Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JANUARY 2, 2020 - PAGE 5A Opinions Why should we suffer for others’ riches? Dear Editor: My wife and I moved to our 65-acre tract of land located on the Zetta Lee Johnson Road and HV Chandler Road in 1986. The Georgia Renewable Power (GRP) plant is lit erally in our backyard, six- tenths of a mile from GRP. We were here before Par- allam. MacMillan Bloedel, Trusjoist, GRP and now biomass. We have had to put up with all this and why. We later sold some of our land and now have 47 acres. We worked hard and have done without to pay for this land while rais ing our children and taking what life has thrown at us. But we are happy with our land. My family and I are life-long citizens of Madi son County. We choose to stay here for a reason; that reason is Governments are already suspecting Russia of fielding assassination teams targeting people who are in public dis agreement with the Russian government. There is no reason not to believe such a team would strike here in America, eliminating dissi dents who have found sanc tuary on American soil. Such a strike would create fear in smaller eastern countries that border Russia. called the country. We are a rural region not a town or city with factories and such. But it goes much deeper than that. I can’t describe all that the coun tryside God created has to offer. It is enormous. We purchased our land so that we could have a small farm if we wanted, go walking through the woods, deer hunt, sit on the front porch, eat a peaceful and quiet breakfast on the backporch, have a garden. Oh, did I say have a gar den? I have grown sweet potatoes and had a garden for over 30 years. With all the threats of runoff and the air pollution I am hav ing second thoughts about having a garden anymore. I irrigate from the stream near my garden spot. Now we are afraid of the water. We have a dog and cats that have to Putin would like nothing more than to rebuild the old Soviet empire. We will have to deal in some way with the Mexican drug cartels. They are de stroying the American life style and culture at a tremen dous cost. The big pharmaceutical companies are taking money from everyone’s pocket with soaring drug costs. Medical facilities and medical prac- hear and breathe the pollu tion from GRP. Can anyone give me a legitimate reason why we should give up our lifestyle? Why should this neighbor hood have to go through the battle that they are now going through? Why should there have to be a coalition group formed to fight for our health? Why should I have to turn up my television so I can hear it over the plant? Why should I be awakened in the middle of the night by the plant? Why should I have to listen to this plant at all? I have heard that it will be quiet. “Quiet,” accord ing to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is “enjoyed in peace and relaxation” and “free from noise or uproar.” I have yet to experience qui et from GRP. I don’t care how quiet it may get or be I do not want to hear it at all. When I turn off my lights at night, I still have lights in my back door from GRP. When I walk out my back door I hear and see GRP. Why should I have to step aside because of some one’s “gung ho” idea that this is good for our coun ty? What is my biggest ex pense when I pay property taxes? School. Is this the reason someone thought GRP would be good that it would bring in more mon ey? I find it hard to believe that we needed that plant for tax money. Look at all the subdivisions in this coun ty. Look at all the chicken houses in this county. Do they not pay taxes? Does anyone get my point? If I wanted to sell my property, who would buy it? It will be a cold day in hell before we should be made to step aside and let industy who witness the same event are going to have differences in their version of what took place. Controversy involving Eastwood’s films are noth ing new and that goes for ones he has starred in and ones he has directed. East- wood, who is almost 90 years old, received criti cism for his films “Ameri can Sniper” and “J. Edgar.” His well-remembered Dirty Harry series of movies were not well received in some circles and the same can be said for his westerns, often deemed too violent. take the place of what we have all worked hard to pay for. We will not give up our Country living because someone has a “gung ho” idea that made someone a little richer. This “gung ho” idea is at our (the residents surrounding GRP) expense. If this county must have in dustry to survive, then get off somewhere away from us and do it. I may have said some things that others may not understand. Well, let a plant such as GRP be planted in your backyard and see what you think. I may not have said everything but hopefully I have made my point. GRP is another headache to deal with when we all could be doing something more pro ductive. Sincerely. Ted Fowler Colbert Richard Jewell was a hero. That fact did eventu ally to come to light but it was at a large price for him. In fact it was really the ulti mate price he paid. Make no mistake that East- wood could care less about those who criticized his latest film. He wanted to put a he ro’s light on Richard Jewell and from all indications he accomplished that. It’s just too bad he was not still here to see it. Chris Bridges is a colum nist for MainStreet Newspa pers Inc. He can be reached atpchrisbridges@gmail.com. Bridges contributed to his early death. Jewell, to his credit, re built his life the best he could. He worked to get himself in better physical shape and worked for a time for the Jefferson Police De partment. Still his life was never the same. The money he did win in his lawsuits (estimated to be around $2 million total) clearly did not make up for what he had been through. This story has always bothered me. As a member of the media I understand how getting something continued from 4A wrong can impact some one’s life. And while the AJC never said Jewell “did it” the details of his personal life were splashed for all too read. A man who was in re ality a hero was portrayed as a pathetic loner who would do anything to live out a fan tasy of being a cop. The media can play a big role in shaping opinion on someone. It’s not just the Jewell case. Once a person forms an opinion it typically does not change despite fu ture developments. Eastwood’s movie drew criticism for implying that the AJC reporter who broke the story got her informa tion in exchange for several favors. The reporter, who has also died, was strongly defended by her colleagues and editors who said she would never do that sort of thing. The AJC wanted the mov ie distributor to put a dis claimer at the beginning of the him but it was not done. It should be noted that any him based on actual events is going to have some parts that are hctionalized. No him can be 100 percent ac curate because even people Terrell continued from 4A tices are enjoying record payments for medical pro cedures and tests that cost much less in other countries. Other medical health costs and insurance rates are un real and literally draining the pockets of hard working Americans trying to raise families. We must resolve the legal issues surrounding the Fed eral Bureau of Investigation and the abuse of the federal Foreign Intelligence Service Act (FISA), as well as the Hillary Clinton violations of federal law concerning her emails and illegal servers. Unfortunately, it is hard to believe we will get much of anything done in 2020. The best we can expect is Con gress will continue to collect their checks and travel fees. Finally, we can expect the Democratic Party to contin ue to try to change the face and heart of America while our poor and sick continue to suffer and those on the international scene will be emboldened to do all of us harm. It’s not a very pretty pic ture. Jimmy Terrell is retired from a career in law en forcement and is a Winder city councilman. He can be reached at ejterrell65@ gmail.com. Bridgeman continued from 4A Elected officials take all sorts of oaths, presidents and members of Congress among them. They should pay attention to the content of those oaths - things such as upholding the Constitu tion. Those are not simply words. They should be recognized and honored, not trashed and ignored as Trump has done. Trump’s lies and actions make him unfit for office - from president to dogcatch- er. I apologize to dogcatcher and other presidents. The differences he exhib its are what endears him to supporters - he makes peo ple like me furious. I have been a moderate all of my adult life and my political heroes - Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Howard Baker and Sam Nunn have been in that line. Trump has changed me. I have become a Nev er Trumper. I will vote in November 2020 for any creature but him. My dog, Doodle, is smarter and more civilized than our president. I would vote for her. Ron Bridgeman is a re porter for MainStreet News papers. Send him email to ron @ mainstreetnews. com. Leaders should have listened to the citizens Dear Editor: (In response to the Dec. 26 article, “RICO case alleges owners misrep resented power plants to investors.”) Had the coun ty commissioners, along with state and federal of ficials, listened to their constituents' opposition in installation of this plant, we wouldn't have this and other nonresident busi ness owners in the county wreaking so much havoc. With the power plant ruining the air and down stream well water sources, and poultry waste dumping into the ground, our county is literally becoming one big pile of manure. And people are worried about cow poop gases? Sincerely, Christine Brown Arson hotline offered in Georgia The office of the Insur ance and fire commissioner reminds Georgians that the state has a toll-free arson hotline, 1-800-282-5804, sponsored by the office and the Georgia Arson Control Program. Callers to the hotline will be eligible for rewards of up to $10,000 if they pro vide information leading to the arrest and convic tion of an arsonist. Callers and reward recipients may choose to remain anony mous. “We want to remind Georgians of this incentive to report any information they may have about a sus picious fire,” said officials. “In many cases, investiga tors rely on evidence pro vided by witnesses to con vict an arsonist.” For the best buys, read The Journal classifieds Local services PROJECT LIFESAVER The Pilot Club of Madi son County and the Madison County Sheriff’s Department offer a 24/7 monitoring sys tem (bracelet) for individuals suffering from brain disorders and who may have the po tential to wander away from caregivers. For more informa tion on the Project Lifesaver Program, contact Linda Free man at 706-335-3814 or Bet ty Sartain at 706-795-2047. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Mondays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Colbert Baptist Church annex and Fridays at 7 p.m. at the Danielsville United Method ist 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 Touchdown 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 football program’s website can be accessed at redraiderfootball. wixsite.com/mchs MART The Madison Area Re source Team (M.A.R.T)/ Family Connection meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at the old Danielsville court house at 8 a.m. Call 795-3565 for more information. MASONIC LODGE 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 Ila meets each Tuesday at Mt. Hermon Pres byterian 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. MCHSBAND 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 encouraged to at tend. GAMBLER’S ANONYMOUS Gambler’s Anonymous meets every Monday 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 Danielsville meets the last Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. All veterans are wel come. For more information, call 706-795-2669. 4-STAKES HORSESHOES Four-Stakes Horseshoes pitches every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The league is hand icapped to give all pitchers an equal chance. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Call 706-207-9831 for more infor mation. ABATE OF GEORGIA ABATE of Georgia, Inc. District 5 North “Your motor cycle rights organization” is now meeting at Cycle World of Athens, 4225 Atlanta Hwy. on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the cus tomer lounge. For more infor mation, call Allen Kennedy at 770-231-4824 or email abate- ga5north@gmail.com All motorcyclists are welcome. BROTHERS OF THE THIRD WHEEL Brothers of the 3rd Wheel meets the second 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 Bee keepers Association 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 mad- isoncountybeekeepers.com or call 706-255-2412. MADISON COUNTY NEEDLECRAFTERS Madison County Needlec- rafters meet every Tuesday from 1 to 3 p.m. for crochet ing, cross-stitch, knitting. tatting, etc. in an atmosphere of relaxing fellowship, mem bers 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 ex ists to provide a welcoming environment, where women can share new ideas, cele brate victories, address chal lenges and cultivate com munity 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 Coun ty 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 infor mation, visit ocbeeclub.com. To have an event listed in on-going sendees, call Mar gie Richards at 800-795- 2581. THE STARTER & ALTERNATOR SHOP • Starter • Alternator • Generator Repair WAYNE, Owner ,<fta 245-0055 Batteries 481 College Street §40 Royston, GA 30662 HOURS: 8-5:30 M, T, TH, F 8-12 Wed. • 8-11 Sat. NEW YEAR’S CLASSIC - The first Saturday of January is al ways a special day at ACS. This is the day that we host the annual New Year’s Classic Bible Quiz Tournament - one of the largest tournaments in the Country. Bible Quizzing is one of the unique extracurricular activities offered at ACS. Bible Quiz stu dents memorize large portions of Scripture and then compete in tournaments where they are asked questions about the passages they have committed to memory. This year’s teams are mem orizing Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Phi lemon. These students are hid ing God’s Word in their hearts and meditating on it often - one of the many benefits of a Chris tian school education. Time for a change? Check out ACS. ATHENS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL “Affordable Quality Education Since 1970” K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586 www.athenschristianschool.org