Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A — Wednesday, November 18, 2009, TheTrue Citizen
inions
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The Pledge Of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which
jit stands, one Nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
★ -A'’*’*- Ir* ★ ★ ★ ★
Poor excuses
We don’t know how the City of Waynesboro could
make it any more convenient for citizens to vote in city
elections. The sad fact that only 93 out of over 1000
registered voters managed to cast their ballots in the
November 4 election is simply the result of voter apa
thy and ineffective campaigning.
It has always been the candidates’ responsibility to
motivate their base of support, organize their campaign
and make sure their supporters show up on election day.
Placing the blame for a low turnout on the location of
the polling places is pretty lame.
Early voting and absentee voting has made the ne
cessity of standing in line on election day a thing of the
past. Recent state and national election turnouts have
shown that if the electorate is energized, supporters will
vote. In last year’s presidential election, voters showed
up in record numbers because the candidates followed
the proven formula of getting their message and their
people out.
Rather than complaining about poll locations, it might
do more good if the candidates started using some shoe
leather and knocking on doors. It’s also true that a lot
of folks don’t have readily available transportation.
That is another opportunity for a campaign organiza
tion to be effective. It has always been customary for
candidates to provide transportation for their support
RFD
ers.
There are some fundamental things about political
campaigns that have never changed. It seems like some
of our local candidates have lost sight of that.
Looking Back
10 years ago: November 17,1999
Eighty-seven year-old O.B. Poole won a gold medal in the 1999
National Senior Games. He won the 10,000 meter run with a
time of 1:48.1.
Edmund Burke Academy’s one-act play, “All’s Well That Ends
Well,” won the Region 1-AA competition at Augusta State Uni
versity. Actresses Anna Crowe and Meg Kozinsky were honored
for best performances.
25 years ago: November 21,1984
Six accidents involving animals and vehicles were reported
over the weekend. Four involved deer while a cow and a hog
were also struck.
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church members celebrated the
completion of a new education building and associated renova
tion projects. Bishop Harry W. Shipps officiated at consecration
ceremonies.
By Bonnie K. Taylor
General Manager The True Citizen
Local schools have really given us an exciting football season!
Edmund Burke Academy is in the semifinals playing Memo
rial Day School at home this Friday night.
Good luck, Spartans!!!
| | The Burke County Bears lost in the first
round of the state playoffs in the last few min
utes, 28-21 against Carver of Columbus.
It was a heartbreaker for Bear fans.
The Burke County Middle School Cubs
claimed the region trophy for the Coastal Em
pire defeating Southeast Bulloch, 22-6 in the
region championship.
The win enabled the Cubs to end their sea
son with a perfect 8-0 record. This same team
1 * 1 also went 5-0 as seventh graders last year.
Congratulations to Head Coach Billy Marchman and his Cubs
for a winning season!
My heartfelt sympathy is extended to the family of Linda Loren.
Linda died early Monday morning.
Many of you will probably remember she had a double lung
transplant 5 years ago in February.
She was the backbone of Loren Electric Company, founded by
her and her husband, Raymond, in 1978. Linda did all of the
bookkeeping. You can bet there is always a woman close at hand
in any successful business ... and Linda was right there helping
Raymond every step of the way.
She is survived by three daughters, Tracy Tootle, Rhonda Loren
and Joanie Loren, all of Waynesboro.
Don’t forget about Open House in Downtown Waynesboro this
Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
Remember to support our community businesses during the
Christmas season and throughout the year.
Hope to see ya downtown on Sunday!
Don Lively
AT THE WHEEL
50 years ago: November 19,1959
Sandra Chivers and Wayne Buxton were selected as F.H.A.
Sweethearts at Sardis-Girard-Alexander School.
Mrs. Bennett Radcliff reported catching a 3 V2 pound goldfish
in a pond owned by O.B. Johnson.
Scott’s Groceries advertised Thanksgiving turkeys for $.39 per
pound.
Burke Truck & Tractor advertised U.S. Royal Rayon tubeless
tires two for $39.90.
75 years ago: November 16,1934
Senator John J. Jones of Waynesboro advocated a reduction in
the cost of personal auto tags to $3, but also an increase in the
rates for commercial vehicles.
U.S. Senator Huey Long of Louisiana presented a large wreath
of yellow chrysanthemums to Vanderbilt’s assistant coach Russ
Cohen of Waynesboro. Long made the presentation at the half
time of the Vanderbilt-LSU football game. Cohen had formerly
coached at LSU.
nt (Ktitsgtt
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“I’ll drive.”
Simple enough words. Innocuous. Courteous.
If somebody else wants to drive I can just ride.
I can relax. Watch the scenery. Read. Maybe nap.
Or, grab the closest battened down object and hang on for cher
ished life.
I’m not a good passenger.
I’m a better driver than 99.5% percent of all my friends, kin
and acquaintances.
Even so, every one of them will sometimes insist on driving,
even when I politely but firmly state that I’d rather be in the
driver’s seat.
And even when I have been the driver, quite often I have been
blessed to have someone along for the ride
who graciously offers me plenty of advice and
pointers as to how to operate a motor vehicle.
The proverbial back seat driver.
Looking back over my life it’s hard to com
prehend that I have somehow been able to
drive through all fifty states and a few other
countries, mostly solo, without somebody to
J instruct me along the way.
Miraculous, really.
I have a friend who is an even more nervous passenger than I
am. Most of the time when we ride together I drive and almost
instantly wish that I wasn’t. I’ll be cruising along doing what I
believe to be a splendid job, obeying the traffic laws, staying
within my lane, just being a dadgum good driver. Then, like a
banshee in the night, a blood curdling shriek will rip me from my
quiet repose.
“You DO see that car up there don’t you?”
After I clutch my chest and check my vitals to make certain I
haven’t suffered a myocardial infarction I serenely respond.
“You mean the red Chevrolet, approximately a mile ahead of
us, making a right turn that I’d have to be going two hundred
miles an hour to even have a close call with? That car?”
Another time. Another shriek.
“Watch out for that squirrel!”
Front tire. Thump.
Rear tire. Crunch.
Oops. Rest his little rodent soul.
“I’m sorry. I guess I should have swerved and rammed the
bridge abutment. The squirrel would be alive but we‘d both be
in Heaven. Though I doubt Jesus allows backseat drivers up
there.”
In spite of those incidents, I still prefer to drive.
With good reason.
One September I was driving my daughter from Colorado back
to college in Texas. I’d worked all night and had been up all day
helping her pack. I drove the first two hundred miles but then
had to rest. I turned the wheel over to her, with instructions.
“Not more than five miles over the speed limit. If you get tired
wake me up. And stop in Clayton (New Mexico) for gas. There’s
nothing after that for a hundred miles so be sure to stop there.”
I crawled into the back seat to catch a nap.
Later, I have no idea how much later, she was yelling.
“Dad, there’s something wrong with the truck!”
I jumped up, disoriented, but lucid enough to look to the gas
gauge first. The needle was hiding far below the big E.
Empty.
“Where are we?”
“I’m not sure. Somewhere in Texas.”
“Texas? I said stop in Clayton! Clayton is in New Mexico!
New Mexico is BEFORE Texas!”
“I’m sorry! I was listening to your Meat Loaf CD and I lost
track.”
What could I say? Even though we were stuck dead center of
nowhere at midnight.. .it WAS Meat Loaf.
A few years later my son and I were driving back to Denver
after a few weeks in the South. He’s notorious for not being able
to stay awake on the road so I rarely let him drive on long trips
but I’d been driving for ten hours. I asked if he thought he could
spell me for a while
“Sure Dad. I’ve been training myself to stay awake since I’m
going into the Marines soon.”
So, with slight trepidation, I got into the passenger seat and
reclined it for a short snooze.
A while later I heard unfamiliar noises. I looked up and saw
acres of green grass passing under us at seventy-five miles an
hour. We were in the ditch. I looked over at him and his chin
was on his chest.
Never one to panic, I calmly screamed at him to wake up. He
did and somehow managed to get us stopped with no visible
injury.
Just another near stroke for me.
See why I prefer to be at the helm?
So, if you ever travel with me, don’t be insulted if I insist that
I don’t want to be a passenger.
It’s nothing personal.
Just my health and safety.
So ...
I’ll drive.
Don Lively is a retired police officer and freelance writer. He
lives in Shell Bluff. Email Don at Livelvcolo@aol.com.
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