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Opinions Matter
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The Monroe County Reporter • April 18, 2018
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5A
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Forsyth officer didn
To the Editor,
O n Saturday April 211 was traveling
through town to a friends house on
Hopewell Road. As I crossed the
railroad tracks I noticed traffic had
stopped and there appeared to be emergency
vehicles in the square so I turned off and took
a few back roads to get around it. I assumed
that there had been an accident and was try
ing to stay out of the way of first responders.
When I turned onto MLKI saw an officer had
stopped traffic and there was a marching band.
I thought I was in front of a parade. I realized as
I was passing the hospital that somehow I was
behind the first part of the parade (people in
cars throwing candy), but due to the large gap I
had no idea I had gotten in the parade myself.
Once we finally made it to Hubbard, all of
the parade vehicles turned left but the road was
blocked for those trying to continue on. The
driver of the SUV in front of me put her win
dow down, and I did as well, and we asked the
officers if we could go straight since one of their
patrol cars was blocking our side of the road.
The officer proceeded to verbally reprimand the
driver of the SUV and then me for “not respect
ing the parade”. I tried to explain that I had no
t have to be rude
idea that there was a parade until I was stuck
in it. At that point it would have been more
dangerous to try and pull over since so many
people with their children running around had
lined the road. That was the first encounter that
I have had with a rude officer in the 14 years I
have lived in the area. The vehicle in front of me
was from Texas, so I am sure they also had no
idea that there was a small local parade going
on in this town. What an impression to make
on a visitor. As I told the officer- had I known
there was a parade, I would have avoided the
area until well after it was finished. It took more
time for him to fuss at us than for the other
officer to move the car. We weren’t holding any
thing up- the band still had not made it around
the curve in the road.
I have the utmost respect to all first respond
ers but there was no reason for that officer to act
that way. Had it just been me I might have let it
slide, but to treat a visitor to this town that way
made me reconsider.
Louisa McDonald
Monroe County
Forsyth mayor Eric Wilson apologized to Mrs.
McDonald for her negative experience in the city
and asked city manager Janice Hall to address it.
Letter boiled my blood
To the Editor,
R eading our wonderful
newspaper doesn’t usu
ally anger me. I get con
cerned about our county
and the people who live here from
time to time, but only once before
today can I recall reading anything
that caused my blood to boil. That
is until today.
I can’t say whether or not I per
sonally know Mr. John Ricketson,
but his letter to the editor (“Low-
income apartments hurt home val
ues,” page 5A, April 18 Reporter)
just has me completely in rage. Mr.
Ricketson you are the most naive,
arrogant, and prejudiced person
I believe I have ever possibly not
met. If you really believe that slum,
drug retailing operations, and
burglary headquarters are only
prevalent to affordable housing
options, you my dear are what is
wrong with our world.
I would love to share with you
an in-depth study conducted by
Georgia Tech
and Kennesaw
State University
for Habitat for
Humanity, an
organization
that partners
RAFFERZEDER with those 30-60
percent median
income wage earners in home
ownership and how having the
ability to overcome poverty has
changed thousands of lives in
Georgia and several right here in
Monroe County. I assure you, your
ritzy, quarter- of- a-million- dollar-
homes subdivision is just as, if not
more so considering your higher
wages, susceptible to drug lords
and burglary rings without that
affordable housing project.
Tammy Rafferzeder
Forsyth
Tammy Rafferzeder is the direc
tor of Monroe County Habitat for
Humanity.
TAKING A LIKENS TO YOU by Dale Likens
You never drink?
D uring my second year of teaching young school
children, I remember very well explaining to my
class that my wife and I had never drunk any
alcoholic beverages and never would. I’m not sure
why I had explained my personal beliefs to my sixth graders,
but I believe one of the children had asked me if my wife and
I had celebrated the New Year by getting drunk. When I had
finished speaking, a young boy shouted out in surprise, “Are
you sincere? You never drink
alcoholic beverages?” Then he
began to laugh and said, “Every
body drinks! My parents even let
me drink on special occasions!”
I don’t remember where that
conversation went after that
discussion, but I do consider that
year as one of my favorite years
of teaching. Tom, the boy who
questioned me about my beliefs
in drinking, became one of my
favorite students of all my years
of teaching. He was a brilliant
young man and a tremendous
athlete. He was the leader of the
class. His humor matched mine
and we often shared that humor and discussions of local and
college sports events.
Many years had passed when I received a phone call from
Tom. We talked quite a while, reminiscing about those days
when he was in my class. He told me he was presently in the
business world making a very good living. He said he had
played football for Northwestern University. As we neared
the end of our conversation, Tom said, “Mr. Likens, you
were my favorite teacher in all my years. I just wanted you to
know that. You taught me values no other teacher had. You
were fair and kind to every student in that class. Thank you!
Please tell Mrs. Likens I said hello. I remember her well.”
There were others I remember well from that same class.
But there were also those from other classes I will never for
get. One student had written that she was now in the Army
and proudly explained how honored she was to serve our
country. She was not married. “But I’m working on that part
of my life now” she joked.
Teaching young children is truly a blessing and an enor
mous responsibility. But please understand that not all
students are like the two I mentioned above. Recently, I met
one of my students who was at that time working in a local
restaurant. She explained that she quit school early because
she was with child in her junior year of school. She now has
two children and never married. She doesn’t know where
the father of these two children is today. “I’m sorry to hear
that,” I sadly told her. “I thought I had taught you better’’
“You did, Mr. Likens. I just thought I knew more than you
or my parents,” she said.
Kenny was a student who refused to do anything in class.
During tests he simply propped his feet upon his desk and
challenged me to make him take the test. One day our
school principal and superintendent came into my class
together explaining that they would show me how to make
Kenny take his tests. So much for that experiment. Kenny
propped his feet on his desk and drew pictures on his test.
The two men were kind. They spoke with Kenny. I went on
observing the rest of the class as they continued with their
tests. I noticed that the principal and superintendent seemed
to be somewhat disturbed.
Minutes passed. Finally, they walked quietly by me. “You
were right,” they whispered softly as they left the room with
their heads hanging low.
Years later, I met another student from Kenny’s class.
“Have you heard from Kenny” I asked. “Is he doing all
right?”
“The last I heard Kenny was still in prison!” The young
man said.
During one of my last years of teaching I stood at the
door of our classroom shaking hands with each student and
wishing each of them the best as they moved on to their next
year of life. One student refused to shake my hand. “Are you
serious?” I asked in surprise. He turned his head and moved
on. I truly enjoyed having this child in my class. I knew he
had some problems, but I never thought they had come to
this. Because I care, it still bothers me today. Maybe I should
have paid more attention. Maybe I missed the signs. Teach
ing young children is not always easy; especially if you truly
care for your students. God bless!
Dale Likens is an author who lives in Monroe County.
Reader: Stolen stop signs, stolen lives
To the Editor,
resh out of Officers Training
School in 1969,1 was assigned
to Randolph AFB outside
San Antonio, Texas. Like all
junior officers, I pulled my share of
“additional duties,” burial details for
veterans, retirees and spouses among
them. Those burials were at Fort Sam
Houston National Cemetery. I was
one of several junior officers sharing
this duty.
There was a wedding on base in
the chapel with a reception following
at the Officers Club on Randolph. I
believe this was in 1970. The wed
ding couple were both from military
families as I recall. The groom had just
graduated from the Air Force Acad
emy and was enrolled for undergradu
ate pilot training (UPT). Following
the reception, the couple drove away
bound for their honeymoon destina
tion. Within just a few miles of the
base, they both were killed when their
car was broadsided by a pickup truck.
Someone had removed the stop sign
from this intersection.
I pulled this funeral detail. We bur
ied this couple at Fort Sam Houston.
Present at graveside were the same
family and friends who, just days
before, had gathered for a wedding.
During my assignment at Randolph
AFB, I served on a number of funeral
details. The particulars of all of those
funerals escape my memory now,
except this one.
I’m not sure why someone would
remove traffic signs, or why someone
is doing that now in Monroe County.
But, if they read this, I hope they will
stop and think for a minute about the
dangers their acts create.
Whoever removed that sign years
ago outside Randolph AFB has had a
lifetime to think about what they did,
and caused.
Sam Henderson
Macon
Lt. Col. Sam Henderson is retired
from the U.S. Air Force.
Bechtel a scofflaw? You decide
I attended the House District 141 political
forum last Thursday evening at Mabel White
Baptist Church. The rules of the forum’s
format and the decorum expected from the
citizens were explained by the moderator, Jason
Downey. However, when he asked Gary Bechtel
to explain the seriously past due fines levied by
the Government Transparency and Campaign
Finance Commission (formerly the State Ethics
Commission), Mr. Bechtel insulted every person in the
sanctuary with his response. He stated that he was “not
aware that he had to sign an affidavit and that it was only
one” The audience was taken aback, and to their credit,
remained quiet and civil, but the people were looking
sideways at each other in utter amazement that someone
would stand up and lie right to their face.
Before going to the church, I was aware of the “top scoff-
law” label that had been used to describe Mr. Bechtel and
decided to look into it for myself. I found 17 separate and
distinct violations, dating back to 2012, where Mr. Bechtel
had filed late (4 times) or had not bothered to file at all (13
times) and that the fines totaled $2,750.00, according to the
state website. If Mr. Bechtel did not learn the elementary
process of how to file since being fined for his first failure
back in 2012, what does that say about his compe
tence and fitness to hold office? The state webpage
listed infractions, dates, and fines levied.
He was on the Bibb County school board dur
ing the Dallemand fiasco, but left that corruption
scandal to run for the Macon-Bibb Commission.
He was a commissioner during the consolida
tion and involved in the resulting financial crisis,
serving as the Finance Committee Chairman. That
ship is also sinking, time to move on and try to avoid
any responsibility, so he left that seat mid-term to run for
a state office. Since he obviously did not learn from the
previous seventeen (17) ethics violations, who would ever
consider him to be fit for the District 141 seat? It is bad
enough to be unable to file simple campaign reports and
fail to learn from seventeen (17) past mistakes, it is alto
gether unacceptable to stand in front of the voters and lead
them to believe them that it was “one occurrence” and “no
big deal” Gary, when you fooled Bibb County once, shame
on you. When you fooled Bibb County again, shame on
them. I simply do not believe that the District 141 voters
are that gullible, once given the facts.
John Ricketson
Monroe County
Paid Political Opinion
Austin (never in) City Limits
Monroe Countys congressman Austin Scott (R-Ashburn) held
his last Town Hall with his constituents in Forsyth (at right) on
Aug. 20, 2014, which was 1,344 days ago. Scott defeated
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
his constituents in Forsyth. If you want an opportunity to let
Scott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
Kemp dawdles on county line
When Brian Kemp became secretary of state on Jan. 8, 2010, Terry Scarboroughs
survey of the Monroe-Bibb county line was on his desk. The law says it s his job
to do something with it. But Kemp, an ambitious politician who announced on
March 13, 2017 his intention to run for governor, punted. He announced on Aug.
23, 2011 that he was rejecting the Scarborough survey because he can t be sure
its the original line. Unfortunately, the law gives him no such option. So on March
10, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered him to set the line and resolve the dispute.
That was three years ago. The Reporter is devoting this space each week to
counting the number of days Kemp has been on the job, and yet not done his job.
If you want Kemp to do the job which hes sought three times before he gets a
promotion to governor, call his office at (404) 656-2817 and let them know.