Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

PAGE 12A FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS W»dn«»d«y. August 18,1999 Opinion Chamber’s historic choice for new headquarters is a good one lor years the Cumming/ Forsyth Chamber of Commerce has searched F for a long-term home. That quest is nearing an end. Chamber officials announced last week they have a contract to buy a residential property in Cumming with major historic significance as a new headquar ters. The Chamber’s choice couldn't have been better. At a time when so much of Forsyth County is giving way to land clearing and new construc tion, having the Chamber housed in the city’s oldest home offers a unique opportunity for historic preservation while at the same time cementing the ties of the present to the legacy of the past for the city and coun ty- The old Strickland home place on Kelly Mil) Road has strong ties to the history of Cumming, having been the home of one of the city’s first civic and community leaders. The home seems to attract lead ers, having served as the resi dence for Mayor Ford Gravitt and his family for the last two decades. The Gravitts loving renovation and restoration of the home has resulted in a facility which will be perfect for the Chamber's needs. There is no question that the Chamber needs a showcase sort of headquarters, one that will make an impression on those Letter policy Do you agree? Do you disagree? The Forsyth County News welcomes letters on current events and issues of the day. The following is the let ter policy of the Forsyth County News: Letters must be signed. For verification purposes the street address and telephone number should be included on the letter but will be with held from publication. Neither will this information be available to the public. The Forsyth County News reserves the right to edit letters accord ing to length when necessary. Mail letters to: Forsyth County News P. O. Box 210 Cumming, Ga 30130 CARTOONISTS'VIEWS ON THE NEWS / \ I n >HmM \ \®®®yA&\ 7 (WL «JL who visit the Chamber either as emissaries of potential employ ers hoping to locate here or sim ply as newcomers to the com munity looking for information. The historic homeplace will fit the Chamber’s immediate needs nicely, with spacious rooms for offices and a facility for holding gatherings and spe cial events. In addition, the grounds are spacious enough for outdoor gatherings, and there is ample acreage to handle any future needs. Chamber Chairperson Donna Wade’s sug gestion that one day a new Chamber office may be built with the existing home kept as a welcome center is one that has a certain appeal. The Chamber and Mayor Gravitt are to be commended for working together to make this transaction a reality. It truly is one of those rare win-win situa tions that allows an important community need to be meet while at the same time preserv ing a facility of historic impor tance. To fund its new purchase, the Chamber kick off a building campaign in the near future. We hope that all of those who live in Cumming and Forsyth County will recognize the need for a new Chamber headquarters and the importance of preserv ing the city’s oldest home for future generations and will give generously. space ■ Celestine Sibley was credit to the news profession, and to all of mankind as well Celestine Sibley was different from many of us who ply this trade. She viewed the human condition with optimism. She saw politicians as mostly warm-hearted and often gentle souls who were dedicated to serving the commonweal. She thought of trial lawyers and most judges as witty and nice. She liked and admired nearly every governor she met. She was the best reporter I ever knew Sibley, as many of us called her, died Sunday at her beach home in Dog Island, Fla. At 85. she had written columns for 55 years for The Atlanta Constitution. She was author of 25 books. Sibley was possibly Georgia’s best known and most beloved journalist. She was often at her best when reporting breaking news. Sibley could cover a natural disaster one day and a complicated tax debate the next, and do both with equally amazing skill. No writer could even approach her com petence in icporting a court trial, whether it was a ritzy divorce hearing or a grizzly mur der case. But she was more than simply an aggressive and talented reporter; she was a caring human being. When I arrived with my German bride in tow at The Atlanta Constitution in 1956, Sibley was among the first persons to greet us and try to make Reny, who barely spoke English, feel at home. “I was wearing a red dress with a blue sash. I thought it looked terrible and cheap. And I felt very self-conscious,” Reny said, recalling that afternoon nearly 43 years ago. “Celestine said it was the prettiest dress she ever saw. I will never forget that.” When Reny heard the news of Celestine’s death mwt W J| SSr c W®' ; A $ F I 1 ~ gSSF lifeSa MiWfw J IflLtez Bill japyi stupp Sunday, she sobbed, though Reny. ill herself, had not spoken with Sibley for a long time. When I served briefly as her city editor, Sibley was easily the best and most depend able writer on the staff.. She was especially talented at getting information from the state Capitol. Elected officials trusted and admired her. They often confided to her personal secrets they would never dare reveal to another reporter. “You could tell Celestine something, and she didn’t go out and try to cut you up. and have fun doing it," Speaker Tom Murphy said the other day at a ceremony honoring Sibley. Still, she got news that no one else could get. If you told her that Representative So and-So was a no-good s.o.b. who beat his wife and starved his children, she would shake her head in sadness not so much at learning of So-and-So’s private sins as at your insistence on telling her the seamy side of his life. She thought of Gov. Zell Miller as a great governor with a superior wit and keen under standing of his constituents, while others of us viewed him as quick-tempered, poll-driven politician who was hard to get along with. She believed the late House Speaker George L. Smith II was a true gentleman, an intellectual and a student of the democratic process. Other reporters may have agreed that he was a gentleman and a smart fellow, but they usually saw him as more despot than Democrat. Sibley was not a great admirer of Jimmy Cater. She thought he was a bit too pious and not always truthful. But she was genuinely fond of his late mother, Miss Lilllian, and sympathized with his wife, Rosalynn. If a youngster should ask today how to become a successful journalist, 1 would tell him/her: “Be like Celestine Sibley. Be kind and try to be understanding. Think what your audience is like and what they want you to be like.” The Bob Woodwards and Matt Drudges may be the cutting-edge media icons of the moment or even the decade. The go-for the throat instinct and the who-cares-who-gets hurt style have served their breed well. But, in the end. it is the Sibleys who will endure. Her touching, insightful columns will resonate for decades. Her big breaking stories will be remembered. Her kindness, compas sion and goodness will persist. She is a credit to the state and to her call ing as a reporter. I feel honored to have known her. ••• Bill Shipp is editor of Bill Shipp 's Georgia, a weekly newsletter on government and busi ness. He can be reached at P. 0. Box 440755, Kennesaw, GA 30144 or by calling (770) 422- 2543, e-mail: bshipp@bellsouth.net, Web address: http./Avww. billshipp.com.