Newspaper Page Text
Page 6A
February 21,2018
Q/n -hoi'intj ©-Memorn
Gary McNaughton Powell
August 7,1953 - February 16, 2018
Gary McNaughton Powell, of Forsyth, passed away
Friday, February 16, 2018. A Memorial Service will be held
at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 24, 2018, at Monroe
County Memorial Chapel. Burial will be private. The fam
ily will greet friends following the service at the funeral
home.
Mr. Powell, the son of the late McNaughton Powell and
Inell Cravey Powell was born August 7,1953, in Macon,
Georgia. Fie was retired from Trane Company.
Survivors include his children, Justin Jenna Floback of
Virginia Beach, Virginia, Glena Marble of Augusta and
Brandon Brandy Marble of Augusta; brother, Wayne
Brenda Powell of Terlingua,Texas; and five grandchildren.
Please visit www.monroecountymemorialchapel.com to
express tributes.
Monroe County Memorial Chapel has charge of arrange
ments.
Deacon James Freeman Sr.
Flomegoing Services for Deacon James Freeman Sr., 84,
of Forsyth, were held Tuesday, Feb. 20 at Maynard Baptist
Church. Rev. Robert Walker officiated, and Reverend Rufus
J. Whatley presided. Burial was in Monroe Hills Memorial
Gardens.
Survivors include his wife, Beatrice R. Freeman; daugh
ter, Karen B. Freeman; son, James Freeman Jr.; grand
daughter Janee Freeman Robert Dranberg; grandson
James Marisa Freeman III; great grandson, Jaxson Freeman
and a host of other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations
be made to the American Heart Association.
Freeman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
County offers up
to $75,000 for
finance director
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
Monroe County
Commissioners agreed
on Tuesday, Feb. 6 to
advertise a job descrip
tion for a newly-created
assistant county man
ager/finance director
position with a salary up
to $75,000.
According to the job
summary, the candidate
selected will be respon
sible for managing the
county’s finances by
heading the finance and
purchasing division, act
as county manager in the
absence of current coun
ty manager Anita Buice
and work under Buice’s
general supervision.
District 1 commissioner
Larry Evans suggested
hiring a recruiting com
pany to assist with filling
the vacancy, but the job
description was approved
without hiring a head
hunting firm at least
initially. Evans said he
also wants commission
ers personally involved
in the hiring process.
County commission
chairman Greg Tapley
recommended a salary
of between $65,000 and
$70,000 for the new
hire while new District
4 commissioner George
Emami said commission
ers might need to be will
ing to go up to $75,000
to get the right person.
Commissioners then
unanimously approved
the description with a
salary range of between
$60,000 and $75,000.
Ashley Wooley has
served as the county’s
interim finance director
since December 2012.
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When we remember your smile, it
brightens our day... And thoughts of
your warmth and love seem to smooth
the way. There's a corner in our hearts,
you visit every day... It gives us this
warm feeling that you're never far away.
tM lau& ahuays/,
Ricky, Indya, your sisters, brothers,
nieces, and nephews
Public Hearing Notice
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners would like
to start the process to close two railroad crossings in Smarr,
Georgia and open one railroad crossing for public access
that will better serve your community. Please join us on the
date below for a Public Hearing to start this process.
Written comments and questions can be mailed to:
Monroe County Board of Commissioners
PO BOX 189
Forsyth, GA 31029
Or emailed to:
Anita Buice, County Manager
abuice@monroecoga.org
Copy to:
Kelsey Fortner, Deputy Zoning Officer
kfortner@monroecoga.org
Location: New Providence Baptist Church
2560 HWY 41 South
Smarr, GA 31086
Date: Tursday, March 1,2018
Time: 6:00 pm
Crossings in discussion:
Railroad Crossing #718 343U
Railroad Crossing # 904 840H
tEqporter
SUBSTITUTE
Continued from the front page
sex offender here until
he rolled off in 2015,
after the required 10
years, per state law.
Listed at 5-foot-8, 473
pounds at the time of
his conviction, Stewart,
was hired as a substitute
teacher on Nov. 14, 2017
and has been working
at Mary Persons. Daniel
said he would be willing
to say more but said he
is forbidden legally from
doing so. Asked what
he might say to parents
who have concerns,
Daniel said, “They may
not know everything I
know.”
“We have a process for
all subs,” said Daniel.
‘This individual is eli
gible, that’s all I can tell
you.”
Asked if the school
system has a shortage
of substitute teachers,
Daniel said there’s not,
and that, they have the
fullest, roster of subs
they’ve had in a while.
FREEMAN
Continued from the front page
civic and educational organiza
tions in countless ways over the
years.
“He helped all around, the
young, the old,” said Annette
Lucear, director of the Community
Improvement. Coalition of Monroe
County (CICMC). “He gave and
didn’t, want, anything back. He
was one of God’s faithful dis
ciples.”
Freeman was the youngest,
of six children born to Frank
Freeman Sr. and Isabell Murray
Freeman, a farming family that,
lived in the Dames Ferry Road
area of Juliette. He attended
Monroe County schools, served
in the Korean War and retired
from Robins Ar Force Base
after 37 years. He and Beatrice
Reeves Freeman were married
for 63 years and have two chil
dren, Karen Freeman and James
Freeman Jr., two grandchildren
and one great, grandson.
Giving his life to Christ at. an
early age, he was a faithful mem
ber of Piney Grove Baptist Church
throughout, his life, serving as
chairman of the Deacon Board for
30 years. He provided assistance
to many other churches, includ
ing Mount. Pleasant. Baptist and
Union Hill Baptist, was a mem
ber of the Monroe County Prayer
Band and especially helped with
transportation, and was a found
ing member of the New Monroe
County Ushers Association.
Freeman enjoyed raising a
garden and sharing its produce
with friends and family. He gave
hundreds of bicycles to children
in Monroe County at. Christmas,
enjoying the opportunity to give
them one of the things that, he
wanted but. did not. have when he
was growing up. Lucear said that
for over a decade he gave eight,
to 10 bicycles to families through
CICMC each year. Not. only did
he bring joy to the children who
received the bicycles but. also to
the parents and to siblings who
got. to share them.
James Freeman Jr. recalled that,
his father supported the Monroe
County Head Start. Program and
the Senior Program. He gave fruit,
baskets or clothing to the elderly
at. Christmas and was a supporter
of the Save the Children summer
camps that, provide activities and
meals for Monroe County chil
dren for at. least, four weeks out.
of each summer. He helped make
Forsyth’s Martin Luther King
Jr. Day celebration possible by
supporting it. each year and was
presented a plaque one year at.
the program to thank him for his
never-ending community service.
It. was one of numerous awards
and recognitions he has received
over the years, but. he was known
for not. seeking recognition for his
generosity.
“He was a very giving and loving
person,” said Forsyth city council
member Melvin Lawrence. “He
did a lot. for the community, a lot.
behind the scenes. He was always
right, there.”
Freeman may be best, remem
bered, however, for all of the fam
ily members he has comforted
as he served them at. his funeral
home, sharing his faith with oth
ers at. times when they needed
strength.
The celebration of life service for
James Freeman was on Tuesday
morning, Feb. 20 at. Maynard
Baptist Church with Rev. Robert.
Walker officiating and Rev. Rufus
Whatley presiding. Pastors Hosie
Waters, T.O. Sams and Neisha
Davis also took part, in the ser
vice. Interment, was in Monroe
Hills Memorial Gardens. The
family asked that, those wishing
to contribute as a memorial give
donations to the American Heart.
Association.
UNFAIR AND UNBALANCED by Marilyn Langford
Son’s shooting brought guns home
T wenty-seven years ago,
when my son was 16 years
old, he was in our front,
yard, loading up his lawn
mower for his summer job.
He was approached by two boys, one
he recognized, and one was a com
plete stranger. My son and the boy he
recognized had previously had a spat,
over something that, had happened
with their two little brothers. As the
stranger walked into our yard and
got. closer and closer, my son pre
pared himself for a fist, fight.. That’s
when the stranger pulled a 38-police
special and shot, my son at. point-
blank range in the chest.. It. was a
“hit.” of sorts, over a kid’s squabble.
Fathers had in mind.
propel you into action to change the gun
culture in our country. I know you’re
thinking I’m telling this story because I
am a “liberal queen” that, wants to take
your guns away. Not. the case. I want,
sensible gun control measures and you
all know what. that, entails. When this
happened to my son, I could have easily
turned against, guns and black people
because the kid that. shot, my son was
black. I never thought, of doing either. I
think guns are a necessity for a person
to protect, their homes and property
and to hunt.. Other than that., I see
no reason for a person to amass an
arsenal of military style guns like an
AR-15. That’s not. what, our Founding
HIGHLY UNUSUAL for me, I took a two-hour
lunch. When I arrived back at. the office, everyone
was standing outside the office waiting for me. This
was before cell phones. As they descended on my
car, I heard the words, ‘Your son has been shot, and
we have to get. you to the hospital.” My whole world
seemed to fall apart, in that, moment.. They had no
answers to any of my questions. It. took us 30 min
utes to get. to the hospital and that, was the single
most, agonizing 30 minutes of my life. I prayed, I
cried, my life flashed before my eyes, and one thing
I knew for sure, if my son was dead, I could not. go
on. I knew his father could not. go on, or his grand
mother. I saw no life without, him.
WHEN I finally arrived at. the emergency room, it.
was the most, surreal moment, of my life. The lobby
was packed with all his friends and classmates. You
see, the teenagers had beepers and they had their
own 911 messaging system. I was met. by a doctor
who said beautiful words, “He’s going to be okay.
He’s a very lucky young man; the bullet, missed his
heart, by a fraction of an inch.” With relief I went,
in to see my son. I will never forget, the words he
said, “Mama, am I going to die?” I assured him he
was not.. Days later, I asked him, “When did you
know you weren’t, going to die?” He said, “When you
told me, Mama.” My heart, broke at. that, moment,
because I realized my son had thought, he was
going to die for over two hours!
MY STORY has a happy ending. I have seen my
son grow up, marry a wonderful woman, and give
me wonderful grandkids. But. it. stays with me. I
only got. a small taste of what. it. would be like to
lose a child. But. I know enough to know parents
whose children have been gunned down will never
feel joy again.
I HAVE seldom told this story because it’s too
painful to relive. I’m telling it. now in hopes you will
feel so much empathy for the families that. it. will
BUT THERE is something I want, to take away,
the National Rifle Association (NRA)! The obsession
with gun ownership in this country is due to the
culture the NRA created. It’s “cool” to have these
weapons created to kill “masses of people” only.
While the boy that. shot, my son had a powerful
weapon, my son still had a chance. If he had shot,
him with an AR-15, my story would be quite dif
ferent.. The blood of all these dead children are on
the hands of the NRA and all the Republicans who
have been bought, and paid for by the NRA to block
any type of sensible gun control.
“IT’S NOT a gun issue, the man is mentally
sick,” said the President, who over-turned Obama’s
executive order that, made it. harder for people adju
dicated as mentally ill to buy a gun. Coincidentally,
this is the man that, received $30 million from the
NRA during his presidential campaign. “I think we
need to pray, now is not. the time to have a knee-
jerk reaction,” said Speaker Paul Ryan who has
blocked sensible gun control for years and a benefi
ciary of NRA contributions. “Sending prayers” is all
we got. out. of all the elected lackeys of the NRA. We
didn’t, hear a peep out. of our junior Senator from
Georgia, David Perdue, not. even a prayer. He’s lay
ing low. I have one question for him. What did the
NRA get. in return for the $2.5 million they gave to
his Senate campaign? His phone number is 202-
224-3521.
THE NRA spent. $55 million last, year to buy
the Republican legislators. The NRA has 5 million
members. Perhaps if they had only 500 members,
we could change our gun culture and our children
would be safer. At. least, you won’t, have their blood
on your hands, too. Also, give your elected officials a
choice—the NRA, or your vote.
Marilyn Langford of High Falls writes about current
events from the liberal perspective. Email her at mari-
lynlangford85@gmail,com,
Call your local Monroe County representative
Scott Harrell
478-256-3586
or toll free: 800-551-1102
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