Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 — Wednesday, September 22,2010, TheTrue Citizen
★ * ★ ★★ * it it ★★ * it it -ir
The Pledge Of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which
,it stands, one Nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
★ -A'’*’*- ★★ ★
1
Off to a good start
Waynesboro civic and business leaders have come
together to urge the county to build any new judi
cial offices and court rooms as close to downtown
as possible.
We understand and support their position, and we
believe the Burke County Commission has re
sponded appropriately by including the group’s
leadership in the decision making process.
After last week’s meeting, at which representatives
of the Downtown Organization of Retailers and the
Downtown Development Authority made their cases,
Chairman Wayne Crockett asked First National Bank
president Jesse C. Palmer III to serve on a steering
committee which will be in charge of the project.
All this hinges, of course, on the continuation of
the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on the
November ballot. In his presentation to the commis
sion, Palmer emphasized his support for SPLOST
regardless of the ultimate location of the judicial
building, and we join him in that support as well.
There are many other worthwhile projects planned
across the county which will be funded with the sales
tax funds, much of which will be provided by con
struction work at Plant Vogtle. And, voters should
remember that this will not be a new tax, but simply
an extension of one already in place.
We are confident that the new judicial center can
be located on property in or near the downtown busi
ness district which will satisfy the needs of the
county government. As Palmer said last week, the
initial cost of the property might be a little more,
but the benefit to downtown businesses will com
pensate for that in a very short time.
We welcome your letters
Letters to the editor of The True Citizen are wel
comed and encouraged. These are pages of opin
ion, yours and ours.
Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the
newspaper’s readers.
The True Citizen reserves the right to edit any and
all portions of a letter. Unsigned letters will not be
published.
Letters must include the signature, address and
phone number of the writer to allow our staff to au
thenticate its origin. Letters should be limited to 400
words and should be typewritten and double-spaced
or neatly printed by hand. Deadline for letters to the
editor is Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Email Letters to the Editor to:
lisaj @thetruecitizen.com.
CL Ire (True Citmnt
P.O. Box 948 • 601 E. 6th Street
Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
Telephone: (706) 554-2111 • Fax: (706) 554-
2437
Published every Wednesday by The True Citizen,
Inc. Periodical Postage Paid at Waynesboro, Geor
gia (USPS 642-300)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The
True Citizen, P.O. Box 948, Waynesboro, GA
30830.
Roy F. Chalker
1915-1994
Roy F. Chalker Jr. Bonnie K. Taylor
Editor & Publisher General
Manager
Elizabeth Billips
Associate Editor
Jill DuMars, advertising composition and computer
photography; Betty Belk, accounting and book
keeping; Lavonna Drawdy, advertising composi
tion and design and advertising sales; Lisa J.
Chance, page designer; Anne Marie Kyzer, staff
writer; Tres Bragg, staff writer and advertising com
position; Marianne Smith, classifieds, circulation
and accounts receivable.
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By Bonnie K. Taylor
General Manager The True Citizen
The past few days of good news in our area has made me feel
a little more confident about the economy.
Our neighbors to the South. Jenkins County, received great
news choosing them as the site for the new
state correctional facility.
It will bring some 300-500 construction
workers during the next 18 months.
Once finished nearly 250 new jobs will be
created.
Generally when Jenkins County does well,
Burke County reaps some of their rewards as
well.
Just this morning a gentleman from Charles
ton, S.C., who is now working with the Shaw
Group at Plant Vogtle. came by to get a True Citizen to check out
the classifieds for rental property.
He is not interested in buying a home, because his family will
remain in Charleston and he plans to go home on the weekends.
He does not want to live in an RV park, but wants more than a
room and bath.
I am sure there will be more Shaw employees like him want
ing to rent.
We offered our assistance of checking with the local Realtors
and the folks we know who have rental property ... all which are
currently leased.
I recommend if you have rental property to purchase a Swap
and Shop classified ad to list your property for more folks like
this gentleman.
The ads are inexpensive and they also appear on our web site:
www.thetruecitizen.com
There are areas of businesses in which sales are off somewhat,
especially the local restaurants.
My hat is off to Sarah-Ann Kelly, new entrepreneur, and owner
of Burke Perk, scheduled to open in October.
I was priviledged to have the nickel tour of her restaurant lo
cated in the old Palmer Hardware building.
It is going to be like no other in Burke County.
It will have free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets for your laptops.
I have also seen her menu and it is one all will enjoy.
The remodeling of the building will wow you!
There is a lot of nostalgia. There is even some old shelving
from the Coca Cola building used by The True Citizen and Chalker
Publishing Company.
The staff of The True Citizen wishes her well. It takes guts to
open a restaurant in Waynesboro during this economic crunch.
She has a great business plan and I know she will succeed!
Don Lively
SEE YA
Well, it’s over.
It was fun while it lasted.
But. all things in life, good or bad, do have
endings and the time has come for this to end
too.
For my part. I’ve done all that I do can
with it.
Given it my best shot.
Tried my very best to make every bit of it
fun and interesting.
Got everything that I could possibly get out
of it.
And still, it was inevitable. It had to end
sometime.
It’s time to say goodbye.
So long. Summertime.
Okay, before we get too carried away, let’s all remember that
the end of summer around these parts is merely a meteorological
technicality. There will still be plenty of gnats, and skeeters,
and ninety-five degree days.
Don’t get too excited just yet about a smaller power bill cause
you’ll still need the A/C.
Welcome to Autumn in Dixie.
Otherwise known as It Still Feels Just Like Summer.
But. regardless of how it feels, summer’s gone.
Was yours good?
Mine was great.
I spent a long weekend early in the summer in a beach house
on the Carolina coast. Our little traveling party spent just enough
time on the beach to brown away the white skin that we’d spent
all winter amassing and just enough time eating fried shrimp,
and fried fish and fried clams and fried whatever else we could
find, that all the work I’d put into my healthy lifestyle the previ
ous months was quickly forgotten.
I’m not complaining. It was worth every cornbread battered
calorie.
Then there were the family reunions. Three of them. Sum
mer wouldn’t be summer to my family without the yearly get-
togethers. Just when I think I’ve heard every family story there
is, I find that there are plenty more in the vaults of my clan. I
talked at length to a cousin who I would describe as elderly ex
cept that she’s sharper and smarter than I was on my best day of
life. She’s in her nineties and told me stories I’d never known.
She and I are going to talk again someday soon and don’t be
surprised if some of what she tells me ends up in these pages.
No summer in the Blessed South would be complete without
Homecoming at the church, dinner on the grounds, and the best
part of all, revival.
Revival.
Just the word brings back so many summer memories from
years gone by.
This year’s featured an upbeat and energetic, very effective
evangelist from Tennessee who brought the Lord right into our
midst where He belongs. The week saw salvations and
rededications and much great joy. And, like every good preach
ing service, there were a few spiritual whuppings meted out from
the pulpit. Just what I needed. The night after it ended I was
truly disappointed that revival was over.
One afternoon in late July I kayaked down a scenic river in
South Florida with an old friend. I paddled so close to a gator
that I could have kissed him but I resisted the urge. He got
annoyed and started hissing at me.
That was cool.
Later in the summer I spent some time in the North Carolina
mountains, enjoyed air that was a bit balmier, did a little antiquing
and dined at the best German restaurant in the South. It was a
nice break from the heat at home.
Late one August evening I sat alone on Sullivan’s Island, just
me in a lawn chair with a boat beverage and a Jimmy Buffett cd.
And the Perseid meteor shower.
It pays we earthlings a visit every year around the same time
and this year was superb. I lost count at thirty shooting stars
over the ocean. If you’re a stargazer, converted sea lover and
occasional lone wolf like I am, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Except for one thing. Well, two, to be precise.
Grandbabies.
I got to see the Princess of the Plains for a few days and later
met my brand new grandson for the first time. I don’t think it’s
a stretch for me to proclaim that they’ll both be superstars at
whatever they choose to do here on Earth.
Admittedly, I’m a bit slanted toward them and toward my own
three babies who I also got to spend some good summer days
with.
After all, those five humans are the reason I get up every day.
Some of my summer adventures came in “ out of Dixie “ ex
periences, like meeting the spirit of John Wayne in Monument
Valley, Utah just a few days ago, but, that’s a story for another
day.
This Southern summer is over.
I hope yours was as good as mine.
Hello Falltime.
Don Lively is a retired police officer and freelance writer. He
lives in Shell Bluff. Email Don at Livelvcolo @ aol.com.