Newspaper Page Text
October 5, 2022
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
County trying to put
cork back on bottle?
T here is one thing I learned during my many
years working for state and federal govern
ments: common sense and practicality is very
seldom used when making decisions that will
affect their constituents. Classic
example: our commissioners
hiring an individual at $20,000
to develop and write building
and construction codes that
would establish “standards” that
would make drastic changes in
what individuals and businesses
would have to do to comply if
moving to Monroe County for
business or just wanting to
get out of Bibb and Henry
counties. / / jr^ 1 /
Yes, Monroe County is a
developers’ and contractors’
gold mine. Even county commissioners are capitalizing
on the opportunities, one a “housing” developer trying to
get in under the wire before he has to vote on restrictive
growth opportunities. There’s also a real estate seller on the
commission.
There’s an expression that it’s great when you can take
advantage of growth, but it’s a problem when growth
takes advantage of you. That is very applicable to Monroe
County. So we are experiencing unprecedented growth
and right now the commissioners are attempting to put
the cork back in the growth bottle by going to extremes to
prevent growth.
I was very chastised 50 years ago when I editorially
advocated a county wide fire department, a county water
system and zoning. We finally have a professional county
fire department, water department and a zoning office that
is constantly grappling with housing requests including
living in camping trailers and a county government cabal
wanting to not only catch-up but also to exceed what their
citizens and voters want and need. Like I said common
sense and excessive governing is missing in our county and
county seat. Hiring someone who is obviously not familiar
with what citizens want and need will empower the elected
to rule without consequence.
Growth is very obvious in Monroe County when you
read the monthly buildings permits in this newspaper. A
total of 45 building permits were issued in August includ
ing everything from pole barns, new construction and
pools.
It would be very interesting to hear the views of the
Development Authority of Monroe County Chairman,
executive director or president of the Forsyth-Monroe
County Chamber of Commerce, director of the Forsyth
Main Street as to how they feel about the commissioners
attempting to reel in and control growth. Doubt you/I will
ever hear any such public comments or opinions from any
of the three county/city leaders.
ONE POSITIVE is that our commissioners have hired a
very qualified re-placement for Junior Watts who is retiring
from the county road department after 32 years. Griffin’s
former public works director, Chris Walker, is taking over.
Notice I didn’t say, “taking Jr’s place.” He’ll have to earn that
title.
AS YOU and I read the county is interested in installing
speed bumps on some county roads. Not decided what
county roads but it is under discussion. Up here in Blount
we would really be interested in speed bumps on Blount
Road. Kudos to our sheriff for placing a speed indicator on
upper Blount Road but it has not stopped the speeding. As
one resident stated, “the unit hasn’t stopped speeding. Now
the speeders can know just how fast over the 40-mile speed
limit they are going.” Come on, sheriff, start stopping and
fining them.
I’M GOING to award two goodie certificates this week,
one to Skin Neal and the other to Chris O’Neal for an
swering last week’s The Question with the answer “multi
housing ban.” They each win a certificate at Big Peach car
wash, slice of Shoney’s strawberry pie, Whistle Stop fried
green tomato appetizer, dozen Dunkin donuts, single dip
at Scoops and a Dairy Queen Blizzard.
Here’s The Question for this week: Which animal is
causing the city of Forsyth to consider setting traps in the
country club area? First correct answer after 12 noon on
Thursday gets the goodie certificate. Email your answer to
mediadr@bellsouffi.net.
FORSYTH AND Monroe County did feel the “effects”
of Hurricane Ian as just about all of our 14 motels reached
capacity in a hurry. The good news was there were no
reports of price gouging by local motels, thank goodness.
For your information, the City of Forsyth collected
$56,492.86 in hotel/motel tax in June with the city keeping
$33,895.72 and $22,897.72 going to the Forsyth Conven
tion and Visitors Bureau to promote Forsyth as a tourist
stop and layover.
A COUPLE of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to tour
the Hubbard Black History Museum and if you haven’t
“toured” the museum you are neglecting yourself. There is
a lot of local history on display at the museum. It is located
at the William Hubbard Community complex in Forsyth
out on Culloden Road. Just wish it were more convenient
to 1-75 travelers.
Make sure you visit with Rosemary Walker who can,
with utmost respect, be called The Curator of the museum.
Here’s a secret I betcha didn’t know: Rosemary was Mary
Persons’ Homecoming Queen in 1972 and was photo fea
tured on the front page of volume one, number one issue
of this newspaper 50 years ago.
ON THE lighter side P.J. O’Rourke said this: Feeling
good about government is like looking on the bright side of
any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side,
the catastrophe is still there.
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email him at
mediadr@bellsouth. net.
^Reporter
SKUNKS
Continued from 1A
by skunks on five different occasions,
almost once a year.
“I’ve become expert in getting skunk
off our dog,” said Coleman. “Dawn
detergent and baking soda, scrub and
rinse at least three times. She gets hit in
the face or neck because the skunk will
not run from a dog, in fact usually will
rim toward the dog, turn and spray it
right in the face.”
Coleman said in the spring he saw a
mama skunk and her five offspring un
der a shipping container at the nearby
National Guard armory.
“I would be very appreciative if the
city could help us get rid of the skunks,”
said Coleman. “Maybe they can be
trapped by experts.”
Another Meadow Drive resident,
Tom Perry, said he’s seen a huddle of
skunks in his yard. His wife Libby even
captured a photo of one. But Perry said
he doesn’t go looking for them.
“I don’t want to be the one to go
knocking on the skunk’s door)’ laughed
Perry.
While skunks are the biggest nui
sance animal in the country club area,
Coleman said they have also coyotes,
foxes, deer and rabbits. He said the
neighborhood lost 9 cats to coyotes
and foxes two summers ago.
With all the critters in Forsyth, per
haps it’s no coincidence that Joel Chan
dler Harris, author of the famed “Brer
Rabbit” series, spent 3 years writing for
the Forsyth Advertiser newspaper in
the 19th century.
FIRE
Continued from 1A
Jackson said the grand
daughter was smoking on
the porch and thought the
cigarette was out when she
left to go to her job at a For
syth restaurant 15 minutes
before the fire was reported.
Jackson said there was an
ash tray, or cup holder, they
used on the porch in which
to put used cigarettes to
snuff them out.
Turner’s daughter Ash
ley Wimberly wrote on
Facebook that it’s an awful
tragedy.
“She did everything she
could to give herself the best
chance of survival,” said
Wimberly. “She wanted to
live. It was a horrific acci
dent with tragic results.”
She said her mother was
dearly loved.
“My mother was the
sweetest woman you’ve ever
met,” wrote Wimberly. “She
didn’t have a mean bone
in her body and she never
missed an opportunity to tell
you she loved you. She was a
great friend and confidante.
She will be missed greatly’’
Jackson said the victim’s
daughter, fiancee and
granddaughter all lived in
the house and would need
help. The fire department is
collecting items at Fire Sta
tion 1 headquarters at 693
Juliette Road, Forsyth, GA
from 8 a.m.-7 pm.
PRISON
Continued from 1A
down on the ground, he
claims Bothwell jumped
on his back and repeatedly
punched him in the head.
Bowen and two other golf
ers that had been playing
with them substantiated
Williamson’s claims. They
also said that after the
fight, Bothwell broke the
golf club across his thigh,
handed it back to one of his
friends and said, “wipe the
blood off and put this in
my bag.”
Maddox walked over to
the 17th green and found
an Auburn hat belonging
to Bothwell. Maddox asked
Bothwell how the hat was
ON THE PORCH
Continued from 4A
into the family as her
own. She got the Reporter
each week in the mail and
always told me how much
she enjoyed it. But she had
been in assisted living for
the past few years and had
told us many times she
was ready to go home to
be with Jesus. And so, be
ing a man, I didn’t expect
to be caught off guard by
emotion at last Monday’s
funeral.
Still, when my father-
in-law Mike Head and his
sister Jan got up to sing
one of her and Mr. Al
len’s favorite songs, “I’d
Rather Have Jesus,” the
dam broke. Mike couldn’t
even finish one verse. My
wife walked up to try to
help but it was no good.
The Kleenex boxes were
flung across all pews as
the congregation finished
the song for them, also
through tears.
It wasn’t for Mrs. Thera
that we wept. We have it
on good authority, God’s
authority, that she is hap
pier than she had ever
been. No, we wept for us.
We would have to carry on
in this dark world without
her prayers, her love, her
words of encouragement.
We are poorer for the loss.
Nevertheless, our hope
remains. Her prayers did
not die with her.
She was buried on top
(to save space) of her
husband’s grave at the
beautiful Andersonville
National Cemetery. And
then church members ca
tered a good old southern
buffet for the family back
at the church. We departed
on Monday sad for the
loss, but inspired by the
life she led.
Mother Teresa famously
said, “If you want to
change the world, go home
and love your family’
Thera Head’s life was a
vivid testimony of that
truth.
Email Will Davis,
publisher and editor of the
Reporter, atpublisher@
mymcr.net.
on the green if the fight
happened at the tee-box on
18. Bothwell, changing his
story, said it was possible
he started walking towards
Williamson and met him
halfway.
It’s not the first time Both
well has been in trouble. In
2003, he had been charged
as a prison guard with
selling crack cocaine to an
by Jason D. Jungberg
iason.iungberg@stifel.com
The Federal Reserve’s
dual mandate is askew,
with unstable prices
(elevated inflation) and
a very strong job market
(more than maximum
employment). And the
Fed has painted itself
into a corner by saying it
will continue to raise
rates aggressively and
keep rates elevated until
inflation cools and
prices stabilize, feeling
comfortable doing so
given the strong job
market. In response,
market interest rates
have risen, and stocks
have fallen further.
So, how can the Fed
can ease monetary
policy? Would this lower
interest rates and trigger
a “relief rally” in equi
ties? Let’s dig in.
IN SUMMARY: THE
FED WILL SHIFT
POLICY WHEN ITS
DUAL MANDATE IS
BALANCED
This can be accom
plished in one of two
ways:
• First, there is
evidence of much-
improved inflation - a
positive.
• Or second, tighter
economic conditions
quickly erode the strong
job market and/or push
the economy into a deep
recession - possibly a
negative.
IMPROVING
INFLATION
Wage Pressures Subside -
Wages are up 5.2% over
the last year, greatly
exceeding the annual
growth rate of wages in
the prior 10 years. More
muted wage growth will
ease inflationary
pressures.
Food/Shelter/Core Goods
Prices Ease - Prices on
inmate and threatening
him when he wouldn’t pay.
Bothwell was also accused
of assaulting some prison
ers. The charges were later
dropped and could not be
introduced in court. But
Bothwell did admit on the
stand he had been fired.
Rick Shultz of the For
syth Golf Course said at
the time that both men in
food, shelter, and core
goods are up meaning
fully over the last year. A
slowing growth rate, or
even lower prices, will
help bring inflation
down.
Supply Chain Pressures
Ease - As we see
improvements in the
supply chain, like the
availability and speedy
delivery of key compo
nents globally, inflation
should improve.
Inflation Expectations
Fall - Consumer expec
tations are well above
the Fed’s 2% inflation
target. For example, the
latest University of
Michigan survey puts
consumer inflation
expectations at 4.6%
over the next year.
Lower inflation expecta
tions will be a positive.
Inflation Cools - The Fed
will respond positively
to lower consumer price
index inflation and
other measures, like the
personal consumption
expenditures price index
published by the U.S.
Bureau of Economic
Analysis.
WEAKENING
EMPLOYMENT
Job Quits Slow - Work
ers are confident, and a
slowdown in “quits” will
be a sign of softer
employment.
Initial Jobless Claims Rise
- Initial jobless claims
have been low by
historical standards.
Higher levels will
directly increase unem
ployment.
Unemployment to Job
Openings Ratio Declines
- Currently, there are
nearly two jobs available
for every unemployed
person, so we’ll expect
to see this ratio decline
the fight had been banned
from the course for at least
six months.
District attorney Jonathan
Adams credited assistant
district attorneys Dorothy
Hull and Leslie Tilson
and Forsyth police of
ficers Kimberly Barnett
and Richard Maddox for
securing a guilty verdict in
the case.
back to the long-term
average of about 0.6.
Unemployment Above
4.4% - The Fed has
projected unemploy
ment to be 4.4% in 2023
and 2024, above the
roughly 4% unemploy
ment rate it considers
“maximum employ
ment.” The Fed may shift
policy if unemployment
rises above the expected
4.4% level.
A Troubled Economy - A
weakening employment
environment could
come with a troubled
economy, such as a deep
recession or the strong
prospect of one. We
believe the Fed will ease
its monetary policy in
such an environment.
STIFEL’S INVEST
MENT STRATEGY
VIEWS GOING
FORWARD
Since the Fed has
painted itself into a
corner by saying it will
stay aggressive, Fed
officials will watch the
dual mandate carefully
before shifting policy.
This can be accom
plished in two ways:
improving inflation or
weakening employment.
The Fed and investors
alike are monitoring
both as the Fed tries to
balance its dual
mandate.
Article provided by Jason
D. Jungberg and Michael
C. Ketterbaugh, both
Senior Vice Presidents/-
Investments with Chanin
Jungberg Ketterbaugh
McLendon Wealth
Advisory Group at Stifel,
Nicolaus & Company,
Incorporated, member
SIPC and New York
Stock Exchange, who can
be contacted in the
Macon office at (478)
743-4171.
The Federal Reserve’s
Dual Mandate Is Askew