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“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If
you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Tecumseh
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Common Sense
The Progress
Editorial
November 26,2020
From the Staff
Thanksgiving is still a blessing,
even in the age of COVID
Each year on the fourth Thursday in
November, Americans gather for a day of
feasting and family togetherness. The
event harkens back to the "First Thanks
giving" which Wikipedia tells us was cel
ebrated by the Pilgrims after their first
harvest in the New World in October in
1621. This feast lasted three days, and
was attended by 90 Native Americans
and 53 Pilgrims.”
The holiday sort of dwindled for the
next two hundred years until President
Abraham Lincoln made it a recognized
national celebration in 1863, which was
dead center of the Civil War.
It has remained a holiday for this
country ever since with the only real
change is seeing football added to the
menu in recent decades (Stafford and
Lions and Ravens v. Steelers, cap off a
big day).
While COVID-19 and social distanc
ing may change many of our Thanksgiv
ing gatherings this year, that doesn’t
mean we shouldn’t reflect on the good
things - even in a year such as this. If
Lincoln could urge the nation to offer
“thanksgiving and praise to our benefi
cent Father who dwelleth in the Heav
ens” during the Civil War, we surely can
handle 2020 with some grace.
Here at the Progress we are thankful
for many things this year, including:
• Our county’s teachers, support staff
and the parents who have found new and
creative ways to educate our children.
Thank you for keeping the flames of
learning alive - whether in person or re
mote.
•To all the local business owners in
our town who provide citizens with sus
tainable jobs.
•Thanks to the Jasper Farmers Market,
which provides us fresh produce from
nearby farmers/gardeners - from eggs
and microgreens to beautiful arts and
crafts from our artists.
•Community volunteers and church
organizations who have held numerous
food drives throughout the year. With
COVID-19 causing so many to be out of
work, volunteers and organizations have
made sure that no one goes hungry.
•People who go by the mantra: “In a
world where you can be anything, be
kind.”
•Good books.
•Subscribers and advertisers.
•We are also thankful for the small
things like Netflix streaming and ETC
cable to keep us entertained since we’ve
all been mostly huddled at home since
March.
•Amicalola EMC and Georgia Power
crews who restore our power when
Mother Nature gives us a wholloping.
County and city crews who re-open roads
and clear the debris.
•The ability to pay our bills, even if at
times it means we have to give up some
things we want. Having basic needs met
is a luxury for many people throughout
the world.
So whether or not we gather around a
dining table Thursday for turkey and
pumpkin pie with family and friends, we
should be thankful this year and every
year.
Or as Lincoln (actually it was written
by his secretary of state) proclaimed, “No
human counsel hath devised nor hath any
mortal hand worked out these great
things. They are the gracious gifts of the
Most High God, who, while dealing with
us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless
remembered mercy. It has seemed to me
fit and proper that they should be
solemnly, reverently and gratefully ac
knowledged as with one heart and one
voice by the whole American People.”
Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@pickensprogress.com
See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457.
|fii| Ponderings of a Simple Man
Consumer Ed.
By Caleb Smith
Defaulted student
Simple Man
on Holiday
Hiatus
Caleb Smith, the Sim
ple Man columnist, is tak
ing some time off to deal
with what will begin as
holiday chores, but likely
devolve into full-fledged
emergency situations.
Look for his column to
resume in a few weeks.
South Cherokee/Jasper
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(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457 FAX (706) 253-9738
www.pickensprogressonline.com
DAN POOL
Publisher/Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. Entered
at the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia. 30143 as Mail Matter of Second
Class. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE PICKENS
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One Year’s Subscription: $39.59 in Pickens County and in Gilmer,
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counties; $59.92 out of state.
[Brought to you by the
Georgia Department of
Law's Consumer Protec
tion Division]
Dear Consumer Ed:
I have an old student
loan debt that I defaulted on
in 2004. It is still on my
credit report. I thought the
statute of limitation on debt
was six years. Don't they
have to remove this from
my credit report by law?
Also, is a collection agency
still allowed to garnish my
wages for this?
Consumer Ed says:
For federal student loans
there is no statute of limita
tions. Missed payments will
begin to be reported to
credit agencies once you are
delinquent on the debt for
90 days. The default will
show as a derogatory mark
on your credit report for
seven years from the date of
default, except for Perkins
Loans, which stay on your
credit report until they are
paid in full. Federal student
loans may be collected
through an administrative
wage garnishment process,
however, the amount of the
garnishment cannot exceed
15 percent of your dispos
able pay.
While most student loans
are federal loans, some are
private loans. Private stu
dent loans are non-federal
loans made by a lender such
as a bank, credit union or a
school and different provi
sion apply, depending on
your particular loan. For ad
ditional information about
defaulting on a student loan,
visit studentaid.gov/man-
age-loans/default or con-
sumerfmance.gov/paying-fo
r-college/repay-student-
debt.
dEHfce ikljool
I GUESS 2020 15 A GOOD
YEAR, LOR YOU TOM. ^
OTHER VOICES
Amid a pandemic, reasons to be thankful
By Melanie Dallas, CEO
Highland Rivers
When Thanksgiving Day
comes to close this year, at
midnight on November 26,
there will be 35 days left in
2020 - and if you’re like
many people, you probably
can’t wait for this year to end.
Indeed, 2020 has been
“extra” and then some, and
whenever you thought you
might be able to pause and
catch your breath, 2020
laughed and said, but wait...
there’s more!
There has been good and
bad of course, like there is
every year, but things that
may have seemed bizarre in a
‘normal’ year - the Tiger
King, the arrival of insects
called murder hornets - have
seemed par for the course this
year. And there was also a
pandemic - an event so dis
ruptive and all-consuming it
can be difficult to remember
what our lives were like ‘be
fore.’
Last November, I wrote a
column about how learning
to practice gratitude can ben
efit both mental and physical
health. One of the sources I
referenced was an article in
Psychology’ Today, “Science
Proves That Gratitude is Key
to Well-Being.”
Although that article in
cludes medical terminology,
it bears repeating: gratitude
stimulates two key areas of
our brain - the hypothala
mus, which regulates stress;
and the ventral tegmental
area, which plays a role in the
brain’s reward system that
produces feelings of pleas
ure. In other words, being
grateful can help reduce
stress and make us feel better.
Of course, some people
seem to be naturally opti
mistic and hopeful, their
glass is always half-full. But
I also know it can be difficult
to see the glass half-full if
you feel like your glass is al
ways springing a leak - and
2020 seemed to cause many
leaks.
Still, even as the pan
demic caused tremendous
disruption and worse, some
good things have happened
as a result - things that might
not have happened otherwise.
And I think it might be good
to list some of those, in the
hope that anyone can be in
spired to find some good for
which to be thankful. So,
consider that a result of the
pandemic:
• Families have had a
chance to spend more time
together (and hopefully some
of it was quality time )
• Children have learned
new skills, hopefully pa
tience among them
• Each of us has had to be
come more flexible and re
silient, responding to the
unexpected
• Neighbors supported
neighbors, communities
came together
• Pollution decreased
• Restaurants shared their
secret recipes so we could
make their meals at home
• A lot of people made a lot
of masks, many of which
were donated to people in
need
• More people adopted pets
• Musicians gave us per
sonal concerts from home on
social media
• People got creative - in so
many ways - to find ways to
do things safely
The pandemic may have
given you things to be thank
ful for too. Perhaps you no
longer have to commute and
you’ve been able to use the
extra time for something you
enjoy - hunting, reading,
knitting, playing video
games, playing music.
Maybe you’ve learned a new
skill, like cooking, because
you’ve made the recipes your
favorite restaurant posted on
line.
Maybe you’ve adopted a
new dog or cat that brightens
you days. Maybe you even
gotten closer to your family
and been able to resolve
some ongoing misunder
standings. Finally, if you
haven’t gotten ill with
COVID-19, you can be
thankful for that. A lot of
people have, and a lot lost
their lives.
Still, I understand some
people continue to face seri
ous challenges as a result of
the pandemic. But I do think
there are always things to be
thankful for, and that finding
those things in your life is al
ways important. I’d like to
wish everyone a happy and
healthy holiday season filled
with good times, good food
and gratitude.
[Melanie Dallas is a li
censed professional coun
selor and CEO of Highland
Rivers Health, which pro
vides treatment and recovery
services for individuals with
mental illness, substance use
disorders, and intellectual
and developmental disabili
ties in a 12-county region of
northwest Georgia that in
cludes Bartow, Cherokee,
Floyd, Fannin, Gilmer, Gor
don, Haralson, Murray,
Paulding, Pickens, Polk and
Whitfield counties.]
TNT Electrical
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free estimates and quality work!
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"Just look how many local stores are closing.
I guess it’s a good thing we always shop online!"