Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4 - THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013
Opinions expressed by writers on this page are their
own and not necessarily those of The Georgia Post
CODE OF ETHICS: Seek Truth & Report It - Minimize Harm -
Act Independently - Be Accountable.
Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is
safe. - Thomas Jefferson
Why I Love Community Newspapers
By Larry Walker
Most of them are small, al
though there are two or three
larger ones with pictures of
my show calves and me. All
of them are slightly yellowed
and somewhat worn
by the weight of
many years. But I
can still read ’em,
and I can still re
member.
Then there are ac
counts of loved ones
and their departures
after lives well-lived.
And, political happenings -
victories, accomplishments,
positions taken, critical letters
to the editor and the like, with
the positive being in greater
numbers, not necessarily
because of preponderance of
happenings, but more so to
do with what was saved.
Of all these boxes of clip
pings saved, perhaps the most
cherished is the one from
the Houston Home Journal
of about two column inches
telling of the June, 1963
departure of four local boys,
Bobby Jones, Jerry Hor
ton, Jerry Wilson and Larry
Walker, for Ft. Worth Texas
and summer work at Texas
Steel Company. It’s as if the
accounts in this timeless trea
sure come back to life every
time I see and read it.
I must mention three week
ly newspapers of particular
significance to me: the Sand-
ersville Progress delivered
to my Walker Grandparent’s
home on dirt Sparta-Davis-
boro Road in rural Washing
ton County, Macon County’s
Citizen Georgian ’covered
me’ when I represented that
county in the General Assem
bly and the one I love, the
Houston Home Journal.
Then, there are other com
munity newspapers, outstand
ing in every respect, that
come to mind as examples
of the best in community
journalism: The Blackshear
Times, The Press-Sentinel,
Jesup, The Northeast Geor
gian, Cornelia, and The
Clayton Tribune. And of
course, do not forget your
own community newspaper,
The Georgia Post.
These papers are the con
science of the community.
They report on city and
county governments. They
help to keep local officials
honest and on the right path.
And, very importantly, they
write the history of the place
and people even while it is
being made.
Community newspapers are
us. They tell our story - the
tales of those of us
who don’t live in
Atlanta or New York
or even Macon. It’s
the chronicle record
of what we do and
are and we aspire to
be. And, it’s what the
world, or this part of
it, will know about
us when we have long since
crossed over the river.
I love our community
newspapers. I can’t wait to
look at mine (I claim some
interest in it) when it comes
out on Wednesday and then,
again, on Saturday. It’s been
that way ever since I was just
a boy, ever since I was able to
read and understand.
And, I remember: editors
like Cooper Etheridge, Bobby
Branch, and Foy Evans;
printers like Byron Maxwell;
writers like Charlotte Moore
(“Porky”, we miss you) and
owners like Danny and Julie
Evans. Thanks to all of you
for enriching my life and
making it more enjoyable.
And, thanks for making a
record, a permanent record,
of my little accomplishments
in my little part of the world.
And, the accomplishments of
friends and family.
“Newspapers are in financial
trouble.” But, not’ours.’
Not the ones that are close to
its readers and know what is
really important to its read
ers - you know things like,
a huge tomato, twin calves,
a fifty pound watermelon
grown by Mr. Gray, the cat
caught in the wheel well of
the Mayor’s car, Mr. Wil
liam Jones seeing what he
believed to be a black panther
out on Salem Church Road
and the squirrel that interrupt
ed the morning service at the
First Baptist Church. What
fun. What memories.
I love community newspa
pers.
Larry Walker has practiced law for
48 years in his hometown of Perry.
He served in the General Assembly
for 32 years, and now is a member
of the University System of Geor
gia s Board of Regents. His column
appears weekly in the Houston
Home Journal. His email address is
lwalker@whgmlaw.com.
uotable Quote ~
The only difference between death and taxes is
that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress
meets.— Will Rogers
Taking Cues From
Waking up to a 50 lb. dog
standing on your side in the
mornings is not necessarily
the way to start the day but at
our house this happens quite
frequently. Our Boxer, Roxie,
is telling us it is time to get
up. She is much better than
an alarm clock. If standing on
you does not work right away,
she will poke you with her
paw, sometimes in the head,
depending on how quickly she
wants you to respond.
Most days she is patient. She
will get up with David and
then come back to bed for a
little while with me but some
days, she insists that I get up
as well, especially on week
ends.
We really should take more
cues from our pets though.
They love unconditionally.
They are always happy to see
you no matter what. They for
give easily and are just happy
to be alive as long as they get
to eat, sleep and play. And,
unless they are sick, they are
always happy.
You can tell your furbaby
your troubles and they will
never repeat it and they seem
as though they are listening
intently. Roxie is devoted to
her family and hardly ever
meets a stranger. She has so
much personality, sometimes
she seems almost human.
Dogs enjoy the simpler
things in life - chasing but
terflies, playing catch, trying
to figure out the squirrels and
birds.
Roxie is quite comical and
I wish many times we had
captured her antics on video.
She has a ferocious bark
which would scare any in
truder. She loves children and
does not like for them to cry.
If you cough or sneeze, she
thinks something is wrong and
comes over to try and fix it.
She does not realize that
Our Dog
she weighs 50 lbs. She still
gets up in your lap. She runs
like the wind. Thankfully
her coordination has gotten
better as she has aged because
at first she was not looking
and was always running into
things. Once it was me and I
went sprawling on the ground.
She also ran into the side of
the parked car during one of
her running escapades. It was
actually quite funny since she
did not hurt herself. If you
encourage her to run she tries
to run faster.
Because when we first got
her they had not cut off her
tail, she was too big by then so
her tail can now be classified
as a lethal weapon!
She has also started to mind
better most of the time and
brings much joy to us. In train
ing her and most boxers for
that matter, you have to be just
as stubborn as they are and
continue even when you want
Pay at a Time
Victoria ’’Vicky” Simmons
vsimmonsS4@gmail.com
to give up. Sometimes we do
not make it that far. But if you
can hang with them they pick
up things pretty quickly. Our
daughter’s smaller dog, has
even started to play more and
do more things because she
sees Roxie doing them.
Though she is big, she will
sit still for you to bathe her. Of
course, once finished she is all
over the place. She also likes
to dance with me sometimes.
At night when we get home
she is still ready to play. She
will bring her fiisbee to you
or she will punch you with her
paw to try and get your atten
tion. If that does not work, she
will resort to whining which
always makes us laugh at her.
She has gotten better about
not chewing all our shoes and
has pretty much learned not to
bother our shoes. However, if
she gets really bored, she will
occasionally forget. The other
day she had chewed slightly
on my tennis shoe and when
David tried to get her to bring
it to me so I could see what
she had done, she would not
look at me and hung her head
in shame. She hasn’t touched
that shoe since.
She loves the outdoors and
when David says he is going
to check on the ducks or to
feed the fish, she knows which
one he is talking about. We are
amazed at how much she does
understand about the things
we do routinely around the
house.
Yes, we should take a few
cues on how to treat folks
from our dogs.
Blessings to you this week.
Taking The Road Less Travelled
When one goes down the
road of life they usually take
the road beaten down and
worn from the footsteps of
others gone before them. It’s
just so much easier to follow
the footsteps of your fam
ily members and friends. So
much easier to beat the path
where the wilds of the world
have already been scared
away by those who have
already run through making
all the noise in the world.
I want to take the path less
travelled. The quiet, bramble
covered rocky path that no
one’s feet have touched.
I’d like to see the monsters
that path has in store for me
and beat them away myself.
Simply because I know it
will make me stronger and
smarter.
God gives us a choice, to
follow the flock or to strike
out on our own. He does
not judge us either way. He
knows, as all parents know
with their children, that your
own way is the way that is
going to make you happy.
It may be scary and dark at
times but if you follow your
light and keep your eyes
open for the traps set for you
by the devil along the way,
you will surely make it out
unscathed. More whole than
when you went in. That dark
forest is nothing but trees
and those monsters may be
nothing but a few deer curi
ous about the lonely traveler
who took the path no one
thought to take.
I take a deep breath every
time I am confronted with
this fork in the road and
plunge down the path cov
ered in briars, the one I think
may be the worst but usu
ally ends up being the most
peaceful. You see to me that
path well-travelled may very
well be easy to walk down in
the sunshine but think of the
distractions along the way.
A field of flowers, another
traveler taking a break that
wants to bend your ear to all
his weary problems, a lost
stranger that may need your
help along the road. Sud
denly you are picking flow
ers, sitting listening to the
stories of another’s life, or
travelling the path of another
trying to fix their problems
as your own path is forgot
ten and soon you end up lost
yourself.
The path less travelled is
your own. You may not find
fields of flowers to spend
your time putting off your
journey, but you may very
well find the perfect spot to
grow your own flowers. You
may not run into any story
tellers along the way but the
story your journey creates is
your own. And you may not
find someone who may need
From Moo To You
Abigail ”Abby” Adams
abbyadams@pstel.net
your help because they have
lost their way, but perhaps
you will become that light
that guides them back to
their own path without los
ing sight of your own.
The path less travelled may
seem lonely, scary or even
downright impassable, but
God will never put more on
you than you can handle. He
simply gives you the choice
to struggle and grow or take
the easy way and follow
those who came before you.
Either way is right, but I like
to take the road less trav
elled. How about you?
published every week by Crawford Publishing, LLC.
Our Staff
Floyd Buford - President
Victoria ’Vicky” Simmons - GM/Publisher
vsimmons54@gmaiLcom or byronbuzz@pstel.net
Abigail Adams - News Reporter/Editor’s Assistant
Office Assistant - Michael Fleming
Kelli Johnson- Marketing Executive
Robbie Robertson - Distribution
Carey Lee - Sports Photography
Trenesia Y. Stubbs, Charles Cook,
Nancy Gibbs, Billy Powell, Angie Carr, Jeff Cook, Wade
Yoder, Dan Gatlyn, James Earnhardt Robert Tharpe, Rev.
James Snyder, Spencer Price - Contributing Columnists
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