Newspaper Page Text
August 24, 2022
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
Foreign owned land
not paying taxes?
I usually write this column on Sunday night but this
time I am writing it on Monday morning. Already I
have received eight phone calls attempting to sell me
another insurance policy, change my Medicare/Med
icaid, a free analysis of my spending habits, car and home
insurance, “free” solar panels that
will lower my electric bill and will
cost $70,000 to install.
Okay, you get the idea.
Here’s the irony of every one of
those calls: I have attempted to call
back on several of the numbers al
most immediately getting the mes
sage “We are sorry that number
is not in service.” How does that
happen when I am calling back
within a minute? According
to one source of mine, AT&T
makes money on each of those
spoof calls.
I am sure as you read this, you can relate to the irksome
nature of these calls. If it is a number I do not recognize, I
answer with the following: “Blount scam investigation unit
(BSIU). Are you calling to report a scam or are you a scam
mer? What is your Federal Tax Identification number?”
The spoofers hang up as soon as I announce you have
reached the BSIU. What are some the spoofer experiences
you have had to deal with? Email me.
If you think you have been added to the spoofers’ do-
not-call list by depressing the number key, you have been
added to another spoofers calling list.
FOR OYER 40 years, I have taken pride in my com
munity, Blount. After all those years I still mow the county
and CGEMC right-of-way almost a half mile down Blount
Road. The county will sometimes mow the 30-foot county
right-of-way but EMC chooses to ignore their right-of-way
and spray “killer juice”. By the way, the CGEMC president
and public relations “expert” have not taken up my offer to
drink the water from the contaminated soil.
RUNNING TO keep his commission throne, George
Emami’s re-elect-me campaign signs for are popping up all
over his district. I really like his signs and I hope he keeps
them off county right-of-ways.
From what I hear, Commissioner Emami does have
some opposition in an attempt to capture his throne. Don’t
know him but the gloves have been taken off since his “op
ponent” works in Atlanta and sleeps in Monroe County.
I DIDN’T get an invitation, but lieutenant governor
candidate Burt Jones had a “donate to me” soiree up in
River Forest a couple of weeks ago. I am a member of the
golf club but still not invited. I sure would like to have a
personal interview with him since I was not invited to the
campaign meet and greet. My mother and dad were door
keepers in the Georgia Senate where he serves for 30-plus
years.
HERE ARE some unattributed County Commissioner
comments from their last regular meeting: “I guess my
question is..“Hear me”; “Coming from, I came from”;
“Is there a test?”; “ Using you to connect the dots”; “Edu
cate me a little bit”; “In a former life”; “I have a memory....”;
“My instincts tell me”; “You never know”; “Can I say one
thing about that?”... “Just so we are clear”.
FOR MANY years I was a subscriber to The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution and The Macon Telegraph. Both dis
continued home delivery. Funny thing, about once a week,
at least, I get a phone call from The Telegraph subscription
service urging me re-subscribe. When I tell the agent that
The Telegraph doesn’t home deliver up here, he gives me
the alternative to subscribe and get it by mail which would
be yesterday’s news today. I decline.
I do read the AJC on line and get daily delivery of The
Wall Street Journal. The WSJ is the most news-inclusive
newspaper of all the news media in my opinion. I don’t
mind if the WSJ is yesterday’s news, it keeps me totally
informed of national and international news and the busi
ness section and features sections fulfill my desire to be
“news well-rounded”
One of WSJ’s features last week was a section front page
story about car washes just like the Big Peach Carwash in
Forsyth and how the investment in auto car washes are
highly profitable for investors.
NO ANSWERS to last week’s question which was what is
the name of the new bank coming to town. Bank of Dud
ley was the answer. So here’s the question for this week:
Which unusual property owner is among those being
auctioned off by the county for unpaid taxes? First correct
answer after 12 noon on Thursday gets the certificate for a
Big Peach Carwash, Dairy Queen Blizzard, dozen Dunkin
Donuts, single dip at Scoops, slice of Shoney’s strawberry
pie, Whistle Stop fried green tomato appetizer and a slice
Jonah’s pizza.
AS WITH many citizens I am not surprised at Forsyth’s
City Council giving a developer six more months to clean
up his “Forsyth Station Senior Community” before declar
ing it blighted property on Brooklyn Avenue. The property
has been blighted for many years and finally declared
blighted.
The owner has said he intends to finish the project that
has become an eye-sore. Kudos to the former mayor and
now councilman for voting against giving the developer
more time while five other councilmen voted to give the
developer until February to “resume” work. As one citizen
after hearing the plea commented, “same song, same dance
from the developer and council over the past seven years.
What are the council, mayor and city manager afraid of?”
FOREIGN OWNED property here in Monroe County is
going to be auctioned on Sept. 6 and continuing if neces
sary on Sept. 7 if the taxes are not paid on the property
owned by The Democratic Party of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Two properties are listed owing $2,069.20 in combined
past due county taxes.
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email him at
tullaybear@bellsouth. net.
^Reporter
MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
Dove season opens next Sat.
The daily bag limit for mourning doves remains at 1 5,
where it has been since 1982. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
F or the past sev
eral weeks, Monroe
County dove hunt
ers have been anx
iously await
ing the arrival
of Saturday,
Sept. 3. This
day is special
because it is
the open day
of the 2022-23
Dove Hunting
Season.
As has been
the case since
the 2014 sea
son, Georgia
dove hunters
will enjoy a
90-day season
split into three segments.
The opening phase rims
from Sept. 3 - Oct. 9. The
second segment extends
from Nov. 19-27. The final
stage stretches all the way
from Dec. 19 through Jan.
31.
As has been the case
since 1982, the daily bag
limit on mourning doves
is 15. There is no limit on
Eurasian-collared doves.
However, it is illegal to
shoot the tiny ground
doves that occasion
ally show up in local dove
fields.
Legal shooting hours
extend from a half hour
before sunrise to sunset
every day during the
season.
In the event you harvest
a banded dove, the Bird
Banding Laboratory urges
you to report it. To report
a band, visit the Lab’s web
site at www.reportband.
gov. When you submit
a band number, include
how, when and where it
was recovered. Reports of
banded birds help wildlife
biologists monitor the
nation’s dove
population.
In appre
ciation for your
cooperation,
you will be sent
a certificate
revealing the
age and sex of
the bird as well
as informa
tion regarding
where it was
banded.
If you are
planning on
hunting doves
on the Rum Creek Wild
life Management Area,
remember the only folks
that can hunt doves Sept.
3 and 10 were selected in
a random drawing held a
few weeks ago. However,
all hunters are eligible to
hunt does on the WMA
Sept. 17,24, Nov. 19-27,
and Dec. 19-Jan. 31.
The United States Fish
and Wildlife Service has
not published the data
collected last season.
However, since the status
of mourning dove popula
tions and harvest infor
mation do not radically
change from year to year,
the report on the 2020-21
season provides us with an
insight into dove hunting
in Georgia and the rest of
the country.
During the 2020-21
season, 39,300 Georgians
spent 112,400 days hunt
ing mourning doves. This
small army of sports
men and women bagged
856,500 birds. This works
out to an average of 21.8
doves harvested during
the season per hunter. In
comparison to our sister
states (Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Florida and Alabama),
Georgia ranked first in
the total number of birds
harvested, average number
of birds bagged per hunter,
number of active hunters,
days spent hunting, and
average number of doves
harvested.
The season harvests for
our other sister states were
as follows: Alabama -
617.800, Florida - 149,300,
South Carolina - 353,700,
and Tennessee - 467,200.
If you have any questions
regarding whether or not
a dove field is baited or
would like to report a dove
hunting violation, call the
Ranger Hotline (1-800-
241-4113), or connect
electronically at Turnin-
Poachers@dnr.ga.us.
Likewise, should you
have any questions
regarding dove hunting
opportunities throughout
the state or the rules and
regulations governing the
dove hunting, consult the
2022-23 Georgia Hunting
Seasons and Regulations
Guide. This free publica
tion is available at your
local hunting license
dealer. A digital version
of the guide online is also
available online (WWW.
GOHUNTGEORGIA.
COM).
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. His book, “A Journey
to Discovery,” is available at
The Reporter. Email him at
tjwoodduck@bellsouth. net.
TERRY W. JOHNSON
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Edge: Big sign
tracks failure
of No Hope Joe
To the Editor:
A bout a year ago I put up my sign near the Cabinasss
Fire Station about how bad the Biden administration
was. It has only gotten worse.
Harry Edge
Juliette
BAN
Continued from Front
this Friday’s home opener until the
BOE can discuss. Hickman told the
Reporter that they shared the new
rules with other school systems
and they seem to be normal safety
protocols. The new rules were sug
gested after a meeting with Monroe
County deputies about crowd control
and parking for home football games,
said Hickman. But Hickman said the
new protocols would cover all school
sporting events.
Here’s a list of the proposed rules,
which still must be approved by BOE
members on Sept. 13 before taking
effect:
• No dogs except service dogs are
allowed. No other pets will be granted
entry.
• Clear bag policy: Clear plastic,
vinyl, that do not exceed 12” x 12” x
6” size are allowed. A clear gallon size
Ziploc is allowed. No other bags are
allowed. If you arrive with a bag not
meeting the clear bag policy you will
be asked to return the bag to your
vehicle before entry to the stadium is
granted.
• There will be no re-entry allowed.
Once patrons leave they will not be
allowed to enter.
• Tickets are available on the GoFan
app only and will be sold throughout
the game. Patrons arriving in the 3rd
or 4th quarter will still have to pay.
Fans are asked to have their ticket
pulled up for entry before arriving to
avoid cellular or Wifi difficulties.
• Only clear bags will be allowed
in the stadium/Gym. No large bags,
backpacks, or book bags.
• Children on the hill must be ac
companied by a parent. (Football)
• Sideline access is restricted to
coaches, players, administration, and
cheerleaders. Fans or other unauthor
ized personnel are not allowed on the
sidelines.
• Monroe County Schools reserve
the right to subject fans to hand
wands or metal detection devices for
further safety measures.
• Per GHSA Profanity, degrading
remarks, and intimidating actions
directed at officials, competitors, or
other spectators will not be tolerated,
and are grounds for removal from the
event site
Violators are subject to be removed
from any athletic contest if they do
not adhere to the policies with no
refund.
It’s not clear whether BOE members
will go along. Told about the proposal,
board member Greg Head said he
hasn’t seen it yet.
“I can’t say I agree with all the re
quests as of now,” said Head. “But I am
looking forward to hearing some of
the reasoning for them.”
It’s not the first time Monroe County
school officials have tried to bar
unsupervised kids from the grass hill
behind the north end zone at The Pitt.
Then-superintendent Anthony Pack
imposed the same rule back in 2014,
but enforcement subsided over the
years.
ON THE PORCH
Continued from Front
And that’s why our current battle for
the American soul can only be won
with spiritual weapons.
“For our struggle is not against flesh
and blood,” wrote Paul in Ms letter to
the Ephesians, “but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against
the spiritual forces of evil in the heav
enly realms.”
And it still is.
Given this truth, Paul encourages
Christians to “put on the full armor
of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done
everything, to stand. Stand firm then,
with the belt of truth buckled around
your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place, and with your
feet fitted with the readiness that
comes from the gospel of peace. In
addition to all tMs, take up the shield
of faith, with which you can extinguish
all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, wMch is the word
of God.”
And finally, says Paul, pray. Pray for
all God’s people everywhere. Pray for
our country, yes, even for HER, even
if, no especially if, it makes the com-
rnumsts at the Associated Press insane
with rage.