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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2017
Opinions
“Private opinion is weak, but public opinion is almost
omnipotent. ” - Henry Ward Beecher ~
Mike Buffington, editor • Email: Mike@mainstreetnews.com
JCSS veterans, new hires
looking forward to school year
Moans & groans
caused by drones and
old home remedies
I watched with great interest as they began grading
for the construction of an 820,000 square foot building
in March of 2016, which will soon be a distribution cen
ter for “Amazon.” It is located on Hog Mountain Road
near 1-85, close to where I live.
They began actual construc
tion of the building in late
November of last year. They
worked on it around the clock,
with the exception of Labor
Day. because it was obviously
a union job. That was the only
day there wasn't some kind of
activity going on there.
I met the gentleman from
Stephens County who supplied
approximately 70,000 yards
(almost 8,000 truckloads) of
concrete to pour the floor and
walls. He didn't get too upset
when I accidently spilled hot
coffee on him at a continuing-education class in Lavo-
nia. He was probably making enough money on that
project, at the time, to buy his own island in the Carib
bean and an airplane to fly back and forth.
At one time they talked about making some of Ama
zon's deliveries with drones. I thought about how cool
it would be to sit across the street from the warehouse,
place an order on a cell phone and watch a little aircraft
pop-up from the building and zoom-off with the mer
chandise hanging from its underside. I don’t know if
this technology will evolve to that point in my lifetime,
but it very well could.
My daughter’s boyfriend bought an inexpensive
drone, mainly for photography, for a family trip they
planned to make to the Virgin Islands. Using the cam
era on his cell phone, he got pretty good at operating the
device before they embarked on the trip.
They were very limited as to how much stuff they
could take along on the catamaran and the drone took-
up just about all of the space “Bo” was allowed for his
personal effects. When they got to their destination,
he got his toy assembled and attached his phone (in
a waterproof case) so he could make some elevated
pictures of the scenery. There was a problem, however.
The control-board for his gizmo had gotten left behind.
It was still in Lilburn. Ellen said everyone on board was
very quiet for about an hour. Then they packed the thing
away and resumed their vacation without aerial views.
* * *
A story on the Atlanta news recently told of a dog that
appeared to have been covered with used motor oil for
a skin condition, probably the “mange.” A veterinarian
caring for the rescued canine implied that the treatment
was basically useless and the reporter acted as though it
was some form of animal abuse.
I don’t think we ever performed that treatment on any
of our dogs, but when I was growing up, many people
did. The burned motor oil killed the parasite that caused
the condition and either its hair grew back or the poor
critter went-on to doggie heaven.
As I recall, basic inoculations for rabies and distem
per didn't become common until well into the 1960s.
Nowadays, you won’t get your pet treated inside a vet
clinic unless it has had a list of vaccinations as long as
your arm. How times have changed.
* * *
My mother’s miracle cure for anything was spirits
of gum turpentine. A drop applied on a sugar cube
would supposedly cure many aches and pains, espe
cially sprains. It is toxic however, if ingested in larger
amounts. It also disinfects cuts in the skin that aren't
bad enough to require stitches and relieves the soreness
that follows. I have used it many times with my own
injuries.
My mom's best friend and devoted companion in
her final years was a small bulldog by the name of
“Bengie.” Boston Terriers are known for various skin
ailments and eczema. Bengie had a really bad case
and she had tried every pill and ointment the vet could
provide, but the dog was still miserable.
One day (after her mind had begun slipping badly)
she decided that when all else had failed, she would try
turpentine. She applied a generous portion to a badly
affected area and the dog literally started bouncing off
the walls. She was finally able to catch him and remove
it with soap. Turpentine is not recommended for treat
ment of skin eczema in Boston Terriers.
* * *
It continues to be a three-ring circus at our nation's
capital. Since day-one of the current administration,
most of the leadership in place on both sides of the par
tisan aisle has been the scariest and most troublesome
collection of rogues and misfits I have ever seen. I’m
sure my editor is expecting to get a message from me
any day now saying: “I hate to say you told me so.”
But I’ve probably talked to well over a 100 people in
the last three months either in person or by email and
we all agree on one thing: If the election were held
today, we would vote the same way we voted back in
November. We had nothing more to lose and possibly
a lot to gain.
When I look at the news each day, I try to keep that
song by Carly Simon running through my head. I won
der if our kids will ever look back and say: “These are
(or those were), the good old days....”
I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Thanks for reading
Mike Rector is a local contractor. Send comments to
mikerector405@gmail.com or 405 Washington Pkwy.,
Jefferson, GA.
Dear Editor:
The Jackson County School System was able to welcome
more than 80 new teachers to orientation sessions last week
that highlighted remarkable experiences.
Nearly half of the new hires already live in Jackson County
and several others have expressed an interest in living here
now that they are employed here.
Nearly a quarter of the new teachers are coming to us from
Gwinnett County Schools, with more than two-third of those
individuals already living in Jackson County — local resi
dents who can now work at home as well.
Nearly two-thirds of the new faculty members are experi
enced teachers, and the remaining third are recent graduates
or individuals who are new to the teaching profession.
Several half-day sessions have been held since the spring to
introduce the teachers to school system's business operations;
the two-day, conference-style orientation focused on creating
remarkable teaching and learning experiences for teachers
and students.
We were able to do this with support from current JCSS
staff members who gave up days of their vacation to lead ses-
We had a “buddy” system in scouts in the early- to mid-
1960s. Everywhere we went we had to know where our
buddy might be, and we had “buddy checks” regularly.
Most often that would be a way to keep up with every
one in the troop when we were swimming in a lake or
mountain creek.
I helped twice get a buddy out of the undertow at
Abrams Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains. I had help
myself from an assistant scoutmaster and a couple of other
scouts. We helped each other.
At summer camp, we did things largely as a group by
tent. Each tent held eight kids.
On Appalachian Trail hikes, we were responsible for
checking the pack of the boy in front of us when we started
in the morning and each time we stopped for a break.
One of my humiliating moments was having to re-roll
my sleeping bag which had not been tied correctly. That
was on my first AT hike when I was 11. My “buddy,” who
was 12, helped with the re-rolling.
I helped my share of first-timers when I was 12 to 14.
I learned to start a fire in a pouring rain, using a “Fire-
starter,” a piece of cardboard tied with cord and dipped,
repeatedly, in paraffin. Mostly, I learned to finish the job,
to pay attention to the task at hand.
I never went to a national jamboree, but I would have
been bewildered, and a little ticked off, if I had and lis
tened to a speech like Donald Trump gave in West Virginia
recently.
I would have wondered why this man was spouting non
sense about a bunch of things that had nothing to do with
the jamboree or scouting or growing up.
Scouts had lots of lessons for me - independence, plan
ning, helping other kids, standing up for “right,” which
By Nathan Almodovar
For many months now, I have heard criticisms of
Donald Trump and how he will be found insufficient as
the President of these United States. His inexperience
as a statesman would eventually reveal a great weakness
that would lead the country to ruin. Six months in, and
things seem to be turning around for the better. Despite
the consistent attempts of the failed media to tether a
Russian influence to an historic victory, Donald Trump
is proving that career politicians and lawyers are not the
only professions suited for the executive branch.
You see the political class, both nationally and inter
nationally, have fancied themselves as being a particular
royalty in the nations that they have governed. Over
time, we begin to see a disconnect from the political
class with the kind of lifestyles that ordinary men and
women live. Statesman are zealous to pass new legisla
tion that increases the power of the State, thus forcing
the commonality to abide by new expensive regulations.
Now, with the presence of Donald Trump, the Ameri
can populace completely spit in the face of the political
class. They made it quite clear that a deaf government
would be found wanting, and that they were displeased
with the direction the country was moving. The same
can be said of the Brexit, where the British took their
country back from the egregious European Union.
Nonetheless, what is concerning are the attitudes
found on the progressive opposition, and how this late
in the game, they are still lacking in self-awareness
about the policies and behaviors from the statesmen
they applaud. Recently the Liberal Government of
Canada, the party of the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
awarded between eight to 10 and a half million dollars
to a former “child” terrorist, Omar Khadr. The former
jihadi is guilty of having blinded Sgt. Layne Morris
in one eye, murdering U.S. soldier Christopher Speer,
and assisting in the planting of IEDs that killed up to
97 Canadian soldiers. For some reason, the rather inept
Prime Minister seems to think that the punishment for
killing his own people is a comfortable check signed by
the Canadian taxpayer.
Trudeau is not alone with his sentiments of loath
ing his fellow countrymen. In Germany, we have seen
members of Merkel’s government rejoicing at the idea
of German displacement in their own country. The mass
importation of migrants from the Islamic world is being
used as a means of offering up a sort of penance for
the nation’s notorious history. Angela Merkel has blood
on her hands for the amount of suffering and death she
has exposed to the German people. Sweden, a once
beautiful country, is riddled with corruption as the gov
ernment uproots its own people for migrants, ignoring
sions and offer inspiration, as well as a number of local and
state sponsors and business partners who provided additional
support.
Sponsors included Lincoln Financial Group, Peach State
Federal Credit Union, PAGE - Professional Association Of
Georgia Educators, Arista Consulting Group, GAE- Georgia
Association Of Educators, Alexander & Company, Delta
Kappa Gamma, Alpha Gamma Chapter.
Business Partners were Tanger Outlet Service Center,
Mitchell Hardware, Jefferson Drugs, Sassy Rabbit, Tanger
Outlets, Cream & Shuga, Kay’s Vintage Pantry, Kroger and
Polished Chic.
We are looking forward to a remarkable year in JCSS and
invite members of the community to join us via our new web
sites at JacksonSchoolsGA.org, and through our social media
accounts. Facebook.com/JacksonCountySchoolSystem and
Twitter.com/JCSchoolSystem.
Sincerely.
Selena Blankenship
JCSS human resources director
was defined by our scoutmaster. But one of the lasting
lessons was how to act in civil society.
Our scoutmaster had a litany that he said whenever we
went somewhere. He would spew it out in a rush because
he knew we were anxious to get food, or visit the restroom
or go swimming or any of a hundred other things.
The litany involved being polite, not yelling, spitting,
fighting, cursing and generally not behaving like morons.
I heard that hundreds of times.
We had a sign for quiet. The scout sign, the three mid
dle fingers up, facing out and the thumb and little finger
crossed. It was universal.
A couple hundred kids would go quiet and wait for
whatever came when anyone, boy or adult, lifted that sign.
For four years, scout events were a major part of my life.
Weekend camps and hikes, weekly meetings, track meets
and practices in the spring and summer and work on merit
badges.
I kept a pack with enough food and clothes for three
days ready in a closet. About once a quarter we had a drill
to see how soon we could gather as a group.
It was the middle of the Cold War. We were prepared
to go to the woods if something drastic happened or to go
help folks if the bombs fell.
We had cliques in the troop and fights occasionally. We
wrestled a lot, for fun and for exercise. We ran. We swam.
Our scoutmaster referred to boys getting “14-itis.” He
meant we noticed girls. He was right - except it probably
was closer to 12, certainly 13.
Mostly we learned, although it was some years before
most of us recognized what and how much.
Trump apparently never had a scoutmaster like mine.
Ron Bridgeman is a reporter for Mainstreet Newspa
pers. Send him email at ron@mainstreetnews.com.
the growing number of no-go zones and rising levels
of crime. Sweden is the rape capital of the West, and
instead of tackling the growing conflict, their govern
ment is insistent that providing jobs would encourage
the foreign men to not assault Swedish women.
Even with the former Obama administration, the
removal of Libyan Dictator Muammar Gaddafi led to
Libya becoming a failed State, surrendering the country
to ISIS, and the creation of an open-market slave trade
of sub-Saharan Africans.
The actions of these governments solicit cries for rev
olution, and the people deserve much better than what
the political class has had to offer. Donald Trump taking
the seat of United States President is a reminder to the
establishment that the people will no longer tolerate the
actions, failed policies, and corruption of the incompe
tent political class.
Nathan Almodovar is a columnist for MainStreet
Newspapers. He can be reached at nathanalmodovar@
gmail.com.
The Jackson Herald
Founded 1875
Merged with The Commerce News 2017
The Official Legal Organ of Jackson County, Ga.
Herman Buffington, Publisher 1965-2005
Mike Buffington Co-Publisher & Editor
Scott Buffington Co-Publisher & Advertising Manager
Angela Gary Associate Editor Features
Alex Pace Braselton News Editor
Ron Bridgeman Reporter
Ben Munro Sports Editor
Charles Phelps Sports Reporter
Wesleigh Sagon Photographer/Features
MEMBER
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PO Box 908
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Web Site: www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
Email: mike@mainstreetnews.com
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Fax: 706.621.4117 (news)
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Jefferson, GA 30549 (SCED 271980)
Yearly Subscriptions: $25.00
mike
rector
We learned, a lot, although we seldom noticed
By Ron Bridgeman
The Incompetency of the Political Class