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PAGE 6A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 8. 2004
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Letters to the Editor
J
Dear Editor:
Isn’t Pickens great?
A week ago last Monday, my
wife was looking out our front win
dow trying to figure out what a
group of people was doing across
the street from our house.
Suddenly she recognized two of
the people in the crowd. Lonnie
and Ruth Ann. Filled with curiosity,
she could no longer control herself,
so with bathrobe and house slippers
she braved the cool night air to join
them and see what the hubbub was
about.
I, of course, went on to bed, hey
none of my business and all that.
Besides it was getting dark and I
was ready for some well-earned
sleep.
Now you’ve got to understand,
my wife grew up in the country,
that uppity county just below us.
She has done some country stuff
and checks those signs, but that
night was special. Something all
new.
As she awakened me from a
great dream, darn it, she recounted
the entire adventure. She had a
cow, well, not really, but the cow
did. It seems that the friends’ cow
was having trouble so Paulette got
the job of petting and cooing (come
to think of it, I used to get cooed;
whatever happened to that?) to
help calm the poor gal while Lon
nie donned the extra long cuff
gloves and helped the old girl out,
so to speak.
All was well in the world of
Cow-Dom. It seems that the sight
of the newborn warm and steaming
in the cool night air mesmerized all
in attendance. The newborn, Polly,
figure that one, soon tried to stand
and the proud mom and daughter
finally wandered off to share some
quiet time together.
The night ended with the mira
cle of birth and all in attendance
returned to their homes. Me? I
finally fell back asleep dreaming of
“Home on the Range.” Yea right!
You can’t get this in Atlanta;
thank the Lord for Pickens County.
Good day,
Jared Thomas
Jasper City Limits
have signed a false affidavit and an
attorney suggests that an apology
and a promise to “never do it
again” would suffice. Gee, can our
school kids cut the same deal?
Lauri A. Shaw-Wood
Dear Editor:
Gee, how cool it is to find a
‘wagon’ already in motion so you
can just jump aboard. In the Moun
tain Peeks' April edition, Herb
Flanders, minister of Jasper United
Methodist Church, ‘hit the nail with
his head!’ (Fav quote from Paul
Harvey!)
His editorial about litter and its
consequences was tremendous and
right on target. I was in his camp
from the get-go.
Several friends and I ‘police’ a
mile of Burnt Mountain Road and
also a mile of Old Hwy. 5 south of
Tate in conjunction with Keep
Pickens Beautiful, so it touched a
tender spot with me and us quickly.
It’s very difficult for me to believe
that many of us will trash our nice
roadways as we do.
The addition of a special officer
to help curb this disgusting activity
is a good start towards better stew
ardship of our beautiful spaces, but
is there a more powerful or encour
aging motive available that would
make folks want to ‘treat it as
you’d want to be treated?’
Enforcement and litigation are
usually poor ways to entice us into
‘doing the right thing,’ whereas
incentive and pride come nearer to
attracting us to change our habits
(good or bad).
Surely there is, out there some
where, a creative and imaginative
soul who could come up with a
‘want-to’ idea or campaign for
cleaner and safer and more beauti
ful place to live.
Now, come on folks — get busy
and dream up a slogan or vision or
focus that everyone can ‘buy’ into
to get this stupid habit erased from
this great country!
I’ll help implement it.
Bill Spaugh
Dear Editor:
There was a beautiful prayer
vigil on Friday, March 26 for the
family of Brian Wall. I want to
thank everyone, especially Brian’s
friends and classmates, who came
out to the courthouse that evening.
Some gave wonderful stories about
Brian and testified to what a great
and fun person he was in their
lives. We have all been affected by
his loss.
Thanks to the handful of the
school personnel from Pickens
Middle School who came out to
show their support. Your presence
was greatly appreciated. Special
thanks to Lynn Cantrell for her
leadership during the procedures.
Every one of you is special.
Mike Roper, where would we be
without your willingness to step
forward? Thanks so much for pro
viding the chairs and sound equip
ment. We could hear above the din
of Main Street thanks to you.
Darrell Hayes, you are truly a
man of God and a blessing to this
community. Thank you for your
contribution and effort to bring this
community together in prayer and
song.
For the rest of you who came,
thank you for taking the God-given
opportunity to prove that this com
munity truly does care, despite
what others may like to think. We
all have the ability to reach out and
make a positive difference in peo
ples’ lives every day. God notices
what we do and Friday night was
no exception.
For those who missed it, the
prayer vigil was a blessing. Hope
fully we can use other opportunities
to draw the community closer in
similar ways: prayer vigil over
child abuse, drugs, corruption.
Anybody up for that?
Wendy Roberts
Dear Editor:
I am trying to locate an old Air
Force buddy of mine who, when I
knew him, lived in Jasper by the
name of Admiral E. Carney.
I was a photographer during the
Korean Conflict. Carney and I were
best friends and I have several pho
tos of him which I would like to
share with him or with his family in
case he has passed on.
If he or the Carney kin are still
around those parts, I really would
like to get in touch.
Sincerely,
Bob Crawford
405 N Old Canton Rd.
Madison, Ms. 39110
601-853-8061
Dear Editor:
Let me get this straight: we have
a school board that took an oath to
uphold the law yet may have violat
ed Georgia Sunshine Laws. We also
have a board chairman that may
Dear Editor:
Recently for a project in psy
chology, I conducted a survey on
sexual activity at Pickens High
School. As a student myself, I felt
that I was somewhat informed
about my peers. My original
hypothesis was that around half of
teens at PHS were sexually active.
As it turned out, 56 percent of the
students I surveyed have engaged
in a sexual activity; however, this is
not the disturbing thing. Of the sex
ually active, 18 percent started at
the age of 14 or younger, 12 per
cent started at the age of 15,44 per
cent started at 16 and 24 percent
started at 17. Also, the majority of
teens learned about sex from their
friends (52 percent), while only 16
percent learned from parents and
24 percent learned from their health
instructor. The other 7 percent said
that they learned from other
sources.
Of all students surveyed, 53 per
cent do not plan on practicing absti
nence, but abstinence is the only
form of disease/pregnancy preven
tion that PHS teaches. Also, the 24
percent of students that learn about
sex from their health teacher are
learning as a freshman at the earli
est. Health is first offered in 9th
grade and, although it is required to
graduate, it is not mandatory that
one takes health as a freshman.
My point in this letter is not to
scare parents, but to simply inform
the community about a potential
problem. Despite abstinence being
taught solely at PHS, 56 percent of
teens are still sexually active. It is
the best method of prevention, but I
believe that other options should be
taught as well. Also, sex education
needs to take place at an earlier
age. Perhaps even 6th or 7th grade,
because 18 percent of teens start
engaging in sexual activity at age
14 or earlier. If you are concerned
about this issue, please write the
Pickens County Board of Education
to voice your concerns.
Sincerely,
Valerie Stancil
Senior at PHS
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