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PAGE 8A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 19. 2017
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
My husband Bruce and I
recently took a mini-vacation
in Jasper. I went to my
friend’s newly-opened
gallery/ gift shop called
Green Acres! Was so very
special and I enjoyed pur
chasing some art pieces.
Green Acres kindly told
me where the Pickens
County Animal Shelter was.
We adopted an 8-month-old
plott-hound puppy, they
named him Samson. We
changed his name to Finn.
He turned out to be one of the
best pets we’ve ever had. He
whines to go outside, brings
us his food bowl, never lets
out so much as a ‘peep’ all
night long, adores my grand
daughters and lets me brush
his teeth.
We love him to pieces!
Thank you to all of the kind
people that took the time to
help me get our ‘fine boy,’
Finn.
Extremely overjoyed,
Cindi & Bruce
Goodwin
Dear Editor:
According to their ad, the
Pickens County GOP plans
to educate us about the U.S.
Constitution... wait for it
...with DVDs from the John
Birch Society! That extremist
group rising like a zombie
from the McCarthyite '50s
has opposed every principle
that we Americans like to
brag defines us. (In the
1960s, they accused Presi
dent Eisenhower of being a
Communist. Just before
Ronald Reagan was elected
in 1980, they described him
as a "lackey" of Communist
conspirators.) Seriously. It's
in very small print in their
newspaper ad, so I guess they
hope no one will notice.
Don't insult "education." Be
honest, call this extremism
"propaganda."
G. David Robinson
Dear Editor:
I just read Gary Pichon’s
letter to the editor re: the
West Bank and Golan, and he
is right on. But, there’s more.
Also, without considering the
Biblical account of God’s gift
of the promised land to the
Israelites, there’s a lot more
history of the region.
At the end of World War I
the peace accords provided
for the Jewish homeland
under British protection. For
one, the Palestinian Brigade
who fought with the Allies
was 100% Jewish and fought
valiantly, so a homeland was
confirmed as a reward. But,
Lawrence of Arabia (yes,
him) convinced Parliament to
chop sections of that land to
Lebanon, Jordon and Saudia
Arabia.
So, who are the current
Palestinians? They are de
scendants of Arab refugees
living in Lebanon after World
War I. Eventually, they were
kicked out and migrated
south to the Israeli homeland
and were given work by the
Israelis. The problem in the
relationships with Israeli
benefactors was their religion
which does not allow accept
ance of any other religion.
Ergo they want a separate
caliphate (Palestine) from the
Jewish religion.
It is absolutely amazing
that so few read history and
the persecution of the Jews.
Ignorance of our State De
partment, political correct
ness and stupidity have
threatened, are threatening,
the only true democracy and
one best ally in the region.
Robert Reitz
Dear Editor:
First of all, I want to thank
everyone for their support,
which has been overwhelm
ingly positive. I must admit,
I am surprised by the uproar
that has been generated by
merely suggesting the gov
erning body of our city be al
lowed to fulfill its duty.
Council is a tough commit
ment. There was an almost
immediate reaction, mostly
good, and some bad, mostly
positive, some of it not so.
There are some very obvious
examples.
I would like to address
some of Mayor Weaver’s
comments quoted in the re
cent Pickens County
Progress article about last
week’s council meeting. The
benefit of having checks and
balances, as our Constitution
allows, is so that the govern
ing body can govern. If we
were to change our structure,
of course only after evaluat
ing the need to do so, and we
hire the wrong person, our
new, more nimble council,
with the mayor presiding,
would replace them. With re
spect to my wanting change
just for the sake of change,
anybody who knows me real
izes I abhor change. I never
change anything without
careful and diligent analysis.
Finally, if our record speaks
for itself, let’s look at it. Ide
ally, a plan is made, measure-
able goals are examined, and
results are evaluated. This is
the strategic planning
process. Any successful per
son, government official or
otherwise, should welcome
an opportunity to evaluate
their success, which is ex
actly what I suggested we do.
Those who know me realize
I am trying to do the right
thing the right way.
As always, I am glad to
discuss these things openly,
honestly and transparently.
Respectfully,
Sonny Proctor, M.D.
Jasper City Council
Leake and Waters nominees for King and Queen
at upcoming Mardi Gras in the Mountains
Community leaders Lonnie
Waters and Amy Fountain
Leake have been chosen to
be the Pickens County King
and Queen nominees for the
2017 Mardi Gras in the
Mountains. The charity gala
benefits North Georgia Hos
pice, The Knights of Colum
bus and Jasper Rotary.
Nominees representing
Pickens, Cherokee, Dawson
and Gilmer counties com
plete for Mardi Gras King
and Queen honors by receiv
ing votes through monetary
contributions. Each dollar
contributed equals one vote
with $10 being 10 votes.
There is no limit on votes.
Lonnie Waters is well
known in the community
with family and friends. He is
employed by the city of
Jasper and puts together the
New Year’s Eve event in
Amy Fountain Leake
downtown Jasper, among his
many other duties. He serves
on the board of directors of
the Pickens Chamber and
coaches the PCHS 4-H Rifle
Team.
Amy Fountain Leake is
very active in the community.
She is the owner/operator of
Salon 84 on Church Street
Lonnie Waters
and is co-chair of the Pickens
Business Alliance which is
working with the city of
Jasper developing a better
traffic flow. Also, she serves
on the board of the Pickens
Chamber.
One may vote by mailing
contributions to Georgia
Mountain Hospice, 70 Car
ing Way, Jasper, 30143, on
line www.mardigrasinthe-
moun tains. org( corona-
tiontab) or calling
800-692-7199-706-253-
4100.
The good times will be
rolling in true Mardi Gras
style at Chattahoochee Tech
on Saturday, February 25
from 6:30-11 p.m. Atlanta’s
entertainment tradition
Banks and Shane will be en
tertaining with their excep
tional talent performing
ageless music.
Tickets for the event are
$65 each or a table of 10 is
$650 and can be purchased at
www.mardigrasinthemoun-
tains.org For more informa
tion about becoming a
sponsor, tickets or questions
contact Gina Pendley
706.253.4100 or 800.692-
7199.
Make customers “living testimonies,”
Rotary business series speaker says
The PHS Rotary Interact Club visited Rotary to sell Chick-fil-A 2017 calendars
to raise funds for their projects. The "Cow Calendars " contain a discount card
for purchases and cost $10. The club members are Danielle O'Dell, Dylan Ross,
Rotary; president Kay Lawrence, Taylor Wigington and McKenna Kemp.
Joe Archer of Mobile Joe's Landscaping in Al
pharetta inspired Rotary with his personal business
commitment of excellence to customer service.
By Max Caylor
Rotary member
“You want your cus
tomers to be living testi
monies and talk good about
you,” said Joe Archer, owner
of Mobile Joe’s Landscaping
of Alpharetta who recently
spoke at the Jasper Rotary.
Mobile Joe’s is part of Ro
tary’s Business Series.
Archer grew up working
in his father’s sign company
just outside Canton, Ohio.
“We were raised to work
and do a good job and today
all of my brothers run their
own businesses,” he said.
The energetic speaker
shared how he went door to
door selling personal car
washes to make a living. He
encouraged the gathering “to
always do the best job you
can so people will talk to oth
ers about the quality of your
work.”
He told of trying to get
one of his customers to rec
ommend him to a friend but
had no luck. The customer
said, “my buddy does not
want to use anyone other
than his own car washer be
cause he does such a good
job.”
The conversation contin
ued and they discovered Mo
bile Joe washed both cars.
The businessman soon
discovered the seasonal ups
and downs of car washing
and started going door to
door again seeking clients for
lawn service. Soon the qual
ity of lawn service was that
and more of car washing be
cause Joe “set high standards
with a team effort to please
customers who appreciated
their service.”
He told a story which il
lustrates his commitment to
clients. A lady called and said
he was fired because his crew
kept missing a weed in her
yard. Archer said, “I won’t
let you fire me I am coming
over.” When he got there he
discovered the weed was a
plant and told the customer “I
will cut your grass for free
until I make you happy.” Joe
did not lose a client that day.
Archer’s presentation was
a live businessman’s testi
mony of enthusiasm, quality
performance and determina
tion to do such good work
others would refer him for
business. Rotarian Chris
Kemp said, “Joe’s example
of customer satisfaction in
spires me to be a better busi
nessman myself.”
The Rotary Club of Jasper
meets each Wednesday at
noon at Chattahoochee Tech
for lunch fellowship and
service to the commimity and
the world. Learn more about
Rotary by visiting
www.jaspergarotary.org.
Dear Editor:
A Modest Proposal for
Chicago
When you read about the
shootings in Chicago it
makes your soul grow cold.
How in the world have we let
things come to this terrible
point where innocent by
standers are being killed and
maimed everyday?
Fear not, I have a modest
proposal! What we need is
some help from an organiza
tion of which I am a member.
The NRA.
The NRA has been about
the teaching of markswoman
ship (or markspersonship to
be currently correct) for
decades. They do a really
good job on gun safety and
how to hit what you aim at. I
have two good friends that
teach pistol shooting and can
tighten up anyone’s shot
groupings.
We need to provide shoot
ing lessons to the Chicago
gangs. If they were better
shots then innocent children
might have a chance. If they
were better shots, noise in
Chicago would be reduced.
If they were better shots, lead
contamination of the envi
ronment would be less. If
they were better shots, the
population of gang drug deal
ers would be more rapidly re
duced leading to more stable
and safe neighborhoods.
I can envision a day when
the last two gang members
face off on Michigan Avenue
and draw down on each
other. At the end of the con
frontation only one will be
left standing and peace will
reign. And only one shot will
have been fired and it will be
safely stopped by the loser.
I am starting a collection
to fund this effort. It is going
pretty good but I cannot get a
firearms instructor that is
willing to go. They say there
are just too many bullets
being sprayed around.
This is where the reader is
supposed to laugh. We have
been crying long enough and
that has not helped a bit.
Gary Pichon
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