that Morgan County has a strong program, one continues to impact the lives of many students. “About five years ago local businessmen Mike Conrads and Pete Caulk noticed that Morgan County had several differ ent mentoring programs and all were recruiting from the same pool of folks,” says Stacy Dearing, counselor and mentoring coordinator at Madison Elementary School. “Together, these men ap proached Morgan County Schools to propose a more streamlined protocol where all programs would be housed under the umbrella of the local school system. Now called Mento ring 1 Morgan, this unified effort utilizes communi ty resources to fulfill the Hank Segars Lakelife Associate Editor needs of children across the spectrum of education, building character and pro moting healthy lifestyles.” Students referred to the mentoring program are identified by their parents and teachers. The students’ needs are assessed and then matched with an ap propriate adult mentor based on compatibility and shared interests. “The admonition found in Proverbs of directing your children onto the right path so that when they are older, they will not leave it. .. that is what mentors do,” says Dearing. “As an example of mentors taking action, once we had a student come into school crying, depressed and shutting down. The mentor listened to the student, collabo rated with teachers and then utilized community resources. The mentor’s constant encouragement SEE SEGARS » A5 Five loaves left to feed its all “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” - Mahatma Gandi When I woke up Sunday morning, my phone squeaked and I knew I had some sort of alert. Some weather service or the other notified me that it was time to make final preparations for Hurricane Irma. At that moment I knew that Walmart and Ingles in Madison were both out of bread. Walmart had some hot Associate Editor dogs buns and a few English muffins when I got there, but no loaf bread and every body wants loaf bread when disasters are imminent. But since the store was out of bread, instead I bought some Shedds Spread, a bed spread, Sudafed, A DVD of the Walking Dead and went to Fred’s because they said they had some bread. Anyway, when I checked out at Walmart, the self-ser vice machine didn’t have a change, and I had to wait for the CSM (Cuban Sandwich Maker?) to come over and authorize a refund. While I was standing there waiting for my sawbuck, I spoke with a woman who also waiting on the CSM. She told me she bought five loaves of bread at Ingles earlier that day. Now, we all know what Mr. Jesus can do with five loaves of bread, but I didn’t think this woman had such powers. Could have been wrong, though. After the CSM gave me my sawbuck, I came home and watched a strange movie about two escaped convicts who hid from the local sheriff in space ship this dude had built for a trip to the moon. When the spaceship builder found them hiding in it, he forced them to ac- SEE STONE » A8 Six months is plenty of time for Congress to act on DACA! A savage thank you to community storm responders Hurricane Irma was the largest hurricane in history to pass through the Atlantic. Although it was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time she made it to us, the damage, the remnants and remains of Irma can be seen all over the Lake Country. Telephone poles snapped like pencils. Transform ers were tossed to the ground like empty Coke cans. Blank, useless traffic signals swayed in the wind like clock pendulums. A blizzard of limbs and leaves blew through the air, ames Morton Staff Writer falling to the ground like a deck of hearts and spades, diamonds and clubs in a game of fifty-two card pick up. Road signs battered, beaten and bent like the wreckage of paper air planes. Decades old trees and their branches cracked like thunder as they tumble to the ground, taking power lines with them. The rain was as soft and kind as Copperhead BBs my cousin used to aim at your feet and legs and torso. The silence of the wind whipped around the empty buildings of a ghost town abandoned by people wise enough to stay home. Blue and red lights flashed in the distance of the next scene emergen cy personnel responded to. These are some of the things I experienced while covering the historic hurricane of tropical storm proportions as it battered and beat Lake Country. But I wasn’t the only one out in the mess. Our emer gency personnel and county workers were out braving the weather to ensure our safety and a quick clean up. These workers literally put their lives on the line day after day. In fact, it was because of safety concerns — personnel putting their lives on the line — that Monday night’s clean up efforts were postponed until the next morning when weather conditions were safer and there was light in the sky. Recognizing our law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics... our road crews, GDOT, lineworkers and other com munity workers is an essen tial part of any community. So I ask you do so. Thank these people when you see them. Send them a postcard or a letter. Anything. Something. Let them know how much they are cherished in our com munity. So... Thank you guys and girls of Lake Coun try’s emergency personnel, public safety and commu nity workers who helped get our lives back in order after Irma; thank you for putting your lives on the line. And thank you to your families that support you so you can support us. Thank you for your sacrifice so our community is the best it can be. You are not unnoticed. You are appreciated. Thank you. 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 James Morton Staff Writer Dave Brown Display Advertising Manager Vicki Parker Advertising Representative Anjie Brown Advertising Representative Tom Gorman Advertising Representative Michael Payne Advertising Representative Shannon Thompson Advertising Representative Daniel Harwell 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
