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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 1.2004
School Board needs to open up
Private meetings on growth and infrastructure disservice to county
Since governments and watchdogs began tak
ing sunshine laws seriously, the “our eyes and ears
only” tryst between the school board and city
council on March 17 is surely the most overcast
day on record.
While elected members of both groups were
there, the meeting was called by the school board,
and the blame must rest at their feet. It is inexcus
able for the school board to hold private talks
about “infrastructure and growth issues,” and try
to pass these off as an attor
ney-client conversation.
Based on an affidavit
signed by board chairman
Tony Young the board went
into closed session on March
17, “to consult and meet with
legal counsel pertaining to
pending or potential litiga
tion, settlement, claims,
administrative proceedings,
or other judicial actions
brought or to be brought by
or against the school district
or an officer or employee or
in which the officer or
employee may be directly involved.”
There are two problems with this signed and
notarized statement.
First, the board’s attorney wasn’t present. It’s
awfully hard to believe they were consulting on
judicial strategy when the council (as in Jasper
City Council) was there and their counsel (as in
board attorney Phil Landrum III) wasn’t present.
Secondly, there is no litigation. In this particu
lar instance the school is not suing, being sued, fil
ing or facing legal action.
The board chairman later explained, they were
meeting in private to reach an agreement that
might prevent litigation.
Under this interpretation,with the board passing
the buck by saying their attorney told them it was
okay, anything under the sun can be handled in
secret — safe behind the excuse that they were
trying to head off a future lawsuit.
Consider some of these examples:
• Choosing new textbooks — better meet in pri
vate, parents might sue if they don’t like the mate
rial.
• Deciding on plans for a new high school —
close this one as well, we might need to sue a con
tractor if everything doesn’t go well.
• Picking a new mascot, closed again — there
are a lot of touchy issue groups that sue over polit
ically incorrect representations.
But worst of all are the issues discussed in the
private pow-wow two weeks ago, “infrastructure”
and “growth issues,” as though the other 25,000
county residents not at the meeting don’t have an
interest in these issues.
Besides the information concerning taxpayer
funded public works, another benefit of seeing
open negotiations between the school board and
council is being able to assess our elected officials
in action.
Both the city and school board have acknowl
edged there is tension in the negotiations over
sewage hook-ons and pump stations, but without
hearing first hand the proposals and counter-pro
posals, it’s impossible to know whether the city or
school board or both or neither is acting in the
manner which meets with the
voters’ approval.
According to the Georgia Press
Association’s legal hotline, the
purpose of a private session for
pending litigation is to make
courtroom strategy or possible
settlement discussions.
And any newspaper should go
along with that, — after all the
government shouldn’t be expect
ed to give away its strategy
before the trial begins.
Here, however, the pending lit
igation excuse is used as a veil of
secrecy.
This newspaper has suspected before, and this
latest meeting confirms, that the board uses broad
interpretation of both the pending litigation and
personnel issues to sneak off behind a closed door,
when the business at hand should be discussed in
public.
One particularly noxious aspect to the manner
the Pickens School Board closes a session is they
give no clue as to the number, seriousness or type
of litigation, personnel decisions or real estate
business before them.
From the information presented, there is no
way to tell whether our elected body is suing,
being sued, hiring, firing, buying or preparing to
settle something out of court.
A better system and one we urge the board to
adopt is to throw their generic form about meeting
closure in the trash and start treating each case
separately and fairly.
There is no reason they can’t elaborate some
when closing a meeting. Such as, “to discuss a
case against contractor who failed to meet agreed
terms,” or “to discuss litigation brought by student
over action of administrator.”
There is no law or reason preventing them from
disclosing a few details without giving away their
upcoming court testimony or violating anyone’s
rights.
Of course, it would be hard to then cite pending
litigation when there is, in fact, no litigation,
which is the way it should be.
The bottom line is holding negotiations and
calling it litigation is as wrong as holding a private
cabal and calling it an executive session.
Holding
negotiations and
calling it litigation
is as wrong as
holding a private
cabal and
calling it an
executive session.
Tell us what you think via the internet: the progress online message board
www.pickensprogress.com
or e-mail a Letter to the Editor at news@pickensprogress.com. All Letters must have a valid e-mail
address and a full name. The name will be published
Reflections
By Elaine Jordan
An III
Even today -- 10 years later —
every time a thunderstorm rumbles
across Pickens County some people
still get nervous and keep an anx
ious eye on the sky when dark
clouds appear.
Because it was 10 years ago, on
March 27, 1994, that a series of
Wind
fatal tornadoes slashed two distinct
paths of destruction from one end
of the county to the other. When the
rampaging winds subsided, nine
people were dead, many others
were injured and 67 homes were
destroyed. Also damaged were
another 80 homes, several chicken
”Ahh...I love how a new budget
makes everything seem all rosy!"
iPtcfeeng Count? progress
(USPS 431-820)
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houses, several
churches and
the Jerusalem
Baptist Church
was complete
ly blown away.
Georgia was
n’t the only
southern state
to feel the
deadly torna
does’ wrath
that Sunday. Several people in
Alabama were killed and many
homes and churches were
destroyed too. To a lesser extent,
lives and homes were also lost in
both North and South Carolina.
In Pickens County, mobile
homes and chicken houses were
the hardest hit by tornadoes that
were reported to have been on the
ground as long as 30 minutes. The
storm struck with little or no
warning and, according to some
folks who survived, “It was over
in minutes, and after it left there
was nothing.”
Gone on the winds were a life
time’s worth of possessions, irre
placeable family heirlooms and
precious family photographs.
But the worst was the loss of
life. One family alone on Hender
son Mountain Road lost six fami
ly members when their mobile
home disintegrated in the killer’s
terrible winds.
Disaster Relief agencies were
quick to respond, as were the Boy
Scouts, the Mennonite Disaster
Relief Agency, churches and the
lucky residents who had escaped
the tornadoes’ wrath.
As the assessment of damages
and cleanup of the wreckage
began, some people made plans to
not only rebuild, but to put in a
storm cellar as well. If another
tornado should strike Pickens
County again, they would have a
safe place to go.
Today, 10 years later, few signs
of that devastating tornado exist.
People have rebuilt their lives as
best they can. But many still
watch when dark clouds appear
and thunder rumbles. Especially
those who were small children 10
years ago, for they can never real
ly feel safe in their own homes
again. When their minds flash
back to Palm Sunday 1994, they
still remember just how much
devastation and terror a killer tor
nado can bring.
Wave
By Gil Fishbreath
[Editor’s Note: Thinking it
might help some of Pickens Coun
ty’s newcomers pick up on local
customs, a while back loyal
Progress subscriber Marcia
Jasperse suggested that Gil Fish-
breath’s column on the subject of
waving be reprinted. Fishbreath
was a regular Progress columnist
in the early 1990s, but a search of
the Progress archives failed to
locate this particular article and it
took several months to locate the
elusive Fishbreath and obtain a
copy from him. But Gil resurfaced
briefly last week and the waving
column follows.]
One of my favorite things about
living in Pickens County is that
most people, like me, are congeni
tal wavers.
Down in Atlanta there are lots
of folks that either forgot or never
did know how to wave. Now, I
have to admit there are a few
around here that don’t wave as a
rule, but that just makes it that
much more fun if you can surprise
‘em and elicit an involuntary wave.
There’s this one lady I’ve been
waving at for years and she has
never once waved back. We have
never been formally introduced
and, though it’s not really required
by waving etiquette, maybe that’s
what’s holding her back. Then
again, maybe she just can’t see
good. Then again, maybe she can
see real good.
There’s all kinds of waves and
it’s almost impossible to do it
wrong.
There’s the “BIG HAND,”
which is your basic wave, the one
most everybody learns first. You
just hold your hand up, sort of in
the “STOP” position, and move it
from left to right to left, to left to
right to left to ... you get the idea.
Once you get the hang of it, it’s
OK to go right on to the really
advanced waves.
I have several favorites, both to
give and receive. The “OPEN
HAND” is probably one of the
most difficult to master. This wave
starts with the hand extended, palm
down, and consists of a half rota
tion of the wrist. The final position
of the hand, palm open, reaching
out, waiting for what life hands
you, can express, done properly,
anything from existential despair to
the deepest joys of the human con
dition.
Some waves are frivolous. The
“LIMP WRIST,” especially com
ing from drivers of big trucks or
operators of heavy equipment, can
crack me up.
The “QUICK WAVE,” perfected
if not invited by David L., is a
long-time family favorite. You pre
tend like you don’t see the wave
until it’s almost too late and then
everybody in the car raises and
lowers one hand without any other
change of expression.
It gets me that the Pepsi Compa
ny can take a perfectly good
advanced wave that’s been in the
public domain for years and name
it “The Pepsi Summer Chill Out”
and pretend like they invented it.
Not only in Pickens County but
all over the world, waving is a
widely accepted form of social
intercourse. Waving leaps barriers
of language, race and culture like
they were nothing. So I think here
is probably a good place to say a
few words about “SAVE WAV
ING.”
In this country, most waving
occurs in the car. To be perfectly
safe, if you are driving, you should
keep both hands on the wheel and
use one finger (preferably the
index) to wave. Taking one hand
off is OK if you’re stopped or driv
ing real slow. Waving with the mid
dle finger is gauche at best and can
be very dangerous under some cir
cumstances .
Waving must have been the ear
liest form of human communica
tion, even before cars. It is possible
to convey an incredible amount of
information with just the slightest
motion.
I have a waving relationship
with lots of folks, ones that I pass
every day. I don’t think it’s my
imagination that I can tell how
they’re doing, how they feel, if
their life is going OK from a simple
wave and the expression on the
face.
I cannot think of waving without
remembering Edgar Jamison. He
was a fine man and one of the most
accomplished wavers I ever knew. I
miss him and his wave almost
every day. Our world would be a
nicer place if everybody waved like
Edgar did.
Sen. Stephens loses Pickens,
other counties in redistricting plan
Hard-fought redistricting victory bittersweet
By Senator Bill
Stephens
Very few leg
islative days
remain to com
plete the work of
the General
Assembly. This
week, the Senate
passed several
substantial House
now go to conference committees
to work out differences between the
House and Senate versions before
they are eligible for final passage.
The budget comprised the Sen
ate’s most significant work this
week as the Senate passed a $16.2
billion budget. State revenue col
lections were less than expected
and we spent many hours develop
ing a streamlined budget that meets
the needs of all Georgians.
Tough decisions had to be made,
but I am confident that we were
steadfast in funding our priorities:
education, families, and meeting
basic human needs. Last week, the
House passed their version of the
budget and negotiators for the two
chambers will work through the
weekend and the following week to
reach a compromise.
Recently, a Special Master
appointed by a federal court pre
sented a new map redrawing State
Senate and House districts to
replace the unconstitutional 2001
legislative maps. After listening to
comments from interested parties,
the maps, with minor changes,
became final this week. These new
maps are undoubtedly a victory for
the people of Georgia. No longer
will the strength of an individual’s
vote depend on where they live or
what party they are affiliated with;
Georgians will finally have their
constitutional right of “one-man,
one-vote.”
I am pleased by this hard-fought
win as a major step towards solidi
fying a “New Georgia,” and I am
looking forward to representing my
new district, which consists of most
of Cherokee and Forsyth Counties.
I currently represent and live in
Cherokee County, and I am delight
ed to get to know and represent the
people of Forsyth County. I have
already enjoyed meeting the people
of Forsyth, and I look forward to
hearing their views on the critical
issues facing our community and
our state today.
The redistricting process is bit
tersweet. I am a native of Blue
Ridge, Georgia, in Fannin County
and my family still lives there
today. While gaining the communi
ties contained in Forsyth County, I
will now no longer represent the
counties of Fannin, Gilmer, Haber
sham, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens,
Towns, or Union. I want to be clear
that although I will no longer repre
sent those counties, I am grateful
for their overwhelming support and
will continue to serve all of Georgia
to the best of my ability. I will
always consider North Georgia my
home, and will always serve the
needs of those of you in the moun
tains.
If you have any questions or
concerns about redistricting, or any
other issue that concerns you,
please don’t hesitate to contact me.
My phone number is (404) 656-
0048 and my email address is
bstephen @ legis .state .ga .us.
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