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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MAY 13, 2004
Wal-Mart may come one day
but it doesn’t mean we have to shop there
It’s a free country and Wal-Mart as a private
business can open a store anywhere they want,
including Jasper.
The County Economic Development office has
said the big box behemoth signed a deal on the
fourlane, but if they have, the sewage and water
providers at Jasper City Hall don’t know it and
definitely haven’t made any plans for them.
It may be too early to say the Wal-Mart cometh
— but if not now, then one day. There are already
big stores such as Home Depot
with construction underway.
And if Wal-Mart joins them,
that’s fine— it’s their right, but that
doesn’t mean they should be
encouraged or shown any conces
sions by the city/county develop
ment people or patronized by local
shoppers.
Study after study and communi
ty after community have found that
the cost-cutting chain doesn’t pro
duce a quality of life increase.
with the company and acquire the necessary skills
and training you will be able to support a family
comfortably, have benefits and retire from the
same firm.
So if our elected leaders and related govern
ment offices work to make the zoning, infrastruc
ture, and transportation factors favor a “big box”
store, we need to also ask that they also accommo
date additional rental and starter housing for the
employees who will have to move here; instruct
the hospital to allocate more for
indigent healthcare; have the Good
RpiflO nnrt n~f n Samaritan Center beef up its serv
ice t/tg pClf L UJ ll j ces anc [ see t p at sc h 00 i system
is prepared to build more class
rooms to accommodate the stu
dents moving here with the parents
filling those entry-level positions.
This doesn’t even take into
account the related effects a big
discount chains will exact on our
hometown merchants. One econo-
community
or a small
town means
shopping in
duce a quality of life increase, itn iP\t m ^ st re f erre( i to Wal-Mart as the
Larry Toney, the county’s growthLIltlL COmiiLiliLiiy. ultimate corporate colonizer — it
spokesman never fails to mention
that his Economic Development
office and task force are all about “quality
growth.” Hopefully he recognizes big box dis
count chains aren’t that type of growth. Even if
you can buy a DVD player for less than $50, there
are other factors to consider in determining what
is “quality growth.”
Job creation which improves the employment
market should be a top concern when the
county/city begins talking with a commercial
developer. This county needs firms that offer
careers, not chains with minimum wage exercises
in tedium.
In Colorado, citizens groups are fighting a Wal
Mart SuperCenter and among the facts presented
in a column in the High Country News on Decem
ber 1, 2003 is that “half of Wal-Mart’s employees
qualify for food stamps. Many rely on other forms
of public assistance. Washington state reports that
Wal-Mart workers are the single largest group of
users in its low-income health care program.”
By no stretch of the imagination do we need
more minimum wage jobs in Pickens County. In
Economic Developer Toney’s own words, the
Home Depot and Kroger area will likely employ
300 and we don’t have anywhere near that many
people looking for work.
The level of jobs which could be produced by a
small company at the county’s planned airport
tech park are what we should bank on — a place
where you start entry level, but know if you stick
sends out its fleet and draws the
loot back to its corporate center.
While our local merchants may not offer low,
low, low prices, they do serve on boards, sponsor
little league teams and donate their time and goods
for charity events. They are also the people who
live around us, have kids who play with our kids
and do their part to make this a great small town.
It’s doubtful the CEO of Wal-Mart will volun
teer to work the gates at the Marble Festival.
Let’s keep in mind who made this community
what it is today, and it’s not low-priced products in
a big generic building. You can already get that 20
minutes away if you’re determined not to shop
here.
It would be un-American to say that Wal-Mart
be denied anything simply because of who they
are, but exactly because of who they are they don’t
need any special perks.
Pickens County isn’t an attractive place to call
home because of rows of strip malls which look
just like those in every other medium-sized town
in America. It’s the local character and small town
flair, which make this a place great.
If and when the big stores arrive, it would be
good for all the natives who value our community
as well as people moving here in search of small
town lifestyles to remember: Being part of a com
munity or a small town means shopping in that
community.
“No, I've not seen a drop in gas buys, but the sale of tissues is up I*
Pickens Rabies Clinic a success
Last Saturday the Jasper Lions
Club again sponsored a Rabies
Clinic to be held at the Jasper Mid
dle School from 1-3:30 p.m. Dur
ing that time, Dr. Michael B.
McGhee, Dr. Ava Lambert and staff
of Wayside Animal Clinic gave 295
rabies shots and 76 parvo shots to
local pets.
Many thanks to them for their
public service in making this activi
ty available each year at a minimal
price and at a convenient time and
location. Lion Diane Bravo chaired
the Lions committee and several
other club members were on hand
to help with paperwork and other
tasks.
Rabies is a viral disease that can
infect warm-blooded animals.
Some species, including raccoons,
skunks, bats and foxes, are more
susceptible than others. Pets
(including cats) get rabies when
they come into contact with infect
ed wildlife. And infected pets are
the major source of exposure to
people. Vaccination of pets is very
important.
Dr. McGhee at work.
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
Ten Rules for Graduates
May and June is the time when
bright-eyed, eager young people all
across this land graduate from
school. With stars in their eyes and
hope in their hearts, they clutch
diplomas in eager hands and rush
forth out into this big old world
seeking their fortunes.
See who is listed
Business Directory
www.pickensprogress .com
^ Good news... ^
State revenues are
up 18% for the month!
^ Bad news... >
State government‘s
already figuring out
how to spend it!
$tcfeens County |3rogtcss
(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.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE PICKENS COUNTY
PROGRESS, P. O. Box 67, Jasper, GA 30143.
One Year’s Subscription: $16.05 in Pickens County and in Gilmer,
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Ah, but a word
of caution to
all you gradu
ates — reality is
also lurking
out there.
So here are
some things
you need to
know that you
were probably
never taught in
1. You will NOT get a job earn
ing $75,000 a year right out of high
school.
No one is waiting to make you
the CEO of a big corporation with a
company car, comer office and pri
vate secretary. That’s something
you will have to EARN.
2. Television isn’t real life. In
real life people scratch, struggle,
save and sacrifice to get all those
nice things.
If you practice these four s’s,
you will eventually have most of
these things some day too. And you
will appreciate them more, I’ll bet.
3. To get started, accept the fact
that flipping burgers is NOT
beneath your dignity.
Your immigrant forefathers
would have called it “opportunity.”
4. You thought teachers were
rough on you? Wait until you work
for a real boss. Just remember, he
gets to make the rules.
5. Real life isn’t divided into
semesters and you won’t get sum
mers off. And don’t whine about it.
No one cares, because they have
problems of their own.
6. Employers are NOT interested
in helping you “find” yourself. Do
that on your own time.
7. Be nice to nerds. Chances are
your boss was once a nerd.
8. If you screw up, don’t blame
your boss, co-workers or parents.
Be adult about it and learn from
your mistakes.
9. Life isn’t fair, so get used to it
and do the best you can. That’s all
anyone asks.
10. And last, but not least,
remember: It’s hard to stumble
when you’re down on your knees.
Don’t ever be ashamed or too arro
gant to ask for His help -- God
answers “knee mail.”
So graduates — if you pay atten
tion to these rules -- they might
help you tackle the real world and
make it easier to win your rightful
place in it.
After all, I should know. I’ve
been there — done that too.
Good luck!
school:
Drs. McGhee and Lambert
VFW Meeting
The VFW will meet at Pick
ens Library Wednesday, May 26
at 7. If you want to keep a VFW
post in Jasper, we have to have
members come to the meeting.
Please attend.
— D.W. Holmes, Com.
(706) 692-6831
Emergency
Services
R & R Towing, Inc.
Light & Heavy Duty Towing • Auto Unlocking
4x4 Recovery • Rental Cars • Used Parts
Ser\>ing Pickens County Since 1987
Wayne & LaSandra Cooley 985 N. Main St.
Owners Jasper, GA 30143
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706-253-7737
934 South Main Street
Jasper, GA 30143
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