Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A, The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Pollution Solution
Over the past few years
Georgia’s population has
been booming, and that has
resulted in a tremendous in
crease in development, traffic
and, unfortunately, tree loss
and air pollution. But did
you know there’s a pollution
solution in our own back
yard? Georgia’s remaining
forests provide a variety of
healthy, ecological benefits
that should be preserved and
protected:
Cleaner, cooler air: Trees
process carbon from auto
mobiles and factories, and
they remove or trap lung
damaging dust, ash, pollen
and smoke from the air. In
addition, trees provide shade,
which reduces temperatures
and helps keep pollutants
already in the air from be
coming even more volatile.
One acre of trees produces
enough oxygen for 18 people
every day!
Because Georgia for
ests are recognized as a
valuable tool in reducing
atmospheric concentra
tions, state legislators have
approved Senate Bill 356
www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/
2003_04/sum/sb356.htm>
. This bill provides for
the creation of a "carbon
sequestration” Registry.
This Registry will be a
listing of carbon sequestra
tion projects that have been
certified to meet standards of
"marketable” carbon credits.
Commission foresters expect
a carbon market to develop
in the southern United States
soon, and are developing
the Registry to ensure that
Georgia landowners have the
opportunity to participate.
Cleaner water: Trees act
as natural water filters and
help slow the movement of
Tom Lambert
storm water, which lowers
runoff volume, soil erosion
and flooding. Communities
utilizing the important func
tion of tree canopies may
spend less money developing
stormwater management in
frastructure. During a heavy
rain, a healthy forest can
absorb as much as 20,000
gallons of water an hour!
Healthier living: Studies
have found a correlation
between community forests
and the average amount of
physical activity exerted
by neighborhood residents.
People are more inclined to
get outdoors and exercise
when their surroundings are
greener. Logically, greater
physical activity leads to
fewer cases of obesity and
its resulting health risks.
In addition, asthma rates
decrease in forested areas
because of trees’ air filtering
properties and children with
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperac
tivity Disorder (ADHD) have
been shown to concentrate
better after playing in natural
settings.
These are just a few ben
efits that we receive from our
forestland. Let’s continue to
enjoy the benefits by preserv
ing and protecting Georgia’s
forestland
Facts About Masonry
By J.M. Rhodes
Member of Chehaw Lodge 701
Leesburg, Georgia
Letters to the Editor
Hello Lee County
Yep, its me again Delo
res. Hope all of you good
folks are fine. We at the
Lee Kountry Jamboree
are wonderful. Mrs. Betty
Stroud was excellent Sat
urday night, as well as the
rest of the band.
Mac Mercer, Lonnie
Brigmon, Arnold Rich,
Wendy, Wayne Watson,
Wayne Dawson, Mackie
Harrison, William Hall
and some more new faces
and standing room only.
We gave away lots of
good prizes. Thanks
El Maya Restaurant,
Leesburg, $30.00 gift
certificate, AMP Bowling
Lanes Albany $55.00 fam
ily fun package, Stardust
Car Wash Leesburg $20.00
car wash and other pries
donated by individuals.
Thanks everyone.
As I told you last week,
we are looking at a larger
building, but we are also
looking at more money to
keep it going.
The Jamboree is a big hit
with everyone who attends,
and we welcome all dona
tions. Right now the Jam
boree is free to all. We’d
like to keep it that way.
Anyone interested in
helping, please call Delores
Hall 29-759-2893. Free
fun, family entertainment
every Saturday night 7:
00 p.m. until. No alcohol,
smoking outside only. All
ages welcome.
I’m going to say bye for
now, and remember we
love you.
Delores and William Hall
Lee Kountry Jamboree
Technical Education
Important
I just read that Volkswa
gen is going to build a plant
in Chattanooga,Tennessee.
One of the primary reasons
they chose to do so was the
strong Career and Techni
cal Education program
in Chattanooga area high
schools. Folks Lee County
has one of the best CTE
programs in the state.
However, the Ga. Dept, of
Education has decided to
go to one diploma instead
of the three diplomas that
have fostered such success
for our children. I fear that
doing this may weaken
CTE education in Georgia.
It is high time that educa
tors, not bureaucrats make
the decisions about how
best to educate students.
I give you the example
of No Child Left Behind
legislation that has crippled
teachers and ensures
that no child is encour
aged to excel. Teachers
are forced to teach for a
standardized test rather
than life skills and useful
practical theories. When
I left the eighth grade, I
could read a ruler. Most
students today have trouble
with this because it isn’t a
question on the CRCT and
so isn’t considered critical
knowledge. This needs to
change and it needs to hap
pen ASAP!
Ronnie Rich
Thanks From The Sharks
The players .parents, and
coaches of the LC Sharks
soccer club would like to
thank the following people
for their support. First of
all, our sponsor Jenkins
Supermarket. Without
Todd and Brenda’s support
our great season would not
have been possible. We
would also like to thank
the Chevron in Leesburg,
The Express Lane on
Philema Road, Beef O’
Brady’s, LI Save it Phar
macy, and Fleming Insur
ance. We will be going to
nationals at Disney Wild
World of Sports July 31st
and we hope to represent
the community well with
good competitive soccer.
Wish us luck!
Thank you,
LC Sharks
The University of Georgia • Cooperative Extension Service
Monitor Plants for
Drought Stress
Doug Collins, Lee County
Extension Coordinator
Putting Knowledge toWork~1
These dogwood leaves are beginning to show
signs of drought stress.
Monitor Plants for Drought Stress
With the high tem
peratures we’ve been
experiencing, moisture
disappears rapidly through
evaporation and transpira
tion (water loss through the
plant’s leaves). Soil that
contains adequate moisture
one week may be dry the
next.
Some plants are resistant
to drought. Established
trees and shrubs can gener
ally ride out a drought.
Bermudagrass can tolerate
a drought easily. Centipede
grass can go into a type
of drought dormancy. It
will turn brown during the
drought, but once it rains, it
almost immediately turns
green.
Other plants, for one
reason or another, are not
so drought tolerant. Dog
woods and azaleas have
shallow root systems, mak
ing them very susceptible
to drought.
Trees and shrubs that
have been transplanted in
the last two years are vul
nerable to drought due to
the loss of part of their root
system during transplant
ing. The first months after
transplanting are especially
critical.
Plants grown in contain
ers should have a watchful
eye on them. Soil in con
tainers, especially smaller
containers, has a tendency
to dry out rapidly.
If a tree or shrub is
observed wilting, the best
way to water it is to leave
a very slowly running
water hose at its base for an
extended time. If there are
multiple plants together, it
may be more practical to
leave a sprinkler running
overnight on them. Land
scape plants, especially
larger trees and shrubs, are
valuable, Keeping them
alive during a drought is
worth the effort.
For more informa
tion, call the Lee County
Extension Office at
759-6025 or email me at
collinsd@uga.edu
MORE HISTORY OF
FREEMASONRY
Freemasonry came to
Russia as part of the eigh
teenth-century expansion
that made the craft a global
phenomenon. Although at
first it was one of several
social institutions, includ
ing societies and clubs, that
made their way to Russia
in the course of Western
ization, Freemasonry soon
acquired considerable
importance, evolving into
a widespread, variegated,
and much unified social
movement.
Despite the legends that
attributed the origins of
Russian Freemasonry
to Peter the Great (who
purportedly received his
degrees from Christopher
Wren), the first reli
able evidence places the
beginnings of the craft in
Russia in the 1730s and
early 1740s. The movement
expanded in the latter half
of the eighteenth century,
especially between 1770
and 1790, when more than
a hundred lodges were
created in St. Petersburg,
Moscow, and the provinces.
Freemasonry was an
important element of the
Russian Enlightenment and
played a central role in the
evolution of Russia’s public
sphere and civil society.
The lodges were self-gov
erned and open to free men
(but not women) of most
every nationality, rank,
and walk of life, with the
notable exception of serfs.
While many lodges were
nothing but “glorified”
social clubs, there were nu
merous brethren who saw
themselves as on a mission
to reform humankind and
battle Russia’s perceived
“barbarity” by means of
charity and self-improve
ment. They regarded the
lodges as havens of “righ
teousness” and nurseries
of virtue in a “depraved”
world.
(More next week on his
tory of Freemasonry)
The Le6 County ledger
Established August 24,1978
lcledger@bellsouth.net
P.0. Box 715 (124 4th Street) Leesburg, Georgia 31763
(229)759-2413 USPS 470-310
Official Organ of Lee County
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Lee and surrounding counties $20.00 year
Elsewhere $25.00 year
Publisher Derryl Quinn
Editor Jim Quinn
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(USPS 470-310), is published weekly for $20.00 per year in
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at Leesburg, GA. POST MASTER: Send address changes
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PRESS ASSOCIATION
Commissioners Table
Attorneys’s Insurance Request
During their meeting
Tuesday, July 22, the county
commissioners tabled a
request from Hugh Morris
and Patrick Edison for rein
statement of county health
insurance. The county
administrator requested the
request be tabled pending
information on the liability
of the county in paying
future claims. Mr. Morris
serves as county prosecu
tor and Mr. Edison is the
indigent defense attorney
for magistrate court and
probate court.
Mr. Morris and Mr. Edi
son requested at the July 8th
meeting of the commission
ers to have their insurance
reinstated. Both attorneys
indicated that the health
insurance was an incentive
to them to work part-time
for the county.
The commissioners
adopted the millage rate
for the county which is the
same as the past two years.
The millage rate for the
board of education reflects a
slight increase.
A resolution for a Tax
Anticipation Note (TAN)
for four million dollars
Community Open
House at Twin Oaks
Special to the Ledger
The Lee County Board of
Education and Twin Oaks
Elementary School invite
the people of Lee County
to tour the school system’s
latest addition. The Com
munity Open House will
be held on Thursday, July
31 from 5:00-7:00 PM. The
new Twin Oaks Elementa
ry campus is located at 240
Old Smithville Road North
adjacent to Lee County
Middle School. Everyone is
welcome to come and see
the new Twin Oaks. Please
note that Open House for
the students and parents
of Twin Oaks Elementary
will be held on Thursday,
August 7.
Letters Policy
The Lee County Ledger welcomes - indeed encourages
- letters from our readers on matters of interest for the
community. Have a complaint? See a problem that needs
correcting? Have the solution to a problem that others
haven’t seen yet? Feel some person or group deserves
praise and isn’t getting it? Please write us and let every
one share in your viewpoint. We do request that all letters
be signed and accompanied by the writer’s street address
and telephone number. We reserve the right not to print
any letter. Letters not signed will not be printed. Let
ters must be limited to no more than two double-spaced
sheets. Address your letter to Editor, The Lee County
Ledger, P.O. Box 715, Leesburg, Georgia 31763 or bring
them by our office.
from a Lee County banking
institution was approved.
The purpose of the Tax An
ticipation Note is to have in
place the ability, if needed,
to borrow funds for current
operating expenses for the
remainder of 2008.
The commissioners
approved for the current ac
counting firm that has been
doing the audit, Meeks,
Roberts, Ashley, Sumner
and Sirmans, to perform the
county audit at a cost be
tween $55,000 and $60,000,
The commissioners
approved a resolution for
Georgia One Fund that es
tablished an account for the
City of Smithville to draw
a portion of the SPLOST
funds for their projects.
Georgia One Funds pays a
higher interest rate.
The commissioners ap
proved change orders for
renovations to the old two
story school building on
Starksville Street that will
be used for planning and
development department.
Changes were being made
to the ceiling and walls of
the building and concrete
work in the basement, crawl
space and rest rooms. The
changes will increase the
construction cost approxi
mately $31,000 which will
be paid from SPLOST
funds. The commissioners
also declared the wood au
ditorium seats surplus. The
seats will be replaced with
cushioned seating.
The commissioners ap
proved a proposal from
TTL to inspect subdivision
roads and Cedric Street
extension to ensure the
roads are built to county
standards.
The commissioners ap
proved the purchase of an
ambulance for $94,209.00
and a power stretcher for
$10,500.00 for the Palmyra
Station. The purchase
of fire equipment for
$38,599.00 that will be
paid for from a grant was
approved.
Perry Mathis, George
Walls and Victor Stubbs
were reappointed to the
Utilities Authority for a one
year term.
SGTC Spring Quarter
2008 President’s List
Special to the Ledger
South Georgia Technical
College President Sparky
Reeves announced that
the following students
were named to the South
Georgia Technical Col
lege President’s List for the
2008 Spring Quarter.
Preston Lynn Cooley of
Leesburg, Machine Tool
Technology; Shawn Marie
Hollis of Smithville, Ac
counting; Herbert Marshall
Lindsey of Leesburg,
Electrical Lineworker Ap
prentice; Joshua Brandon
Love of Leesburg, Indus
trial Electrical Technology;
Kenneth Anthony Shlegel
of Leesburg, Industrial
Electrical Technology;
Zack Brock Watkins of
Leesburg, Machine Tool
Technology; and Mar
vin James Wiggins of
Smithville, Commercial
Truck Driving.