OPINION
PAGE 4 - HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS - OCTOBER 27, 1999
THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS
usPs 62o-o4o
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Be Proud of Lottery Defeat, Alabama
Jk (rimB lublication
Millard B. Grimes, President
PUBLISHER]ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
JOHN KUYKENDALL
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHF, R]EDITOR
MARION (TEa) SMrrH
MANAGING EDITORfrECttNICAL
DmECOR
WmBERT
BUSINESS MANAG
Phone (706) 846-3188. Fax (706) 846-2206
P. O. Box 426
Hogansville, Georgia 30230
Ocial Legal Orgtat Ci O, qf Hogcmville
Salt Lost its Savor
Every now and again, my
1979 Nova needs a little atten-
tion, so I will take it to
"Hubbard and Spinks."
Sammy Hubbard will add a lit-
tle air to the tire,s check the
radiator fluid, put on a new
safety sticker, and call me that
all is well. It then runs good
for the next several months,
and we are both happy.
When I need a little atten-
tion, the wife says, "We will
put you in the hospital. I reply,
"Oh, no, I'll just go to 'Hubbard
and Spinks,' maybe my air is
low." This brings a reaction
from the wife: "If you don't go
to the hospital, I'll cry!" Now,
I can't stand to see a grown
wife cry, so she calls our good
friend, Dr. Raymond Leverett,
and we put together a little
"stuff" and off we go.
Our good friend, the doc-
tor, after consulting with my
wife, agrees my air is indeed,
low, but he doesn't think
Sammy could help me, so it's
off to the W.G.M.C. we go.
"Room will be ready," smiles
the doctor. "Have fun."
When you open the hospi-
tal door, you lose your name,
and all you stand for, and
become insurance and social
security numbers. The room,
Allan Dee
Dodson ,,
The people of Alabama can
: be very proud of themselves for
defeating a state lottery recent-
ly. Unfortunately Georgia vot-
ers approved a lotteryby a small
margin a few years ago. Our for-
mer esteemed Governor Zell
Miller led the movement for the
Georgia lottery, as did Governor
Don Siegelman in Alabama.
Let me tell you why the peo-
ple in Alabama who worked
hard, and voted against the state
lottery, can be proud.
First off, you voted not to
place the burden of further edu-
cational opportunities directly
on the shoulders of those who
can least afford the additional
"taxes." It is not a secret that
the vast majority of those who
PlaY the lottery are ,folks who
can least afford it.
If you doubt this, just drive
across the border into Georgia
or Florida and take a look at
Sez i i those standing in a lottery line.
• Secondly, you avoided for
now the possibility of con-
just plain 254018430."
As you enter the l:oom, they
give you a milk bucket and a
razor blade. You are supposed
to fill the bucket with blood.
Actually, I'm only kidding, but
it would sure save a lot of time
later on.
Your first shock comes
when your breakfast is served.
You can see it, and feel it, but
you can't taste it. You note it
is called a "2 gram low sodi-
um diet," which, being inter-
preted means there is no salt
in this food, and it's not fit to
eat.
Seriously, have you ever
tasted-unsalted grits? To eat
unsalted grits • would compare
favorably, I think, to a double
amputation, or perhaps, child-
birth. You show me a man who
likes unsalted grits, and I'll
show you the missing link.
Seriously, I think the next
tributing towards making it
very easy for thousands of peo-
ple to become habitual gam-
blers. With the great job done
by the Alabama Christian
Coalition, pastors, churches and
others from all across the state,
you have no doubt seen the
habitual gambling figures so
there is no need for me to report
them here.
Next, you have decided not
to tarnish the name of the great
state of Alabama with a nega-
tive gambling image. Some of
you probably live close enough
to our state or Florida that you
have to sit through television
commercials promoting how
great the lottery is.
When this happens at our
house, or the drawings appear
on TV, we leave the room for
necessary reasons, or flip the
channel. But, I'm here to tell
you, the above brings about con-
stant channel flipping.
By voting down the lottery,
you have set a wonderful
Christian example fof'those in
your state and nation, as well as
your young people. Yes, every-
one knows you have four dog
racing tracks, but you can rest
assured those tracks are not a
drop in the bucket as to how they
affect people negatively com-
pared to a state lottery. With a
state lottery, it's almost like hay-
Bob
Tribble
Former
Publisher
ing a dog track in every town
and community.
There is no question that our
lottery provides Hope
Scholarships for college tuition,
a prekindergarten program and
computers for some class-
rooms. But, the real question is,
is it worth all the bad that comes
from a state lottery in order to
get the good? I think not.
When Georgia voted on the
lottery a few years back, we did
all we could do to defeat it, but
it still passed by a narrow mar-
gin.
We don't regret that effort,
arid should the issue come to a
vote again, we would do the
same again.There just has to be
a better way to fund education
than to do it with gambling dol-
lars.
Speaking of lottery
to the best of my
ing about S0 percent of
amount spent for tickets
into the education fund.
The other 50
on high salaries for
cials, other expenses,
ing and prize money.
Most everyone in
as in Georgia, wants a
educational
in national standings.
Lottery dollars in Geor
are focused more on
tuition than on
cation where the real need
Let's
first with good reading,
and arithmetic skills.
Finally one of the
across the board taxes is
sales tax, provided food
medicine are excluded.
Maybe a one
statewide sales tax to
ter education would get
approval of voters.
Yes, Alabama can be
of the fact they defeated
state lottery.
We are certainly
yOU.
Roosevelt Becomes a Cattle Farmer
(Another in a series)
After an incident at the
Southeastern World's Fair,
Franklin Roosevelt's cattle
operation was even more cel-
ebrated.
The fair, held in Atlanta
every fall, was a typical "state
fair" event, with amusements,
rides, sideshows and agricul-
tural exhibits.
Tap Bennett either misled
or was misquoted by a
reporter for the Atlanta
Constitution.
Bennett was superintend-
of course, is not ready,, so you time my air is low, I will go to ent of the stock department of
wait. "It will just be a minute," Sammy He may not know the fair for 1933. Th storl
smileaJ:l 4rl'than I qag. mla o, eaghaet , m]xec[-
admit you:" My air, being very hV$'yetid* to $'reme *up leli¢ foYl effect
low, I gasp. "Can't I just go and unsalted grits, that "Roosevelt cattle" would
be on display at the fair.
Bennett told the fair's
director, Mike Benton, a flam-
boyant showman, that he
couldn't do that.
All the President had in the
way of cattle were halfbreeds
raised on his farm, which
weren't appropriate for the
fair, plus their calves, plus
registered sires bought else-
where--which weren't techni-
cally "Roosevelt cattle."
After a heated discussion
about what was beginning to
look like an embarrassment,
Bennett got permission from
Benton to order some top-
grade ready-for-market
steers from Chicago.
While they were en route
to Atlanta, Bennett went to
Warm Springs and got some
of Roosevelt's halfbreeds, a
I would recommend to all
men two things: first, if you
have to go to a hospital, be sure
you have a wife. If you don't
have one, try your best to pick
one up on the way. Second, be
sure to fill your pockets with
salt before leaving home.
Actually, the! people at
W.G.M.C. are very kind and
helpful, and I recommend
them 100%, if you have to go.
They even give you back your
name when, and if, you leave.
Hope to see you next week,
and please eat a bowl of salt-
ed grits for me.
This column was written
by the late Allan Dee Dodson,
former columnist for The
Hogansville Herald from
1981-1986.
sit in the room? .... Oh, no," she
says. "You have to be admit-
ted first."
I suppose if, while waiting,
I gave completely out of air
and crossed the Jordan, some-
one would call "Claude
McKibben." He would come
hurriedly, looking sad and
solemn, hat and all, but he
would have to wait until I was
admitted. So,we would wait
together. I wouldn't object
much more, until he could take
me from my room to do what
comes next.
This fortunately, does not
happen this time, and finally
the girl says, "Your room is
ready, Mr. 254018430." I smile
in pride. "You see, dear Wife,
they still call me Mister, not
Hereford sire, plus several
calves.
He set up a red-white-and-
blue bunting-decorated exhib-
it in which the sire was in one
pen, then the halfbreeds, then
the three-quarter-breed
calves, then the handsome
beef cows from Chicago.
According to a news story
after the fair opened, the
exhibit was the hit of the show.
"New Deal Calves from
Roosevelt Farms at Warm
Springs Show Way to Farmer,"
the headline writer for the
Constitution wrote over a
stoy andpicture, of of
the white-faced three.quarter
breeds. .......
Bennett gave up his other
duties to stay with the exhib-
it. His spiel to the thousands
who flocked to the exhibit was
quoted thusly in the newspa-
per:
"These folks are looking at
a plan--a demonstration of
action.
They are being convinced
visually that President
Roosevelt is a man of action.
Other Georgia farmers have
talked of plans for stabilizing
the livestock industry in the
state, but this farmer,
President Roosevelt, put that
p]an into a fact and the result
is here."
There was a sign over the
pens: "The practical and eco-
nomical method of establish-
ing a beef cattle industry is to
start with native cows and one
registered bull. Improve the
The
Squire
of Warm
Springs
By Theo
Un
pastures and grazing. Grow
more feed."
Bennett would tell crowds
that the arrangement told a
story. "With these [pointing to
Herefordg]- :theapoint -
;ing to halfbreeds], we get
'these little critters, that
develop into those that you see
in that pen [pointing to the
stockyard's prize animals].
That last pen of beef cat-
tle ready for market repre-
sents the objective of every
Georgia stock grower..."
Bennett probably never said
the cattle in the last pen were
actually bred on Roosevelt's
farm. But he probably never
said they weren't, either.
The exhibit remained pop-
ular throughout the fair's sea-
son of ten days or so. So pop-
ular was it, in fact, that
Bennett found himself on duty
from 7 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. every
day, answering questions and
giving his speech.
The Constitution's final
publicity bonus was an inter-
view with a farmer from Pike
County, Georgia, who said he
had decided on the spot to buy
a Hereford bull. "There
be a few less acres of
more alfalfa and r
and one more re
Hereford bull in Pike
at this time next year,"
paper said.
President
apparently did not hear
story until the next
when he came to
Springs for Thanksgiving.
sat listening to Bennett
in all its detail.
When the story was
he looked at Bennett for
moment, then
throwing his head back
like his neck was on bin
in Bennett's phrase. "It
went all the way back."
The "Roosevelt
exhibit produced a bonus.
attendance to the
exhibit far exceeded
tions.
Moreover $35,
invested in Coca-Cola
and, according to Bennett
growth in value of that
over the next few years
the fair afloat.
That same October,
U.S. Department
Agriculture
Roosevelt (No. 18,126) a
breeder of registered
"Purebred Sires
Used on This Farm," a
there proclaimed
But behind the sign, the
it situation was not as rosy
it had been at the fair.
(Next week: De
Hits FDR Farm.)
THE HOGANSVII.LE HOME NEWS is published wccldy by the Star-Mercury Publisifing
Company, a division of Grimes Publications, at 3051 Roosevelt Highway, Manchester,
Georgia 31816. USPS 6204)40. Subscription rates by mail: $15 in Meriwether, Talbm
or Hams Counties; $20 a year elsewhere. Prices include all sales taxes, Second class
postage paid at Hogansvine, Georgia 30230.
FOR suascmPTmss call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager, Star
Mercury Publications, E O. Box 426, Manchester, Georgia 31816.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to P. O. Box 426, Hogansville, GA 30230.
STAFF
Publisher and Advertising Director ..................................................................... Mike Hale
Associate Publisher and Editor ................................................................. John KuykendaU
Managing Editor and Technical Director ........................................... Marion (Ted) Smith
Business Manager ....................................................................................... I.,eeAnn Wilben
Associate Editors .......................... Billy BryanCTalbotton, Michael Snider/Hams County
Bryan Geter/Hogansville0 Caroline Yeager/Greenville, Lee N. Howell
Staff Writer .......................................................................................................... J. Dan Stout
Assistant Advertising Manager ....................................................................... Jurie Lewis
Advertising Sales .............................................................................................. Linda Lester
Photography ................................................................................................... Michael Snider
Composing ................................................................................... Valinda lvery. Don Gtn
Legals ................................................................................................................ Valinda ivery
Receptmnist and Classifieds ............. : ............................... . ................................ Cleta Young
Pressroom ....................................................................... David Boggs, Wayne Grochowski
CORFORATE OFFICERS
President ......................................................................................................... Millard Grimes
Vice President ........................................................................................ Charlotte S. Grimes
Secretary ................................................................................................ Laura Grimes Cofer
Treasurer .............................................................................................. Kathy Grimes Garrett
Legal Counsel and Assistant Secretary .................................................... James S. Grimes
Help! My Computers are Down...
The world is computer driv-
en now. Everything we pur-
chase everything we eat and
especially everything we read
has been toucld a computer in
some Way. If rbu rely on com-
puters as heavily as we do at the
newspaper, it begomes a seri-
ous problem when things are
not working right.
That was the case at our
office last week.
My normal week became a
battle just trying to meet press
deadlines and get the newspa-
pers together on time.
The papers were large ones
and we bad two other special
issues to produce. Things got
even worse when my comput-
er decided it didn't want to open
files, save or even print with-
out crashing.
Finally, the thing decided it
wanted to crash each and every
time I used the scroll tool. If you
know anything about comput-
ers you can imagine how hard
it would be to produce anything
when you can't open a file, save
a file or use a scroll tool.
I spent hours upon hours get-
ting the papers out, and the
Talbotton paper didn't make it
until Friday. I need to apologize
to our readers in Talbot County
for that. You see, we changed
our press run on the "IIbotton
New Era from Wednesday to
Thursday last week for the first
time. Our readers in Talbotton
have always received their
newspaper on Friday. Due to the
computer problems, the paper
was even later. I really do apol-
ogize for any inconvenience this
may have caused our readers
in Talbot County.
Where was I? Oh yeah. My
computer was acting really
weird and I tried everything I
could to get the blasted thing
back up and running. It just did-
n't want to cooperate and my
week became a nightmare. I did-
n't see home but about two hours
each night. Long enough to eat,
shower, grab an hour or two
sleep and return to work.
I called support day after
day, but they couldn't get to me
until Friday. That was well after
all of the papers had to be fin-
ished and on the streets. So, the
battle between the computer
and I continued throughout the
week.
On Friday, my computer
support guys arrived at 9 a.m.
They worked throughout the
day trying to get our system
back up and running. Finally,
around 11 p.m. Friday night, the
system was back on line. They
John
Kuykendal!
little dignity I had by telling me
there was no way I could have
gotten the system back up and
running without their help. It
seems we bad a virus in our sys-
tem that was spreading. Some
how, we got it off the Internet.
I was relieved, but really
behind at work. So, I used
Saturday as a day of catch-up.
I arrived at work around 9 a.m.
Saturday morning and finally
left around 8 p.m. Some way,
some how though, I'm back on
track and am now ready to begin
producing newspapers again
this week.
After the week I've experi-
enced, it made me think about
Y2K. While I personally don't
believe the world is coming to
an end, banks will be closing
their doors, or any of the other
millions of things everyone is
worried about. I realized how-
ever, it could be a trying
for companies who have not
pared for Y2K.
Then, I started to think
howmuch
everyday lives and we
stop to think about it. It's a
fie scary when you think
it for very long.
Just think, a computer
control over every penny
have, they determine if
eries will be made to
stores and other retail
and even determine the
of chemical that goes into
drinking water.
Yes, computers are used
almost everything today and
a bit frightening when
sider what
puters did go down at
on Jan. I, 2000.
Then the thought hit
what if computers could
on their own and decided to
us back for all the
caused them in the past?
what a scary thought!
Speaking of scary...
Halloween everyone.
play it safe out
or treating. And just to be
the safe side, you may
turn your computer off at
night on Halloween night.
all.., you never know.
