Newspaper Page Text
4A
Viewpoint
Yours e e •
Ray Hollifield, CEO
Peach County
Chamber of Commerce
GNB: Team Peach County
Over the last several months,
there has been a lot of excitement
over the announcement of GNB, the
$40 million battery recycling facil¬
ity ... and it’s with good reason. To
attract a world class operation like
GNB, a subsidiary of Pacific
Dunlop, is a major accomplishment
for any community whether its
Macon, Savannah or Peach County.
The competition for manufacturing
facilities is intense at least and it
requires considerable effort on the
part of the community as a whole
and individually.
"Team Peach County" got the
job done. Sincere commitment to a
plan and to the success of the
county on the part of volunteers
made the difference as indicated by
not only GNB but the state-wide
developers involved, the Georgia
Department of Industry, Trade and
Tourism, and Georgia Power.
The County Commission, the
Development Authority, the
Utilities Commission and the
Chamber of Commerce pooled their
collective resources to present a
unified county. There are too many
names to mention but personalities
and egos were set aside and a desire
for success was substituted. This
level of commitment was unequalcd
in our competition and resulted in
U.S. soldier in Saudi Arabia
by James Turner
We have been here a few days.
Word is that we will move again. I
took this time out while it's avail¬
able to write you. It is always a
pleasure to correspond with you.
The day is almost ended. That
is of daylight. For night time still
means guards around the camp in
the weather that is about 35 degrees
and late night sandstorms - some up
to 75 mph.
The moral is still high and
their is no loss of discipline or faith
in the leadership. We are all listen¬
ing to the radio in hopes that an end
is near. But we are prepared to do
whatever is asked of us - to
here or to destroy lives and property
- proportionate to what is needed
be victorious.
The talk no longer is "When
are we going home?" or "How long
are we going to be here?” "We
grown out of the stage of keeping
loved ones, family, and friends in
our every thought. Our thoughts
doing everything we can to be
ready. If war comes, we want to
able to end it as quickly as possi¬
ble; and in order to do that we
be mentally prepared.
The idea of lives loss, even the
r? 3Cf)e Xea&et-tribune
.I THE COUNTY, OFFICIAL THE LEGAL CITY OF ORGAN FORT OF VALLEY PEACH
AND THE CITY OF BYRON SINCE 1988.
P.O.BOX 1060
FORT VALLEY, GA 31030
912-825-2432
Mike Lowom Editor and General Manager
Hallie Rigdon News Editor
Melissa Smith Bookkeeping, Office Manager
Susan Plummer Advertising Manager
Krista Cantril Advertising Representative
Donald Cornwell Pressman
Eric Zellars Photo/Darkroom Tech.
Stacey Shy Head Typesetting
Dawn Middlebrooks Typesetting Asst.
The Leader-Tribune (USPS No. 307740) is published weekly at 109 Anderson
Avenue, Fort Valley, GA 31030. Subscription rates: $15.90 per year in Peach
County, $21.20 per year elsewhere in Georgia, $26.00 per year out-of-state.
Second-class postage paid at Fort Valley, GA. POSTMASTER shoudl send
address changes to The Leader-Tribune, P.O. Box 1060, Fort Valley, GA 31030.
% u
Leader-Tribune Wednesday, February 20,1991
genuine appreciation for our com¬
munity by GNB.
"Team Peach County" needs to
grow. Today a small core of com¬
mitted individuals have volunteered
their efforts for tomorrow’s future.
They take the economic well being
of the county very seriously and are
leading the cause for growth. The
degree of success we achieve, how¬
ever, is a product of how many
volunteers get involved and their
level of commitment. It will take
many more caring volunteers to
reach the lofty heights needed for
real long-term success. While it is
certainly easier to find local eco¬
nomic reasons not to be enthusias¬
tic about GNB, the solution to all
our economic problems is the vol¬
unteer. Deciding on a plan, com¬
mitting to its implementation and
being a part of the team which
brings it to reality is what "Team
Peach County" is.
Over the next several months a
number of "plans" such as Main
Street, the Utility Park and the
Chamber Headquarters will be im¬
plemented and we’ll need your sup¬
port. As your time permits please
get involved and make Peach
County's success a personal prior
ity.
one sitting next to you or even
you, has been replaced with the
need to stop any future thought of
any other leader thinking that he
not only can do the same thing, but
he rewarded if he does.
One's faith is very important
always. This has renerved some,
strengthened others, and is new to
many. As each day passes, and the
thought of war draws near, others
faith is called to question. For me, I
have prayed to my God. Now I
must wait for his answer. Until
then, my faith and works must still
be well placed. (
Darkness and colder weather
has set in. Time to go and visit the
soldiers in the cold and keep their
morale high. They appreciate it
when their leadership is visible to
them. I know. I was in there shoes
some 16 years ago.
I have enjoyed this opportunity
to write to you. And I look forward
to doing it again, if the Lord says
the same.
We are all thankful that some¬
where in your busy and hectic lives
that you take time out to include us
in your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless You! And God Bless
America!
i
It
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(Jit Wj'J
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M V S), WO □
*
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u I know people worry about the terrorism threat, but with the sky less crowded
of all the cancellations, it might actually be SAFER to fly! 9 9
because
A tribute to "Ms. n
I have not made it a practice over the years
to become personal in this column, however, I
would like to deviate this week from that
policy. My family and I lost our best friend
Friday, our mother, and I would like to tell you
a few things about this great lady.
Ms. Effie was the first of our immediate
family to become involved in the newspaper
business when she went to work for Ralph
Rice, the publisher of the Manchester Mer¬
cury, when our family moved to Manchester
from Lavonia, in 1951. My brother Bill, was at
the University of Georgia at that time with
journalism as his major. I was a junior in high
school and Cleta (Young), my sister, was in
the sixth grade. Of course, I had no idea in
1951 what career I wanted to pursue, nor did
Cleta, I am sure.
Ms. Effie was the bookkeeper during the
early part of the 1950's, and as time passed,
began to assume writing responsibilities in
the social area. In 1956, Mr. Rice sold the
Mercury due to health reasons and our mom
became society editor as well as bookkeeper.
Brother Bill graduated from Georgia with
his journalism degree in 1953, the same year
I graduated from high school. His first job was
that of a reporter on a Gainesville newspaper,
later joined the staff of the Macon Telegraph
and then on to television news, where he is
presently executive news director of Channel
13 in Macon.
Sister Cleta is our receptionist and cir¬
culations manager and has been for several
years.
My first experience with newspaper was in
1960 when I went to work for the Mercury as
advertising manager. Ms. Effie was still there
as society editor and bookkeeper, but left
later that year and I took over her book¬
keeping responsibilities.
In 1968 after the Mercury was combined
with the four year old Manchester Star,
founded by Ralph Rice, who decided to re¬
enter the newspaper market here, Tri-County
Newspapers, Inc. was formed with the pur-
Iraq is on its knees and reeling, so why
the rush to get into a ground war?
According to the most recent news
reports, there is a chance that a ground war
in the Persian Gulf may have begun by the
time this gets into print. If so, it will be the
first major decision of this crisis with which I
strongly disagree.
I am convinced that we did the right
thing by sending troops to Saudi Arabia in
August. Had we not done so, Hussein's
army would be in that country now, and he
would be holding the globe hostage by con¬
trolling the majority of its oil supply.
I am also convinced that we did the right
thing by launching an offensive against Iraq
on January 16. Had we not done so,
Saddam would now be dangerously close to
nuclear capability and likely would be
preparing to use that capability.
I am convinced that this man had to be
stopped, just as Hitler and Hirohito had to be
stopped.
I am convinced that the decision to go to
war rather than continue economic sanc¬
tions was a wise one. One, evidence indi¬
cated clearly that sanctions were having little
effect on Saddam's military. Two, had we
continued to embargo Iraq and slowly starve
it to death, who would have been the first to
die? Children and old people would have
:'d"
s
i
chase of the Meriwether Vindicator, Harris
County Journal, Talbotton New Era and
patriot Citizen by my wife Frances, and
myself. Tri-County's name was changed to
Trib Publications in 1986 as our company had
grown far outside the Tri-Country area.
Ms. Effie was coaxed back into the news¬
paper field in 1968, out of retirement l might
add at age 66, and she remained as an im¬
portant part of our front office for 16 years
until she was forced to retire for good in the
early spring of 1984. During those 16 years,
the lady who truly loved the newspaper bus¬
iness, was the proofreader, copy setter, sub¬
scription and classified ad clerk, receptionist,
society writer - you name it, she did it.
As she grew older, she solicited the help of
her dear sister, Mrs. Maggie Hull, to help her
with the subscription and classified ad billing
in order not to get behind. Although we try to
enforce a policy of not allowing an employee
to take work home with them, it did not work
in this case. Ms. Effie and Ms. Maggie would
sit around the kitchen table many nights with
Ms. Effie calling out the name of the sub¬
scriber whose subscription was due and Ms.'
Maggie doing the writing on the billing cards.
They had a similar plan of action for the
classifieds as well.
Ms. Effie remained at home with 24 hours
around the clock care until this past spring
Mike
Lovvom
* Editor
suffered most, not the military and certainly
not the man who has a year's supply of pro¬
visions for two dozen in an underground
bunker.
Now, though, I am also convinced that
we are making a mistake if we dash head¬
long into a ground war at this time.
What we are doing is working, at a mini¬
mal cost in lives and equipment. In one
month of relentless bombing, we have Iraq
on its knees and reeling.
I am still convinced that the knockout
t
Bob Tribble
Publisher
the decision was forced upon us to
her in a nursing home. Our family was
the old school, I guess, because we be¬
lieved in caring for our own and a nursing
home didn't suit our taste. But I can tell your
wonderful nurses at Meriwether Memorial
Nursing Home very quickly released our fears
by providing services to our mother we could
have never provided at home. And more im¬
portantly, they loved her and showed that
love daily.
Dr. John Allen, her pastor, gave a beautiful
version of what a good mother means to her
children at her service Sunday, and Ms. Effie
was everything he said and more.
There is no doubt but what she guided and
influenced her three children in good and pro¬
per directions during her lifetime in her mild
mannered and low key way. And her life in
this community, or any community in which
she ever lived, speaks for itself.
One lesson she taught all her children at an
early age was the importance of God and
church in our lives. I only wish and pray that
other young mothers (and fathers) I know
would follow her example. Our youth today
have an extremely tough time even though
they are raised in church, but those outside
the church barely stand a chance in today's
world.
There is a very special person that meant
so much to Ms. Effie and the entire family
over the past years and that was her com¬
panion, Grace Steed. Grace stuck it out
during the good and bad, and we all have
come to know and love her just as if she were
a family member.
Many times over the past few years I heard
Ms. Effie say, "I wish the good Lord would just
come and take me home." And He did, last
Friday, at His own choosing, just as He will in
our lives. We know where Ms. Effie is and we
can only rejoice! He gave us a wonderful
mother who guided and influenced our lives,
and was there when we needed her. There is
not better early blessing than that.
punch can come through the air.
Are political predictions of a ground war
inadvertently pushing us into one? I certain¬
ly hope not. Political intervention with our
military smacks of Vietnam. If we are about
to begin a ground offensive, I hope the deci¬
sion is based on Gen. Swartzkopf's best
knowledge of our military position, not on the
whim of world politics.
Thus far, this war has been more one¬
sided than the 1990 Super Bowl. While our
Air Force grinds Iraq up with amazing effi¬
ciency, we have sat around and made jokes
about Saddam and the most harmless
weapon in the history of modern warfare, the
Scud missile.
If we launch a ground war now, all the
joking is over. Iraq may be on its knees, but
an opponent on its knees often has one
punch left, and our private parts are within
reach.
What's the rush? Unless someone in
the military can produce a compelling argu¬
ment why the ground war can't wait, I say
continue to bomb. As each day passes,
more of their military is destroyed, and more
of their soldiers are defecting.
You know the saying, "if it ain't broke,
don't fix it?" Well.....