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PAGE 10A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. MAY 7. 2008
—Sgt. Shaun Whitehead Remembered As Son, Husband, Father, Soldier
Cont. from Page 1A
thanked the “biological and
Army families of Staff Sgt. Shaun
Whitehead" for their attendance,
and remarked that “We have come
to grieve and to cry and also to
remember and honor — indeed,
to smile and laugh as we celebrate
the life of Shaun."
It was the chaplain’s wife, Paula
McCosh, however, who set the
tone.
'There is more than one hero
in the Whitehead family," she
stated.
McCosh added that while she
did not know Shaun, she knew
his wife, Janie Moore Whitehead,
well.
“Shaun would tell you she was
his hero," she remarked. “She
is our hero." She spoke of how
Mrs. Whitehead served others
whose husbands were in Iraq,
“with humor, encouragement and
food."
Widow’s Comments
Mrs. McCosh also read
comments prepared by Mrs.
Whitehead, who called Shaun her
“husband, a father and my best
friend." She said the 10 years of
their relationship were the “happi
est of my life."
The love that Shaun and I have
is something that only comes
around once in a lifetime," she
remarked. “I’m just so incredibly
lucky I got my chance with him."
Mrs. Whitehead’s remarks spoke
of the bond of love shared in the
family, but also to his “brothers in
arms."
“He loved all of them," she said.
“He was so proud to be fighting
alongside you, or just having a
beer with you. You guys are and
always will be part of our family.
Shaun considered himself lucky
to know you all and to be part of
something that was bigger than
all of us."
She spoke of the sadness, but
also of cherishing his memory.
“Shaun was my everything,"
she said. “I will miss him every
Army personnel carry the casket of Sgt. Shaun J. Whitehead at his funeral Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Lynn Sengupta
Band director Jack Balthazor played “Taps” where students and faculty lined Hwy. 15 to
as the hearse carrying the body of Sgt. Shaun show their support and respect.
Whitehead passed by Commerce Middle School Photo by Mark Beardsley
moment of every day. Shaun will
live on with me and our children.
He will always be remembered
for what he truly was, a hero, and
I love you."
She spoke of his pride in being a
parent, and of “the woman Janna
was becoming and the man that
Gabe will become."
Mother’s Remarks
Mrs. McCosh also read the
comments from Shaun’s mother,
Rebecca Whitehead of Maysville,
who noted that from the moment
Shaun was born “going down the
hall to the delivery room" ... “he
has had the desire to live life to
its fullest capacity, never reckless,
always respectful."
“My son was an exceptional per
son. I am so very, very fortunate
that there is not a shred of doubt
about my love for him or his love
for me," she added.
Comrade’s Words
McCosh recalled when
Whitehead and his men gave
up their Thanksgiving dinner to
members of the Iraqi army, men
“who were seeking the same thing
he was."
He compared Whitehead to the
Old Testament hero Joshua, who
also had a scouting mission and
who was one of only two of the 12
Hebrew scouts who reported that
the promised land could be taken,
in spite of the obstacles.
“Like Shaun, when others said
it couldn’t be done, he gritted his
teeth and got going," McCosh
said.
Whitehead, who had recently
been chosen a squad leader,
understood that he could not go
it alone, said McCosh, and like
Joshua, drew on God’s promise to
Joshua that “I will be with you."
“Shaun understood that leader
ship is about focusing on the
soldier. His plan was simple," said
McCosh. “Be strong and be coura
geous ... whatever comes to me I
will face."
To the family, McCosh said:
“May you take hope today in a
promise made to a scout genera
tions ago that holds today. I will
be with you."
Escorted by Patriot Guard Riders
on motorcycles, the motorcade
took Whitehead to Center Grove
Baptist Church, Pendergrass, for
interment.
Whitehead’s body had arrived
in Jackson County Friday morn
ing, escorted from Ben Epps
Field in Athens by law enforce
ment officials and veterans on
flag-draped motorcycles. At
Nicholson, citizens lined the
street, and the band from East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School played. In Commerce, the
streets were also lined with flag-
waving citizens who stood silent
ly. As the motorcade turned on
Jefferson Road, it passed students
from Commerce High School,
and in front of Commerce Middle
School students lined the highway
displaying flags and signs that
said “Thank you," as band direc
tor Jack Balthazor played “Taps."
He is survived by his widow,
Janie Moore Whitehead, son,
Gabriel “Gabe" Whitehead, and
daughter, Janna Moore, all of
Fort Campbell, KY; his mother,
Rebecca Whitehead, Maysville;
a sister, Amber Whitehead,
Maysville; and his grandfather,
Coy O’Shields, Maysville.
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IP Wants To Hike Formaldehyde Discharge
The Georgia Environmental
Protection Division (EPD) will
host a public forum to answer
questions and receive com
ments about Louisiana-Pacific
Corportion’s permit request for
its Jackson County facility.
The EPD will hold the meeting
Thursday, May 15, from 6:30-8:30
p.m., at the Nicholson Community
Center, located at 175 Lakeview
Drive, Nicholson.
Louisiana-Pacific’s facility is
located in Center.
In its air quality application,
Louisiana-Pacific requested that
the EPD amend its permit to
increase the formaldehyde emis
sion limits from the dryers and
the press. Formaldehyde is con
sidered a Hazardous Air Pollutant
(HAP) by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
Secondly, the company propos
es a decrease in the HAP limit for
some coatings used at the plant.
Thirdly, Louisiana-Pacific
requested that the EPD authorize
the use of the dryer abort stacks
by the thermal oil heater during
bypass operations.
Fourthly, the EPD is taking the
opportunity to incorporate all
applicable requirements of the
National Emission Standard for
Hazardous Air Pollutants — ply
wood and composite wood prod
ucts (aka the PCWP MACT).
The purpose of the meeting is to
present information and to answer
questions about the application,
the draft permit and the air quality
permitting review process.
EPD representatives will make
a brief presentation before hold
ing a question-and-answer (Q&A)
session. The EPD will follow that
with a public hearing to receive
formal comments regarding the
proposed permit amendment.
“We are committed to giving
Jackson, Clarke and Madison
county residents an opportunity
to give us feedback," said James
“Jac" Capp, manager of the sta
tionary source permitting pro
gram of the EPD’s air protection
branch. “We will consider all air
quality related comments prior
to making a decision whether to
recommend issuance."
Following a review of the appli
cation, the EPD issued draft Title
V Permit Amendment No. 2493-
157-0015-V-02-2, which proposes
to incorporate these changes into
the facility’s existing Title V per
mit. The EPD received the facil
ity’s original application Aug. 27,
2007. The EPD is conducting the
Title V permit process in accor
dance with Title V of the Clean
Air Act.
For information on the per
mit modification application or
review process, contact James
“Jac" Capp at 404-363-7020, or
John Yntema at 404-363-7117.
For information about the Q&A
or public hearing, contact Thomas
Smith at 404-362-2790.
County Schools See Budget Deficit
By Kerri Testement
A first look at the Jackson County
School System’s tentative 2009
budget reveals one fact: Tighter
financial times are ahead.
The Jackson County Board of
Education got its first look at the
preliminary 2009 budget during its
three-day retreat last week at Glen-
Ella Inn in Clarkesville.
One sign of tougher financial
times: An anticipated $1.9 million
deficit for the county school sys
tem.
“I know the bottom line looks
nasty, but it’s not because we
weren’t thinking," said Jeff Sanchez,
assistant superintendent of finance
and information services.
All departments in the county
school system have been asked to
trim their costs, Sanchez added.
The Jackson County School
System has more than 7,000
students and 13 schools. A new
school, Gum Springs Elementary
School, will open next school year
in West Jackson.
For 2009, the county school sys
tem expects revenue to top $92.6
million, compared to $82.3 million
in 2008.
Expenses in 2009 are expected
to hit $95.8 million — a 15 percent
increase from 2008.
The budget doesn’t include a pro
posed millage rate increase, but
does predict a five percent growth
in the tax digest. Sanchez said
Jackson County tax commissioner
Don Elrod confirmed school lead
ers’ assumptions that the tax digest
will rise by five percent.
Board chairperson Kathy
Wilbanks said she has seen other
preliminary budgets with bigger
deficits than the one proposed for
2009.
“Jeff (Sanchez) always finds some
money, but this budget will be
tight," she said.
Superintendent Shannon Adams
added that the sagging economy is
hurting the school system’s budget,
which has also seen dropping sales
tax revenue.
Personnel director Sarah Greene
said she couldn’t recommend
approval for a number of requests
to increase staff throughout the
school system amid the tighter
financial times.
“It’s hard to say yes in a year like
this," she said.
However, the board is expected
to fund a number of instructional
positions due to increasing class
sizes or other positions previously
approved by the BOE.
A new concept for the general
fund budget is an instructional
allocation system for each middle
and high school, based on student
population. Another allotment sys
tem for administration — based on
the number of administrators and
office staff — is also proposed for
each school.
In the past, schools submitted
their budget requests for individual
projects and programs before the
BOE decided to fund the requests.
Sanchez said the county school
system doesn’t have enough
money for all of the requests, but
he wanted to be fair to all of the
schools.
All-Stars are born here.
All-Stars work here.
To fans of the Atlanta Braves, catcher Brian McCann is the All-Star in the photo below, but for us at
Athens Regional, the woman behind him is the All-Star on our team. That woman is Brian's mother,
Sherry, and she's been a nurse in our Special Care/Neonatal ICU for the past 12 years. And in 1984,
Sherry gave birth to the future Major League baseball player in our hospital.
"With 30 years of nursing experience, I could work just about anywhere,” says Sherry. "But I have
chosen Athens Regional because I love the people, I love this community and I love the way everyone
at this hospital cares for each patient."
We see this same sentiment throughout Athens Regional. In fact, focus on care at all levels is the
essence of our healthcare approach.
At Athens Regional Medical Center, excellent care comes first.
Athens Regional
MEDICAL CENTER
A passion for medical excellence
Athens Regional Nurse, Sherry McCann
with her son Brian, All-Star catcher for
the Atlanta Braves (born at Athens Regional
in February of 1984).
1199 Prince Avenue • Athens, Georgia 30606 • 706-475-7000 • www.armc.org