About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2025)
» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2025 | A5 Letters to the Editor Putnam Past Editor's note: Letters to the Editor from our readership are always encouraged; however, Smith Communications, Inc. (SCI) reserves the right to limit letters to no more than 500 words and adheres to a policy held by several newspapers nationwide to limit the number of letters on any particular subject, and to request that letter writers limit submitting comments on any one subject to once per month. Letters providing new information, ideas, commentaries, or opinions will always be welcome and considered. Too much to take? Dear Editor, Without much fanfare so far this year, on Friday, Aug. 29, the Board of Commissioners is scheduled to approve the county’s 2026 General Fund budget. While it does appear the commissioners will not be raising the millage rate, it does appear they will be approving a General Fund budget that reflects expen ditures exceeding revenue by about $2.7M. To make up this deficit and have a balanced budget, the board will be forced to take $1.7M out of the coun ty’s surplus (“rainy day fund”) account and have chosen to take another $1M of personnel operating expenses out of the general fund and transfer to a capital account fund which is normally reserved for “capital” expenditures like firetruck purchases, road projects, and the like, meaning less dollars for those capital projects. Putting the pressure on county commission Dear Editor, At the Aug. 19 Putnam County Board of Commis sioners meeting, Commissioner Tom McElhenney asked to table the rezoning request for a 5,000-square-feet gas station at the corner of Old Phoenix and New Phoenix Roads due to the need for additional conditions. While I understand Mr. McElhenney was not a member of the BOC in 2019, Commissioner Bill Sharp (now BOC chairman) drafted several conditions during the rezoning of Anchors Marina on Hwy 44. The devel oper accepted these conditions but later violated them and successfully challenged at least one in court. Similarly, Thunder Valley recently had to go to court to enforce conditions in their neighborhood from 1995. Mr. McElhenney voted against BOC action to enforce those rezoning conditions, even though enforcement is clearly the county’s responsibility, not the residents’. Furthermore, the Code Enforcement Department of Planning and Zoning recently admitted that no code violations have been issued against STRs, despite clear evidence of violations. Many STRs are operating ille gally, yet the county has failed to address this, which is detrimental to adjacent property owners. As a result, citizens in Putnam County lack confi dence in the county’s ability to draft lawful conditions, defend them in court, or enforce existing ordinances. Planning and Zoning itself surely has many examples of this pattern. Regarding zoning law, few cases have carried greater weight than the 1976 Georgia Supreme Court ruling in Guhl v. Holcomb Bridge Road Corporation. The Court held that zoning ordinances are “presumptively valid,” Instructions for letters to the editor: Letters to the editor are due by Monday morning for that week's paper. Letters may be emailed to editor@msgrnews.com or delivered to The Eatonton Messen ger, 100 N. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton, GA 31024. Letters sent anonymously will not be printed. A phone number for verification must be included; the phone number will not be published. And there is real discussion as to whether that transfer of operating expenses to a “Capital” account is even legal or not. And even if deemed legal, is it a good policy going forward to transfer operational expenses to a “Capital” account? My position — leave all the operating expenses in the general fund, where in my opinion it belongs, and leave the capital accounts alone in order to pay for much-needed capital projects such as road paving, large equipment purchases, jail renovations, and other critical capital projects. This deficit spending budget reminds me of a quote from Ronald Reagan: “The problem is not that people are taxed too little; the problem is that government spends too much.” Billy Webster Putnam County with the burden of proof on challengers, and identified six key factors for determining constitutionality: 1. Existing uses and zoning of nearby property. Adja cent property is zoned Residential. The other corners remain vacant. 2. Extent to which property values are diminished. The site is currently used for dirt sales under AG zoning. Other corners are vacant. There is no diminished value to the property compared to its neighbors, but Phoenix Crossing properties would decrease in value. Research confirms homes near gas stations lose value up to 16% within 300 feet, and around 9% within 985 feet to 2,000 feet. 3. Impact on health, safety, morals, or general welfare. Studies show negative health impacts from gas stations. This proposal jeopardizes residents’ health, safety, and welfare. 4. Relative gain to the public versus hardship to the owner. Existing gas stations already serve the public. Most residents oppose this project. The applicant suffers no hardship using the property as zoned. 5. Suitability for current zoning. The property is suit able for agricultural use and has been profitably used for dirt sales. 6. Length of time property has been vacant. This parcel has been actively used for dirt sales and produces more revenue than the other corners. Based on these six factors, under Guhl v. Holcomb Bridge Road Corporation, 238 Ga. 322 (1977), we believe this parcel does not meet the test for rezoning. Sincerely, Sharron Callahan Subscribe online at msgrnews.com LAST YEAR, AUG. 29, 2024 Almost the entire City Council showed up early Friday morning to unveil the first of four identical signs destined to welcome citizens and visitors to Eatonton. Only Ward 4 Councilmember Teresa Doster was unavailable due to foreign travel. Mayor John Reid said he felt "ecstatic" at seeing this sign erected on the west side of North Jefferson Avenue, near its intersection with Lower Harmony Road. FIVE YEARS AGO, AUG. 27, 2020 The summer talk has been about the start of school and how the battle against COVID-19 would be handled in Putnam County classrooms. Putnam County Charter School System Superintendent Eric Arena had but one message for parents and students. "I would ask you to help reinforce the message," he said. "We want to engage and encourage everyone in the school and community to practice preventive behaviors. These are the most important actions that will support schools' safe reopening and help us stay open." 10 YEARS AGO, AUG. 27, 2015 In a football game plagued by penalties on both sides, the Putnam County War Eagles were able to stave off a late comeback attempt by the Warren County Screaming Devils to win their season opener, 35-28. It quickly became apparent to those watching the Albert J. Massey Field matchup that the two sides were rusty, with two false start penalties on the offense and an offsides penalty against the defense within the first offensive sequence. 25 YEARS AGO, AUG. 31, 2000 Slow but steady rainfall that has scattered about Putnam County and surrounding areas over the past few weeks has replenished Eatonton's water supply to the point that the total water ban has been lifted immediately. 50 YEARS AGO, AUG. 28, 1975 The Gatewood Gators will open the football season this Friday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. The game will be held on Sammons Field in Eatonton. Gatewood will host the Flint River Academy team from Woodbury. This is the first game of the season for both teams. 75 YEARS AGO, AUG. 31, 1950 The contract for the building of the new Eatonton School was let Tuesday to the A.B. Newton and Company of Vidalia for $256,080.14, county school superintendent D.T. Turner announced. The new high school building includes nine classrooms, a combined auditorium and gymnasium, laboratories and other needed space for modern instruction. LAKE COUNTRY’S THOUGHTS CONTINUED FROM >: A4 “Made in the USA,” but admitted crappie wouldn’t know the difference — or care. Booger Bledsoe, who operates a local roadside vegetable stand on State Route 136 near Sugar Valley, said while he was glad to see a tariff on Mexican tomatoes, the competition didn’t bother him. Crappie may not appreciate the difference in Chinese worms versus American, but his clien tele sure knows a Georgia tomato when they taste one, he said, especially on white bread with mayonnaise. Booger said next time I was going to see the presi dent, to let him know and he would send along some tomato sandwiches. I told Booger I would do that, although my schedule was pretty tight, and I wasn’t sure when I’d be seeing the president. Uncle Coot transported a lot of porta-potties to a lot of places in his career, so he takes a much broader view of the world beyond Ryo. For example, he feels like if the president locked Russian president Vlad imir Putin and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a Chery 2-Stall Portable Toilet with 3-inch drain, they would probably work out their differences a lot quicker than the way things are going now. Uncle Coot may present an olfactory chal lenge, but he has a point. Skeeter got back on the line. “Hoss, I’m going to pay you a rare compli ment. You wouldn’t know a Baumalight 1P24 3-Point Hitch Stump Grinder if it hit you in the backside, but at least you know that old boy runnin’ things in Washington.” I really don’t but it’s best not to correct him. You can reach Dick Yarbrough at dick© yiickyarbrough.com or at P.O. Box 723373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139. NEED A 1 «*w. TO GET IT ACROSS THE GOAL LINE - 2 YOU BRING IN THE BEST! t 25 • $ CALL THE #1 TEAM II THE LAKE COUNTRY F( ALL OF YOUR REAL NEWS CONTINUED FROM >: A4 public media, and yes — local newspapers — all have a role to play. But excluding newspapers from the table guarantees a slower recovery, partic ularly in communities with the greatest coverage gaps. It’s not too late to correct the omission of local newspapers. Funding leaders, policy- makers, and civic partners have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to think bigger. Strengthening local journalism at scale means recognizing where coverage already exists and where reinforcements can make the biggest difference. Local news papers are not the entire answer. But they are a big part of it. Including them in the next wave of invest ment isn’t just strategic— it’s necessary. I7 ESTATE NEEDS! AY POLITICS IS DIVIDING OUR COUNTRY BY RANDALL HARMAN X $1 Cao 6 RUSSELL W.WALL | ATTORNEY AT LAW 122 North Main St. Bte B. Greensboro, GA Office:706-453-0089 Fax:706-453-0094 - Email: russell@rwwlaw.com Charles Person, a true American hero, was an activist till the end. His last speaking engagement was right here in Greene County Georgia. His last act was as a Democrat at a Republican gathering... SHOW OF UNITY. That was bold! The Freedom Riders was truly a period of systemic racism in the south in our country. This was what existed in America 65 years ago. Now it’s politics that’s dividing our country. ACTIVIST-a person who campaigns to bring about social or political change. HOME & LAND GROUP PREMIER KELLERWILLIAMS KELLERWILLIAMS INTERNAT Letdeknow @LetDCknow • Nonprofit organization www.facebook.com/letDCknowl www.letdcknow.orq] 762.815.3073 | 706.485.0088 1031 Village Park Dr, Ste 101 Greensboro, GA • [ ]
