Newspaper Page Text
November 14, 2012
PAGE 5A
Reporter
On the Outside Looking In
The party pooper
BY DON DANIEL
here was a
party pooper
after last Tues
day night’s
election. The
incumbent county com
mission chairman and
many of his who’s who
campaign donors were
gonna have a victory
party with some other
special invited guests.
But, along came a former
commissioner and threw
a wet rag on the
almost under
way victory
party.
Richard
Dumas, The
Reporter news
editor, was up
at the court
house calling
back the
results to
The Reporter
office. When
the final tally was
announced, Richard
decided he should go
over to the Prime
Palate to what the par-
tygoers were anticipat
ing being a whoopee de
doo celebration, get a
couple of photos and
hopefully a comment
from the defeated
incumbent.
According to Richard,
‘‘When I arrived, every
body was already in a
pretty glum mood and it
was quiet when I got
there. James knew it
was a long shot that he
was going to win before
I even got there, but I
told him the absentee
ballots had been count
ed and the results had
become official”.
More air went out of
the party balloons and
faces were covered in
astonishment, amaze
ment and flabbergast-
ment. Several phone
calls to Monroe County
republicans also
revealed gasps of sur
prise and wonderment
as to how “this” hap
pened particularly after
several Monroe County
republicans campaigned
against the republican
challenger.
As Will pointed out in
his “On the Porch” col
umn, there are a lot of
questions now being
raised and anticipated
as to how the county
will function under the
former commissioner
now more perfectly coif
fure chairman. The
pucker factor is already
really evident all the
way from the Chamber
of Commerce office, to
City Hall and amongst
county employees, coun
ty department heads
and other locally elected
officials.
Here’s an idea: to
make the transition as
seamless as possible,
the newly elected chair
man surely could get
the support and votes if
he suggested hiring the
defeated chairman as
the county attor
ney. Might be a
good relationship
building intention.
But it might inter
fere with the voted
out chairman’s
“retirement”. He
can now appeal
his county taxes
with out worry
ing what any
body else thinks.
IT IS really amazing
that 1,708 District One
voters condoned the tax
problems and campaign
filing issues of the win
ning incumbent candi
date. Obviously 1,112
voters for the other can
didate thought the tax
issues of the incumbent
were bad enough to cast
their votes for the chal
lenger.
What’s really surpris
ing is only 2,920 of the
registered 4,351 voters
in District One cast a
ballot. 1,431 didn’t cast
a ballot. Therefore, you
get what you deserve.
Along the same lines,
Clayton Countians
elected by casting over
66,000 votes for a sher
iff candidate who has
been indicted on over 30
felony counts by the
grand jury.
COMMENTS made at
recent Forsyth City
Council meeting:
“We have to be arbi-
trationally happy”.
“When the sewage cor
rupted her ”
“It’s all a part of gov
ernment”.
“Don’t get too comfort
able over there”.
“Where there’s a will,
there is a way.”
COMMENTS at the
County Commission
meeting:
“Not to watch Donald
Duck”.
“Don’t wanna wrestle
that alligator”.
“I assume that is a
smart phone”.
”It ain’t the time to be
hiring more people”.
“Less people need to
do more work”.
“We don’t push our
calendars out that far”.
“He kept me all day
until it was dark”.
“I wish I had known
you were meeting. I had
nothing to do”.
“I think we went
through the same song
and dance”.
“Chairman Vaughn
and his legal team”.
“I had no where to go
but on my knees”.
The newly elected
chairman of the com
mission was in the
audience re-booting his
learning curve. There
are some more county
commission meetings
and a Christmas party
before he assumes his
gavel-banging role.
YEP, St. James
Baptist Church is locat
ed at 110 James Street
in Forsyth. Arthur
McMurray was the first
to identify the location
and is the winner of a
certificate for a hot dog
combo from the Dog
House, fried green
tomato appetizer at the
Whistle Stop, Blizzard
from the Dairy Queen
and a cookie from
Jonah’s. In addition, he
wins a “I Answered The
Question” t-shirt.
Here’s the question for
this week: Where in
Monroe County is there
a seventeen miles per
hour speed limit? First
correct answer after
twelve noon on
Thursday is the winner.
LOOKS like having to
stock up on booze on
Saturday nights is com
ing to an end now that
alcoholic beverages of
choice will be available
real soon in Monroe
County.
ALSO understand
there is a pucker factor
at the board of educa
tion and amongst elect
ed board of education
members now that
charter schools can be
started in Monroe
County.
Got a comment: then
email Donald Jackson
Daniel at
tullaybear@bellsouth.net
and listen to The
Reporter radio show on
Sunday mornings on
Majic 100 or click on
the radio tab at mym-
cer.net.
From left, Eliza
beth Hunter, Judy
Hunter and Leah
Hunter, with their
copy of the Re
porter in 'Old Har
bour 1 Hermanus,
South Africa.
Monroe County family
relishes South Africa
Judy Hunter of Monroe County and her
daughter Elizabeth Hunter visited Elizabeth’s
sister Leah Hunter in South Africa last
month.
Leah Hunter just finished an internship in
South Africa and is now working at the South
African Shark Conservancy. Judy Hunter said
this is a dream job for her daughter Leah, who
was the salutatorian for the Mary Persons'
Class of 2005. In the internship, Leah is
researching sharks, whales, and all sorts of
marine life. Researching from the whale boats
and cage diving with great whites are all in a
day's work for Leah. After graduating from
MP, Leah earned a BS in biology from the
University of Georgia.
Judy Hunter said she had hoped all five of
her daughters could make the trip, but
Dianna, Rebecca and Rachel couldn't work it
out. Still, she said it was a wonderfully excit
ing trip. "South Africa is one of the most
beautiful places I have ever been," said
Hunter.
The Hunters visited "Old Harbor" in
Hermanus, which sits on Walker Bay and is
home to the Right Whale. Every year between
July and December, the Right Whale comes
back there to breed and have babies. The
Hunters saw whales everywhere they went.
Also, while in South Africa, they went out on
the whale boat, on a safari, to Betty's Bay and
saw the South African colony of 'Jackass'
Penguins, to Cape Aghulas - the southernmost
point of Africa- where the Atlantic Ocean
meets the Indian Ocean, to Cape Point and
the Cape of Good Hope, to Cape Town and
Robben Island - the prison island that was
used for political prisoners; there they saw the
cell where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.
The Hunters also went on a cage dive with
Great White Sharks.
"We enjoyed the peacefulness of one of God's
most beautiful creations," said Judy Hunter. "I
can see now why Leah fell in love with the
place.... and she gets to go each day to work in
a building right on the rocks beside the water
of Walker Bay."
City eyes expensive utility work
BY DIANE GLIDEWELL
The City of Forsyth
learned of two expensive
actions needed on city water
and sewer lines at its meet
ing on Nov. 7. Alvin
Randall, head of the city's
electric department,
apprised the council's public
utilities committee members
of an emergency situation
with water lines on Hwy. 41
N.
Randall said that con
struction on the road had
suddenly required moving
the water line, which will
cost $25-50,000.
"We've got a water line
that can blow at any time,"
said Barry Walker, of Utility
Partners, Inc., which con
tracts with Forsyth.
Randall said that the
water line was three or four
feet deep, and the Georgia
Department of
Transportation had assured
the city that the construc
tion it was doing on Hwy 41
would not affect the water
line. In fact, the city had
already moved the box cul
vert over so as not to move
the water line. Randall said
the construction on the road
had cut down a bank that
brought the water line up to
just eight inches below the
ground surface.
"They have been doing
this for five years," said
council member Mike Dodd.
"Why did they wait until
the last minute to work on
one of the most complicated
areas on the whole road?"
Council member James
Calloway, public utilities
committee chairman, asked
city administrator Thomas
White and city clerk Janice
Hall to work together to
find funds for the emer
gency moving of the water
line. Hall said that there
were 2008 SPLOST funds
that could be used.
Calloway also said the com
mittee needs to meet with
the DOT.
At the same meeting,
Daniel Cheek of Hodges,
Harbin, Newberry, &
Tribble Engineering,
Forsyth's city water and
sewer engineers, told com
mittee members that the
city needs to build a new
manhole in the area of
Russell Parkway. The exist
ing manhole near the Waffle
House was recently cleaned
but has a sag in it and will
probably clog again because
of all the restaurants in the
area releasing grease into
the sewerage. Another man
hole is three feet inside of
the Department of
Transportation right of way.
Cheek said building a new
manhole has been priced at
$39,000, but some of the
unit prices received are out
of line so the price should be
lower. He said that work
should soon be completed to
give the city access to every
section of the water and
sewer lines.
Members of the public
utilities committee are
Calloway, Dodd, and Eric
Wilson: all were present at
the Nov. 7 meeting.
Election Results by Monroe County Precinct
US PRESIDENT
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL I
Mitt Romney (R)
1,287 (78.8%) 513 (84.7%) 1,312 (84.1%) 279 (65.3%) 350 (75.6%) 165 (59.8%)
455(77.3%)
865 (79.1%)
957 (36.0%)
661 (78.3%)
214 (48.0%)
668 (80.7%)
414(70.5%)
221 (77.8%)
8,352(68.0%)
Barack Obama (D)
318(19.5%;
( 81(13.4%:
) 243(15.6%)
141 (33.0%) 108(23.3%:
) 106(38.4%)
130 (22.1%)
213(19.5%) 1,680(63.2%:
| 166(19.7%)
229 (51.3%)
146(17.6%)
165(28.1%)
59(20.8%)
3,779 (30.8%)
Gary Johnson (L)
25 (1.5%)
11(1.8%)
5(0.3%)
5(1.1%) 5(1.1%)
4(1.5%)
3 (0.5%)
14(1.3%)
17(0.6%)
15(1.8%)
1 (0.2%)
12(1.5%)
7(1.2%)
4(1.4%)
128 (1.0%)
COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAI
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL I
Mike Bilderback (R)
1,056 (67.3%]
I 293 (49.7%) 1,004 (67.4%) 228 (56.7%) 199 (44.6%) 78 (30.2%)
261 (46.4%)
582 (56.6%)
544(22.3%)
573 (71.5%)
160 (38.4%)
438 (55.8%)
323 (59.2%)
159(58.7%)
5,902 (50.7%)
James Vaughn (D)
509 (32.4%)
294 (49.8%)
484 (32.5%)
174 (43.3%) 245 (54.9%)
180 (69.8%)
299 (53.2%)
446(43.3%) 1,931 (77.6%)
227 (28.3%)
257(61.6%)
346 (44.1%)
222 (40.7%)
111 (41.0%)
5,719(49.1%)
COUNTY COMMISSION - DISTRICT 1
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL |
Donald Smith (R)
168 (66.9%)
400 (76.2%)
517 (26.3%)
27 (32.5%)
1,112(39.4%)
Larry Evans (D)
83 (33.1%)
125(23.8%) 1,446(73.6%]
56 (67.5%)
1,708(60.5%)
MONROE COUNTY -!
SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL
Yes
1,036 (69.8%;
) 392 (66.6%) 963 (63.9%)
264(65.2%) 283(62.9%)
146(56.8%)
319(56.0%)
644(60.5%)
1,677 (65.9%) 504 (62.2%)
263 (61.2%)
467 (58.2%)
355(62.5%)
161 (59.2%)
7,491 (63.3%)
No
449(30.2%)
197(33.5%) 543(36.1%)
141 (34.8%) 167 (37.1%;
) 111(43.2%)
251 (44.0%)
420 (39.5%)
868 (34.1%)
307 (37.9%)
167 (38.8%)
277 (36.7%)
213 (37.5%)
111 (40.8%)
4,345(36.7%)
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT -
QUESTION 1
-CHARTER SCHOOLS
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL
Yes
918 (58.7%)
306 (52.5%) 849 (57.1%)
231 (57.5%) 202 (45.1%) 137 (54.2%) 281 (50.9%)
595(56.8%) 1,276(52.0%
) 517 (63.9%)
230 (54.3%)
413(52.1%)
356 (63.6%)
129 (48.5%)
6,434 (55.3%)
No
645(41.3%)
277 (47.5%) 639 (42.9%)
171 (42.5%) 246 (54.9%) 116 (45.9%)
271 (49.1%)
453 (43.2%) 1
,180(48.1%]
1292 (36.1%)
194 (45.8%)
380 (47.9%)
204 (36.4%)
137 (51.5%)
5,200 (44.7%)
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ■
■ QUESTION 2 - LONG-TERM STATE LEASES
Bentons
Brantleys
Burgays
Cabaniss Cox
Culloden
Dillards
Evers
Forsyth
High Falls
Kelseys
Middlebrooks
Proctor’s
Russellville
TOTAL
Yes
918 (58.7%) 338 (61.7%) 1,017 (72.1%) 232 (62.0%) 242 (57.6%) 158 (65.6%)
344 (64.9%)
654(65.9%) 1
,486 (64.9%) 474 (62.0%)
265 (67.1%)
477 (63.3%)
330 (63.3%)
154 (60.9%)
7,089 (64.1%)
No
645(41.3%) 210(38.3%)
394(27.9%) 142(38.0%) 178(42.4%) 83(34.4%)
186 (35.1%)
339 (34.1%)
804 (35.1%)
290 (38.0%)
130 (32.9%)
277 (36.7%)
191 (36.7%)
99 (39.1%)
3,968 (35.9%)