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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. DECEMBER 3. 2009 — PAGE 5A
Opinions
Tips on deterring burglars
We can't be everywhere
all the time so we need your
help to try to stop as many
burglaries and thefts as we From the
can. In 2008 there were
over 370,000 burglaries and sheriff’s
thefts in Georgia and 644
of them were in Madison
County. Six hundred and
forty four is a small percent
age of the total for the state,
but when it happens to you it
can make you feel vulnerable
and violated. You work hard
for the things you have and
the last thing you want is for
a criminal to help him/herself
to your belongings.
For that reason, I have
put together some tips that
can help deter burglars from
wanting to break into your
home. When you leave your
home, make it look occu
pied. You can leave your
lights on and if you are going
to be gone for an extended
amount of time put them
on timers. You can also put
your television on a timer to
come on and go off at a cer
tain time. Keep your garage
door closed and locked, even
a small opening can allow
someone the chance to get
in your home. Don’t allow
daily deliveries of mail,
newspapers or fliers to build
up while you are away. Have
the post office hold your mail
or have someone pickup your
mail regularly. Check the
When you buy items for
Christmas gifts, keep the
^1 receipts in a safe place just
in case. They can help the
^ sheriff’s office get informa-
• tion on the items if they are
1 stolen. You should keep the
serial numbers on items you
B already own like televisions,
guns, computers, DVD play
ers, gaming systems, etc. You
could also mark them with
an engraving tool for further
identification. This will make
it easier to identify your prop
erty for law enforcement.
Protecting your home and
family from criminals is
probably one of your top pri
orities. These are just a few
tips to help you do all that
you can to protect your prop
erty. I also encourage you to
report suspicious people in
your neighborhood or at your
neighboring houses. Also, if
you are going to be out of
town during the holiday sea
son and would like security
checks for your home, you
can complete the “security
checks” form online at www.
madisoncountysheriffga.org
or stop by the office. If you
have any questions, feel free
to call me at 706-795-6202
or email me at sheriff @ madi-
sonco.us. Merry Christmas
from the Madison County
Sheriff’s Office!
Kip Thomas is sheriff of
Madison County.
By Kip Thomas
locks on your windows and
doors to make sure they are
working properly. If they are
not, replace them with work
ing ones.
Don't tempt a thief. If you
have lawn mowers, four-
wheelers, dirt bikes, etc,
store them out of sight. If
they don't see it sitting out,
they might not look for it
at your house. Always lock
your outside buildings when
you're not at home and at
night. If it takes some work
to get into, the thieves will
more than likely leave it
alone. Use curtains or blinds
on your basement or garage
windows. If they are unable
to see what you have in
these areas of your home,
they might not want to get in
there. Also, when you leave
your home, don’t leave notes
on the door that tell people
you are gone. Alarm systems
are also good deterrents and
although they do come with
a fee, it can be well worth the
added security.
Thanks to those who contributed to library
Dear Editor:
In October, the Friends
of the Library were given a
unique fund-raising oppor
tunity. A $500 donation
was made available if the
Friends could raise a match
ing amount of $500.
The appeal was made to
the public and we are truly
touched by the response. Not
only did we raise the match
ing amount, but exceeded
it by nearly $2,000! This
gives us a total of $2,500
that will go right back into
our community through new
books, DVDs, and books on
CD. With our state mate
rial budget cut to .16 per
capita ($4,480 a year), this
is an immediate increase of
56 percent: thanks to our 31
contributors. It's not too late
to send in your own dona
tion, or stop by the library.
The money will be spread
out through the year to keep
new books and materials
coming steadily.
Joining the Friends is
another great way to sup
port your library: you'll get
a monthly calendar and spe
cial preview entrance to our
book sales. Thank you to
our anonymous Athens Tech
employee who offered the
matching grant, and to our
citizens who stepped up to
the plate.
Sincerely,
Suzanne DeGrasse
Madison County Library
Branch Manager
Says Obama shows ‘double speak’ on war
Dear Editor:
Double speak:
“I will promise you this, that if we have not got
ten our troops out by the time I am President, it is
the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home.
We will bring an end to this war. You can take that
to the bank.” — Barack Obama Oct., 2007
Enough said!
Sincerely,
Drago Tesanovich
Crawford
• • • continued from page 4A
Georgians demand basic
services like roads, schools,
and clean water from their
government, but they will
also throw out of office any
elected official who votes
for a general tax increase.
Where else can you raise
the money to pay for these
services but from voluntary
pastimes like gambling?
Our political leadership is
starting to understand this,
which is why you see horse
racing being seriously dis
cussed and why you have
GOP lawmakers like Rep.
Ron Stephens of Savannah
proposing higher excise
taxes on cigarettes to raise
money for healthcare pro
grams.
Perdue will continue to
oppose these “sinful” rev
enue proposals, but the gov
ernor is approaching the end
of his term and something
needs to be done soon to
keep the state from fall
ing apart. Legislators from
Perdue’s own party may have
to tell him, “Thanks, but
no thanks,” and start doing
things they never would have
considered before to rescue
the budget. It could be the
ultimate political gamble.
Tom Crawford is the editor
of Capitol Impact's Georgia
Report, an Internet news ser
vice at www.gareport.com
that covers government and
politics in Georgia. He can
be reached at tcrawford@
capitolimpact.net.
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Climategate is worst
scandal of our generation
Dear Editor:
Climategate is the worst scan
dal of our generation. Rather
than being a shining beacon
pursuing truth amidst credible
data, it reveals instead that a
hopelessly compromised scien
tific establishment deluded the
world. Scientists who are held
in positions of trust to pursue
truth have instead misused their
position to conceal truth, and at
the expense of nations and their
own consciences.
The issues of Climategate, of
widespread manipulated infor
mation, hidden data, and cor
rupted peer-review process tran
scend individual personal ambi
tion and show how deep the cor
ruption can go when arrogant
men collude for craven purpos
es. Climategate is emblematic of
end time verses such as the ones
in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, or James
5:1 A and thus, can be used by
Christians as a marker of just
where we are in the end of days.
But how does this scandal affect
the non-believer? How can we
Christians use this information
to point to God and reveal His
works to a seeking heart?
God has initiated many ways
to reach His lost children. One
way the Lord has shown Himself
in His world is through science,
Romans 1:20 says: “For since
the creation of the world God’s
invisible qualities—his eternal
power and divine nature—have
been clearly seen, being under
stood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse."
Any sensitive heart that has seen
a delicate flower bloom, or won
dered after the mystery of a
colorful sunset, the everlasting
sweep of tides, or a butterfly’s
wing, has pondered His invis
ible attributes.
Yet Satan has done a good
job of separating us from God’s
expression through science by
deluding many into thinking
that science is God. Often we
see that science can be wrong.
Ida was hailed as the missing
link in evolutionary theory, yet
it's not even a close relative. Do
we have 10 planets in our solar
system? Or only 8? What killed
the dinosaurs? Global warm
ing? Or a comet?
Climategate strengthens the
notion that we can, and should,
question man’s conclusions,
especially in the face of evi
dence in front of us. On the one
hand, we see a ‘ ‘Global Warming
Conference postponed due to
snow” yet the scientific com
munity's response was “Global
Warming and Cold Weather Go
Hand-In-Hand.”
In many instances, science
has failed, but God has never
failed. If there is good to come
out of Climategate, it is that
questioning science is essential.
In this topsy-turvy world, we
have seen people question God
and accept science as gospel,
when it should be the other way
around. “Woe to those who call
evil good, and good evil; Who
substitute darkness for light and
light for darkness; Who substi
tute bitter for sweet and sweet
for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
Science can often be a tool
for good. Penicillin, pasteuri
zation, and cancer treatments
come to mind. Science by itself
is not bad. But when scien
tific men seek to remove God
from the equation, then any
thing can happen, and anything
did. Science and men failed us
in Climategate, but God never
does. Brethren, there is the wit
ness.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Prata
Comer
Thankful for kindness
of strangers after pet hit by car
Dear Editor:
On tire evening of Nov. 19 my
cat was hit by a car on Madison
Street in Danielsville. I did not
see this happen, but two women,
Robin King and her daughter
Whitney Hall, came up on him
after he had been hit.
They stopped to see if he
needed veterinarian help and
were willing to find that help if
they could not find owner. Even
though my pet died instantly,
these kind women got him out of
tire road and placed him on the
side. While they were doing this,
another kind woman had appar
ently stopped to halt Uaffic.
While I do not know this
woman's name, I am told she
could be the same woman who
walked over to console me.
along with Whitney and Robin,
and I regret that I didn’t ask her
name. I would like to thank these
total strangers for their compas
sion and concern for animals,
for tlreir love of animals and for
tire decency and humanity they
exhibited.
Sincerely.
Sue Chastain
Danielsville
Making scents
By Sherri Stephens
Back in the summer, I was at
a salon getting my hair done. I
noticed that the stylist was using a
product that produced a wonderful
aroma. It was a familiar smell of
cranberries and spices, but I just
couldn’t put my finger on it.
When I arrived home, my family
commented on how nice my hair
looked, but were more impressed
by the fragrance that I was giv
ing off as I wandered throughout
the house. When I told them that
it was my hair, all three children
sniffed my head and responded
by saying “MMMMMMM!
Christmas!"
That was it! The hair product
smelled just like the Christmas
room spray and candles that I
had used in our home in previ
ous years. Unfortunately, the items
that we all enjoyed had been dis
continued, so the last couple of
years I have resorted to a different
holiday fragrance. I was happy
that my children related the smell
to the event. They say the sense of
smell has a strong connection to
memories.
Just the other day. I drove past
the house that my grandparents
used to live in. One of my favor
ite memories includes sitting in
a rocking chair near the fireplace
while visiting with them. I stopped
my car, rolled down the window
in hopes that they current owner
had a fire burning. As I whiffed the
smokey air. good memories from
the past rushed through my mind.
I smiled as I drove off.
The smell of certain flowers
reminds me of Easter, smoke from
fireworks reminds me of the fun
we have in Alabama on the Fourth
of July, and the scent of certain
perfumes and foods reminds me
of different seasons, people and
places.
Over the years. I decided on
specific dates to swap out candles
and room sprays with the change
of events or seasons. The day after
Thanksgiving, I begin using the
holiday candles and sprays. I even
have a birthday cake scented can
dle and room spray that I use when
hosting birthday parties. Evidently
the family notices and connects
the scents with the memories.
I just wish that there were some
way that I could find that dis
continued fragrance that we used
and all loved so much during
Christmas time.
I guess I could stock up on
the hair product and only allow
myself to use it during the month
of December. As I walk around
the house, my hair would give
off the spicy cranberry aroma.
However, my family would agree
that it probably wouldn’t make
very much “scents" to do that!
Sherri Stephens is a columnist
for MainStreet Newspapers Inc.
LORD &QNeff
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