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THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. APRIL 2, 2008 - PAGE 5A
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Doing Without Gym More
Important Than Was Represented
Editor:
After reading the March 26
issue of The Commerce News, I
feel that the coverage given to
the proposed new high school
building was a bit one-sided.
I agree that it is exciting to be
getting a new state-of-the-art
facility, however, the issue of
doing without a gym for up to
two years is a more important
one than the newspaper cover
age depicted.
Athletic opportunities are an
important part of the offerings
of a well-rounded high school;
and to ask current students
to do without a place of their
own in which to practice, have
games and matches, and partici
pate in physical education class
es is too big a sacrifice to ask.
Surely, a plan could be worked
out which allows the old gym
to remain standing during the
building phase. Perhaps, if ear
lier public input had been uti
lized, or if the Wednesday night
called meeting of the board
had been publicized in time for
people to attend, this problem
could have been resolved.
I too am very pleased that
Commerce is offering more AP
classes; I am also proud that two
students will have attended the
Governor's Honors Program in
consecutive summers. However,
I have a son who was chosen to
attend this great program in
2004, the summer before his
senior year, who chose not to
attend. He made this decision,
not because he did not realize
the academic opportunity, but
because he had a prior com
mitment as a rising senior to
his football team. I feel that
his decision to stay at home in
order to attend summer prac
tices was not an example of
putting athletics over academ
ics, but a decision that showed
character in honoring his prior
commitment.
He is now a junior in college
who has been on the honor roll
and dean's list several times,
and I am convinced that the
ethics of hard work, dedica
tion and perseverance that he
learned in his high school ath
letic endeavors have played just
as big a part in his success as
have the academic classes and
opportunities he was offered at
Commerce High.
Tracy Wilson,
Commerce
Thoughts On New School Meeting
Helping The Boys And Girls Club
The Georgia Power Company recently
donated $5,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of
Jackson County. Left to right are Chas Hardy,
Boys and Girls Club board member; Michael
Williams, executive director of the club; Michael
Maxwell, director of the Commerce campus;
Bo Braswell, local manager of Georgia Power
and chairman of the Boys and Girls Club
board; and Kathy Wilbanks, member of the
Boys and Girls Club board of directors.
Editor:
Some thoughts on the pro
posed school meeting Monday,
March 24, 2008:
The meeting touted by super
intendent Mac McCoy as the
unveiling of the new high
school we can all be proud of
was a fiasco with more spin
than the current political cam
paign. The school board who
should be the leaders in this
process, since they are the
officials whom the taxpayers
elected to not only direct the
education of our children but
to spend our tax dollars in the
most beneficial and responsible
manner, but they instead posi
tioned themselves in a corner
out of the view of some of
the audience. They should have
taken a front and center posi
tion. The move by the admin
istration to drag coach Steve
Savage in front of the audience
in hope of displaying a unified
position by everyone involved
was spineless, without class and
totally unfair to coach Savage,
who had limited input and no
vote.
This project will be the larg
est municipal building project
in Commerce for at least the
next 20 years if not the next
50 years. The school should be
designed as a multi-use facility
to be used by the entire com
munity, not as a pet project for
a few school board members
so they can get their names
put on a bronze plaque. The
board claims to have done all
they can do and to have issued
the largest bond possible. They
have made no attempt to meet
with local bankers or with City
Manager Clarence Bryant to
gain any input from this group
which has a vast amount of
financial expertise and a work
ing knowledge of bonds. They
have made no attempt to meet
with the mayor and city council
to explore the benefits of work-
Wal-Mart Helped
During The Storm
Editor:
I would like to thank Mike
and all the other employees of
Wal-Mart for being so kind and
generous during the bad storm
Saturday, March 15.
They let me bring my dogs
whom I love very much and
provided them with a kennel
to keep them safe, gave out
bottled water and kept every
one very informed of what was
going on. Thank you again.
Kim Drummond
Commerce
ing jointly to finance and build
the type facility that could
really enhance our community
culturally and economically as
well as being a premier educa
tion complex for our children.
No, this board of education and
administration prefer to act like
third graders on a playground
and not let anyone else play
with their toy.
The fund-raising project by
Commerce Public Library is a
good example of how the com
munity will rally around a city
project when there is openness
and a true desire to benefit the
entire community. The school
board could learn a lot from
this example if they will open
their eyes and minds and put
their personal agendas aside. If
they can't or won't then they
should all resign immediately
for the good of the community
and our children's education.
The presentation by the archi
tects gave no reason why the
community should embrace
this particular proposal. This
group, to my surprise, was
unprepared and unresponsive.
I assume they thought a few
computer generated render
ings of the exterior of the pro
posed building would dazzle
all the dumb bumpkins from
Commerce. There was no
scale model showing the cam
pus topography and the pre
cise placement of the proposed
building. There was a drawing
of the building placement but
it was void of any real informa
tion such as dimensions and
capacities.
When questions were asked
about other possibilities, not
once was any detailed explana
tion offered, just simply that
they had been looked at or
considered. The only question
that generated a different reac
tion was when they were asked
if they were the architects for
Lumpkin County High School.
The architect turned bright red,
answered yes and promptly
turned his back on the person
asking the question. The selec
tion process of this firm also
raises some uncomfortable feel
ings, since following their selec
tion Wayne Wilbanks decided
not to continue as construction
manager for the project, which
leaves the community without
a knowledgeable local person
looking out for our commu
nity's interest.
This project should be scraped
and the process restarted with
the openness and honesty this
project requires with all inter
ested parties represented, to
include individuals with specif
ic expertise, teachers, students
and elected officials at the table.
We are an independent school
system which gives us more
flexibility in financing our
schools. Let's be wise and use
this flexibility along with our
great community support for
our schools to give our children
the educational opportunities
they deserve and the commu
nity a useful facility we can all
be proud of.
I hope the students in atten
dance Monday night remember
this event. It was an excellent
example of how foolish you can
make yourself look when you
don't adequately prepare and
you show disdain for your audi
ence. All the fancy props in the
world cannot make up for lack
of preparation. Remember that
education, honesty and leader
ship are of utmost importance
and in short supply. Apply your
selves, take advantage of the
great opportunities you have
and stay involved in your com
munity.
Keith W. Massey
Keith Massey is a CHS gradu
ate and a former member of the
Commerce Board of Education.
He lives in Commerce.
AA Chapter Meets 5 Times Weekly
The Breezy Knob chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous meets five times
a week at 69 Central Avenue in Commerce.
Meeting times are at 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays and at 6:45 p.m. Sundays. Meetings consist of open discus
sion.
Bray Construction, Inc.
• New Homes • Remodeling • Vinyl Siding
• Masonry Work • Concrete Finishing
(706) 789-2313
Airport Moves Toward Building Hangars
By Brandon Reed
The Jackson County Airport
Authority now has more infor
mation on the preparation of
sites for new hangars at the air
port.
The authority members were
briefed at a meeting recently on
construction and design costs
for new hangar sites. The author
ity has four potential hangar
sites, including two t-hangar sites,
which are 360 feet long and 50
feet wide. The authority will pre
pare the sites, and will then lease
it to a company, which will build
a hangar. Another site would be
for smaller, individual hangars
for private purposes.
The fourth site, located on the
west side of the airport, would
be developed as a commercial-
corporate center consisting of
100 by 100 hangars. The site,
after preparation by the author
ity, would be leased to a corpora
tion, which would build its own
hangar and pay a monthly rental
amount.
“We’ve already got two poten
tial customers who have visited
with us, and made their desires
known to lease a space and build
a business," said airport man
ager Bob Stapleton. “Obviously,
that’s priority number one for us
right now, as far as hangar sites
are concerned, to try to develop
that commercial and corporate
aspect, generate that cash flow,
and bring in new tax base."
Stapleton presented to the
authority a copy of a proposed
new ground lease that would
standardize all leases at the air
port. Under the proposed lease,
an individual or company would
sign a 30-year lease. As part of
the lease, the rental rate increas
es annually, in accordance to the
Atlanta area cost price index.
“This keeps us up with infla
tion, and what the cost of liv
ing is," Stapleton said. “We’re
trying to do two things. We’re
trying to generate cash flow to
the airport. We’re also trying to
develop industry, jobs and tax
base that the county can see as
a positive aspect, and help take
some of the burden of operating
the airport off the back of the
taxpayers, and make it more self-
sufficient."
Stapleton also updated the
authority on damage incurred at
the airport during last weekend’s
storms. He said the roofing mate
rial on the airport terminal han
gar was damaged and airplanes
and automobiles were damaged
by hail during the storms.
Course Offered So You Can Get
Permit To Water Your Landscape
The Jackson County Cooperative Extension Office will offer
an Outdoor Water Use Registration Program at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 10, in the conference room at the Jackson
County Cooperative Extension Office.
The registration program is required by the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division for persons who have installed
any new plants and/or turf in their landscape. Landscapers and
homeowners who register and attend this program will be certi
fied to water their newly installed landscapes with an irrigation
system on the odd/even house number schedule set up by local
municipalities.
For information or to register, call the Jackson County
Cooperative Extension Office at 706-367-6344.
Widmark Dies
Actor Richard Widmark died
last week.
Widmark,93,portrayed “Grampa
Blakeslee" in the 1989 TV movie,
“Cold Sassy Tree," made from
Olive Ann Burns’ novel by the
same title that was set in a town
based on Commerce.
Widmark made his film debut
in 1947 as a killer in “Kiss of
Death," and later starred in more
than three dozen films, including
“Broken Lance" and “Two Rode
Together." He mostly portrayed
villains.
— How Flobbertown Came Not To Be
Cont. from Page 4A
could have heard the name
from her.
Another little-known fact is
that Olive Ann Burns seriously
considered naming her book
about Commerce/Harmony
Grove "Flobbertown Gardens."
How that almost came about
will have to wait until another
time, but according to Ms.
Burns' unpublished notes all
the Blakeslees — Rucker, Mary
Willis and Loma — were to be
Flobbers and the town named
after them.
Did Ms. Burns learn of the
campaign to name Commerce
Flobbertown? Did Mr. Geisel
and Ms. Burns correspond
on this subject? It's a strange
world, isn't it?
We Pay Top Dollar
on all gold, silver, diamonds,
paper money and sports memorabilia.
Joe Knows Coins!
706-548-1632
2830 Lexington Rd.
706-548-1632
www.thorntonsdirect.com
'recions Metals & Collectibles for Over 30 Years in the Athens Area
1
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tan ^ , KEEP AMERICA
pH BEAUTIFUL
Commerce s Only
Barber Shop
^^^■GET A HAIRCUT
Family Haircare
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1441 North
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lla Road
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ens
Bill Wood, Owner
Walk-Ins Welcome
Wood Barber Shop
581 lla Road, Lot #1, Commerce
(706) 335-5392 • Mon.-Fri. 8-6
NEWS THRIFT STORE
12 Madison Street
Look for Coke sign on building
Store Hours: Thurs. & Fri. 10 a.m. • 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Mission of Calvary Baptist Church
Donations accepted.
OH MY,
IS IT APRIL ALREADY?
If you need tax return
assistance related to:
✓'‘Economic Stimulus Payments
✓'Small Business Taxes
✓'Personal Tax Returns
Woodyard Accounting
18 S. Public Square • Jefferson, GA 30549
(888) 458-5551
By the way, it's a simple
coincidence that this article
appears the day after April
Fool's Day.
Willis Cook is a retired electri
cal engineer who was born in
New Orleans and grew up in
the Mississippi Delta. He lives
on Varner Road in Franklin
County.
DID YOU KNOW?
By Preacher Clint
DID YOU KNOW THAT
ALL OF MANKIND ARE
BORN SINNERS? (Psa. 51:5)
We are sinners not because of
what we do but becasue of what
we are. We are all descendents of
Adam and Eve and when they
disobeyed GOD and chose to
believe the lies of Satan, “you shall
not surely die” and “you shall be
as gods” their spirit died and they
plunged the whole human race
into spiritual darkness. (Gen. 3:1-
13). The reason you and I sin is
because we are sinners and we are
just doing what comes naturally.
But GOD has a remedy for sin and
that is the Blood of JESUS CHRIST
HIS SON. (Acts 4:12) JESUS was
crucified for your sins. HE DIED
FOR YOU, Will you live for HIM?
Send comments to
Clinton Sexton
116 Ashland Drive
Commerce, GA 30529