Newspaper Page Text
February 4, 2009
PAGE 7A
Bowdoin
^Reporter
continued from the front page
man forced his way into
the home with a shotgun
around 9 p.m. Two of
Bowdoin's best guns were
scattered around the
house, so he pulled his tiny
.22 magnum out of his
pocket and fired twice at
the intruder in the home's
foyer.
"I didn't hesitate," said
the 67-year-old Bowdoin. "I
did my best to put him
down. I don't know how I
missed him."
Bowdoin said if he had
had the right weapon it
would've been over for his
visitor.
"If I'd had a shotgun he'd
have never left," said
Bowdoin.
Bowdoin said he had just
finished watching TV and
was going over some work
for his Hwy. 87 grocery
store in a back office when
he heard a crash in the
kitchen. He went into the
hallway and spotted a
short man in his foyer cov
ered in black from head to
toe and gripping a shot
gun. Bowdoin's wife was
just around the corner in
the den. Bowdoin hid
behind a corner, pulled the
.22 from his back pocket
and fired. The intruder hit
the floor. Bowdoin said he
thought he had hit him.
But the suspect got up and
fled. In the rush of the
moment, Bowdoin thought
the intruder had shot at
him and he fell to the
ground. He had to feel
himself to make sure he
hadn't been shot. Then
Bowdoin fired another
round, this time putting a
hole in his front window.
He said he doesn't even
remember firing the second
shot.
The suspect went out the
door but Bowdoin didn't
hear any vehicles leaving
the scene. Bowdoin said he
then went to check on his
wife who was still in the
den.
Monroe County sheriffs
deputy Michael Haskins
reported finding fresh dirt
on the kitchen door where
the intruder kicked it in. A
Department of Corrections
canine team was called in
to search the area, and the
dogs followed a scent to
nearby Cochran Road.
Investigators also found a
red stocking style hat in
the woods, but no arrests
had been made as of
presstime Monday.
Bowdoin said he's not a
mean person, but when
someone enters his home
he's going to defend his
family. He said the gun
saved his and his wife's
lives.
"He picked the wrong
house," said Bowdoin.
He said he believes the
intruder would have killed
him if he could've. Bowdoin
said he never dreamed an
armed, masked man would
enter his home in rural
Juliette. But he said he's
grateful to have survived
it.
"The good Lord is looking
after me and my wife," said
Bowdoin.
Bowdoin said he's been in
such situations before at
his store, where he's sur
vived a number of armed
confrontations with rob
bers. But even after 52
years he said it doesn't get
any easier. He said it's
hard to know what to do.
But the goal, he said, is
always the same: survival.
"If you can just get out of
it alive, you're a lucky per
son," said Bowdoin.
Anyone with information
in the case please call Inv.
Allen Henderson at 994-
7287.
Marshall
continued from the front page
Marshall voted in support
of the unprecedented “stim
ulus” expenditure, thought
to be larger than any
spending bill ever to come
out of Congress. All
Republicans opposed the
measure. It passed on
Wednesday by a 244-188
margin.
Speaking with the
Reporter by phone on
Monday, Marshall said he
didn't make up his mind
until the last minute.
"Up until the moment I
voted I was tossed back
and forth," said Marshall.
"This is not the way I'd put
(the bill) together."
But Marshall said it was
clear it would pass regard
less. He said it came down
to the question: Should
Congress do nothing or do
the stimulus package. And
he said that made up his
mind for him.
"Under the current cir
cumstances, doing nothing
is being stupid," said
Marshall.
Marshall said he is disap
pointed the bill doesn't
require Congress to pay for
any new spending and tax
cuts at the time they’re
enacted, the so-called pay-
go law he supports. And he
said that there are other
details in the bill he doesn't
like. "It's easy to find fault
with this," said Marshall.
He also said he had a fair
number of people call and
ask him to vote no.
But he said others have
called wanting to get in on
part of the stimulus pack
age. And Marshall said he
thinks that as with the
Great Depression, the
infrastructure projects will
help kick start the econo
my.
"Is it the perfect strate
gy?" Marshall asked rhetor
ically. "I wouldn't know. But
you've got to kick the econ
omy with a big jolt."
Opponents have argued
that government spending
will do little to spur the
economy and will saddle
future generations with
even more debt.
The plan now goes to the
senate where it faces an
uncertain future despite
the support of President
Barack Obama. Senate
rules give the minority
party more ability to defeat
or amend the measure. And
even Democratic Sen. Ben
Nelson has said he's not
sure how many Democratic
votes it would get as it's
currently written.
Macon, which Marshall
led as mayor, and Bibb
County, have already sub
mitted to Marshall's office
more than $441 million in
projects they'd like to fund
with the money. Forsyth
and Monroe County have
also looked at projects.
But Republicans and
Democrats who oppose the
measure have said most of
the money won't be spent
until after the recovery is
well under way. Most of the
spending doesn't occur
until 2010 at the earliest.
In response to criticisms,
Democrats have removed
millions of dollars for con
traceptives and for plant
ing grass on the
Washington Mall.
Marshall already voted in
support of spending $700
billion last fall to bailout
financial institutions.
Marshall has said that
measure was needed to
prevent a collapse of the
banking system.
Bright
continued from the front page
financial problems.
"I can't talk about it right now.
There are just too many variables,"
said Connie Roberts. She would only
say that the decision is final and
there are no plans to reopen. At full
capacity Bright Beginnings had room
for 106 children, and Roberts said
there were 86 on roll as of Wednesday.
Susan Mabrey, mother of two-year
old Grade, said she was very happy
with the school and was heartbroken
over the news of its closing. Mabrey
says she understands the economy is
bad and holds no ill will toward
Roberts, but just wishes the parents
could have been notified earlier.
That sentiment was echoed over and
over as teary-eyed parents left Bright
Beginnings for the last time
Wednesday afternoon, struggling to
find a way to tell their children that
they weren't coming back.
"She doesn't really understand,"
said Mabrey about her attempts to
break the bad news to Gracie. Mabrey
enrolled Gracie in Bright Star
Learning Center on Zebulon Road in
Macon. Bright Star director Tara
McClung says 20 other kids from
Bright Beginnings are now attending
Bright Star and she added a three-
year old class last week to acommo-
date the increased need. Bright Star
has 17 on a waiting list.
"The choices are limited," says
Kandace Raymond Pritchett. She said
finding adequate childcare has been a
challenge for the last two years. And
now she is forced to move her two
year old daughter to a new place for
the third time this year. Pritchett said
she heard the news through the
grapevine early Tuesday.
"One of the workers called someone
and then it began to spread. I just
don't understand how it can happen
so fast,"says Pritchett referring to the
facility closing on such short notice.
"There has to be more to it."
She said a lot of the parents had to
take time off work to hurry and get
their kids in somewhere before every
thing filled up.
Bright Beginnings opened in June
2008. Many parents said it was an
answer to a prayer for much-needed
childcare in Monroe County. The facil
ity boasted a curriculum-based learn
ing environment, not just babysitting.
Parents said the rates were fairly
competitive, around $105 week, and
the brand new building was beautiful.
Bright Beginnings raised its tuition
in January, from $105 to $115 week,
citing the economy. Parents also had
to pay a $75 re-registration/building
maintenance fee. In her letter, Connie
Roberts informed parents that she is
unable to issue any refunds.
"It's not the money, it's the principle
of the thing," said one mother. "I just
wish Connie would have come to us
sooner and maybe we could have
helped her work it out so she could
stay open. I hate to lose this place."
Mark Smith agreed. He said he and
his wife were very pleased with the
care their two-year old daughter
Maycie received. Smith says his moth
er lives nearby and will be keeping
Maycie until they can find another
school.
"It's very overwhelming," said
Smith. "I am thankful we have my
mom for now. But that's only tempo
rary.
Connie Roberts' husband John says
he and Connie agonized over the deci
sion and regret that it had to happen
so quickly. John Roberts said the
school's enrollment has been steadily
decreasing and they just could not
afford to stay open any longer.
"On Monday it became apparent
that we could not keep the place open,
even for one more day," said John
Roberts.
He said the decision was the hardest
thing they ever had to do, but they
had no alternative but to close, based
on the availability of funding.
"The economy has taken a bad
downturn. It's happening all over,"
said John Roberts. "You don't think it
can happen, but the economy is affect
ing everyone. It breaks our hearts to
have to close."
Neither John or Connie Roberts
would clarify what they mean by
"funding availability." Several sources
close to the situation said Connie
Roberts has only been paying interest
on a construction loan obtained when
she began building the facility. When
the loan came due, Roberts was
unable to secure a mortgage. There
were reports a problem with a soil
test may have been a factor, but could
not be confirmed.
Monroe County Bank president Bill
Bazemore acknowledged that it’s a
matter of public record that the bank
does hold the security deed on the
business but says confidentiality laws
prevent him from commenting any
further on the details.
By Friday most of the daycare facili
ties within 30 miles of Monroe County
were full.
Lads and Lassies in Forysth has
been operating over 30 years and
charges $85 a week. Assistant director
Jackie Smith said there were still a
few openings as of Monday. Lads and
Lassies saw a decrease in their enroll
ment when Bright Beginnings
opened, but Smith says four of the
children who left have now returned.
R&C Day Care opened in High Falls
in October with a capacity of 55 kids.
Director Tonya Martin says business
has been steadily increasing and
there are now 35 kids. Martin says
she has enrolled 8 children from
Bright Beginnings over the last few
days and hopes to get a few more.
"The number one thing parents
want to know is if we are OK finan
cially," said Martin. "Our facility is
very nice, but parents want to be sure
if they put their kids here that we are
going to stay open."
Martin says owner Cathie Lenning
has a tax business in the area that
has been very successful. She says the
daycare is in good shape. R&C fees
range from $85 to $105 depending on
the age of the child.
Little Angels in Bolingbroke took in
about 15 kids from Bright
Beginnings, says owner and director
Sarah Eidson.
"We have a few spots still open, but
we're almost full," said Eidson. Little
Angels charges $130 a week.
Roberts said the decline in enroll
ment really hurt. "Some of our par
ents had lost their jobs and had to
remove their kids," said John Roberts.
"We never thought it would hit here,
but it did. It has been devastating to
Connie. She has grown to love all
these children. This is the last thing
she ever wanted. This has been her
dream for the last five years."
Connie Roberts said she has been
working with parents to secure other
childcare and that some of her
employees will be keeping several of
the kids in their homes. Roberts has
also agreed to keep some of the chil
dren in her home.
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