Newspaper Page Text
July 6, 2022
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
Do Forsyth police
still beat the streets?
I ’ve been trying to remember who Forsyths Police
Chief was back in 1972. Don’t remember but do
remember the Forsyth Police Department was a
concrete block building at the corner of Highways
42 and 41 on the courthouse square. And remember
how members of the force would walk around the
square proud to be a Forsyth gendarme, often stopping
at local businesses just to walk in
with a hello.
The Reporter’s first office was
in the walk-in underneath Trio
Manufacturing, directly across
from what was then the post
office but is now a county office.
It was necessary to work late on
Monday and Tuesday nights,
getting the paper ready to go to
the printer on Monday nights
and then on Tuesday nights
addressing the papers for
postal delivery.
Every one of those late work
nights, a Forsyth Police Officer would come by just to
make sure everything was okay. A conversation with the
officer revealed that every night an officer would walk
around the square checking on the businesses to make
sure the doors were locked and nothing suspicious look
ing was going on.
I moved the office across the street from United Bank.
Again the police routine was the same on Monday and
Tuesday nights. Not only were they checking on my
business’ doors, but they were checking on all the other
businesses on the square too. But then something hap
pened. They got police cars and just started riding by
and shining their spotlight on businesses’ doors.
The reason I bring this up is because now instead
of “walking a beat”, local police officers “ride a beat”. I
recently asked six merchants on and off the square if a
local police officer or Forsyth’s Chief ever came into their
businesses just to introduce themselves to the merchant.
All six said not and five of the six could not even name
Forsyth’s Police Chief.
Several years ago, there was a state funded program
taught at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in
conjunction with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of
Police. The program had the title of COPS, community
oriented policing. The purpose was to change the image
of local policing. Long story short, COPS didn’t last long,
less than a year, because the higher ups in local commu
nity police departments ganged up on the program feel
ing COPS was not necessary and of course the funding
faded away.
It is really a shame that Forsyth’s police chief was
“called on the carpet” for the casual way he dressed and
the way he reacted with his staff. Congratulations to Jan
ice Hall, Forsyth’s City Manager, for becoming aware of
“the problems” with the chief and as Barney Fife would
say she did “nip it in the bud”.
I AM the official boiled peanut tester for Doug Justice,
the primary seller of fresh vegetables at Friday’s Farmer
Market on Jackson Street behind Persons Banking Com
pany. Doug sets the example for the other vendors with
the largest selection of fresh produce.
Down on the opposite end from Doug’s is Silo Springs
Ranch offering grass-fed Angus beef from their farm lo
cated in Culloden. Although a little bit on the expensive
side, I have enjoyed hamburger meat. But this week I’m
gonna get a couple of their rib eye steaks.
There are other vendors at the Forsyth Farmers Market
with fresh vegetables, fresh baked bread, cakes, cookies,
jellies and jams. Didn’t realize Silo Springs had oxtails.
They will be my next purchase along with the steaks.
CORRECT AND first answer to last weeks’ The
Question came from the local Chamber of Commerce
director Rebecca Stone naming Jason Morrow as the
new MP boys’ hoop coach. She receives a certificate for
a single dip from Scoops, Dairy Queen Blizzard, Whistle
Stop fried green tomato appetizer, Big Peach Carwash,
dozen Dunkin Donuts, slice of Jonah’s Pizza and a slice
of Shoney’s strawberry pie.
Here’s the question for this week: Forsyth’s city council
members, mayor and city manager, wives, girlfriends
all went on the annual summer time escape to what city
to attend the Georgia Municipal Association’s Annual
Convention.
OUR CHAMBER exec has now jumped out of an air
plane. She has a video of the plunge so join me in urging
her to post on the Chamber web site and on Facebook.
IF YOU don’t believe Monroe County is growing
just take a look at the building permits issued in May. I
counted 86 which included everything from pole barns
to porches and four pools.
And then we can read about the “criminals” that have
been busted, 45 according to my count and thankfully
not all from Monroe County with the interstates being
the most productive.
DIDN’T KNOW this until I found while perusing
the book “So Now You Know...”. “Pineapples, oranges,
lemons, watermelons and tomatoes are all berries”.
GOT A printable comment, suggestion or answer to
The Question. ? Contact Donald Jackson Daniel at tul-
laybear@bellsouth.net.
Don Daniel founded this newspaper in 1972. Email him
at mediadr@bellsouth.net.
^Reporter
EDITOR’S KID by Park Davis
Thinking about college soccer
o
ne question I get asked
often is “Why didn’t you
play college soccer?”
And I could sum all of
my answers up with, “I didn’t want
to.
Growing up, both my
sister and I played soc
cer 24/7. We both went
to Mary Persons soccer
camp every year. I went
to Mercer soccer camps.
We took every chance we
got to play in 3v3 soccer
tournaments, even if
they were out of state.
All of the events
were fun and im
proved our skill. But eventually, we
were burned out. When we played
a sport for 14 years, even loving
it greatly, spending 4 more years
completely committing to it didn’t
find
L
sound too great to either of us.
I thought about playing college
soccer for a long time. I even made
a Next College Student Athlete ac
count (I still get emails from them
every day). I just couldn’t
bring myself to commit to
it, which was sad because
soccer has shaped and built
me.
However, I have some
friends that are playing col
lege sports, and I’m excited
for them. I’m impressed
by them for having the
energy and love to keep
playing. College sports
just wasn’t for me, and
I’m 110% okay with that.
A graduate ofFPD heading to the
University of Georgia in August,
Park Davis of Forsyth is the summer
intern for the Reporter.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Encinas can nominate athletes
To the Editor:
n response to Jimmy Encinas’
letter in the June 29th
edition of The Re
porter, I wound like
to enlighten him regard
ing his obvious miscon
ceptions.
The Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of
Fame has bylaws that
specifically outline the
criteria for induction into
the Hall of Fame. A nomi
nee can be considered
for induction based on his or her
success in a variety of sports-related
activities including coaching, media,
and community service. A nominee
can be selected to the hall of fame
without being a great “athelete” as
Mr. Encinas wrongly assumes.
The nomination and selection
process of our local hall
of fame mirrors those of
several other local, state,
and national sports halls of
fame. I know this because
I have been personally
involved with several of
these other organizations.
In fact, we have an “open”
nomination process that
allows anyone to submit
a nomination for the hall
of fame. Mr. Encinas is
free to submit a nomination for any
“athelete” he thinks is worthy and
the board will give the nominee
full consideration. The nomination
forms are available on the hall of
fame website www.forsyth-monro-
ecountysportshalloffame.com. We
welcome all nominations.
On behalf of the Hall of Fame
Board of Directors, I would like to
congratulate all of our Hall of Fame
inductees. And we appreciate the
great support the community has
shown our organization since it
was created over 5 years ago. And I
would like to thank my fellow board
members who work diligently to
ensure that deserving individuals are
inducted into the Forsyth-Monroe
County Sports Hall of Fame.
Jim Hardin
Macon
Jim Hardin is a member of the
board of directors of the Forsyth-
Monroe County Sports Hall of Fame.
Hardin
Likes city better than City Hall
To the Editor:
oncerning the article in the
June 29 Reporter, “Police
chief loses newer
Tahoe, must dress
better,” my wife Carla and I
both agree that police chief
Eddie Harris wears his Bat
tle Dress Uniform (BDU)
well. He is in a command
position, and is highly
visible and easily recog
nized in the community.
His patrol staff should be
required to wear regulation
uniforms with badges, have
personal business cards, and drive
marked vehicles. They are on the
front lines to meet and deal with the
public. They should be recognizable
as “real” law enforcement officers.
Our police department does a great
service to the community, and risks
their lives every day for our safety.
How many readers have the nerve to
walk up to a car along the interstate
at 2 a.m„ or walk into a domestic
violence situation? I am sure that
there are internal problems to be
addressed within the department.
Everyone that I have had
contact with within the
department have always
been courteous and help
ful. It is apparent that the
Police Department needs
more funding for equip
ment and vehicles to op
erate more efficiently. The
approximately $70,000
spent on the scrap iron
pile in front of City Hall,
and “the cross walk to
nowhere”, could have been allocated
to help fund the police department.
Thank you personnel at the Forsyth
Police Department and Monroe
County Sheriff’s Department for
your service.
I am a strong supporter of the city
of Forsyth. The government, the
Mayor, city council and Police de
partment are all dedicated individu
als who deserve more appreciation.
We moved here four years ago.
First stop was building/zoning
department as we were planning
construction. We were told new
construction had to meet require
ments to “blend” with with the “city
landscape”. My question is what
happened? A new city hall was
constructed that resembles an aban
doned Motel 6 with “costly wasted
space”. A single story building with
efficient usable space would be more
appropriate. Now plans are to add
a “scrap iron sculpture” with a light
from some artist with delusions of
grandeur at a cost upwards of twenty
three thousand dollars. BUT, like
Motel 6 the city will leave the light
on for us. This is a blatant waste of
taxpayer funds. A better project
would to be to repair the street at the
golf course which carries a high vol
ume of traffic and provides revenue.
Edd Hart
Forsyth
HART
Scherer, annual
megawatthours
A DOWNLOAD
This graph from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows how Plant Scherer s us
age plunged as the price of natural gas fell in 201 8, and only slightly recovered in 2021.
RULING
Continued from Front
Monroe County stands to lose its
biggest taxpayer and private employ
er if Plant Scherer closes. Already
two of the plant’s four units have
been closed. Georgia Power, which
manages the plant and is a part own
er, has submitted plans to the state
EPD to possibly phase out the entire
plant depending on the economics.
As natural gas prices have dropped
in recent years, Georgia Power has
replaced some of its coal with natural
gas. But now that is changing as natural gas prices have
surged.
Gattie said nations around the world, most notably
Germany, are scrambling to reverse plans to shutter coal
plants. Gattie said countries are realizing that coal plants
contribute less than 2 percent of the emissions which
cause climate change and yet are more reliable.
“We might want to be a little cautious about shutting
coal plants too early if it’s due to climate change,” said
Gattie.
Gattie said he looks at coal as a national security is
sue to make sure the U.S. has reliable energy 10,20 or
30 years in the future. “Diversity (of energy sources) is
critical,” said Gattie. “We thought natural gas prices were
gonna stay low. Now we see that’s not gonna be the case.”
Gattie acknowledged that Georgia Power and other
power companies are in a tight spot due to public pres
sure against coal plants. But he said they also have to
consider what will give them assurances of an affordable
and reliable power source in the future.
“Georgia Power is probably as good as anyone in the
country at keeping it as balanced as they can,” said Gattie.
“But they’re in a tough spot.”