Opinions & Ideas
PAGE 4 - HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS - MAY 29, 2003
THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS
USPS 620-040
A rim. ublicatwn
Millard B. Grins, President
MiKE HALE
PUBI JSttER/AI)VERTISING DIRECTOR
JOHN KUYKFDAI&
/',kS( ICI A'I; PUBIJSI tER/EI)ITOR
ROB RICHARDSON
/LSSISTA EDITOR
JAYNE GOLlY'TON
BUSINESS MANAGER
Phone (706) 846-3188. Fax (7(16) 846-2206
E O. Box 426
Hogansville, Georgia 1230
Dealing With Growth
There is a great deal of
anticipation in Meriwether
County about the relocating
of the Ford plant in Hapeville
to the area. At the present
time, Ford is looking at two
sites, Meriwether County and
Morgan County, both of which
are Tier One counties.
If the plant were to relo-
cate to Meriwether County,
all of the surrounding coun-
ties would be affected by it.
The first thing that we all
know is there would be a large
number of jobs open up at the
plant. Employees for the
facility would most likely
come from not only
Meriwether, but Harris,
Troup and Talbot as well.
There are many other rea-
sons the plant would be good
for the entire area, but I'm
not going to get into all of
those. I simply want to point
out a few reasons why
Meriwether, and surrounding
counties, would benefit from
not just Ford, but any indus-
trial or commercial growth
and why it's important to tW
and control it early on.
Troup County is the
exception to the rule. Troup
has seen a great deal of indus-
trial growth and has been able
to see first hand how it helps
stimulate the economy. Talbot
recently found out when
Oglethorpe Power moved in
and increased the tax base
tremendously.
There are some draw
backs to industrial growth,
and counties must realize that
industrial growth must be
monitored and the types of
industry allowed to move into
an area must be highly at the
discretion of the community
leaders. For instance, you
would not want a large num-
ber of smoke-stack type
industries to move into an
area, even though there is a
place for some of those type
industries.
THE TRUTH of the mat-
ter is, that industrial growth
has another affect that many
people don't realize. When an
area begins to see industrial
growth, it will also see retail
and population growth.
While Harris County has
seen a great deal of popula-
tion growth in recent years,
and is the fourth fastest grow-
ing county in the state, it has
not seen a lot of industrial or
retail growth.
Meriwether is already
beginning to experience
some population increases in
certain areas and once it has
started, it usually doesn't slow
down, but only gains momen-
tum.
When counties or cities
began to see large population
growth, the infrastructure
costs begin to mount without
having added industrial or
retail growth to help offset it.
So, things like water and
sewer systems become a top
priority, the schools begin to
grow rapidly, and normal
services like police and fire
protection have to grow with
the increased population. All
of that is costly and without
the added benefit of ind:.stri-
al and retail growth, can
become a serious problem as
far as finances are con-
cerned.
I GUESS BY NOW evew-
one reading this column has
determined two things, one
I'm all for the Ford plant relo-
cating in Meriwether County.
Not only because it will ben-
efit Meriwether, but the sur-
rounding counties. Secondly,
while I'm all for growth, that
I also realize it must be done
in the right manner and with
planning.
Planning for gro is
hard, as Harris County has
learned. Every time you think
you have the answers that will
help you maintain positive
growth, another monkey
wrench is thrown into the
plan. At the present time,
Harris County is considering
increasing minimum lot sizes
from one and a half to two
acres. Last week, the coun-
ty's planning board recom-
mended the county not
increase lot sizes.
Because Troup has seen
both industrial and popula-
tion growth, which helps keep
a balance, problems have
arose from such growth.
The surrounding counties
would to well, before growth
begins to be a problem, to
speak with Harris and Troup
county officials and maybe
take a few pointers from them
about how to deal with such
growth before it begins to be
a problem. The experiences
by each could help other coun-
ties from making mistakes
along the way that could be
costly or simply unfeasible.
The bottom line is, growth
is going to continue in rural
Georgia. The quality of life
we have enjoyed for many
years, is now what others
want, what each county must
do, is find a way to combine
population growth with
industrial development that
protects the environment, the
citizens and above all, that
will not be costly for anyone.
TIlE H(K;ANSVlI,I,E HOME NEWS ix published weekly by the Star-Mercury
Publishing Colnpiln, a division of Grimes Publications. at ,)51 R()velt HighWay.
Manchester, Georgia 31816. USPS ,b20-(M0. Subscription rates, by math $18 in
Tmup. Harris or Meriwether Counties; $26 a year elsewhere. Prices include all
sales taxes, Periodical pstagc paid at Hogansville, Georgia 30230.
FoR svscmvrto call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager, Star
Mercury Publicalions. P. O. Box 426. Manchester, Gexn'gia 31816.
PO'I'MA.%ll.:R" Send 'addless chmlges to P. O. Box 426, Hogansville. GA 30230.
ST, WF
Publisher and Advertising Director. .............................................................. Mike Hale
Ass(:iate Publisher and Editor ........................................................... John Kuykendall
Business Manager ................................................................................. Jayne C)ldston
Assistant FAitor ...................................................................................... Rob Richards(m
Stall'Wrilet ................................................ BoanGeter, Billy Byan.ClintClaybnx)k
Assistaut Advertising Manager. ................................................................. Laune Lewis
Composing ....................................... Valinda Ivcry, Dewayne Flower, Rtffcrt Weems
l,egals ...................................................................................................... Jayne Goldslon
Circulation Manager. .................................................................................... Judy Crews
Production Manager. ........................................................................... Bobb) Brazil Jr.
Assistant Manager. .......................................................................... Wajnc Gnx'hox ski
Pressnxml ........................................... Darnell McCaulcy..hn'y Knight. I,an T Colleges
CORPORATE ()vrt(,l':lt
Ih'esident ............................................................................................. Millard B. Grimes
Vice President .................................................................................. Charlotte S. Grimes
Executive Vice President zmd Secretmj. ....................................... I,aura Grimes Cofcr
3asurer. ...................................................................................... Kathy (;rimes Garrelt
Legal Ctmnsel and Assistant Secretary ............................................... James S. Grimes
The Truth About General
Written in 1978
Dr. Emory Thomas came
on the line from Athens where
he is a professor of history at
the University of Georgia.
My question was quick
and to the point:
"Is it true," I asked, "what
they are saying about Gen.
Robert E. Lee?"
No true sons or daughters
of the Confederacy have had
a decent night's sleep since
President Carter, of all peo-
ple, visited Gettysburg the
other day and said General
Lee made a "big mistake" in
the key battle of the Civil War.
Heresy. Pure and simple.
TO MAKE matters worse,
there is a new book concern-
ing Lee, The Marble Man, in
which a Nashville military
historian named Thomas
Connelley fires further
salvos at Our Hero and
Leader.
Lee, says Connelley, was
a man obsessed with failure,
who suffered from
"repressed vibrance." (He
would have been a hell-rais-
er if he had had the opportu-
nity" is Dr. Thomas' transla-
tion of that phrase.)
Connelley also says Lee
was depressive because of an
unhappy marriage to a
woman prematurely arthrit-
ic and that he used religion
as a crutch.
DR. THOMAS recently
reviewed The Marble Man
for Virginia Magazine.
"The reference to reli-
gion," he explained, "is basi-
cally that if Lee met anything
he couldn't deal with or did-
n't want to deal with, he would
simply put it off on Almighty
Providence."
But that didn't answer my
original question. Did, I asked
Dr. Thomas - a Civil War,
authority and a native of
Richmond, by-God Virginia -
Robert E. Lee blow
Gettysburg?
"Lee, himself, said it was
all his fault," Dr. Thomas
began, "and it was."
Allow the shock to wear
off, and then we will contin-
ue. Recall that Lee had invad-
ed the North in hopes of a
major confrontation with the
enemy. Although there was
no clear-cut victor at
Gettysburg, the loss of man-
power and supplies Lee's
Army of Northern Virginia
suffered was the knockout
blow of the war to the South.
I pressed for more detail
from Dr. Thomas as a tear
rolled down my cheek.
"Lee wanted a showdown
battle. He had tried to turn
the left and he had tried to
turn the right. Finally, he said
to hell with it, and went right
up the middle.
"It was suicide."
"ONE of the problems,"
said Dr. Thomas, "was that the
Army of Northern Virginia
was basically a command of
gentlemen. Lee didn't give his
commanders specific orders.
He just suggested what they
might do."
Lee ordered a chargel said
the professor, "at the geo-
graphic center of the entire
Yankee army."
Get the picture:
playing. And men
Fifteen
Confederate soldiers
take Cemetery Ridge
the Yankees.
made it to
easily repulsed.
'They were doomed,q
Dr. Thomas, "before
started."
We talked more.
Pickett's tears after
tie. About his dislike
after the war. About Lee,
ing the same mistake
Seven Days Battle.
About Lee's words
good that war is so
else men would
of it."
M
from my first history
crushed to mortal dust, 1
to ask one more
Would the South
been better off with
body else in charge of its
itary besides Lee?
"The best answer fort
Dr. Thomas said, "is
ly it would. It would
war about two years
lien"
Hollywood: God's Name Is Not
Several years ago
Universal Studio put out a film
titled, The Last Temptation of
Christ. This film was an ungod-
ly, perverted, blasphemous
portrayal of the life of the Lord
Jesus. I remember in the town
where I lived when that movie
opened, there were hundreds
of Christians who protested
and stood against that filthy
piece of trash.
In fact, in front of one the-
atre where the movie was play-
ing, there were services, ral-
lies, singing and .preaching
from the back ofalarge flatbed
trailer. It is time ffi6children
of God stand up again, for the
movie makers have sunk to
another new low in their indus-
try.
IN RECENT DAYS we
have been hearing about the
movie starring Jim Carrey
entitled, "Bruce Almighty."
This movie (rather the title)
reminds me of a movie George
Burns was in entitled, "Oh
God." Could someone please
tell me why the movie indus-
tW has to produce such bias-
phemous junk? Could some-
one else please tell me why it
is that those who claim to be
Christians will go and spend
the money God enabled them
to work for to support such,a
devilish endeavor? I believe
the answer is found in the fact
that this nation in general has
lost its reverential fear of God.
God has blessed this
nation, protected this nation,
and honored this nation, and
yet this nation responds by
poking fun at the very one who
has given her the freedom to
enjoy ........
While I amin th tluestion
asking mood, where are those
who claim the name of Christ
when it comes to standing up
to this crowd from Hollywood?
The Word of God tells us that
any image or portrayal of our
God was expressly forbidden.
The Word of God also tells us
that in 2 Timothy 3:1-4, "This
know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. For
men shall be lovers of their
own selves, covetous, boast-
ers, proud, blasphemers, dis-
obedient to parents, unthank-
ful, unholy, without natural
affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are
good, traitors, heady, high-
minded, lovers of pleasures
more than lovers of God."
We indeed are living in
times where we see those who
are as is described in the book
of Timothy. Dear friend we are
living in the last of the last
days.
Not only should we be con-
cerned about the producers of
the movie, but what about so-
called funny man Jim Carrey?
The Bible labels him as one
who loves pleasure more than
he loves God. How can one
(according to the television
previews) walk down a city
street to the tune of a rock and
roll song mouthing the
pantly and irreverently d
I want this
that the God of the Bible i
Bruce, Maybe Jim
thinks he is just
but he is actually being
phemous. This
countw need to
a thrice-hol3
give his glow unto
Our God is
reverenced
praised, trusted,
and glorified,
of. Everyone please
stand that one day
says that ever3
and every tongue will
that Jesus Christ is Lord
glow of God the Father.
I URGE evewone
claims the name of
stand up against such
and let
are not ashamed to be
Christian and we will
crate
of.
50 Yea00 Ago...
In the
Hogansville
Predecemor tothe Hogansville Home|
• RED
'q'he Housing Authority
the
available this week
dwellings, 24 of which
pnse the Melson Homes
are to be occupied
tenants; 40 dwelling ur
and are to be occupied
colored tenants."
• 50 YEARS
'REALITY' TV SHOWS:
classified ad from the
28, 1953 Herald:
escorts to senior prom
three husky girls. Car,
sage, money
Call..."
• MOVIES OF THE
Showing at The
Theatre were Roy
and Trigger in 'Home
Oklahoma.'
•BARGAINS:
Herald's ads touted the
Ford, the Pace Car of
Indianapolis 500,
Sunliner V-8;
had two cans of
Beans for $.45;
Gallant Miracle Barn
ladies
but only in sizes 40, 42
44.. Baldwin
distinctive ad included f
cans of
In his
merchants, Baldwin
that, "1 would like to
new car, but not
rob my customers to
one ."
