Newspaper Page Text
4A ®J)£ Iferalti <©a?£tt£ Tuesday, January 26,2021
Opinions
Geiger's Counter: Hammerin' Hank heads home
Like all the boys
from my era, 1 grew up a
baseball fan. In fact, we
were fans of all sports.
We played baseball in
summer, football in the
fall and basketball in the
winter time.
We never saw soccer
except on the fabulous
‘Wide World of Sports’
TV show on Saturday
evenings. If futbol had
been played in the South,
we would have played it,
too. I hate missing out on
lacrosse by a half cen
tury. Running around and
hitting each other with
sticks would have been
right up our alley.
But, in my early youth,
baseball was the thing.
My brothers and 1 hurled
rubber balls against the
side of the house until
Mama and Daddy bought
us a Pitchback net which
we promptly destroyed.
We lugged a bat, a ball
and our gloves around
the neighborhood until
we found playmates and
then it was on.
We had countless
baseball cards that 1 fer
vently wish I could find
now. We destroyed thou
sands of dollars of cur
rent value by clothes pin
ning old or surplus cards
to our bicycle spokes in
order to pretend we were
riding motorcycles.
We loved baseball
but we never really had
a team to root for. We
watched the Game of the
Week every Sat
urday on NBC. It
was aptly named
because it was
the only tele
vised game of
the week and we
had only three
TV channels to
choose from.
So, we tended to
root for play
ers rather than
teams.
Then, lo and
behold, the Mil
waukee Braves
moved to Atlanta and
later established a farm
team that played at Gray
son Stadium in Savannah
less than a mile from our
grandparents’ home.
Suddenly we had a
team. Felipe
Alou, Eddie Mat
thews, Rico
Carty, Joe Torre,
Denis Menke
and pitchers
Tony Cloninger,
Pat Jarvis, Phil
Neikro, Cecil
Upshaw and,
my favorite,
Denny Lemas-
ter.
My first
ever trip to
Atlanta was on
a bus full of Cub
Scouts and chaperones.
We went to old Atlanta-
Fulton County Stadium to
see the Braves. We saw
our heroes in person. We
saw Chief Noc-A-Homa
and his teepee. It was
magical.
But the main man on
the Braves and every
body’s hero was Henry
Aaron, Hammerin’ Hank.
Many nights 1 laid in bed
with a transistor radio
under my pillow clan
destinely listening to
late games. The Braves
announcer was Milo
Hamilton and he was the
best. Nobody since has
equalled him. His home
run call was always the
same. “There’s a drive.
Waaaaay back. That ball
is outta here!”
More often than not,
the long ball was hit by
Hammerin’ Hank who
was chasing Babe Ruth’s
record of 714 homers.
He eventually caught
the Babe and sealed his
status as a human legend
who transcended all
sports.
When the game was on
the line and you needed
someone to drive in a
run to win it or hit a solo
homer to tie up a game
in the ninth, Hank Aaron
usually came through.
Last week Hammerin’
Hank headed for home
- his eternal, heavenly
home - one last time. I’m
sure he slid in safely just
under the catcher’s mitt.
He was always clutch!
Walter Geiger is editor and publisher
of The Herald-Gazette and Pike
County Journal Reporter. He can
be reached by email at news@
barnesville.com.
r--
GEIGER’S
COUNTER
Walter Geiger
Editor & Publisher
Perfect defiance:
make it happen
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sherry Farr and staff doing excellent work
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
If we - average citizens
of a wonderful country
- are ever to achieve the
kind of to-
getherness
that will set
"* ~ J us on a new
path, we
- ' ^ first have to
defy those
who want to
divide us - one group vs.
another; “us” and “them;”
vicious quarreling even
in the national governing
bodies.
1 see “defiance” not as
a take-up-arms-and-fight,
nor as a temper tantrum
by the “losers” (of what
ever, from the Presidency
to the ousted occupiers).
My kind of defiance is
just to do what 1 can,
where 1 am, to benefit my
community, unify its resi
dents, hold its governing
bodies accountable, and
speak out for liberty,
equality and justice. Not
to mention mercy.
This kind of defiance
is hard to understand -
and even harder to stop
- for most people in high
places. It has nothing to
do with money: not how
much you make or don’t
make, how you practice
charity or consumer
ism, how your daily life
affects so many others.
Plain and simply, it is just
being fair in everything,
and insisting that those
who are visibly unfair
change their attitudes
and actions.
1 will admit that it’s a
tall order to start taking
steps to restore peace -
no, sanity - to this coun
try. Not a one of us has
not been damaged by the
COV1D virus rampage,
or by a political atmo
sphere that has not been
seen in decades, even
centuries. The “founding
fathers” did not agree on
all subjects, but at least
they sat and debated as
calm and rational people
(usually). Their findings
in the Declaration of
Independence and the
Constitution have real
value. If they are not per
fect for “today’s world,”
no one would question
that reconsideration for
some points would be
not only allowable, but
also enlightening.
After all, those Native
Americans who were not
mentioned in the por
tion about who would be
allowed to vote - even
though 20 or more Iro
quois chieftains assisted
in the formation of the
country’s law and order
- and the descendants
of those who were de
scribed as “three-fifths of
a person,” are now voting
along with the rich, poor,
powerful and struggling.
Why not make it hap
pen, my friends? How
could patience, kindness,
consideration of oth
ers, help to those in real
need, active participation
in community groups, ac
tive churches, excellent
schools and unquestion
ably honest and capable
governing bodies be
damaging to anyone? We
can make it happen - but
only if we really care.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some
50 years writing for newspapers.
She is active in the Lamar County
community and currently serves as
the president of Lamar Arts. She
lives in Milner with her husband Bob
Pedrotti.
We just got our CO-
VID-19 vaccination from
the Lamar County Health
Department and want to
commend them for an
excellent and efficient
Let’s be fair
I read a letter to the
editor which said we
should give the new
president a chance
before we criticize him.
I agree. But let’s be fair. I
also think that the same
courtesy should have
been afforded Trump. He
was vilified, called a rac
ist, a Nazi, an illegitimate
president, a colluder
with Russia, etc. He took
no salary, engaged in
no wars, had the lowest
unemployment rate, did
more for minorities, bro
kered a Mid East peace
deal, brought American
jobs back, made us en
ergy independent, made
other governments pay
for their fair share, fast
operation. The fifteen
minute post vaccination
period time took longer
than the rest of the steps
combined. Sherry Farr
and her staff are doing
tracked a COVID vaccine,
secured our border and
on and on. He did this
with little to no help from
congress and no support
from the main stream
media.
I also read the editori
al opinion. It was not just
one person who cheered
on hate, vitriol and vio
lence. We had congress
members telling people
to get in their faces,
cheered while people
were accosted in restau
rants, saying if they go
low, we go lower, bailing
out criminals who were
burning, looting and riot
ing with very little media
coverage. They vilified a
teenager (Nick Sandman)
excellent work and we
appreciate them enor
mously.
CAROLYN AND JAMES
KITCHINGS
while cheering on an ac
tor (Jessee Smollett) who
perpetrated a false hate
crime blaming Trump
supporters.
Conservatives are
being denied their free
speech, losing jobs
because of their politi
cal views and even some
suggest that they be
stripped of their college
degrees.
So when we are dis
cussing the current po
litical climate in America,
let’s be fair. There is
plenty of blame to go
around.
God Bless America!
DEBORAH ALTMAN
when discussing politics
Emergency services shortage is critical here
FROM PAGE ONE
non-emergency trans
ports which can cause
issues when an emer
gency does develop, first
responders said.
County fire chief Doug
las Matthews reported
there are normally two
ambulances on duty in
the county during the
day. “When those two are
on calls, we have to re
quest another ambulance
from somewhere. Some
of the issues Community
is having are due to staff
ing problems. On some
days they are only able
to staff one ambulance
and that does increase
the response times and
the wait times for the
ambulance. That is where
our fire engines are
responding to help and
treat people,” Matthews
said.
The shortage of EMTs
is not limited to Lamar.
“The pay scale was
increased by Community
and they are looking for
employees. There is a
shortage of paramed
ics all over,” Matthews
added.
Amy Abel, director
of communications for
Community, reported
there has been a nation
wide EMS staffing crisis
for the past decade and it
has been exacerbated by
the COVID-19 pandemic.
“EMS providers like
Community Ambulance,
continue to respond to
the same kinds of emer
gencies they always
have. The demand placed
on EMS is now greater
than ever with the added
strain of the number of
COVID-19 patients we
are transporting, not to
mention the risk of infec
tion from the virus,” Abel
said.
There is also added
physical and mental
strain on paramedics as
they work to respond
rapidly while maintaining
high clinical standards
in a mobile environment.
“Crews must factor in
time for important infec
tion control measures
like donning, doffing and
disposing of PPE appro
priately and disinfecting
trucks and equipment
between calls,” Abel
continued.
Community provides
EMS services for Lamar
and Upson counties
without financial subsidy
from local government,
Abel said. The company
boosted pay significantly
effective Dec. 10, 2020
and continues to recruit
and attempt to retain
EMS professionals, she
added.
That is welcome news
for the sheriff’s depart
ment and its dispatchers.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
BCFD assists with wreck
“I’m glad the county is
is working with Commu
nity to resolve its man
power issues and hold
them to their contrac
tual obligations,” sheriff
White concluded.
Due to a lack of staffed ambulances here, an EMS crew
from the Butts County Fire Department had to be called in to
assist Lamar first responders in working a golf cart accident
that injured a young boy Jan. 2 near Milner.
The child had to be air lifted to an Atlanta trauma center for
treatment but has since recovered. A lack of paramedics and
lengthened response times by EMS has drawn the attention
of the Lamar County commission.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
Jan. 24-30
25 years ago
Joe and Mable De-
raney were planning to
stop and smell the roses
after closing Deraney’s,
the downtown depart
ment store they bought
in 1955. Both had fathers
who were retail mer
chants. They had plans
to travel and spend time
with their grandchildren.
50 years ago
An application for
a new state-chartered
bank, Lamar State
Bank, was filed with the
Secretary of State. The
application was signed
by bank organizers and
investors J. Louis Banks,
Peter L. Banks, James W.
Butler, H. Grady Carter,
J. Joseph Edwards, C. T.
Parker, J. R. Smith and
Dr. Jack G. Tuttle.
100 years ago
In a letter to the edi
tor, J. C. Collier pointed
out a hazard. He wrote:
“The old Congregational
Church is now a fire trap
and could easily be set
on fire by the passing lo
comotives, and it would
then burn up more than
one hundred thousand
dollars worth of prop
erty. Let’s get rid of it.”
Letter printing
guidelines
The Herald Gazette
welcomes letters to the
editor. For a letter to be
considered for publica
tion, please include the
writer’s actual name,
address and telephone
number. Limit letters
to 250 words or less.
Shorter letters are ap
preciated. All letters
are subject to editing.
No personal attacks on
private citizens, political
endorsements or letters
that are racially divisive.
Send letters to P.O.
Box 220, Barnesville,
30204, email it to news@
barnesville.com or drop
it by 509 Greenwood
Street, Barnesville.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
770.358.NEWS
P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
SUBSCRIBE
DEADLINES
509 Greenwood Street
Walter Geiger
Nolan George
$30 per year in Lamar and sur-
The deadline for public notices
Barnesville, Ga. 30204
Laura Geiger
Rachel McDaniel
rounding counties; $40 outside
is noon Thursdays; news and
770-358-NEWS
Tasha Webster
the local area.
advertising before noon Fridays.
barnesville.com
General Manager
Includes 24/7 access to
Early submission is appreciated.
E-mail: news@barnesville.com
Missy Ware
barnesville.com