Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 21,2019 - PAGE 5A
Opinions
Bridges
continued from 4A
will be target states for
Bloomberg since so many
delegates are at stake.
It is estimated by that
point many candidates will
be out of the race or either
out of money. Bloomberg,
meanwhile, would have the
funds to be on the airwaves
constantly in the later states.
LEAVING THE RACE
Since we last updated
candidates leaving the pres
idential race, two more have
closed up shop.
Beto O'Rourke exited
the Democratic field while
Mark Sanford ended his
brief campaign in the Re
publican primary. O’Ro
urke made an initial splash
in the crowded field but it is
tough to break out in a field
which had well more than
20 candidates at one time.
On one hand, I have al
ways found it odd that pres
idential candidates leave
the race before one vote has
been cast. However, some
political observers noted
that candidates don't want
to earn only 1 or 2 percent
in a caucus or primary.
Sanford, meanwhile, was
facing even longer odds
than O'Rourke mainly be
cause many Republican
Party leaders don’t want
President Trump having
any primary opposition.
Sanford is a former gover
nor of South Carolina, but
even in that state GOP of
ficials decided to cancel the
primary.
Sanford was focusing
on New Hampshire and
planned to spend the next
month campaigning there
but he saw the writing on
the wall and suspended his
bid last week. In a national
GOP poll, he was at 3 per
cent.
President Trump does
still have two legitimate
primary challengers in for
mer Massachusetts gover
nor Bill Weld (who was the
Libertarian vice-presiden
tial candidate in 2016) and
former Illinois congress
man Joe Walsh.
Sanford said with so
much attention on the im
peachment hearings, it was
not feasible to gain any kind
of momentum in his cam
paign.
Winder resident Chris
Bridges is a former editor
of the Barrow News-Jour
nal. He can be reached at
pchrisbridges@ gmail. com.
Local services
PROJECT LIFESAVER
The Pilot Club of Madison County and the
Madison County Sheriffs Department offer
a 24/7 monitoring system (bracelet) for in
dividuals suffering from brain disorders and
who may have the potential to wander away
from caregivers. For more information on
the Project Lifesaver Program, contact Linda
Freeman at 706-335-3814 or Betty Sartain at
706-795-2047.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Mondays
and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Colbert Bap
tist Church annex and Fridays at 7 p.m. at the
Danielsville United Methodist Church annex.
NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS
Narcotics Anonymous meets at 7 p.m.
Monday at the Danielsville Methodist Church
annex.
TOUCHDOWN CLUB
The Madison County High School Touch
down Club meets the first Tuesday of each
month at 7 p.m. in the high school film room
across from the weight room. The club meets
every week during football season. The foot
ball program’s website can be accessed at re-
draideifootball.wixsite.com/mchs
MART
The Madison Area Resource Team
(M.A.R.T)/Family Connection meets the
fourth Tuesday of each month at the old Dan
ielsville courthouse at 8 a.m. Call 795-3565
for more information.
MASONIC LODGE
information, call 706-795-2669.
4-STAKES HORSESHOES
Four-Stakes Horseshoes pitches every
Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The league is handi
capped to give all pitchers an equal chance.
All ages and skill levels are welcome. Call
706-207-9831 for more information.
ABATE OF GEORGIA
ABATE of Georgia, Inc. DisUict 5 North
"Your motorcycle rights organization” is now
meeting at Cycle World of Athens, 4225 At
lanta Hwy. on the third Tuesday of the month
at 7 p.m. in the customer lounge. For more
information, call Allen Kennedy at 770-231-
4824 or email abatega5north@gmail.com All
motorcyclists are welcome,
BROTHERS OF
THE THIRD WHEEL
Brothers of the 3rd Wheel meets the sec
ond Sunday of each month at the T/A Truck
Stop in Commerce on Hwy. 441. For more
information, call Cam McCallister at 706-
540-4950.
MADISON COUNTY BEEKEEPERS
The Madison County Beekeepers Associa
tion meets the third Monday of each month at
6 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church, 2411 Hwy.
29 North, Danielsville, The group held its first
meeting January 2018. Organizers say visitors
are welcome to attend. For more information,
go to madisoncountybeekeepers.com or call
706-255-2412.
MADISON COUNTY
NEEDLECRAFTERS
Purcell
continued from 4A
and bean casserole splat
tered all over her turtleneck.
Every food fight in history
has concluded with cama
raderie and laughter. This
one will help us remember
we’re all just human beings
trying to muddle through
our increasingly complex
world — and that we must
treat those with whom we
disagree more fairly.
Hopefully, once we come
to our senses, we can have
a meaningful discussion
about solving our problems
— the types of meaningful
discussions we are all hun
gry to have again.
Tom Purcell, author of
“Misadventures of a 1970's
Childhood,” a humorous
memoir available at am
azon, com, is a Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review humor
columnist and is nationally
syndicated exclusively by
Cagle Cartoons Inc. Send
comments to Tom at Tom@
TomPurcell.com.
We can work together to protect
ourselves from GRP
Dear Editor:
I have something import
ant to say to every one living
in Madison County and the
surrounding area.
If we all work together
we can bring about need
ed changes in the way the
Georgia Renewable Power
(GRP) plant operates. These
changes are necessary to
protect the quality of all our
lives. One person asking for
change is easy to ignore. In
fact, if even twenty people
ask for change it’s easy to
ignore. If we could increase
these numbers to 100,200 or
500, we would have a voice
that could not be ignored.
Once heard, our collective
voice could bring about
changes at GRP.
Here is why change is
needed. Through a campaign
of misinformation and dis
torted facts, the GRP plant
was built under a smoke
screen that left the public
out of the loop about GRP’s
real intentions. In 2017, GRP
told local leaders the facili
ties would have no emissions
other than steam and that
no treated wood would be
burned. We were told they’d
only be burning things like
the cut off two by fours from
home construction, that they
will only be releasing wa
ter vapor that will disperse
within 300 feet of the plant.
My personal favorite is that
they have no plans to use
the railroad track spur that
ends at the plant. GRP has
gone from the "promised”
clean biomass-buming elec-
tricity-producing facility to
an industrial size hazardous
materials incinerator. I think
generating electricity was
just a cover that now allows
GRP to dispose of toxic
railroad ties as "fuel.” Who
knows what fuel they’ll be
burning next.
In 2013, the EPA deter
mined that railroad ties were
too dangerous to the environ
ment to bum in boilers. The
process was banned. Under
pressure from lobbyists for
the wood industry, this ban
was changed in 2016. The
change allowed ties to be
burned if the boilers being
used had the right equip
ment installed. These chang
es went into effect in 2018.
GRP immediately applied
for and received a change
to their original operating
permit. This change allowed
them to start burning railroad
ties as a fuel. Seems they had
already installed the right
kind of boiler when they
designed the plant. Just a co
incidence? The railroad ties
are now arriving at the plant
by train in rapid succession.
Just last week I saw 29 train
cars full of railroad ties be
ing delivered to the plant and
the next day, 15 more. Many
more are sitting at the rail
yard in Athens waiting to be
delivered to the GRP plant?
How convenient the railroad
hack spur that they had no
plan to use, turned out to be.
Just another coincidence?
The GRP smoke screen
of producing clean energy is
dealing. Now we have real
Local leaders sound like GRP spokesmen
Dear Editor:
Instead of going to the
mat to protect health and
safety, Frank Ginn and
John Scarborough are of
fering tours of the Georgia
Renewable Power plant.
They sound more like paid
spokesmen for GRP than
public servants.
Why is no elected official
forcing GRP to honor its
agreement? They promised
to bum clean biomass, not
railroad ties.
The worst part of this
whole sorry mess is that in
exchange for soot, racket
and potentially cancer caus
ing emissions, my property
taxes did not go down one
penny. They went up.
The swamp that needs
smoke. I know this because I
can see it every day. It is not
water vapor. It’s a mixture of
toxic chemicals that is pol
luting our air and may even
tually pollute our ground
and water too. We must not
accept this as just another
coincidence. These are just
a few of the many issues
that we need to address with
GRP. We will all be adverse
ly affected if GRP is allowed
to continue its current opera
tions. With your help, change
can happen.
A meeting for the public
to learn more about health
risks associated with the
GRP plant has been set up
by your fellow concerned
neighbors. The meeting will
be held Dec. 5, 2019 from 7
to 8:30 p.m. at the Madison
County High School caf
eteria. A question-and-an-
swer session will follow the
presentation. Information
on what you can do will be
available. Please plan to at
tend.
We are calling our group
the Clean Power Coalition.
You can read about the group
and the dangers at GRP on
our Facebook page, Madison
Clean Power Coalition. Be
come part of the effort to get
GRP to produce clean en
ergy and stop poisoning us.
Just because GRP can bum
hazardous materials doesn’t
mean they should or that
we should let them.
Sincerely,
Drago Tesanovich
Clean Power Coalition
dragojoe@msn.com
draining is under our noses.
Anybody but Scarborough.
Anybody but Ginn.
Sincerely.
Harriet Jenkins Gray
John H. Jones Masonic Lodge #348 holds
its monthly meeting every third Thursday at
8 p.m. preceded by a meal at 7 p.m.
TOPS MEETING
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) of Ha
meets each Tuesday at Mt. Hermon Presby
terian Church in Ila. Weigh-in is at 5:15 p.m.
followed by the meeting at 5:45 p.m. For
more information, call Mary Ann Bonds at
706-789-2869.
MCHS BAND BOOSTER CLUB
MCHS Band Booster Club meets every
third Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the high school
band room. Band parents are invited and en
couraged to attend.
GAMBLER’S ANONYMOUS
Gambler’s Anonymous meets every Mon
day night at 7:30 p.m. at Living Word Baptist
Church. For more information, call (404) 237-
7281.
AMERICAN LEGION
The American Legion Post #39 of Daniels
ville meets the last Thursday of the month at
7 p.m. All veterans are welcome. For more
Madison County Needlecrafters meet ev
ery Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. for crocheting,
cross-stitch, knitting, tatting, etc. in an atmo
sphere of relaxing fellowship, members said.
Bring your current handwork project and drop
in. Call 404-713-4027 for more information.
NATIONAL LADIES
HOMESTEAD GATHERING
The National Ladies Homestead Gathering
exists to provide a welcoming environment,
where women can share new ideas, celebrate
victories, address challenges and cultivate
community with like-minded women. The
group meets the first Thursday of each month
at 6:30 p.m., at the Jackson EMC building off
of Hwy. 29.
BEE CLUB
The Oglethorpe County Bee Club meets
the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the
Oglethorpe County Farm Bureau on Hwy. 78
in Crawford. Visitors are welcome. For more
information, visit ocbeeclub.com.
To have an event listed in on-going ser
vices. call Margie Richards at 800-795-2581.
Operation Watchful Eye keeps
tabs track of sex offenders
Forty sex offenders were
arrested and 147 warrants
issued across the state from
Oct. 25 - Nov. 1, 2019 for
violations of state registra
tion laws thanks to an initia
tive by Georgia sheriffs.
In 2015, the first coordi
nated effort across the state
was launched to conduct
residence verifications and
compliance checks of regis
tered sex offenders during a
specific time period. The co
ordinated initiative became
known as Operation Watch
ful Eye.
"Due to the overwhelm
ing success of the original
initiative, Georgia’s sheriffs
have made this an annual
operation and recently con
ducted Operation Watchful
Eye IV,” officials said.
The office of sheriff is
mandated by law to reg
ister sex offenders and to
keep the public informed
of where registered sex of
fenders reside, work and
attend school. Throughout
the year, each sheriff’s office
verifies addresses provided
by registered sex offenders.
While conducting residence
verifications, deputies also
assure additional registration
requirements are being ad
hered to.
The purpose of this state
wide effort is to create
awareness that sheriffs’ of
fices work collectively, net
work, and actively engage
their office by participating
in statewide verification
checks and other non-com-
pliant matters in order to
make the state safer. In nu
merous counties, deputy
sheriffs, U.S. Marshals, U.S.
Probation officers and De
partment of Community Su
pervision probation/parole
officers worked together to
verify sex offenders comply
with the law.
“Preliminary reporting
by 77 sheriff’s offices re
veals 9,178 registered sex
offenders, 240 predators and
123 homeless sex offenders
are currently living in their
counties,” officials said.
During the seven-day op
eration, 7,535 residence ver
ifications were conducted,
96 new sex offenders moved
into the reporting counties,
18 new warrants were issued
for violations of the sex of
fender registry law, 13 war
rants were issued for new
sex offenses, 48 warrants
were issued for residency
violations of the sex offend
er registry and 28 warrants
were issued for other miscel
laneous new charges. More
importantly, it was discov
ered that 190 sex offenders
had absconded from their
last known address, which
will require the sheriff to
work with other supporting
agencies and track these in
dividuals down.
Visit the local sheriff's
office website at madison-
counfysheriffga.org or visit
the http://gbi.georgia.gov/
georgia-sex-offender-regis-
try for more information on
the whereabouts of regis
tered sex offenders in your
community.
LESLIE SPORNBERGER JONES, LLC
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Northeast Georgia's
Strong, Strategic, and Skilled Defense.
Criminal, DUI, Traffic, Commercial Drivers,
and
Professional Licensing. Trials and Appeals.
Phone: (706) 224-0321
www.lesliejoneslaw.com
Fun By The Numbers
Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This
mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from
the moment you square off, so sharpen your pen
cil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!
Here’s How It Works:
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, bro
ken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudo
ku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row,
column and box. Each number can appear only
once in each row, column and box. You can figure
out the order in which the numbers will appear by
using the numeric clues already provided in the
boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it
gets to solve the puzzle!
4
5
9
2
8
6
3
2
4
6
8
7
4
8
3
6
4
6
9
8
7
1
3
1
2
3
5
9
3
4
1
5