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PAGE 4A - THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS. WEDNESDAY. TUNE 4. 2008
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Editorial Views
It Really Is Time To
Address Parking In Town
Parking is one of those perennial issues in down
town Commerce. Ever since the automobile replaced
the horse and buggy, folks have been complaining
about the lack of parking.
For the past couple of decades at least, the primary
problem with downtown parking has been mer
chants or employees who parked their vehicles in
front of their stores — or those of a neighbor — all day
long, denying parking places to potential problems.
The answer put forth has always been to enforce
two-hour parking by writing parking tickets.
That is still something of a problem, but the main
issue now is the creation of off-street parking for
employees and customers alike. The good news is
that the problem has arisen with the arrival in town
of three restaurants and the renovation or pending
renovation of other downtown buildings. All of
these developments will help bring a vitality to the
downtown not seen in 30 years.
Fortunately, the city already owns most of the land
it needs to provide parking. Foremost is the parking
lot behind the Commerce Civic Center, which serves
the civic center, the cultural center and South Broad
Street businesses — including two new restaurants.
That lot is heavily used, but it is poorly designed, ter
ribly lit and rundown to the point that many people
are reluctant to use it at night. For the two new res
taurants, the perception of safe parking is crucial.
The city is working on the matter. Its plan is to
enlarge and landscape the lot, incorporating an
unpaved area at the corner of Sycamore and Cherry
streets. The project has been on the city's "to-do"
list for years, but as Dr. Clark Hill of the Downtown
Development Authority told the city council Monday
night, now is the time to get it done lest lack of park
ing add to the challenge of operating a successful
restaurant in the downtown.
Many will remember the various needs surveys
for the downtowns, restaurants always came in at
the top of the list. With Little Italy, Stonewall's BBQ
and Vaughn's Wing Slingers Grill, Commerce now
has those restaurants. They, and other businesses in
the downtown can't succeed if their customers can't
park safely.
The city should move quickly on the South Broad
Street parking lot, but also make plans to improve or
develop lots for North Broad Street and State Street.
Downtown Commerce is drawing more people, but
that won't continue unless there is ample parking to
support new — and existing — businesses.
First Year Ends Well
For East Jackson High
East Jackson Comprehensive High School closed
out its first year just the way it started it — with
strong support from the community.
School officials were pleasantly surprised at the
school's first commencement ceremony May 23 to
find the stadium stands nearly full on the home side.
With only 109 diplomas to present, the expectations
were for a much smaller crowd.
Luckily, the school pulled off the ceremony before
the rain came in, because there would not have been
sufficient room in the gymnasium for the crowd that
turned out. It's a good problem to have, but a prob
lem nonetheless, and Principal Pat Stueck reports
that the school will plan for that contingency in all
future graduations.
Local schools in all three systems have always
enjoyed strong community support. EJCHS is one of
the newest schools in the county, but its first gradua
tion ceremony demonstrated once again that Jackson
County citizens love and support their schools.
Editorials, unless otherwise noted, are written by Mark
Beardsley. He can be reached by e-mail at mark@main-
streetnews.com.
The Commerce News
ESTABLISHED IN 1875
USPS 125-320
1672 South Broad Street
Commerce, Georgia 30529
MIKE BUFFINGTON Co-Publisher
SCOTT BUFFINGTON Co-Publisher
MARK BEARDSFEY Editor/General Manager
BRANDON REED Sports Editor
TERESA MARSHALL Office Manager
MERRILL BAGWELL Cartoonist
THE COMMERCE NEWS is the legal organ of the city
of Commerce and is published every Wednesday by
MainStreet Newspapers Inc. Periodical postage paid at
Commerce, Georgia 30529.
Subscription Rates Per Year: Jackson, Banks
and Madison counties, $19.75; State of Georgia,
$38.85; out-of-state, $44.50. Most rates dis
counted $2 for senior citizens.
POSTMASTER send address changes to THE COMMERCE
NEWS, P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, GA, 30549.
Why don’t we pack a
lunch, go down to the gas station, and
watch the prices go up?
Some Losses And Some Gains
In church last Sunday, I was
so moved by one of the hymns
that I started to cry and then
found it difficult to stop, and
I realized that I felt weighed-
down by sorrow over all that
we'd lost, here in Commerce,
in a single week.
The passing of longtime city
councilman Riley Harris was
a blow. A dignified and dis
ciplined man with a military
career under his belt, Riley
always demanded more of
himself than he did of others.
For everyone else he had com
passion, humor, and a surpass
ing gentleness; for himself he
set high standards and strove
always to meet them.
One of his daughters, Shirley,
volunteers at the library; a
son, Riley Jr., has been an out
spoken library supporter for
years, offering inspiration and
assistance with fund-raising
and programming. Both had a
father who believed that civic
duty is like breathing: it's just
something you do.
Aaron Chaney, son of another
great community-minded
Commerce family, died the
same day Riley did, making
many of us doubly sad. Aaron's
smile was like the sun coming
up, and I've crossed the street
more than once just to say
hello and catch a glimpse of
A Few
Facts, A
Lot Of
Gossip 2
BY SUSAN HARPER
that smile. One of his broth
ers, Sam, is a member of the
Library Board; another, Archie,
served with distinction on our
city council for many years.
His parents, Thelma and Archie
Sr., were extraordinary people,
and he looked after them in
their later years with great care
and kindness.
While I was still absorbing
the news of Aaron's death,
word came that Laura Chandler
had also left us. Known for her
expertise during her days as a
realtor here, Laura went on to
develop a reputation as a tour
guide beyond compare, while
still finding time for crafts and
maintaining close relationships
with her large extended family
and her many friends. I might
not have known all of that,
except that her daughter Mary
Ann worked at the library for
over five years.
Fortunately for me, last week
was also the occasion of my
mother's birthday. I was grate
ful to go and celebrate; it was
impossible to remain weighted
with grief while watching
Mother tuck into a rack of ribs
at Longhorn's, and I recalled
some sage advice I was given
here in Commerce: Enjoy every
sandwich. Or to expand that,
enjoy every minute we have
with each other on this earth.
It was Auntie Marne who said,
"Life's a banquet, and most
poor suckers are starving to
death!" Singer Joni Collins,
in her haunting song, "Both
Sides Now," said something
more nuanced and troubling:
"Something's lost and some
thing's gained / in living every
day./ I've looked at life from
both sides now / from win and
lose, / and still somehow / It's
life's illusions I recall; / I really
don't know life at all."
In one sense, we're all in that
same (life)boat. In another
sense, it's all right in front
of us. "The kingdom of God
is spread upon the earth,
and men see it not," says the
Gospel of Thomas. Be one who
sees — one on whom, in the
words of Henry James, "noth
ing is wasted."
Susan Harper is director of the
Commerce Public Library.
When Is It Time To Have Kids?
Last month I tried to use
this space to invoke a sense
of historic preservation ethic.
Remember the May 7 column I
wrote about the history of the
built environment in down
town Commerce? Don't worry,
neither does anyone else. For
some reason, I receive more
comments about the columns
I write that cover my personal
life. Maybe it's the small town
thing that I'm still trying to
get used to or maybe it's just
the fact that most people find
other peoples' personal lives
more interesting than anecdot
al rants about contemporary
society. Therefore, I decided to
let you all in on a frightening
conversation that's coming my
way — I can feel it and I need
your help!
Okay, so when does a young
couple start talking about hav
ing children? Is it when your
siblings are having babies
and they seem so happy and
excited? Is it when your par
ents start bringing it up every
chance they get? Is it when
your mother talks to your wife
about it (behind your back
nonetheless)? Is it when your
co-workers start asking you or
when your friends start teasing
you about it? Is it when you
find yourself more intrigued
by home makeover shows
than ESPN (exception — NCAA
Football) or when you're finan
cially secure enough to handle
another mouth in the house? Is
it when you stop going to con
certs Friday and Saturday night
because you're too tired from
a tough week at work, or is it
when you reach a certain age?
Is there even a right time?
I've always wanted to start
having children when I was
30. Why thirty? I guess there's
no real reason other than I
thought by then that I would
be financially secure enough to
handle it and selfless enough
to give up running, going to
concerts, and pretty much
doing whatever I wanted to do
whenever I wanted to do it.
Becca and I haven't had this
conversation yet. However, I
can feel it coming and I need
to prepare.
I've asked countless family
members, friends, co-workers,
etc. about their experiences
and have yet to find a true
consensus. I've heard people
say that you should have kids
early because then you can get
them out of the house before
you're too old to enjoy the
golden years with your spouse.
I've had friends tell me to wait
because you're too young and
can still enjoy the nightlife
without feeling guilty for leav
ing your kid at home with a
babysitter. Others tell me that
you will still be able do the
things you want to (concerts,
sporting events, running, etc).
I've had a lot of people tell me
Please Turn To Page 5A
It’s Gospel
According
To Mark
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
Yet Another
Beardsley Takes
Up Journalism
Reader Tom Richardson, who lives
in Clearwater, FL, sent me a copy
of the Clearwater edition of The St.
Petersburg Times containing a story
about the demolition of the old
Clearwater Sun building.
My father, the late James L.
Beardsley, worked for The Sun, an
afternoon six-days-a-week-paper for
39 years, most of it as its editor. After
Dad retired, it switched to a morning
paper and, losing most of its circula
tion to The Tampa Tribune and The
St. Petersburg Times, folded.
I have fond memories of the news
room of that Myrtle Avenue build
ing. Dad had one of the few offices;
reporters and proofreaders shared
one large room, and there was a
small room where the Associated
Press teletype machines brought in
news from around the world. In the
back was a section for photo engrav
ing; shards of metal lay all about
from the plate engraving machines in
an era long before offset printing, let
alone computer pagination.
Funny thing: I read only the sports,
comics and front pages. I never
looked at the editorials — until after
Dad retired and my sister sent me
some of his columns.
What I do recall is that The Sun
focused on local news. It covered
Clearwater, Dunedin and adjacent
towns, laboring in the shadow of The
Times, even then a great newspaper
but disdained by my father.
At home, we also read The Tampa
Tribune. As for The Times, my father
said of its publisher: "He's a commu
nist."
I've been at The Commerce News
for more than 33 years. Next week,
another Beardsley joins the fray.
Steven, who worked briefly for
MainStreet Newspapers before going
back to school, just got his mas
ters degree in journalism from the
best J-school in America, Columbia
University. He will be the crime
reporter for The Naples (PL) Daily
News starting next week.
I've joked that the male side of the
Beardsley family carries a genetic
flaw that leads them into journalism.
We found out from a distant relative
that my father was not the first of the
family to be so afflicted. Three prior
Beardsleys were also in the publish
ing business, so Steven becomes the
sixth in the family to take up the
cause — if you don't count my sister,
who did time as a proofreader and
wrote a music column briefly for The
Clearwater Sun.
Like me, growing up he had no
interest in being a journalist. I dis
covered after I learned to type that
I liked to write and just wound up
in the business. Steven, needing a
job after he majored in comparative
literature at UGA, took a reporting
position for The Jackson Herald and
The Banks County News and discov
ered that he liked reporting.
It must be a persistent genetic flaw.
Steven will be the best of the fam
ily journalists. He's a good writer, is
an excellent interviewer, is curious,
well-read and has wonderful train
ing from Columbia. He can also
spell, inheriting those genes from his
mother.
Steven's late grandfather must sure
ly be smiling. Not only is his grand
son continuing the family tradition,
but he's doing it in Florida.
I'm happy about that myself.
Mark Beardsley is editor of The
Commerce News. He can be reached at
mark@mainstreetnews. com.