Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 5A
Letters to the Editor
Banks Relay for Life exceeds goal
Dear Editor:
Banks County recently held our
annual Relay For Life on May 16.
Our goal was to raise $42,000 for
the American Cancer Society and
we exceeded our goal by more than
$5,000. We raised $47,527.41! We,
the committee, would like to take
this opportunity to thank everyone
for their participation in this event.
We would like to especially thank
the following groups/participants:
Mr. Thomas Gary for being our
announcer for the evening, Banks
County JR ROTC for presenting the
colors, Banks County Cub Scout
Bear Den #1, for the pledge to
the American flag, the Rev. Fred
Wilson, the Homer First Baptist
Church pastor for the invocation,
Rusty Cheek and Sparkplug, for
the sound system, Mandi Slaton,
for the superb performance of the
National Anthem, The Presley Trio,
One Choice, The Brown Family,
and The Maxwells for their singing
performances for the night, Robin
Newell for acting as our honorary
chair, Andy Paulk for the trumpet
performances of TAPS, the Rev. Bill
Ford, Homer Presbyterian Church,
for poem reading, Mr. Chris Erwin,
Mr. Tom Nicholson and the Banks
County Board of Education for the
use of the football facilities, Sheriff
Charles Chapman, Captain Darrell
Crane and Officer Josh White for
your security services for the night,
Lightning RV for the use of an
RV, Woodmen of the World for the
donation of an American Flag for
the flagpole, to all the restaurants
that donated food for the survi
vors, Windstream for the use of
generators, Waste Management for
supplying dumpsters on site, Bowen
and Sons Septic and Portable Toilet
Services for the use of porta potties,
and Bosie Griffin for the use of a
tent for our survivos.
A special thank you to all of the
team captains and team members
that participated in the walk. Thank
you to the community for support
of teams’ fundraising efforts. We
are making a difference in the fight
against cancer, we are winning, and
you are helping fight this fight.
An extra special thank you to
the survivors and their families that
attended and participated during the
night, for making the night an extra
special time.
We hope that in 2009 the Relay
For Life of Banks County will be
even bigger, with more teams, more
events, and more fun! Our hope and
prayers are that one day, we will find
a cure for cancer.
So Banks County residents, here
is your challenge, help us wipe out
cancer. Be a giver of life when
someone comes to your door, or
approaches you at the store to give
something for Relay For Life. Then
celebrate life.
Thank you Banks County for your
efforts, see you next year! If you
are interested in getting involved
with the American Cancer Society
or Relay For Life of Banks County,
please contact Katie Cullinan, ACS
staff partner, at 706-549-4893 or
Katie.Cullinan@cancer.org.
Also, explore www.cancer.org
for information regarding specific
cancers. If you have questions on
how ACS and Relay For Life can
impact your life, or help the life
of a cancer patient, please call toll
free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
1-800-227-2345.
Sincerely,
The 2008 Banks County Relay For
Life Committee
Anita Bonds
In reality, Obama
is a Christian
Dear Editor:
I’m writing in response to a letter published in the May 21 edition that
contained several undocumented statements about Barack Obama, includ
ing a statement that Senator Obama is not a Christian. How can the writer
reconcile this statement with the undisputed fact of Obama’s membership in
a United Church of Christ (UCC) congregation? The UCC is composed of a
merger of several Protestant churches, including the Congregationalists. The
pilgrims, who came to America in 1620, were Congregationalists, as were
the people who founded the town of Demorest at Piedmont College. In other
words, they’re as American as apple pie or grits.
Sincerely,
Emily B. Calhoun
Cornelia
Taking up the Governor’s
Clean Community Challenge
Thoughts on former DA, county finances and Maysville police
Dear Editor:
I have a few things that I would
like to know about things that are
going on in Jackson County. I read
a letter in the paper May 28 from
Lesie Ash and I say amen to her.
I agree that every city of Jackson
County should have a say about
what our county government is
doing. We need to stand together
on things.
I know that this goes way back,
but it still gripes me how little
punishment that Madison and his
wife got. I just don’t think we have
justice.
The editor, a while back, wrote
about them. Even if he had a failed
marriage and other problems that
did not give him the right to steal.
I don’t think that Jackson and
Barrow County should have let
them get away with it.
If I remember right, the paper
said that they did not prosecute
them because he resigned as D.A.
Well, they stole from us all. If
that had been one of us common
people, we sure would have not
got away with it. We would have
to pay all of it back then serve a
lot of time in jail for there is no
excuse for stealing. There is an old
saying, do the crime, do the time.
That should go for all no matter
how well known you are.
There are a lot of people that
have a lot of trouble, but they don’t
steal. If he could not handle his
job with all his problems, then he
should have resigned. All of the
people that paid into that victim’s
fund got cheated, too. And his
wife, she knew what was going on
and they just slapped her on the
wrist. Look what they did with that
money, took vacations and went
out to eat.
I know a lot of people that are on
fixed incomes, they can’t even go
out to eat or go on vacations. And a
lot of people that don’t make a lot
of money can’t do a lot of things.
I believe that God gives us all
enough sense to know not to steal
and they were in a job that fought
against that sort of crimes.
It is the same way with our coun-
ty finances, look where our county
commissioners go for a retreat to
have a meeting. This is an excuse
just to get away. They have that
palace that we, the taxpayers, are
to pay for from now to the end of
time.
You know, if all the citizens
would get interested in our county
government the way they did about
that puppy mill that there were let
ters about for a long time. I have
never heard of that many people
getting involved where some chil
dren were being mistreated.
I am so tired of the county com
missioners wanting more taxes for
things that we don’t need. I read in
the May 7 paper that they have $45
million for road work. Well, I have
lived on Chandler Cemetery Road
in Maysville for 40 years and it’s
still too narrow in a lot of places.
On one hill, when you go over it,
you have to get against the bank to
avoid getting hit and 95 percent of
the road is like driving on a rub-
board. They can scrape it and the
next day it is the same. We pay the
TO L B E RTM BRADFORD
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STOP Garnishments
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STOP Creditor Harassment
Chapter 13 Repayment (Pay only Filing Fees to Start)
Chapter 7 Get a Fresh Start
Free Initial Consultation
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same amount of land taxes and the
people on Hwy. 98, an all paved
road. I can’t understand why it
can’t be paved. It makes my truck
that I have not had for one year
sound like it is 30 years old.
I see where some of our county
commissioners are running for
office again and one wants to be
chairman. Well, I say let’s clean
house and get all new ones and, if
they don’t do right, kick them out.
I have one more thing I would
like to know. Can someone tell
me why the Maysville police need
five cars and a motorcycle? I don’t
know if Commerce has that many.
When Perino Boswell was police
chief he handled day and night
duty by himself and there was less
crime than there is now. Would
someone let me know about this?
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Shirley Montgomery
Maysville
Dear Editor:
Keep Our Mountains Beautiful/
Banks has taken up Governor
Perdue’s Clean Community
Challenge.
In an effort to judge the commu
nity’s feelings about litter, we are
asking any citizens who are inter
ested and have Internet service, to
go to our website and fill out a Litter
Awareness Survey. The website
address is www.ngrma.org. Once
there, click on the Banks County
page and you will find the link for
the survey located there.
For those without Internet who
would like to share their opinion,
the surveys are at the Keep Our
Mountains Beautiful display located
in the lobby of the Banks County
courthouse. Please fill one out and
leave it in the tray on the table.
Thank you for your interest, we
look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Leslie George
Executive Director
NGRMA/KOMB
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Contact Angie Gary, editor of The Banks County News, at 706-367-2490
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Local news, sports and events
Updated every week
EFFECTIVE
Re-Elect Gene Hart
Chairman • Banks County Commission
Effective in accomplishing
Banks County’s priorities:
• Increased job opportunities
• Improved water system
• Getting tax bills out on time
• Managing county departments
• Advancing Banks County’s image
Keep the Continuity of Banks County Government
Vote for GENE HART
I would appreciate your vote and the opportunity to
continue progress in Banks County serving as your
Chairman of the Banks County Board of
Commissioners.
Questions/Concerns?
Contact Information: 706-340-0825 (C)
or gene@bcrp.org
Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Gene Hart