Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4A
July 9. 2008
^Reporter
Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
OUR VIEW
Don’t vote stupid
So you haven’t really thought about how to vote in
next Tuesday’s primary? Never fear! This week’s
Reporter contains enough information about the can
didates for voters to have a good idea of what the can
didates have done and promise to do. If this final pre
election edition leaves you wanting more, attend
Thursday night’s forum at 6:30 p.m. at the Monroe
County Board of Education. The public will even have
a chance to ask questions of the candidates.
The point is there’s no excuse for any voter to say
they just didn’t have enough information. Even at this
late date, there’s ample opportunity to do justice to
your community and to future generations by
researching the candidates and casting an informed
vote. To do otherwise is to neglect one of our simplest
but most important duties as Americans, as Georgians
and as Monroe Countians.
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR
Name: Keith Edge
Age: 48
Education:
Mary Persons
graduate class of
1978
Family:
Married to
Celeste (27 years);
two children
Marcus-20, and
Rachel-19
Where you
worship: First Baptist
Church in Forsyth
Your job: District Sales
Manager, Coca-Cola
Enterprise
What was your first
job: Davis Brothers Motel
(general maintenance)
Your Passion: Football,
choir, tennis
Your favorite posses
sion: Big screen TV and
family photos of years
gone by.
Favorite movie:
“Remember the Titans”
Favorite book: “ESPN
College Football
Encyclopedia”
What kind of car do
you drive and what
was your first car?
2007 Ford Fusion; 1978
Turbo Charge Buick
Regal
Your hometown:
Forsyth.
Something you are
considering doing: Go
back to school and go into
coaching
Words you live by:
“Get it in the store, put it
on the floor, sell it out the
door, bring ’ em back for
more.”
Something you can’t
live without: Christ's
love and forgiveness
The thing you are
most proud of: My fami-
What keeps
you awake at
night: Teenagers
Name some
thing you will
never do again:
Singe my eye
brows by pouring
gas on a fire.
What's your
favorite web
site?
www.Auburntiger.com
If your life had a
theme song what
would it be? “I'd like to
teach the world to sing in
perfect harmony. I'd like
to buy the world a Coke
and keep it company.”
If you could start
your life over what
would you change? I
would have gone to col
lege and gone into the
teaching and coaching
profession.
What food could you
eat everyday? Krystal
cheeseburgers
Something people
don’t know about you:
I play the piano, trumpet
and guitar.
What’s the worst idea
you’ve ever had?
Purchasing $3,000 worth
of MP spinners
What’s the best thing
about living in Monroe
County? Friday night at
Dan Pitts stadium at
Mitchell Field
If you could change
one thing about
Monroe County what
would it be? I would
love us to build a commu
nity amphitheatre.
(Behind Farmers
Furniture would be
great!)
is published every week by The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-treasurer
OUR STAFF
Will Davis
Publisher/E ditor
publisher@mymcr.net
Gina Herring
Reporter
news@mymer.net
Adam Ham
Webmaster
webmaster@ ) mymcr. net
Wendell Ramage
Contributing
Writer
wendellram4@>
bellsouth.net
Trellis Grant
Business Manager
business@>mymcr.net
Carolyn Martel
Advertising
Manager
ads@>mymcr.net
Denzil Hansford
Graphics Artist
graphics@hiymcr.net
Laura Thackston
Editorial Assistant
50 N. Jackson St, Forsyth, GA 31029
Periodicals Postage Paid at
Forsyth, Ga 31029
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
THE MONROE COUNTY REPORTER
P.0. Box 795, Forsyth, GA 31029
Official Organ of Monroe County and
the City of Forsyth
Phone: 478-994-2358 • FAX 478-994-2359
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Monroe County - $25 Out of County - $38
Single copy -750
Tax ana Postage Included
Deadlines are noon on Friday prior to issue.
The comments featured on the opinion pages
are the sole creations of the writers, they do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Re
porter management.
Publication No. USPS 997-840)
Point Blank: Monroe County’s only and best cartoon
FOIITG - BL>Allte I
FORSYTHCA IE 08: I AM NOT A CROOK/
Wilhelm Ne^I, EsQ.
George Hartwig, you gave a
convicted felon access to ^
weapon for information...what
info were you after?
-rtfS-
DA=
Democrat^ l ways ?
I was searching for
professed Republicans
who are actualfy
Democrats.,..
The- 6-ni I
On the Porch
In search of the perfect vacation
I t takes eight hours for
most folks to drive
there (nine for those of
us in vans), but our
just-completed annual
family trip to Pine Knoll
Shores, N.C. is still worth it.
It was near perfect. Mom
made my favorites:
gazpacho (look up
the recipe on-line,
you’ll love it) and
her famous
coconut cake. There
was little rain. The
kids are finally get
ting old enough to
enjoy the
beach (rather
than whining
they want to
go to the pool
the whole time). I shot a 114
on my annual golf outing (if
I was a betting man, I
wouldn’t be for long) and the
waves off the coast of the
Bogue Banks were enor
mous, perfect for bodysurf
ing.
If I could change just two
things next year, it’d be this:
No. 1,1 think I’ll leave the
Blackberry behind. Have
you heard of these devices?
Last year, I kept hearing
people call them
Crackberries, as
most users claims
they’re as addictive
as rock cocaine. To
prove how resistant I
was to such non
sense, I bought one a
year ago. So
now I need
rehab for my
Crackberry
habit. Maybe
I need to
wear mittens so my thumb
can’t spin the little wheel.
You’re sitting there relaxing
in your beach chair when
you hear this faint vibrating
sound from the Blackberry.
A shot of adrenaline courses
through your veins. An
email or phone call is coming
in. You’re connected!
Connection is important.
It’s vital for humans to be
connected to one another to
thrive and grow. But do I
really need to turn my atten
tion from burying my kids in
the sand to read the latest
press release from Georgia
Secretary of State Karen
Handel about the meeting of
the board of cosmetology?
The other thing I’d change
won’t change. Not a chance.
Annually, my wife and my
sister-in-law put out the
edict: Thursday evening is
picture time on the beach.
Bless their hearts, the ladies
begin to envision the PER
FECT picture, the smiling,
all-dressed-in-white Davis
clan, mom, dad and kids,
hugging one another as the
sea oats create a natural
frame and the cobalt blue
ocean and sky ensconce the
lovely scene. They imagine
said photo turned into a por
trait, hanging above the
mantle to showcase our per
fect, smiling, wonderful fam
ily. And then the dreams run
head-long into reality. The
three-year-old won’t look at
the camera. The wind dis
turbs our six-year-old daugh
ter’s hair to the point she
looks like Cousin It from the
Addams Family. What’s left
of Will’s hair won’t sit down.
We snap 250 pictures and
the wives flip through them
on the digital display,
dispiritedly bemoaning the
flaws in each one.
I have proposed the reme
dy to this annual let-down.
We’ll leave the camera at
home with the Blackberry.
Yeah, that’ll go over real
well. Like a slab of coconut
cake covered with gazpacho.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
County meetings too crowded
To the editor:
A n attempt was made by my
husband and me to attend the
meeting of the County Com
mission on July 1. The meet
ing room was packed.
There were at least 21 people stand
ing outside the chamber in the hall
way, some were within hearing range,
some were not. There was no seating
available. There were additional peo
ple , sitting on the steps outside. We
stood for a few minutes, behind the
group;
however, hearing the proceedings
was impossible. We
returned home, having driven
approximately 40 miles.
I respectfully request that a reason
able accomodation be made for the
citizen-taxpayers who wish to
observe and participate in the gov
ernment of our county.
Loretta Balga
Juliette
Editor’s note: Chairman Harold
Carlisle told a group at High Falls
civic club last month that the county
plans to build a new administration
building with SPLOST money.
However, a location has yet to be
determined and it will probably take
over 18 months to complete the build
ing. Until then, Carlisle says the com
missioners have no plans to change
the county meeting location.
Ham should abstain when family involved
To the editor:
D ozens of homeowners attended the commis
sioners’ meeting last Tuesday to lobby for
water in south Monroe County. It is
unfortunate that progress was voted
down by a 2 to 2 vote. Mike
Bilderback proposed to re-hire the firm of Bruce
Coyle Engineers, which is already well into the
design plans. Mike Bilderback said funds are
already in place for completion of this design. This
firm was fired in February 2008 for being too
expensive. In fact the firm was dismissed because
of a $60 late fee that was accessed for non pay
ment of its bill to the county. No study or bidding
happened to replace the firm. Jim Ham proposed the
firm of Carter and Sloop five minutes before that respec
tive meeting was to adjourn. Mike Dillon, the county
attorney, should have had a chance to look at the con
tract. When I asked Mr. Ham at the meeting if he was
related to one of the owners of Carter and Sloop, he said
“yes.” In my opinion Mr. Ham should have abstained
from the voting process due to conflict of interest. Had
Jim Ham done this, the vote would have been in favor of
proceeding now with the plans to bring water to the
needed areas of south Monroe County. Areas like
Heritage Farms and Town & Country subdivi
sions would be getting water. Many other indi
vidual taxpayers and businesses in between
these areas would receive county water also.
Instead the plans for water are on hold.
I think this county as a whole would be best
represented by commissioners with higher ethi
cal standards and better respect for themselves
and the taxpayers they represent.
Many taxpayers who attended the meeting com
plained about having to stand in the hall area and
not being able to hear the proceedings. The commission
ers could have moved the meeting to a larger space that
would accommodate the many people that were there.
People left early due to this problem.
Judy J. Tucker
Bolingbroke
HAM
Donations sought for family
of five devastated by fire
To the editor: a house fire. We appreciate all
A checking account has been donations if you can.
opened for Brandy Smith at Linda J. Green
Farmers Bank in Forsyth. She and Brandy Smith
her four children lost everything in Monroe County
THE SMITH’S home was destroyed by
fire. (File photo Laura Thackston)