Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
A sign for everything
What would we
do without all those
signs? For one thing,
we wouldn’t know
there was a BUMP
in the road up ahead.
There were several
BUMP signs on U.S.
Highway 441 between
Cherokee, N.C., and
Newfound Gap. They
were working on the
road.
We knew they were doing that.
Three “Work Area” signs, spaced
pretty close together, warned us.
In my opinion, one would have
been sufficient.
However, the powers that be at
the DOT figured a lot of people,
on their way to a fun weekend in
Gatlinburg, would be talking, tex
ting or twittering and might miss
the first sign. I guess that was the
reason there was a second and a
third “Work Area” sign.
Either that, or the sign manu
facturers and the Department of
Transportation are in cahoots.
Some young enterprising inves
tigative reporter or that I-Team on
Channel 5 ought to look into this
possibly fraudulent conspiracy.
We don’t need all those road
signs. Same goes for the plethora
of orange barrels and “dunce cap”
cones. They are spaced entirely
too close. Half of ‘em should be
trashed. That would save taxpay
ers a heap of money. But then,
that would cut into the profits of
the sign cartel. So don’t count
on any reduction in road sig
nage as long as Republicans and
Democrats are in office. (Have
you noticed how many bridges,
intersections, crossroads and pig
paths are named for those guys,
all marked with appropriate signs,
of course?)
We need to put some
Libertarians in there. Then we
could start over from scratch.
What you bet the first thing
we’d do is put up a sign? And
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if
it didn’t say “BUMP AHEAD.”
Have we reached the point in
this country when we have to be
warned of every little bump in the
road - and in our lives?
How many of you are old
enough to remember when we
had to suck it up and get over
it without any warning it was
coming - or any help from the
government when it got here? I
wonder if Big Brother is being
overly protective and turning us
into a bunch of wimps.
Yeah, I’m a fine one to talk. I’m
on Social Security and Medicare,
draw two retirement checks, and
am gainfully employed - if you
call writing this stuff gainful
employment.
But I do remember. I was seven
years old in 1930, and what Daddy
and Mama were going through
during the Great Depression is
indelibly etched on my brain.
What got me started on this
tangent were those BUMP signs
calling attention to BUMPs in
the road. They really weren’t
BUMPs. There may have been a
Bump or two. Mostly they were
just bumps. More than anything,
they were mere ripples in the
road. I don’t believe any
of ’em were significant
enough to warrant a
BUMP sign. But a lot
of people are gainfully
employed in the sign
manufacturing industry,
and these days, employ
ment in anything is a
blessing.
But let us move on
to a more serious topic.
Did you know that the
Earth is for sale? The sign on
441 north of Clayton in Rabun
County did not say “Earth;” I
called it that to get your attention.
All the sign said was “Dirt For
Sale.” It didn’t say where the dirt
is, how much dirt there is, or what
the price is.
I’ll bet the old saying, “dirt
cheap,” doesn’t apply here. Dirt,
like just about everything else,
has gone up.
And the sign didn’t say what
kind of dirt is for sale. Dirt, like
stuff, has several different mean
ings. Dirt that is fertile and loose
will help you grow a beautiful
garden; dirt that is scandalous or
malicious is dirty, foul, disagree
able, indecent, smutty, etc. So be
sure you know what kind of dirt
you are buying.
I’m betting that the dirt that is
for sale in Rabun County is good
mountain soil. If you are inter
ested in a safe investment, you
ought to check it out.
True, there is an abundance of
dirt. In fact, the world - except
for that part which is covered by
water - is covered with dirt. But
don’t make the mistake of think
ing that dirt will always be avail
able. All the dirt that the Good
Lord put here in the beginning is
still here, but it is not as accessible
as it used to be. We Homo sapiens,
obsessed with something called
“progress,” have seen to that. We
have covered a vast amount of
God’s Good Earth with asphalt,
concrete, buildings, parking lots
and trash, and the way things are
going, the end is not in sight. And
the fact that we can’t pay for all
that “progress” seems to make no
difference.
Speaking of the end, this may
be a good place to tell once again
my end-of-the-world story. Yes,
dear friends, I do know when it
will be.
There’s going to be a time
when there’ll be only one square
foot of dirt left in the world.
Nevertheless, an old man and an
old woman, a modem-day Adam
and Eve, will tend that one square
foot of soil. They’ll set out one
tomato plant, stake one Kentucky
Wonder pole bean, and try to fit in
one Vidalia onion.
They’ll cultivate and water
their tiny garden, and everything
will be looking pretty good.
Then one night, under cover
of darkness, a DOT truck will
back up to the last square foot of
dirt left in the world and dump
concrete on it. As the concrete
hardens, the DOT guys will jab a
sign right in the middle of it.
“BUMP!”
Turn out the lights.
Virgil Adams is a fanner owner/
editor of The Jackson Herald.
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Ceremony planned on Memorial Day
Dear Editor:
Young American men and
women in the hundreds of thou
sands have lost their lives in our
nation’s wars defending our free
dom, starting with the American
Revolution War to the Iraq and
Afghanistan wars. Once a year,
the American people are given
a day. Memorial Day, to honor
them.
Most of us would say that
every day should be a Memorial
Day. The brave young men
and women who answered
their country’s call and proudly
served to protect her surely did
not intend or want to lose their
lives but many did. Many more
came home and are still return
ing home with lost limbs and
other horrible injuries. All will
carry the scars of war with them
for the rest of their lives.
This Memorial Day, Monday,
Mary 31, 2010, The American
Legion, Post 56, Jefferson is
sponsoring a day for remem
brance. The members of the
Legion, all veterans, have served
their country during a time of
war. One part of our oath is to
swear to the Legion and country
to preserve the memories and
incidents of our association in
our nation’s wars and to never
forget our brothers and sisters
who gave their all. Therefore, we
are asking the people of Jefferson
and Jackson County to take a
few minutes of their time on
Monday morning, May 31, to do
the same.
The Memorial Day ceremony
will begin at 9 a.m. on South
Street adjacent to the old court
house in downtown Jefferson.
The purpose of this remembrance
day is to honor the lives of all our
war dead with special emphasis
on the men and women from
Jackson County. All of their 115
names are engraved on the mon
ument located on the courthouse
grounds and all names will be
read aloud by the members of the
American Legion.
Honors will include posting
the colors, lowering the U. S.
and POW/MIA flags to half
staff, a 21 gun salute, singing
of the National Anthem, playing
of the bagpipes and taps. The
guest speaker is Captain William
P. Hayes, Commanding Officer
of the U. S. Navy Supply Corps
School, Athens, Georgia.
So this Memorial Day before
the grills are fired up and a top
is popped, we ask the people of
Jefferson and Jackson County to
take a few minutes and come
to the old Courthouse to show
their respect and to honor these
Soldiers, Sailors, Marines,
Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and
Merchant Marines. Most who
died in our wars were young
and they gave up two lives...the
one they were living and the one
they would have lived. They gave
up their chance to be husbands,
wives, fathers, mothers, grand
fathers and grandmothers. They
gave their all for their country and
for each of us. We should never
forget them and should always
honor them.
Sincerely,
Gene Bennett, Sergeant Major
Retired, U. S. Army
Nicholson
Resident thankful for local business
Dear Editor:
I am so blessed by Beef O’Brady’s
involvement in our community. This is
truly a local business that cares about the
people, schools and other local businesses.
I have had the privilege of partnering with
Beef O’Brady’s while I served on the
Touchdown Club of JCCHS. During my
three years of being on the board, Beef
O’Brady’s not only sponsored our team,
but also supplied pre-game meals each
season.
Now, including their involvement with
our schools, they are opening their busi
ness every Saturday morning offering pan
cakes for whosoever will throughout our
community. The pancake breakfast is feed
ing those who are in need of a hot meal or
a warm place to stay for a while.
I am very thankful for this business’
involvement in our community, so much
so. I’m taking my family there for dinner.
Sincerely,
Dianne Pesaresi
Says courthouse event a success
Appreciates
support at JCCHS
Dear Editor:
The Jackson County Comprehensive
High School faculty wishes to thank all
of the wonderful parents who prepared
breakfast, lunch and treats for us on
Teacher Appreciation Day. Special thanks
to Leann Armendariz, Omie Echols and
Dee Pesaresi.
Sincerely,
JCCHS staff
Dear Editor:
The Jackson County Historic
Courthouse Restoration Committee
would like to publicly thank the plan
ning team, the cities, businesses,
entertainers, speakers, antique car
owners and the many dedicated and
tireless volunteers from each part of
Jackson County who helped to make
“A Day at the Historic Courthouse”
on May 8 a very productive, success
ful, and proud day for the Courthouse
Restoration effort. And yes, a spe
cial thanks to all those citizens who
dropped by throughout the day to
visit, listen, eat, and contribute to the
project.
The hard-hat tours inside and up to
the courtroom were so popular that
we’re already thinking about another-
-perhaps later in the fall.
Sincerely,
Charlotte W. Mealor,
Chair
Jefferson BOE continued from page JA
federal funds brought back to
Jefferson to approximately $3.6
million.
This grant is unique because it
won’t just go to building roads,
but it will go to building alterna
tive forms of transportation.
“Hopefully this will encourage
more of those kids who can walk
to school from that neighborhood
to utilize those safe sidewalks to
walk instead of being dropped
off,” Ward said. “(It will) allevi
ate traffic and/or reduce so much
of the need for school busses in
that area.”
The city applied for the grant
last year, but was rejected. The
sidewalk will be on the library
side of the road and Ward said
that the city already owns the
right-of-way needed for the prop
erty.
A timeframe for completion
has yet to be discussed, but the
city will begin working with the
DOT.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
Jefferson BOE meeting on May
13:
•the first set of scores that mark
AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)
performance for this year are
in - the Georgia High School
Graduation test. Of the 176 11th
graders who took the entire test,
86 percent passed their first time.
In 2009, 88 percent passed the
language arts section compared
to 94 percent this year. In math,
97 percent passed in 2009 and
98 percent passed this year. In
social studies, 90 percent passed
last year and 89 percent this year.
In science, 91 percent passed last
year and 94 percent this year.
The system is still waiting on
CRCT scores.
•transportation director Earl
Griffin announced that since the
bus fleets switched over to cell
phone communication over the
previously used radios, there
have been zero communication
issues.
•a lease with Athens Digital
for a copy machine for Jefferson
Academy was approved for $550
a month, $103 of which will be
paid by the Academy.
•a bid from Kesler Floor
Company was approved for
$4,600 to sand and refinish floors
at the Martin Institute Vocational
Building.
•Zoe Radford was recognized
as the state winner for her essay
“If I Were Mayor.”
•Paige Watson was recognized
for receiving first place in the
Jackson County Community
Outreach essay contest.
•Allison Patrick was rec
ognized for receiving second
place in the Jackson County
Community Outreach essay
contest.
•Harold Jarrett, Bruce Logue,
Paige Watson and Luke Wells
were recognized as Duke
University Talent Qualifiers.
•the JHS girls’ golf team was
recognized for receiving third
place in the state.
•Miranda McGarity was rec
ognized for being selected as a
University of Georgia Majorette.
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