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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 22. 2004
Boy, this community has a lot to offer
For a weekend in a small town, there was a
mind-boggling number of options if you were in
the mood to get out last weekend.
Whether it was pondering the mysteries of your
soul or chowing down on a chicken dinner, there
was no reason to be bored or for anyone to call
Jasper “sleepy.”
Far from the exception, this past Saturday
which had multiple events at different places run
ning from early morning into the evening, is
becoming par for the course around here.
Just looking at events advertised or promoted in
the Progress last week, you could have:
Learned how to protect and monitor creeks and
streams at an Adopt-A-Stream class;
Bought some plants or homemade items during
the opening weekend of the Farmer’s Market,
which will run all summer;
Gone to Public Safety Day in Nelson for food
and entertainment;
Attended Opening Day Ceremonies for the
Recreation League;
Caught an ongoing game with the Jasper Youth
Sports League;
Seen a performance of Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers staged by the High School Drama Class /
Club;
Stopped by the Library for their carnival to kick
off National Library week;
Feasted on a chicken dinner at the Pickens Star
Lodge;
Joined a regular Saturday pick-up soccer game
at the Rec. Department;
Seen “Evidence of Grace,” a worship musical
at Foothills Community Church;
Listened to the Southern Gospel Spring Jubilee
at the Tate Gym;
Pondered “An Overview of the Book of Con
fessions,” as part of a ten-part seminar on Christ
ian Doctrines at New Lebanon Presbyterian
Church;
Heard about “40 Days of Purpose” at Jasper
Methodist Church;
Or joined in some of Keep Pickens Beautiful’s
Great American Clean Up activities.
And best of all, or worst of all, depending on
how you value free-time, next weekend is shaping
up to be much the same with the sports leagues
continuing, plus the Heart Association’s Art for
Heart and an Animal Adoption Fair already on the
schedule.
And these events are joining the regular classes,
talks and events hosted by groups like the Sharp-
top Arts Association, Friends of the Library, Mar
ble Valley Friends, other churches, and then
there’s all the festivals, fundraisers and even that
doesn’t include events for students in the area
schools.
So much in fact, that we may long for the
“lazy” days of summer.
Play Ball— Nicely
One of the most important factors to consider
with the Recreation Department Director’s plea
for all parents to behave during the baseball, soft-
ball, and tee-ball games is that “it only takes one
person” to ruin the season for a player, team or the
whole league.
Just one irate dad or mom who gets too caught
up in the moment and does something childish,
foolish, violent or obscene, and what should be a
fun game becomes a tense situation for the coach
es, officials, other parents and most of all that per
son’s son or daughter.
Nobody wants to see their parents in a heated
argument, or worse, a fistfight — especially over
something as trivial as whether that 12-year-old’s
line drive was fair or foul.
Everyone needs to keep in mind there’s not a
player on the field who has a shoe contract, mil
lion dollar salary or a college scholarship on the
line. In fact, there’s no one playing in the entire
league that can legally drive a car.
While everyone likes to win, learning to grin
and bear it, when it’s not you with the highest
score, it’s part of life — particularly if you follow
the Falcons, Hawks or Thrashers.
You can be pretty confident the umpires aren’t
cheating. Why would they?
Many of the officials on the field are high
school students trying to help out for meager pay
and learn a skill. It’s doubtful they attended train
ing to become an official, took time out of their
schedules to attend the games, including some
scrimmages where they weren’t paid just so they
could call your son out on strikes.
Any real sports fan knows, bad calls are part of
the game. They happen in crucial season deciding
matches of pro teams. Of course they are going to
happen in recreation games.
If there is a bad call, some good natured banter
ing is okay, but physical contact is a felony.
Finally, have you ever seen Chipper Jones’
mother or father run out on the field and make a
scene when their child gets called out on a pitch
two-feet outside and higher than their head?
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
Taking It Rightly
The writer, James Russell Low
ell, must have been thinking about
spring weather like ours when he
penned the lines: “Each day the
world is born anew for him who
takes it rightly.”
After reading those lines in an
old book again, I decided to follow
Lowell’s advice and try to take the
world “rightly.” Each morning
when I get up, I pull on a warm
sweater and take my first cup of hot
tea out on the east-facing deck to
watch the sun come up. With the
first pink glimmers of light, birds
start off with a few tentative chirps,
as a preliminary to a full-dawn cho
rus. I can almost imagine them on
their hidden branches, stretching
their wings and vocal chords with
the song-filled day to come.
The woods surround my house
and my morning ritual is akin to
attending what I’ve heard people
call “The Church of the Great Out
doors.” Perhaps this isn’t strictly
gathering together, but there’s
something spiritually uplifting
about it just the same. Not real
church, but close. And it’s a great
way to start my day.
The woods envelope and
embrace me in a wall of new,
unbroken green. Only in winter
when the trees and bushes are bare
can I see a neighbor’s lights. By
late spring, I am alone to enjoy the
daily healing balm nature offers in
the patchwork quilt of leaves and
twigs, dogwood blossoms and bird
calls.
People get in such a hurry today
that their minds stay focused else
where, and they remain blind to
nature’s beauty and grace. I often
go for rides alone on winding,
back-country roads so I can think
without disruptions. But my
daughters fussed and kept insisting
I get a cell phone to take along in
case my car should break down in
some “back in the sticks place.” I
finally gave in just to keep them
quiet, but I don’t have to turn it on,
which annoys them to no end. “No
interruptions,” I proclaimed, but I
am adamant. “If I break down,” I
told them, “I’ll just wait for some
one to come along.” So I carry a
book, candy bars, bottled water,
flashlight and a blanket, just in
case.
What my girls don’t realize yet
is that when you live here awhile
you become a part of the moun
tains and one with the land. Spend
ing the night alone in a broken-
down car wouldn’t be a disaster,
just a new adventure in the Church
of the Great Outdoors.
As Lowell wrote, it’s all a mat
ter of “taking the world rightly.”
iPtcfeeng Count? progress
(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main St. P.O. Box 67 Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457 FAX (706) 253-9738
JOHN R. POOL DAN POOL
Publisher Editor
WILLIAM E. POOL
Managing Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. Entered at
the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia 30143 as Meal Matter of Second Class.
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NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION
Earth Day is April 22
Future generations deserve
clean air, water and land
By Susan Varlamoff
University of Georgia
Few would argue that future
generations don’t deserve clean air,
water and land. So why is the road
to protecting our natural resources
often blocked with contentious
ness?
Having worked in the environ
mental field in industry, environ
mental groups and academe for the
past 25 years, I believe it's because
we don't take time to listen and
understand others' viewpoints.
The good news is that two
groups with differing views are
now trying to bridge the communi
cation gap. To overcome the finger
pointing on water issues, the Asso
ciation County Commissioners of
Georgia conducted an exchange
program.
Y'all come
They brought rural officials to
Atlanta and Atlanta officials to
south Georgia so each could see
and understand the other's con
cerns. What a difference it made,
said Glenn Dowling, associate leg
islative director.
The Georgia Environmental
Council, an association of environ
mental organizations, facilitates
forums on various issues. It tries to
promote understanding between
the conservation community and
government, industry and others.
Environmentalists will have a
chance soon to speak with farmers
about water rights, water conserva
tion and water quality.
A new day dawned on Georgia's
environment when the governor
appointed an ecologist and scientist
to direct the Georgia Environmen
tal Protection Division. Carol
Couch leads by example as she
tours the state listening to environ
mentalists, scientists, farmers and
industry representatives to under
stand their perspectives on issues.
High ideals
In her mission to protect and
enhance Georgia's environment,
Couch promises to be just, consider
political and economic factors and
base decisions on sound science.
A sustainable society is often
compared to a three-legged stool
supported by economic, environ
mental and social legs. If we hope
to maintain our equilibrium, we
must give equal consideration to
each factor. Herein lies the prob
lem.
Many statements I've heard over
the years illustrate how misinfor
mation can damage our ability to
work together to achieve sustain
ability. Examples include: If only
we'd listened to the community, we
might have avoided the protracted
landfill battle. Gosh, we didn't
know pesticide levels in urban
watersheds exceed levels in rural
watersheds - all along, we've
blamed farmers. And those environ
mentalists will drive us out of busi
ness!
You gotta he kidding
What amazes me, too, is the
uninformed perceptions people
have of government, various indus
tries and the conservation commu
nity. Granted, bad actors find their
way into every interest group, but
as our mothers said, "You can't
judge the whole by a few."
Farmers aren't trying to pollute
the very land they rely on to pro
duce food and their livelihoods.
What sense would that make?
Industry provides work so we
can provide for our families and
have the time and resources to bike,
hike and canoe in our parks. Geor
gia's economy needs to keep jobs
within the state.
Many environmentalists are
well-educated professionals who
gave up lucrative positions to keep
our rivers from flowing with raw
sewage, to persuade the govern
ment to hold public hearings on
important decisions and to prohibit
mining in the cherished and irre
placeable Okefenokee Swamp. We
need environmental watchdogs to
safeguard our natural resources.
Time is short
With the complexity of environ
mental issues, we can't afford to
waste more time not listening to
one another and opting instead to
go along with preconceived ideas
and our own narrow agenda. Time
is not on our side as we face critical
water shortages and degradation of
our air, streams and land in Geor
gia.
"A true environmentalist is a
humanitarian who's interested in
the welfare of the greater communi
ty," said Neil Veilleux, a 4-H educa
tor at Jekyll Island and a Fulbright
Scholar studying environmental
public policy in Germany next
semester.
"I would expect that almost
everyone would want to protect the
social community, and by extension
the ecological community," he said,
"for both themselves and future
generations."
(Susan Varlamoff is the public
relations coordinator with the
Office of Environmental Sciences of
the University of Georgia College
of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
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