Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by Charter Foundation of Valley, Alabama and the Chipley Historical Center of Pine Mountain.
About Harris County journal. (Hamilton, Harris County, Ga.) 1920-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 2015)
4 Harris County Journal - Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 Looking Back for 52 Weeks e. Photos Courtesy of Hopewell Fire Department LENDING A HAND - Firefighters from Pine Mountain and Hopewell fire departments provide care for two passengers who appeared slightly injured in an early May accident in Pine Mountain. With four injuries, two ambulances were dis patched to the scene and the first had already left for the hospital. By Andy Kobar WORKING ON THE RESTORATION - Mural artist John Christian is shown in the early stages of restoring the mural on Harris Street in Pine Mountain The mural features President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Cason Callaway Sr., and a num ber of notable locations in and around Pine Mountain. '* ye ,* a 17 1171 is. = - f 15- By Andy Kober FORGET A WRECKER - Logging equipment was transported to the accident scene to clear the logs and overturned trailer in a February mishap. A Tigercat log loader is shown picking up the logs and stacking them on a waiting truck. The logs had to be removed before the trailer could be moved. Anomer Year Of Uns, Downs And Twists Harris Keeps on Evolving By ANDY KOBER Unlike any other media, articles and photos published in newspapers stay around a long time - a very long time. Television and radio news reports are often contained in 30 second bites. The information is here today and gone tomorrow. News and information found on the Internet, especially social media websites, often contain as much misinforma tion as they do correct information, which has led to many jokes about news found on the internet. Newspapers stand alone in recording what happens in our communities. Ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred years from now - or even longer - researchers can peruse the yellowing pages of a newspaper and learn what was hap pening back when. As the door closes on 2015, this article reflects on the top events in Harris County as selected by staff. New Library Coming Soon The top news event involves construction of a new Harris County Public Library. Once a bastion of books and periodicals, public libraries have reinvented themselves with an increasing variety of programs to attract more people - and that mission has been accomplished. New libraries are being constructed throughout the area and one is scheduled in Harris County. Funded by a combination of state money, Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds, and locally raised funds, Harris County’s new public library will be construct ed next to the Harris County Community Center located on Ga. Hwy. 116, just west of Hamilton. Totaling 15,000 square feet and estimated to cost about $5 million, the new library will be three times the size of the current facility located in Hamilton. An architectural firm has been selected to offer a pro posed design and focus groups will soon be asked to meet and determine a list of programs and services to be offered at the library. Depending on weather, a ground-breaking ceremony could be held in the Spring of 2016. Change of Library Leadership The Harris County Public Library was in the newspaper multiple times during 2015, and most typically for the vari ety of programs being offered on a weekly basis, but two other events stood out. In January, librarian Debbie Marino retired after 20 years of service. A ceremony was held in - appropriately enough - the library, and was attended by a large crowd of county offi cials, library board members and well-wishers. As noted at the time, Marino had to fight tears as she was the recipient of gifts including an excursion bag from board members and a commemorative pen from County Manager Greg Wood. In June, it was announced that Ada Demlow had been hired as the new Librarian for the Harris County Public Library. In 2015, Demlow built upon successful events that were already in place, and soon began adding more. The Harris County Public Library continues to be a bee hive of activity for all ages. By Andy Kober BUFFALO SOLDIERS - The Buffalo Soldiers enjoyed a long, sto ried and proud history in the United States Army. Shown representing the Buffalo Soldiers at Hamilton’s inaugural Veterans Day service are, left to right: Grady Snell, Jr.; Preston Gathers;' Rita B. Snell; Eddie J. Simon, Jr.; Kerry L. Benton; Albert Dobbs; and Edward Walker. e. 004. ** TREASURE ww® Foma •as.,, Candy Drop Repeats History A most unusual and singular event took place in Harris County in March 2015. Taking place at the Harris County - Pine Mountain Airport, the event was a re-enactment of the Candy Drops made famous during the Berlin Airlift. The Candy Drops grew out of the Berlin Airlift conducted after World War II. Berlin was split between Russia and the Allies, but Russia wanted all of Berlin and closed rail and roadways into the city, preventing deliveries of basic foods and medicines that were desperately needed. The United States Army Air Corps answered the challenge sending flight after flight, 24 hours a day, of C-47 and C-54 transport aircraft hauling supplies into the beleaguered city. One of the C-54 pilots, Gail Halverson, began dropping candy bars suspended from small parachutes to the German children. Seeing the joy brought to the children, other pilots followed suit and the Candy Drops became a part of history. WITH SCHOOL STUDENTS at the airport, an actual C-54 that participated in the Berlin Airlift and the Candy Drops, now used as a flying museum and named “The Spirit of Freedom”, flew low over the airport with crew members drop ping candy bars, suspended from small parachutes, for the waiting students. Prior to the Candy Drop, the students were allowed on the 70-year old aircraft to see dioramas and enjoy a history lesson now made real. With ongoing work at the Harris County - Pine Mountain Airport, a Candy Drop has not been scheduled for 2016, but might return in 2017. ww* Dream Comes True- After 65 Year Wait Harris County resident Anne Parrish had to wait 65 years to fulfill a dream, but it happened in 2015. Related to the Candy Drop, Parrish was 10 years old when the actual Candy Drops took place near Tempelhof Airport in Berlin. Having to care for a younger brother, Parrish never had the opportunity to catch a coveted piece of candy during one of the candy drops. “I remember standing in one of the cemeteries trying to catch a piece of candy,” Parrish recalled but never did catch any. Parrish was raised in what would become East Germany. With the threat of the approaching Russians, her family fled to Berlin where she grew into adulthood. It was there she met and fell in love with U.S. Army soldier Harvey Parrish. They would be transferred to Fort Benning. An article about Parrish appearing in the Harris County Journal led to the C-54 “The Spirit of Freedom” flight crew conducting a special Candy Drop for Parrish at the Harris County-Pine Mountain airport. Tim Chopp and Bill Starr, who fly the antique air craft, escorted Parrish on board, where dioramas and pictures of the Berlin Airlift and Candy Drops can be found inside. She not only recognized the places, but shared her experiences with them. By Andy Kober PROUD MOMENT - Cataula resident Anne Parrish stands between the C-54 Skymaster flight crew Tim Chopp (left) and Bill Starr. The chocolate bar hangs suspended from a parachute made from a handkerchief, just as they were done during the original Candy Drops. Mrs, Parrish is shown hold ing a copy of “Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot” a book about the Candy Drops in which she has recorded informa tion to be passed down to her granddaughter.
