Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 31. 2008 - PAGE 5A
Letters To The Editor
What A Difference Bill Brown Made
Editor:
Waiting for a loved one
to die brings a keen real
ization of the frailty of
life and just how helpless
and microscopic are our
abilities. In good times,
we come and go as we
please; we sit, we stand;
we work, we play. But dur
ing times of bereavement,
shortcomings are revealed
and thrust to the forefront
of our very being.
With challenged faith,
we stand in the storm
and trust that when we
dare to get out of the
boat, that we will walk
confidently and assur
edly to the one who can
calm the storm.
At times, I have felt
guilty that I, or the doc
tors, could have done
more to prevent death
from rearing its ugly face.
Then I realize how arro
gant and conceited of me
to think that I, or anyone,
could prevent death from
knocking and entering at
a time that God allows.
I am reminded of the
life my dad lived and how
many lives he touched
in his 81 years. Through
many years of failing
health, I am amazed at
how steadfast his faith
remained. As far as being
a daddy goes, he has set
the bar very high.
As some of you know,
my dad was a profes
sional photographer. For
more than 45 years, he
made wedding pictures,
portraits, school pictures,
and snapshots, just to
name a few. He told us
many years ago that he
had already surpassed
1,000,000 pictures. He
possessed a gift of making
people laugh and smile
and the ability to capture,
in each picture, a lasting
impression of a moment
of time. If a picture is
worth a thousand words,
all the volumes of World
Book encyclopedia could
not contain the number
of words he was able to
create. Each picture, in its
own way, resonated with
love and memories that
last a lifetime.
Mom has accepted the
inevitable. She has been
comforted knowing that
he is in a better place
where he no longer hurts
or needs a wheelchair.
For 55 years, they have
been inseparable. For the
past 16 years, she was
the caretaker and never
complained about the
increased responsibili
ties that she was forced
to assume. She has pulled
off a Herculean effort and
performed her duties (out
of love) with dignity and
class.
Having parents like Bill
and Molly, I am blessed.
It will take some time
to count all of my bless
ings; I will start one by
one. Our time on earth
is brief, but our contri
bution is not contingent
upon deadlines and accu
mulations. The quality of
our life is based upon the
difference we make in the
lives of others. Oh, what a
difference Dad made.
My family and I sin
cerely thank you for your
thoughts and prayers dur
ing this time. It is my
prayer that the "snap
shots" of your life dis
play warmth and create
an album of peace and
serenity. And may each
one of you one day hear
the words, "Well done
my good and faithful ser
vant."
As for my dad, that he
was.
A proud son of Bill
Brown,
Sincerely,
Brad Brown
JCCO President Reports Another Successful Year
Editor:
On behalf of the
members and board
of the Jackson County
Community Outreach
(JCCO), I wish to express
our appreciation to the
Jackson County communi
ty for their support of our
2008 community activi
ties. Without the support
of the business, govern
mental, religious, educa
tional sectors and private
citizens, the level of our
volunteer, non-profit com
munity service would not
be possible.
2008 was a very eventful
and satisfying year for the
JCCO. With your support,
we were able to award 11
scholarships, bringing our
10-year total to $59,500.
Our 2008 annual county
wide essay contest was a
tremendous success. Under
the three-year chairman
ship of Mrs. Doris Brown,
we had 1,062 students
participating, honoring 12
winners at a reception. The
JCCO endowment fund
continues to grow and we
thank all those who con
tributed this year. We also
thank those who support
ed our other fund-raisers
to support our operating
expenses.
Our 10th anniversary
annual awards banquet
Nov. 22 was a record break
er with over 300 in atten
dance. We are indebted to
Georgia Commissioner of
Community Affairs, Mike
Beatty, who served as
our keynote speaker and
delivered a very timely,
motivational, direct mes
sage to all in attendance.
Our appreciation like
wise goes out to Jackson
County Commissioner
Jody Thompson for his
welcome message and his
support. Thanks also to
Mr. Michael Williams,
Boys and Girls Club
director, and Dr. Howard
Ledford for their superb
dedicated service as mas
ter of ceremonies and
banquet honorary chair,
respectively.
Our thanks go out to the
Rev. Dr. David Bowen and
the Rev. Mitchell Appleby
for their inspirational and
devotional service and
their attendance at this
historic event. We con
gratulate all of our 2008
award honorees for their
service and devotion to
this community. Our
2008 banquet being 10
years of encouraging edu
cational excellence was
designed to inspire our
members and the entire
Jackson County commu
nity, that as we focus on
our future the support
of our education systems
is an investment in our
economic growth.
The JCCO is excited
about the work to be
done and we are exploring
future service opportuni
ties to widen our scope.
This banquet event is a
tribute to the teamwork
of our faithful and dedi
cated JCCO members to
plan and execute to make
this event a success.
And last, but not least,
the generous support of
the great majority of our
citizens enables us to use
the gross proceeds of our
banquet to award scholar
ships to deserving Jackson
County area high school
graduates each year. We
invite those who have not
contributed to our work
to do so at any time dur
ing the year. We antici
pate that, considering the
increased cost of post-
high school education
and our present economic
situation, that the need
for scholarship assistance
will be great.
We realize many of our
sponsors, supporters and
friends have been adverse
ly affected by the eco
nomic downturn and we
are grateful for those who
sacrificed and contributed
to our work according to
their ability. The value
they place on citizen vol-
unteerism and education
support is of the highest
order. Again, thank you,
Jackson County and we
look forward to 2009 with
great hope. God bless you
and God bless our United
States of America.
Sincerely,
Jim Scott
President, JCCO
— New Year’s Traditions Vary From Place To Place
Cont. from Page 4A
grapes at midnight for
good luck, one for each
month. This was so
important to them that
they would leave a party
to dash home to eat
grapes with their family
and then return to the
party. Southerners eat
Hoppin' John, but don't
ask me why. French
Canadians eat pork
pie. Some cultures put
great credence to who is
the first person to step
through the door after
midnight. He or she
should be good-looking,
well off, and single if
you are to have good
luck. And that midnight
kiss if not completed
with your lover predicts
a cold, cold relationship
for the next 12 months.
Observing all the
above traditions, and
throwing in a few more
of your own won't guar
antee a happy and pros
perous new year, but
at this point in time
and the economy, don't
tempt the fates. Eat your
Hoppin'John, grapes and
pork. Fill your pockets
with money, kiss your
lover, open the door to
a good-looking person,
and then have a Happy
New Year.
Claire Gaus is a retired
educator and volunteers in
the community in a num
ber of capacities. She lives
in Commerce.
Reduce Blood Pressure & Save Money
By Mark Beardsley
If your New Year’s resolu
tions involve healthier liv
ing and saving money, the
Jackson County Health
Department can help.
Under its SHAPP (Stroke
and Heart Attack Prevention
Program), the department
— like most health depart
ments in Georgia — offers
low cost medications to
control blood pressure and
cholesterol.
For $30, Jackson County
residents can get lab work
and a six-month supply of
the appropriate medicine.
There are no income quali
fications.
“Really, the program is
meant to be for everyone,
for anyone who qualifies,”
explains Sonya Willard,
RN.
By qualifying, she means
anyone with high blood
pressure or high choles
terol.
“You come in, we do
the screening,” says Lisa
McKinney, a health district
official. “We only carry cer
tain medications. Some of
the drugs are combination
drugs. We may not have
the combination drugs, but
we have the two drugs that
make it.”
Patients under a doctor’s
care who would like to avail
themselves of the health
department’s low-cost medi
cations, the health depart
ment will “co-manage” the
patient with the patient’s
physician.
“We have a lot of joint
managed patients, and a lot
where we are the only ser
vice provider,” McKinney
points out. “We have the
ability to see people who
have no physician whatev
er.”
Some under the care of
a doctor may be taking a
medication not available
through the health depart
ment. Patients would dis
cuss with their doctor the
possibility of accepting a
generic version of the same
medicine or another medi
cine in the same class.
Drugs used in the pro
gram include Amlodipine,
a calcium channel blocker;
Carvedilol, an alpha and
beta blocker; Doxazosin, an
alpha blocker; Guanfacine,
an a2-adrenoceptor ago
nist; Hydrochlorothiazide, a
diuretic; Lisinopril, an ACE
inhibitor; and Losartan, an
angiotensin receptor block
er. All of those medications
target hypertension (high
blood pressure).
The program also offers
Metformin, a biguanide,
used to treat Type 2 dia
betes; and Simvastatin, an
enzyme blocker used to
lower cholesterol and fats
(triglycerides) in the blood.
The service offers physi
cal exam and office visits,
lab tests, medicine, patient
education, nutrition coun
seling, treatment for uncom
plicated diabetes that does
not require insulin and regu
lar follow-up to keep condi
tions under control.
Officials point out that
one out of three adults —
two out of three over age 60
— have high blood pressure.
Of those, 60 percent are
under treatment, but most
do not have blood pressure
under control.
High blood pressure
causes stroke, heart attack,
heart failure and kidney dis
ease.
NEED
PRINTING?
CALL
706-367-5233
—Top Stories Of '08
Cont. from Page 1A
facility.
The Commerce Board
of Education announced
a cost-cutting plan: do
without a gym for one to
two years. A public outcry
arose, the school board
reached a “compromise”
under which it would build
a “practice gym” before
tearing down the current
facility and starting the
main campus construc
tion.
There was also a brief
controversy over the
school’s design — most
of which appeared cen
tered on the gym. People
Excited About Commerce
Education (PEACE) chal
lenged the design on other
fronts, but in the end, the
school board stuck to its
architect’s plan.
As of Dec. 31, the con
struction of the gym is
more than half completed.
The tentative plan is to bid
the main project late this
winter.
The delay could have
benefits. Officials believe
the poor economy will
encourage better bids as
labor and material costs
have fallen.
Number 4:
Developing Downtown
The Number 4 story,
in spite of the economy,
is the continued devel
opment of downtown
Commerce. During 2008,
both Vaughn’s Wing
Slingers and Stonewalls
BBQ opened and several
building rehabilitations
were completed. Although
a sign controversy sim
mered for weeks, the
new Walgreens Pharmacy
is slated to open in late
February.
Building rehabs took
place at Stonewalls and
Giftworks at the Joy
Shoppe on South Broad
Street, WJJC Radio, Dr.
Elaine Beck’s office and
Billy Allen’s building on
North Elm Street, the old
Wood-Johnson building
(now Sheila’s Boutique) on
North Broad Street, and at
the old Logo Express (now
State Street Boutique) on
State Street. In addition,
Subway has submitted
plans to the city to move
into the Hood Building on
North Elm Street.
Also opening in the
downtown during 2008
were My Daughters
Antiques, Simply Serene
Day Spa, Jon Milford
Allstate Insurance Agency,
Dylan Wilbanks, attorney
at law, Cherokee Industrial
Hydraulics, T-Shirt USA
and Holly Rogers Tax
Agency.
On the downside, the
Common Road Bakery
went out of business short
ly after it was sold.
Number 5:
Commerce Murder
Ranked at Number 5 is
the December murder of
Jamie Seymour, 29, for
which her husband, Marty
Seymour, 31, has been
charged.
Facing a marriage that
appeared to be on the
rocks, Seymour allegedly
fired at least four bullets
into the head of his wife,
who was sleeping on the
couch at the time in their
Arlington Lane home.
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• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pa-07/09
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
ip AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 aio
White Plains Baptist Church Pd 02/09
Faith Bible Class meets every Sunday morning
at 10:00 a.m. It is a place where strangers
become friends and friends become family.
706-367-5650
White Plains Baptist Church
3650 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson, GA 30549
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pci.ii/os
BANKS COUNTY
Ijl AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.oe/os
t§% VETERANS OF
W FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Tuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Lamar Langston, Commander
Phone 706-652-2627 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. *(706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
A UNITY LODGE
F&A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. *(706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547