Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
The heart of God bleeds, too
IT ISN'T just the
Gulf. It is every
where.
Wildfires rage in
California. There's
a big oil spill some
where in Michigan.
Dangerous chemical
are killing fish in Trail
Creek, which runs
into the North Oconee
River at Dudley Park
in Athens. Three
years after a greasy lagoon fire
in Jackson County, they are still
trying to clean up the mess.
And how is it in your back
yard?
Yeah, it’s hot! But what do
you expect? It's summer. But
are we supposed to have August
weather in June? Nineteen days
over 90 degrees. Twelve days
over 90 in July.
Question: Where are all the
self-appointed climatologists
who are duping global warm
ing as a myth? Anyway, that’s
what they were doing during the
Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Remember how they were
hauling in snow to make the
ski slopes skiable? The dupers
didn't bother to mention that, at
the same time, they were hauling
snow out of some Midwestern
communities.
I am no climatologist, self-
appointed or otherwise. Neither
am I a meteorologist, ecologist,
hydrologist, ichthyologist, orni
thologist, aborist, botanist, biolo
gist or farmer. I don't even gar
den anymore.
But I am an environmentalist,
and I am persuaded that you
are too. The definition
fits us: “one concerned
about the quality of the
human environment.”
Even the tricksters
who debunk us as
shams and selfish, ideo
logical, power-grabbing
Socialists are - or ought
to be - environmen
talists, too. I mean, if
they aren't interested in
a better environment,
what are they interested in?
We are in this thing (this
world) together. Regardless of
what we believe, think or do,
we live in this environment. We
joke about tree huggers, grieve
over oil spills, argue about global
warming, debate climate change,
suffer in the summer heat but
give very little thought to what
the environment really means.
Think about it. Think about it
a lot: “the circumstances, objects
or conditions by which one is
surrounded; a complex of cli
mate, edaphic and biotic factors
that act upon an organism or an
ecological community and ulti
mately determine its form and
survival.” (Emphasis mine.)
The environment is no laugh
ing matter. It is not something
to joke about or fight over. It is
something to fight for. Neglect it,
trash it at our peril.
So on our next walk around
the block, let's pick up that fast
food wrapper and beer can. If
you threw them out, don’t do it
anymore. If you are in the gar
bage collection business, secure
the garbage in your trucks.
Like I said, it isn't just the Gulf.
It’s on the street where I live. It’s
in my neighborhood. It’s on Main
Street America. It’s on Main
Street Jefferson and Commerce
and Braselton. It’s in our fields
and streams, rivers, lakes and
oceans. It’s in our back yards.
And it's not just a secular prob
lem; it is a Spiritual matter.
Don't take my word for it.
Listen to a woman of God.
Lisa Caine is pastor of Oconee
Street United Methodist Church
in Athens. That’s the church that
runs a soup kitchen and feeds
hundreds of Athens homeless
and others down on their luck.
It’s OK for my fishing bud
dies in the Clark's Hill Gang to
give me flack about being a tree
hugger, but lay off Lisa Caine.
She is doing a good work. And
she writes a great column. It
was her piece in The Athens
Banner-Herald on Friday, July
16, that got me to thinking seri
ously about the environment.
She reminisced briefly about
the 234th birthday of our nation
and how it is difficult these days
to sing with confidence about the
beauty of America “from sea to
shining sea.”
‘Today,” she wrote, “the shine
on the Gulf isn't caused by light
reflecting off the waves, but from
the oily sheen now covering
much of its surface.
“For some,” she continued,
“this oil spill is seen as primar
ily a matter of economic signifi
cance, a concern for the ‘small
people,' as one BP executive
called them, who have lost their
livelihoods and their way of life
along the Gulf Coast.”
Further down in the column,
this sentence caused me to pause
and reflect: “And the heart of
God bleeds, too.”
Then Lisa explained how it
used to be:
“Centuries ago, before we
could drill oil wells a mile down
in the ocean, the people believed
that we all were part of a ‘Great
Chain of Being' that stretched
from the glory of God down to
the most insignificant material
things. And because it all came
from God, was made by God,
everything from top to bottom
was infused with inherent dignity,
worth and holiness. Revering and
caring for that natural world was
a primary pathway of growth in
faith and understanding. In those
times, the entire world was suf
fused with the supernatural, and
there was no distinction between
the sacred and the profane. It all
was part of God.”
And how it is today:
“But then we got smart. With
the dawn of the enlightenment
and the scientific and industrial
revolutions that followed, the
sacred and the profane became
incapable or unwilling to see
the divine image in anything
but itself .... Bereft of mystery
and holiness, the natural world
became merely something
human beings could control and
exploit for their own purposes.”
Thanks, Rev. Caine, for help
ing me - and perhaps others -
to think more deeply about the
environment.
Virgil Adams is a fanner
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
Braselton seeking federal grant for planning consortium
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
BRASELTON IS one of four
South Hall cities pitching for a
federal grant that will provide
$1 million in regional planning
resources.
City officials in Oakwood
and Flowery Branch initially
learned about the Sustainable
Communities Regional Planning
Grant, which is offered through
the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD).
“They met and talked about
it, and they thought it would be
a great thing to do for South
Hall,” said Braselton town man
ager Jennifer Dees. “So, they
asked Buford and Braselton if
we could all meet and talk about
it.”
The grant calls for the creation
of a regional planning consor
tium that would include public,
private and non-profit groups
that provide input and guidance
on sustainability issues — such
as economic development, infra
structure, housing and public
health.
The councils in the four cities
— Oakwood, Flowery Branch,
Buford and Braselton — are
expected to approve a resolu
tion this month authorizing them
to apply for the federal grant.
The Braselton Town Council
approved the resolution on
Monday.
The cities have enlisted a
Suwanee-based consulting firm,
McFarland-Dyer and Associates,
to work on the grant. Already,
the company has drafted a map
of the four-city region showing
recreation areas, schools and job
centers — such as major distri
bution centers in Braselton.
“It's a full comprehensive-type
plan. It involves transportation,
economic development, educa
tional abilities (and) healthcare,”
Dees said. “We have met with
a number of groups in that area
that we would like to work with.
The stakeholders, such as Lake
Lanier Islands, Chateau Elan,
Northeast Georgia (Medical
Center), the Arts Council for
Georgia, Elachee (Nature
Center), to name a few of the
groups.”
And one of the issues the
regional consortium may discuss
is a proposed high-speed rail line
through Gainesville, using an
existing Amtrak railroad track.
“One of the things that some
of the groups have indicated is
if there was a stop on Amtrak, it
would be great for those entities
in Hall County and Braselton
that have tourists destinations, so
that there was an alternate way
for people to reach those,” Dees
said. “Lake Lanier and Chateau
(Elan) both send shuttles to the
Atlanta airport. If there was an
Amtrak stop in Hall County,
they’d send a shuttle to pick
people off the train.”
If the cities get the federal
grant, it would lead to detailed
regional plans, policies and strat
egies in the cities and stake
holders to promote economic
development and reinvestment
in the community, according to
a memo from McFarland-Dyer
and Associates.
The plan would include all
of the incorporated areas of
the cities — even beyond their
boundaries in Hall County, Dees
said. Braselton also spans into
Jackson, Barrow and Gwinnett
counties, while Buford’s city
limits also extend into Gwinnett
County.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the council
•met in a closed-door ses
sion for 57 minutes to discuss
personnel, pending or potential
litigation and land acquisition.
When the meeting was opened
to the public, the council voted
to execute an annual contract
with town manager Jennifer
Dees for her employment.
•approved an updated reso
lution about the service deliv
ery strategy (also called House
Bill 489) services in Gwinnett
County. The town council
approved a similar resolution
last week during a called meet
ing, but attorneys representing
cities in Gwinnett County in a
legal battle with the county over
the services amended the reso
lution after Braselton adopted
it. One of the changes includes
an updated transportation map.
Another change includes mov
ing the service of biological
hazard disposal from services
provided by the town without
the county levying a tax to those
services that the town authorizes
the county to provide and poten
tially impose a tax, fee or assess
ment. The council approved
the updated resolution during a
called meeting on Thursday.
•approved an alcoholic bever
age license application for El
Centinella, which is planning
to open its second restaurant in
Braselton in the former Beef
O’Bradys on Spout Springs
Road in South Hall. Its first res
taurant is located on Ga. Hwy.
53.
•heard from Mayor Bill Orr
about possibly changing the
time of the council’s monthly
work session at 4 p.m. Orr
said in the past, the work ses
sion meeting was set at 4 p.m.
because some citizens said they
couldn’t attend an early morning
or evening session, and the move
reduces overtime expenses for
town employees attending the
meeting. The council votes on
items at its 7 p.m. regular meet
ing on the following Monday.
Orr asked the council to consider
if the 4 p.m. work session should
be changed. The council holds
its regular meetings at 7 p.m.
on the second Monday of the
month, with the work session at
4 p.m. on the Thursday before
the regular meeting.
•approved sending its commu
nity agenda of its proposed com
prehensive plan to the Northeast
Georgia Regional Center for
review.
I I I <1<IM«1Y
Arts Center
122 Washington St. • Jefferson • 706-367-7589
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Fabric Liquidation Sale
August 12 through August 31
(jfirie
FABRI
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40°/<
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(Excludes Clearance)
High Point Showrooms accessories now available.
Choose from thousands of yards of designer fabrics
and trim to re-do a room or your entire home!
• Custom Window Treatments • Bedding
• Pillows • Upholstery • Ribbon
706-336-8886
Located in Commerce Factory Stores
Beside OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE* Open Mon-Fri. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
‘Excludes 99* sale items and permanent markdowns.
Burn ban still in place
THE STATE’S outdoor bum
ban in 54 Georgia counties is
under way through Thursday,
Sept. 30.
The Georgia Environmental
Protection Division's (EPD)
open burning ban prohibits
citizens and businesses from
burning yard and land-clearing
debris. The rule is in addition to
the year-round state ban on the
burning of household garbage.
Citizens may access more
information by calling the EPD
district office. For the Northeast
Georgia district office in Athens,
call 706-369-6376.
Small businesses may
obtain help by calling EPD’s
Small Business Environmental
Assistance Program toll-free at
877-427-6255.
For more information on the
open burning ban and exemp
tions to the mle, visit www.
georgiaair.org and click on “Hot
Topics” to visit the open burning
ban page.
Health board
continued from page 1A
rials and be ready to discuss the
issue at the next meeting, which
will be in November.
Slocum also proposed contact
ing the Commerce and Jefferson
school superintendents and enlist
ing the support of school nurses.
“This is one of those things that
probably 85 percent of the people
will agree with,” said Morris, “but
the 15 that don’t are very vocal.
People will say, yeah, do some
thing, but the people with other
opinions will be very loud.”
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners chairman Hunter
Bicknell asked about the level of
opposition when Clarke County
made the change.
“Absolutely none,” Burnett
responded. He related that efforts
to start teen clinics in both Clarke
and Madison counties were ini
tially opposed, but both coun
ties now have clinics and sup
port them. When Clarke County
considered the policy change 15
years later, people were ready to
accept it.
“They saw the numbers. They
saw what it was doing to their
families and communities,” he
said.
Burnett predicted that most of
the opposition to sex education
has likely “faded away.”
“I just wonder how you posi
tion the whole concept of birth
control and maintain the drive
toward abstinence,” Bicknell
mused.
“It's crucial,” Burnett respond
ed, “but we always talk about
abstinence. It’s a matter of educat
ing teens to make those decisions
and empowering them. There is
a lot of pressure for some teens
to be sexually active and giving
them the tools to resist that is part
of the education as well.”
Burnett again broached the
subject of starting a teen clinic
in Jackson County. Bicknell had
advised at the previous meeting
that space was available in the old
mental health department build
ing and appeared to support the
prospect.
Last Wednesday, Burnett pro
vided a $91,146 cost estimate for
operating the facility for a year.
“We realize it is probably not
a good year to ask for money on
the one hand, but this will save
money in the long mn, so it’s
something we wanted to propose
to the board to be considered,”
he said.
Bicknell acknowledged the
expense, but also said he rec
ognized the long-term savings
that could result. He asked that
Burnett schedule a meeting with
him to discuss the matter further.
Tax digest
continued from page 1A
had received 95 percent of local property tax revenue.
Still, Sanchez acknowledged some of the choices that the school
system made to end the 2010 fiscal year with a surplus — when
officials had initially thought it would take at least another year to pull
out of the deficit.
“There were a lot of people that sacrificed, helped and worked with
us to make this happen,” he said.
Superintendent Shannon Adams reported on Monday that the
school system's share of sales tax revenue was $447,600 in June
— compared to $466,000 in May. In June 2009, the district received
$389,400 in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)
revenue.
Adams also said that the education SPLOST that funds local
schools will expire in 2012.
BEREAVEMENT
SUPPORT GROUP
offered at Ivie Funeral Home
For some time we have wanted to provide families who
have lost loved ones with a grief support program that
would help them in the weeks and months after their
loss. We wanted to sponsor a program that was
administered by a professional and compassionate
person and with no other mission than to help grieving
families.
We are most fortunate in having been able to retain
Suzanne Morgan McLean who has a Bachelor of Arts in
Sociology from Emory and a Masters of Social Work from
the University of Georgia to lead our Bereavement-Grief
Education Program and support group. Suzanne is no
stranger to grief as her husband was killed in an
automobile accident.
The group will meet Tuesday, August 17, at 6:00 p.m. in
the coffee lounge of Ivie Funeral Home. If you have
experienced the loss of a loved one either recently or in
the past and you would like to attend this free program
you are most welcome. No matter how recent or distant
your loss has been or what funeral director you used we
extend you a personal invitation to attend this support
group.
If you need transportation please call us at 706-335-3178
and we will provide free transportation for you.