Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
We ain’t dead yet
YOU ARE not as
old as you think. On
second thought, you
might be older. If
you are as old as I
am, and you compare
your age to the age of
America, it will blow
your mind. You'll be
surprised at how old
you are - and how
young the country is.
Our nation was 234
years young on July 4.1 don’t
suppose anyone has reached
117 - not yet, anyway - but
if he has, he’s lived half the
history of America. That’s a
long time. Or is it?
A lot of you are 78. Can
you believe you’ve lived one-
third as long as your coun
try? That may or may not
make you feel old. One thing
it does for me is make me
realize that we live in a very
young United States.
In the scheme of things,
we aren’t even adults. Not
even teenagers or children.
We are babies. We aren’t a
glimmer in ancient history.
As recently as 235 years ago,
we didn’t even exist. And
as far as I know, America
is not mentioned in Biblical
prophecy.
(I’m going somewhere
with this, and as soon as I
figure out where. I’ll let you
know.)
Now, take China. That’s an
old country. It has a written
history that goes back nearly
4,000 years, and Lord knows
how far back in unwritten
history.
I don’t know a whole lot
about China. Based on early
childhood expe
riences, it must
have been a poor
country. Anyway, I
recall Mama mak
ing me eat every
thing on my plate
and admonishing
me to “remember
the starving chil
dren in China.’’
Things change.
I don’t reckon we
owe our souls to the Chinese,
but I understand we owe ’em
a heap of money. And they are
well represented over here. If
you don’t believe that, check
out the Oriental restaurants
and the labels at Wal-Mart.
But as far as I know, Chinese
mothers aren’t telling their
kids to remember the starv
ing children in America.
American history is short,
but not without incidents.
During the country’s 234
years there were 17 wars,
plus one that is ongoing. Two
if you count Iraq. I believe
that’s one war every 18
years.
Between wars there have
been many outstanding his
tory-making achievements
and events. There was the
Declaration of Independence,
followed by the Stamp Act
and Tea Party, followed by
the Revolutionary War.
There was the Ratification
of the Constitution and the
Louisiana Purchase, followed
by the War of 1812.
The Monroe Doctrine
and the opening of the Erie
Canal were followed by the
Mexican War and the Civil
War.
The first Transcontinental
Railroad, first telephone and
the development of electric
ity preceded the Spanish
American War.
The first successful airplane
flight and first Model-T Ford
came before World War I.
There was the Stock Market
Crash and Depression, then
the New Deal.
Founding the United
Nations was followed by the
Korean War.
The first American in
space and the first polio vac
cine were followed by the
Vietnam War.
And so it goes until this
day, up and down, better-
worse, worse-better. America,
like its citizens, is constantly
changing.
(I am about to figure out
where I am going with this.
Bear with me.)
In the beginning, according
to many historians, America
was a great nation. A World
Book Encyclopedia writer
said, “the United States was
created from a vast wilder
ness in an unbelievable short
time.’’
Then he described the early
settlers. “They developed a
strong belief in growth and
progress. They were always
willing to try new ways of
doing things. They proved
their faith in ‘the American
experiment,’ which, by the
middle of the 1900s, placed
the United States first among
the countries of the world in
freedom, opportunity, wealth
and power.” The World Book
in which that quotation
appeared was copyrighted in
1974.
Wonder what the author
would say if he were writing
a history of the United States
today? I suppose it would
depend on his sources: the
documents and articles he
researched and the people he
talked to.
One group would question
America’s first place in the
world. They would scream,
“What freedom are you talk
ing about? What opportunity!
What wealth! What power!
Don’t you know we’ve lost
all semblances of freedom,
opportunity, wealth and
power? We’ve been taken
over by Big Government.
We’ve surrendered to the
Socialists! We are dead!”
Others would question that
dismal picture. They would
remind the historian that we
are a work in progress, an
infant among nations, and
that our culture and status
in the world are still matur
ing. They would talk about
the highs and lows we’ve
been through in our young
life, and predict there will be
more of the same as we move
forward. They would insist
that the sky is not about to
fall, and plead, “Please, don’t
give up on us. We still believe
in the American experiment.
We ain’t dead yet.”
So cheer up, y’all. There
is hope that we - and the
United States of America -
will grow up.
I guess that’s where I was
going with this.
Virgil Adams is a former
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
Relay organizers planning for Braselton-Hoschton event
Volunteers needed for benefit
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
RELAY FOR Life has
drawn plenty of participants
in the area to its annual
fundraiser for the American
Cancer Society.
But, now, the Braselton-
Hoschton area may be get
ting its own Relay in its
backyard — and potentially
draw more people and busi
nesses to the benefit.
“It’s our signature event
and the reason we want to
bring it to this side of the
county is because Jackson
County has grown so much
that we’re losing people
in this community who
really need an event for
themselves,” said Victoria
Patrick, senior community
manager for the American
Cancer Society.
Relay for Life is a 24-hour
event in which teams take
turns walking around a
track. There’s also enter
tainment, food, games and
special ceremonies to honor
cancer survivors and those
who have lost their battles
to the disease.
The proposed event
in West Jackson, howev
er, won’t take away from
the total amount raised
by Jackson County —
which has collected about
$172,000 in 2010 for the
nonprofit organization.
Instead, organizers hope
the Braselton-Hoschton
event will draw more partic
ipants from West Jackson,
and Barrow, Gwinnett and
Hall counties who aren’t
involved in Relay for Life.
But the first step for
any proposed Braselton-
Hoschton Relay for Life
will be deciding a date and
location for 2011.
Jackson County will
hold its annual Relay
for Life on Friday and
Saturday, June 3-4, 2011, at
Gresham Motorsports Park,
Jefferson.
For those who’ll organize
the Braselton-Hoschton
Relay, they’ll have to pick a
date before or after Jackson
County’s event.
“I wouldn’t hold it back-
to-back in the same coun
ty,” said Patrick, who also
organizes Relay events in
Barrow and Newton coun
ties.
An organizing committee
will also have to pinpoint
a location to host a local
Relay. Patrick suggested the
new Hoschton Park, which
features a lighted walking
trail, sports fields and rest
rooms. The park is locat
ed next to West Jackson
Primary School.
“That facility looks great,
brand new,” Patrick said.
Another key factor for
a proposed Braselton-
Hoschton Relay is commu
nity participation.
An initial meeting on
Tuesday, Aug. 17, at the
Braselton Police and
Municipal Court Building
didn’t draw the number of
folks that Patrick anticipat
ed. Another meeting is set
for Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 6
p.m., in the lower level of
the building located on Ga.
437 Lee Street
Jefferson, GA 30549
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“To make it work, you’re
going to have to have peo
ple who are interested in
bringing in sponsorship,”
said Sandra Fite, a cancer
survivor and member of the
Jackson County Relay for
Life Committee.
Patrick believes the
Braselton-Hoschton area
has plenty of big name
businesses — who haven’t
been participating recently
in Relay events — available
to help out the nonprofit
group.
“We need community
buy-in for participation,”
Patrick said. “And the more
people we have, the easier it
is to do it all.”
Relay for Life has a vari
ety of volunteer positions
available, such as entertain
ment, team development,
publicity, accounting and
corporate sponsorships,
among others.
“It leaves it wide open
for people to work on the
things that they want to
work on,” Fite said.
Relay for Life organiz
ers also want more cancer
survivors — and their care
takers, families and friends
— to join the group for the
annual event.
“The American Cancer
Society tells (us) that
Jackson County has 2,000
cancer survivors in our
county,” said Larry Banks,
whose wife, Gail, is a
30-year cancer survivor.
“We had less than 200 out
at Relay last year.”
And for those people who
can’t stay the entire eve
ning, Fite encourages folks
to visit and participate in
some activities. They don’t
have to join a team to par
ticipate in Relay.
Still, a key aspect of Relay
for Life is spending the
night at the event, having
fun and raising money for
the cancer society, Patrick
said.
“We actually are up all
night long — representing
a day in the life of a cancer
patient, because the nights
are long and they’re lone
ly,” she said. “And so when
the sun comes up, there’s
hope.”
When Jackson County
started its Relay for Life
in 1994 — one of the first
in Georgia — it raised
$18,000. The county raised
a record $280,000 in 2005.
For 2010, the county has
raised about $172,000 with
40 teams.
“We don’t tell people
where to participate,”
Patrick said of a proposed,
second Relay for Life event
in Jackson County. “They
can choose either one.”
For more information,
contact Victoria Patrick
with the American Cancer
Society, at 706-549-4893 or
vpatrick@cancer.org.
For additional informa
tion on the local effort, call
Sandra Fite at 706-367-
8574 or Gail Banks at 706-
367-9721.
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DOT to hold meeting about
1-85 express lane project
THEGEORGIADepartment
of Transportation will hold a
construction information ses
sion on the 1-85 Express Lane
Project on Wednesday, Sept. 1,
from 4-7 p.m., at the Gwinnett
Civic Center.
The project to convert 16
miles of HOV lanes to HOT
lanes will offer more choic
es to all motorists, including
single occupant vehicles and
more reliable trip times in the
corridor, according to the state
agency.
“This is the first project of
its kind in Georgia,” said DOT
Commissioner Vance C. Smith
Jr. “With construction expect
ed to begin in mid-September,
it is extremely important that
motorists understand how
changes along the interstate
will impact their commutes.”
Representatives from the
Georgia DOT, The State
Road and Tollway (SRTA)
and The Georgia Regional
Transportation Authority
(GRTA) will update the pub
lic on construction schedules,
tolling and transit enhance
ments. Additionally, the Clean
Air Campaign will provide
information on commute alter
natives.
The Gwinnett Civic Center is
located on Sugarloaf Parkway
and the information session
will be held on the lower level
in room 6ABC.
The 1-85 Express Lanes
Project includes installa
tion of 16 miles of fiber and
signage along 1-85 between
Chamblee Tucker Road and
Old Peachtree Road and along
State Route 316 between
1-85 and Riverside Parkway.
This $11.7 million work con
tract was awarded to World
Fiber Technologies, Inc., of
Alpharetta. The contract com
pletion date is July 31, 2011.
Weather permitting, lane
closures are projected to begin
mid-September. Additional
construction details will be
confirmed and distributed by
the DOT as it gets closer to
beginning lane closures.
When completed, transit
buses, motorcycles, alternative
fueled vehicles and vehicles
with three or more passen
gers will be allowed to use
the inside (left) HOT lane for
free, while single- and dou
ble-occupant vehicles will be
allowed to use the lane if they
choose to pay a variably priced
toll.
SPLOST continued from JA
Commerce and Braselton), finance road improvements and pay for
land for a new county park.
Each of the cities also has a laundry fist of projects on which they’d
like to spend SPLOST dollars.
But in addition to what the tax would do, Short also offered two
other reasons to support the tax: it’s paid in part by nonresidents and
without the tax a property tax increase is likely.
He cited “some estimates” showing that up to 40 percent of the sales
tax would be paid by nonresidents.
“If that is hue, $19 million will be paid by people from outside the
county,” Short said.
And, if the referendum fails, the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners “may have no choice but to raise taxes,” he added,
observing, “The money has to come from somewhere.”
According to Short, the payment on the jail debt equates to 1.72
mills of taxes — an increase of $101.82 for someone with a $150,000
piece of property.
“There really is not a good option for us at this time” Short said. “We
would hate to take that money that is much needed for these projects,
especially the jail debt alone, and roll it back into the general fund. And
what happens is when we’ve got a large pool of people helping pay for
some of current projects, we’ve got a smaller pool of people that would
have to pay for it (if SPLOST fails) and that is the property owners of
Jackson County. I don’t think that burden is a good burden to put on
the property owners of Jackson County.”
Short said the chamber is “fully in support” of the passage of
SPLOST because of what its failure would do to the taxes of busi
nesses and their owners.
Short will give a similar presentation to the Commerce Kiwanis
Club at noon Thursday.
Jefferson continued from 1A
In other zoning business, the council approved several proposed
amendments to the city codes to address recent changes in state laws.
These include: no longer requiring larger businesses to have separate
parking lots for employees and visitors; allowing factory built homes
that are inspected by the department of community affairs to be treated
the same as stick built homes; and being more flexible in requirements
for amenities at subdivisions.
Also at the meeting, the council voted to send the future land use
plan map to the region and state for approval. If the region and state
approve the map, the city can officially adopt it. It will likely be October
or November before the map comes back to the city for action.
Happy T Birthday
Lily Seiple
Lily is the daughter of Jason and Kelli (Hogan) Seiple
and the granddaughter of Ricky and Sharon Hogan
h
Love,
29 U 2010 Mamina,
Pop and Nana
Come join
Our Team
Galilee Christian
Preschool has a job
opening for a teacher in
our class for two-year-olds.
Galilee Christian
Preschool is licensed by
the State of Georgia and
all employees are State
Certified.
Call Gloria Martin at 706-367-8038 for more information.
Galilee Christian Charch
2191 Galilee Church Road, Jefferson, Ga. 30549
Church Office: 367-8072 • www.galilee.org