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PAGE 2A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 23. 2008
Guest Column
Long Quest For Citizenship Fulfilled
By Michael J.
Hinkle
On Monday,
March 17, Rigoberto
Sandoval Casteneda,
radiant with pride
and an enormous
sense of self-satisfac
tion, raised his right
hand and at the age
of 50 took the Oath
of U.S. Citizenship at
the U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration
Services Building in Rigoberto Casteneda
Thursday evenings at
the Civic Center in
Nicholson.
Sandoval later
praised the English
classes as being
instrumental in his
passing the U.S.
Citizenship Test on
his first attempt. In
fact, immediately fol
lowing his oath of
citizenship, Sandoval
pledged to dedicate
the rest of his life to
Atlanta. That same
day, Sandoval was accompanied
by 130 other men and women
from over 20 countries who par
ticipated in the oath of allegiance
ceremony after having submit
ted all the paperwork, paid the
application fees, passed the initial
interview, and passed the U.S.
Citizenship Test.
For Sandoval, like so many oth
ers that preceded him, the events
of this auspicious occasion rep
resented countless years of hard
work and sacrifice culminating
in the realization of a lifelong
dream.
Sandoval, a resident of
Commerce for the past 10
years, was born and grew up
in Zacatecas, Mexico, where
he worked on his father’s cattle
ranch. He first came to the United
States in 1974 at 16. Then, in 1980
he returned to Mexico to marry
his wife, Elva Sandoval, a lawyer
in her native country. They cou
ple returned to the United States
where they raised two children
while working a variety of mini
mum wage jobs.
Throughout the past 28 years
Mr. and Mrs. Sandoval never lost
sight of their dream of becom
ing American citizens. In 2004
they enrolled in the Lanier
Technical College Adult English
for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL) class held Tuesday and
helping other deserv
ing candidates realize their dream
of U.S. Citizenship. The couple
continues to attend English
classes in preparation for Mrs.
Sandoval’s pending first endeavor
to become a citizen of the U.S.
To become a naturalized United
States citizen, one must be 18, a
legal permanent resident for five
years, a person of good moral
character, and have a working
knowledge of the English lan
guage. Applicants must sub
mit a completed Form N-400
(Application for Naturalization)
along with $675 in application
fees. Next, the local office of
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services will process the applica
tion and contact the applicant
with an appointment date and
time for the initial interview.
This part of the process could
take six months to a year. During
the interview, an immigration offi
cer will test the applicant’s ability
to read, write, speak and com
prehend English. Most foreign-
born applicants find the inter
view extremely difficult due to
their limited English proficiency.
Applicants are given two oppor
tunities to negotiate the process
before they must resubmit their
applications and pay an addition
al $675.
Once the applicant passes the
initial interview, he or she must
take the U.S. Citizenship Test con
sisting of 10 questions on United
States history and government.
Each applicant must answer six
of 10 questions correctly to pass.
Finally, if the applicant correctly
answers six, he or she will be invit
ed to take the oath of allegiance
in a ceremony conduced by the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services. Immediately follow
ing the ceremony, the applicant
will receive an original copy
of Form N-550 (Certificate of
Naturalization) documenting his
or her U.S. citizenship
Most of us as natural born citi
zens of the U.S. take our citizen
ship status for granted. We never
had to learn another language,
submit an application form, pay
an application fee, participate in
an interview, study U.S. history
and government, and then, pass
a comprehensive examination
to earn our citizenship and the
rights guaranteed under the U.S.
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Few of us could obtain a pass
ing score on the current U.S.
Citizenship Test. Yet we are all
quick to judge and condemn the
vast majority of these “foreigners”
just because they are different
and have problems expressing
themselves adequately in English.
It is far too common to hear
native-born Americans expressing
their annoyance with foreigners
through statements like, “If those
people want to live here, they
should learn to speak English”
and “Those foreigners are taking
all of our jobs.” How soon we
Americans forget that our own
forefathers originally came to the
melting pot of the world not so
long ago with the same aspira
tions of earning their citizenship
and living the American Dream.
Thank God our forefathers
came to this country at a time
when people were more tolerant
and hospitable.
Region Roundup
Groups Ready
To Find Homes
For Rescued Dogs
Rescue groups that took in
the puppies from a kennel in
Nicholson are still waiting to find
out if they can begin adopting out
the animals.
Superior Court judge David
Motes ruled after a six-hour hear
ing Thursday that 270 puppies
taken from L&D Kennel not be
returned to the owners.
Kennel owners and opera
tors, Marie, Jennifer and Ronnie
Hughes and Brandy Stone, have
until Friday to decide whether to
appeal Motes’ ruling. They were
earlier charged with misdemean
or and federal animal cruelty
charges.
said.
The two hikers found the
remains when they were walking
along the Oconee River Friday
evening.
Work To Begin
Soon On Fire
Training Facility
Now that a construction man
ager has been hired for the new
public safety training complex,
work is expected to begin at the
site by this summer.
The Jackson County Board
of Commissioners agreed
Monday night to hire New South
Construction as the pre-construc
tion manager for the project and
to approve $20,000 for these ser
vices.
The complex, which will be
located on a 20-acre site near
the county recreation center in
Jefferson, is being funded through
special purpose local option sales
tax and bond revenue. Current
available funding is $5.4 million.
The complex will include a multi
story burn building with training
features, along with a dual pur
pose building that will house the
correctional institute fire brigade
and include classrooms for up to
165 people.
The expected completion date
is winter 2009.
NEED PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
Police Seek
Identity Of Body
Found Under Bridge
MAY 11
Mother's Day
An investigation is under
way into the identity of skeletal
remains found by hikers Saturday
near 1-85.
The remains were identified as
likely being a female and as hav
ing been at the site for some time.
Law enforcement officers believe
the woman was thrown from a
bridge over the Oconee River
near Hurricane Shoals Park.
Investigators and crime scene
personnel were on the scene most
of Saturday scouring the area
and retrieving evidence. Jackson
County investigators transported
the remains to the Georgia State
Crime Lab Monday morning for
further investigation and possible
identification.
“All we know at this point is that
the remains had been there for
some time and appear to be that
of a female,” Sheriff Stan Evans
DON’T FORGET
At
DonByramArt Handcrafted Framing we have a fresh shipment of
handcrafted pottery from Commerce Potter, Yolande Norwood;
Georgia Potters, Holly. Just Holly and Katie McFarland; along with
our normal wide selection of handblown glass and framed art.
DO IT NOW!!
WHILE THE CHOICES ARE BEST!! AND BEFORE YOU FORGET.
LIKE YOU ALMOST DID LAST YEAR!!
MAY 10
10 a.m. - 5p.m.
Art Gala
Burns-Telford House
9447 Gillsville Road, Maysville, GA
249 Pottery Factory Drive - Commerce
Behind Zaxby’s
706-336-8080
Sunday, April 27, 11 A.M. Special Soloist: Joseph Hitchcock
Sunday, 6 P.M. YOUTH FOCUS
Monday, April 28, 7 P.M.
Testimony: Coleman Whitehead,
Christian Businessman
Tuesday, April 29, 7 P.M. Ricky and Trish Hall
Wednesday, April 30, 7 P.M. Joseph Hitchcock
Pre-Service Concerts: 6:45 P.M.
Monday through Wednesday
Pre-Service Dinners: 5:45 P.M. - 6:30 P.M.
Monday through Wednesday
MADISON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
Joe Campbell
Evangelist
i
706-335-6358 • COMMERCE
www.madisonstreetchurch.org