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t Reporter
June 22, 2011
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Opinion
Declare among the nations,
and publish, and set up a standard;
publish, and conceal not;
Jeremiah 50:2
On the Porch
Absent trip planners
I t should always
make you nervous
when the organizer
of a group trip
“suddenly” can’t
make it.
For instance, I’ll never
forget a 1993 spring break
trip with about 25
buddies from the
University of Georgia
to the luxurious Pink
Porpoise Motel in
Fort Myers, Fla. The
trip organizer, Comer
Hobbs of Lookout
Mtn., Ga., came down
with a mysterious
case of pneumonia
about the time
of departure. When the
remaining suckers, excuse
me, fraternity brothers,
arrived at our accommoda
tions, we knew why. The
Pink Porpoise was a run
down roach motel situated
not on a beautiful sandy
beach, but on a blackwater
lagoon about two blocks
from the - no, not the
beach - the Fort Myers
Pizza Hut. Since there were
25 of us stuffed into two
rooms, we spent most of
our time at the Pizza Hut
playing cards.
We were eventually
evicted from the motel,
deservedly so I might add,
because throwing a keg off
the balcony was definitely
against the rules. Needless
to say, Comer never was
allowed to plan another
trip.
Anyway, it happened
again on Friday. Our
friend Cliff Sawley had
planned a father-son hik
ing and camping trip to
Pine Mountain when he
“suddenly’ was called to
emergency duty repairing
electricity lines for Georgia
Power. That should have
been a red flag.
Nevertheless, 16 boys
and daddies from New
Providence Baptist Church
piled into two vehicles for
the trip to Warm Springs
on Friday. The first sign of
trouble was that the once-
picturesque hiking path
had been obliterated by
those late April tornadoes.
It made the hike more of
an obstacle course than a
hike, and looking back, was
an omen.
Few of us had been on
an overnight hiking and
camping trip before, and it
showed. Our pastor, Brian
Moore, was already lum
bering under the weight of
his 60-pound bag when his
3-year-old son Silas decided
he needed to be carried the
last mile as well.
We weary dads plowed
ahead and managed to
make our destination camp
site by 5:30 p.m. Plenty
of time to swim in the
creek and set up our tents.
Things were look
ing up. Or so we
thought.
Then, the skies
darkened and
thunder started
to rumble. We
hurriedly pitched
our tents and the
kids piled into
whatever tent
they could get
into. Given the
current drought, some of
the kids were so young they
had never even seen rain,
and we assured ourselves it
would be a short storm.
Three hours later, we
were still hunkered down
in tents. Cabin fever was
striking, and kids were
darting in and out of tents
tracking leaves, mud
and debris. Meanwhile, I
thought I felt a river form
ing underneath my domi
cile. My son, Park, began
to get the familiar fidgets
and I ordered him outside
to relieve himself in the
woods.
Seconds later I heard him
making a new stream into
one slicing underneath our
tent. “Park!!!! The woods!”
Finally after three hours
we were able to emerge,
shivering and filthy, from
our tents to raise our can
teens in a toast to Cliff
Sawley.
In truth, resident scout
Steven Bertram saved the
day by somehow sparking
a fire amongst damp sticks.
We made supper and dad
and kids shared stories
around the campfire as the
crickets serenaded us. The
next day the kids jumped
into waterfalls and moun
tain brooks as we made the
2-mile hike back toward
the parking lot.
We asked the kids what
their favorite part of the
trip was. Some said the
campfire, others the swim
ming. Finally, a little one
asked the daddies what
was their favorite part.
“Our favorite part,”
smiled Brian Moore,
‘hasn’t even happened yet.
It’s coming right around
this bend when we get to
the parking lot.”
And the men dutifully
responded, “Amen.”
is published every week by
The Monroe County Reporter Inc.
Will Davis, president
Robert M. Williams Jr., vice president
Cheryl S. Williams, secretary-tre asurer
OUR STAFF
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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)
OUR VIEW
Hickman did well at Banks Stephens Middle
C ongratulations to Mike
Hickman, former princi
pal at Banks Stephens
Middle School, on his
well-deserved promotion
to assistant superintendent.
In five years at Banks Stephens,
Hickman’s leadership has made
the middle school one of the best in
Georgia, regularly ranking in the
top 20 percent of middle schools on
standardized tests. In fact, BSMS
students perform better against
their peers than any other school in
the county.
The son of former MP principal
Mike Hickman Sr., it appears his
lineage has helped prepare him to
foster excellence in teachers and stu
dents.
The school board now has the
important job of hiring a strong new
principal to replace Hickman, and
let’s just say that board members
seem to be getting better at that
task.
Hickman, meanwhile, moves to
fill a vacancy in the re-structured
hierarchy at the central office,
where he will be, take a deep
breath, Assistant Superintendent for
Personnel and Learning for Middle
and High School Education. You can
call it ASPLMHSE for short.
In a time when voters are increas
ingly impatient with central office
bloat, we’re not sure Hickman’s
leadership talents will be as useful
there. But of this we’re sure: If past
performance is any indication, Mike
Hickman will be one heck of a ....
what was it?... ASPLMHSE.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Wow! Second printing for cookbook
To the editor:
T hank you Forsyth and Monroe
County for your amazing response to
my cookbook, “Cooking Is One Way
Of Loving.” As of June 20 there are
less than 10 copies, out of the origi
nal 500 purchased, left in Forsyth. It is clear
to me that God chose to bless this book, and I
am humbled, yet very grateful. Deep apprecia
tion goes to you, Will Davis with The Reporter
for your generous support. I also thank Andy
Walker with Hair Masters and the staff at
Lawson and Cromer’s for making their busi
nesses a place for sales.
To each of you, who purchased a copy, I
hope you are enjoying cooking and adding the
love. Please know that you will help 11 people
from Dayspring Presbyterian Church go to
Guayaquill, Ecuador in July to share the
good news of the gospel and also teach for
the first time the abstinence program,
Choosing The Best in two schools there.
The cookbooks have also helped send a
group of GA girls from Maynard Baptist
Church to do a VBS and work in a needy
area of the Appalachians.
Because I continue to get requests for
more copies, I will be ordering a second
printing. If any of you still want a
copy, just give me a call and I will
reserve one for you.
Blessings to all of you from
a very grateful heart.
Movene Futch
Forsyth
Sorry, county doesn’t own the clubhouse
To the editor:
he Monroe County Clubhouse Inc. at 64 W.
Chambers Street is operated by a board of
trustees who have sole authority over the new
building. The Monroe County government
does not operate or rent the facility, therefore
do not contact them concerning the facility.
The original Clubhouse building was funded by the
Home Demonstration Council of Monroe County. This
group held various fund-raisers in the community to pay
for the building.
In July 2010 an agreement between the Clubhouse
Trustees and Monroe County to build a new clubhouse
on another lot in exchange for the property the old
clubhouse sits on. The Property was needed for the new
County Administrative Building to be erected in the
future.
The Trustees have guidelines and rules to be followed
in order to rent the facility. A Contract/Agreement
will be signed by renter. Rental fee will be due within
seven (7) days of signing contract/agreement in order to
reserve the date. If payment is not made within above
time period the date will no longer be reserved and
name removed from list.
Rental fee will be forfeited if notice of cancellation is
not given within two weeks of date reserved.
The Clubhouse Board of Trustees maintains the right
to the rent the building.
Bessie Turner
Forsyth
Bessie Turner is president of the Board of Trustees for
Monroe County Clubhouse, Inc.
High Falls volunteers thankful for support
To the editor:
he High Falls Volunteer
Fire Department would
like to extend a huge
thank you to all who
attended and donated to
our BBQ/Yard sale fundraiser this
year. Thanks for buying our slow
cooked BBQ and browsing the yard
sale items. We hope all the children
enjoyed the moonwalks! The chil
dren’s fun area was possible thanks
to the local High Falls businesses.
When presented with the idea and
opportunity, the businesses in High
Falls made a donation. The busi
nesses that supported received a
certificate of appreciation to proudly
hang for all to see. Please stop in
and show your appreciation for their
support of the High Falls commu
nity.
Lt. Shane Cook
High Falls
Shane Cook is writing as a rep
resentative of the High Falls Fire
Department.
Civil War Sesquicentennial
Our first Rebel casualty was inside job
O ne hundred and fifty years
ago, the first gun-fire casu
alty of the First Regiment,
Georgia Volunteers came not
from Federal fire but from
the musket of a member of the Quitman
Guard from Monroe County.
The shooting may reflect the disregard
that some Confederate soldiers had for
military authority, the role that liquor
played in their daily lives, and possibly
anti-semitism.
The perpetrator was James J. Stokes, a butcher, from the
New Market or Cabaniss area of Monroe County.
The First Regiment had marched from Staunton, Va. to
Buffalo Gap on June 16, 1861 en route to Laurel Hill. They
made night camp there.
During the day, Stokes had been drinking. The soldiers
had passed various inns and taverns where they could get
whiskey. About eleven p. m. Stokes, apparently already
quite inebriated, wanted more liquor.
A sentinel, Bernard H. Meyer of the Newnan Guards,
would not permit him to pass out of the camp. Stokes went
to his tent, got his gun, and again Meyer refused to allow
him to leave.
Stokes then shot Meyer through the femoral artery. He
died within fifteen minutes.
Confederate officers put Stokes under guard and sent
him to a jail in Staunton. Along with him was another
Confederate, Tom Tutt, who also resented military disci
pline. A quartermaster had ordered Tutt
down from a wagon. Tutt loaded his gun
to shoot the quartermaster, but failed to
fire before he was seized.
Stokes remained in jail in Staunton
for months before the authorities trans
ferred him to a prison in Richmond. In
the spring of 1862, Stokes was released,
never having been court martialed.
He returned to Monroe County, sired
two more children, and died here in
October 1867. His widow when applying
for a state Confederate pension said that he died of chronic
diarrhea.
The incident reflects in part the problem Confederate offi
cers had with military discipline. Enlisted men, accustomed
to independence, sometimes resisted submission to author
ity.
There is the possibility that there was some anti-semitism
involved in the incident. Meyer was Jewish, and there
were at times and places strong anti-Jewish feelings in the
Confederacy. Meyer’s Jewishness may have been a factor in
the disregard the drunk Stokes showed in refusing an order
and then shooting the guard.
Thomas B. Cabaniss, who knew Stokes as a fellow mem
ber of the Quitman Guard, had a different perspective.
Many years later, Cabaniss held that Stokes was criminally
insane when he shot Private Meyer. Cabaniss alleged that
the man had shown evidence of criminal insanity before the
Virginia incident and after it.