The Hogansville Herald October 31, 2002: Page 4

October 31, 2002 The Hogansville Herald
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P Opinions & Ideas THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS usPs 62o-040 MIIlard B. Gdmes, President MIKE HAU PUBUSm:PJADVERTIS L' G DmECrOR JOHN KAU. ASSOCLTE PUaUSHER/EDrrOR RoB RlcnAmmON ASSISTANT EDITOR JAYNE N BUSINESS ]dIAGER Phone (706) 846-3188. Fax (706) 846-2206 R O. Box 426 Hogansville, rgia 30230 Take the Vaccine, Before Halloween Signs of influenza are showing up early this year. Already, doctors offices in the local area have started battling the annual pest. Not to be confused with the flu, it is a much more serious problem. Local health departments are asking elderly people to take the flue vaccine this year, and they should. I'm sure many people ask why they should take the flu shot. if it doesn't fight influenza, there is a very good explana- tion. Pneumococcus is a type of bacteria that causes as many as 14,000 deaths each year in the United States. That makes this one of the most common causes of death in America from a dis- ease that can be prevented by a vaccine. But few people know this. Pneurnococcal disease can strike any person, but among adults the risk is highest in peo- ple over 65 years of age, those who have heart disease, lung disease, alcoholism, live cir- rhosis and many other health problems. Elderly should take the. Y0unger folks should con- sider taking the vaccine as well. For people under the age of 65, the flue vaccine is excellent at preventing the flue symptoms. Although it is possible to get the flue after the flu vaccine, it is very unlikely. For people over 65 years of age, the flue vaccine is not perfect a preventing all symptoms, especially in very elderly or frail people. More importantly however, it is excellent at preventing severe flu, hospitalization and even death should you come down withthe flu. While you still may get the flu, it should prove to be a much milder course. THERE COULD BE side effects from taking the flu vaccine. Most people have no side affects, other thana pos- sible soar arm. However, some people do experiertce some side effects. Some a,e as follows: '\\; • Soreness: Flue shots are given by injection, usually into a muscle of the upper arm. This may cause sore- ness or swelling where the shot was given. If this occurs, it usually begins shortly after the shot and lasts only one to two days. Statistics show that only one of five people expe- rience the soreness. • Fever and body aches: Flue shots may cause fever or body aches for one to two days as well, but fewer that one out of 100 patients tak- ing the flu vaccine experi- ence these side effects. • Guillain-Barr4 syn- drome In 1976, swine flue vaccine was associated with a severe paralytic illness called Guillain-Barr6 syn- drome (GBS). Influenza vac- cines since then have not been clearly linked to GBS. If there is a risk of GBS from current influenza vaccines, it is estimated at one or two cases per million people vac- cinated. This is much less than the risk of severe influenza. The vaccine bene- fit outweighs the risk. • Rare reactions: A vac- cine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems such as severe allergic reactions. The risk of this vaccine causing:seri- ous harm, or death, is extremely small • Does Medicare pay for the flu shot? Yes. Medical pays for the flue shot and the administration fee. IT IS IMPORTANT to remember that anyone can get the flu. The flue virus is very catching. It spreads by contact with an infected per- son or the airborne virus. Spread often occurs in crowded places, such as the- aters and stores. It takes one to three days to get after being exposed to the virus. Symptoms of influenza include: fever and chills; dry cough, runny nose, body aches, headache and soar throat. It is important also to remember that most people recover without any compli- cation. The most common complication is pneumonia. Because the flue virus can change so often, those at risk need to get a flu shot every year. The best time is during October, a little before the flu season begins. Please remember that you can not get the flu from the vaccine. The vaccine has not live viruses. So remember, "Every year, get the vaccine before Halloween. Thanks to the Meriwether County Health Department for providing information for this column. THE HOGANSV1LLE HOME NEWS is published weekly by e Star-Mercury Publishing Company, a division of Grimes Publications, at 3051 Roosevelt Highway, Manchester, Georgia 31816. USPS 620-040. Subscription rates by mail: $18 in Troup, Harris or Meriwether Counties: $26 a year elsewhere. Prices include "all sales taxes. Periodical postage paid at Hogansville, Georgia .30. FOR su call (706) 846-3188 or te to Circulation Manager. Star Mercu D, Publications, E O. Box 426, Mancter, Georgia 31816. : Send ldress changes to P. O. Box 426. Hogansville, GA 30230. rarr Publisher and Advertising Director ............................................................... Mike Hale Associate Publisher and Editor ........................................................... John Kuykendall Business Ivlmer ................................................................................. Jayne Goldston As,sistant Editor ..................................................................................... :Rob Richardson StaffWriters .......................................................................... Bryan Geter, Billy Bryant Assistant Advertising Managex .................................................................. laurie Lewis Advertising Sales ....................................................................................... ,Linda Lester Comsing ................................................................. Dewayne Flowers, Valinda lveo Circulation Manager .................................................................................... Judy Crews Legals ...................................................................................................... Jayne Goldston Pressroom Manager ................................................. : ...................... Wayne Grochowski Pressroom ........................................ David Bs, Larry Colleges, Shanmm Atkin,,n C Omcts President. ............................................................................................ Millard B. Grimes Vice President .................................................................................. Charlotte S. Grinms Secretary .......................................................................................... Laura Grimes Cof Twasurer ....................................................................................... Kathy Grimes C_rarrett Legal Comll and Assiv.ant SecretmT .............................................. .James S. Grimes PAGE 4 - HOGANSVIU.E HOME NEWS - OCT. 31, 2002 Go Rest in Peace, Little (Written in 1988) Each time I read another article about baseball pitch- ers scuffing the balls (which allegedly makes them curve and dip and stuff like that) I think of tittle Eddie Estes. I grew up practically next door to Eddie and his family. He was a couple of years younger than I was, but we shared a common passion -- baseball. The Baptist church spon- sored a baseball team in my hometown. This wasn't offi- cial Little League. This was blue jeans and T-shirts and lending your glove to some- body on the other team when you went to bat. EDDIE was 10 when he joined the team as its youngest member. Eddie eventually would become the best 12-year-old center field-. er I ever saw, but at 10 he was small and punchless at bat and needed much work on his defense. So for two years, our coach played Eddie at "bird dog," a position even the most ardent baseball fans likely are not familiar wittL I'll explain. Our team had a severe scarcity of baseballs. We got two or three at the beginning of each season and that was that. A few feet behind home plate at the elementary school ballfield where we played was a dog pen, home for two rather rowdy bird dogs. When a foul ball was hit into the pen, which occurred quite often. The dogs imme- diately launched a frantic effort to retrieve it and have at it with their teeth. Somebody had to stay in the dog pen at all times in order to get the foul balls before the dogs did, so the game, and the season, could continue. That position became known as "bird dog." That somebody who played it was poor little Eddie, who spent two seasons bat- fling the dogs for precious horsehide. You play the same balls all season, ones that large dogs are trying their best to destroy, you know something about scuffing. This story has a happy ending, and then a sad one. Little Eddie, as I men- tioned before, became a gift- ed center fielder and a big RBI man. He developed speed and he developed power, and after spending two years fighting off two dogs for foul balls, running down line drives was nothing to him. He made one of the great- est catches I've ever seen in a game again Mills Chapel, then turned and threw out the tying run at the plate and got his name mentioned weekly paper. (I was our team's spondent catch to Willie May's [ the Vic Wertz back er that was.) 14 when he rounded a er lost control. I was bearer. I still see his occasionally when to visit the folks. This was sul a bout I got off track. Excuse me. a lump in my throat it. BY SPECIAL WITB NEWS IS CARRYING COLUMNS BY THE BY MORELAND, AND MOST WIDELY READ WRITER OF HIS PRODUCTIONS, EO. BOX ATLANTA, GA 31118-1266 , BOOK AND MUSIC STORES ! WIDE- Preparing for Election Day, Tuesday is general elec- tion day, a day many of us have looked forward to since spring. It is a day the voting pub- lic will decide who will con- trol many local and state offices over the next four years. Election years like 2002 where there is no presiden- tial election, many refer to these as "off year" elections. This is anything but an off year election to many of our local candidates and proba- bly some state candidates. MOST of our local races have been clean, unlike the state races. If we believe the advertisements we see and hear on our state candidates, we have no qualified candi- dates worthy to serve. We have been exposed to very lit- tle that isn't "rank" and "smells." If there has been any "mud slinging" associated in our local races, I haven been aware of it. No doubt there has been some political gossip spread over the back fence, the bar- ber shop, the beauty shop and drug store, but nothing like the message we hear from many of our state candidates. Like most of you, I have made a decision on my local choices. I have had the oppor- tunity to meet most of these "eyeball to eyeball" and have pretty much made up my mincL OTHERS OF YOU will cast vote either straight Democratic or Republican. I could not disagree with this group more, regardless of which party you support. Neither party would ever be lucky enough to have all the "good guys" under their ban- ner squared off against the "bad guys." Just plain sense tells you there is no logic to support such an idea. As I have said before, I plan to vote a split ticket even though I tend to vote Since a registered November 5th plan to straight party ways, it is highly those of us who vote ticket will decide of this general THIS YEAR replacing our old voting "Neither party is accurate, woldd ever be ky user friendly. Don't let this new enough to have a// and possible the "good guys" under their banner squared off against the guys.' " Democratic more often. I do not want my name attached permanently to either the Democratic or Republican party "come hell or high water." I reserve the right to make a personal choice and suggest you do the same. you away Tuesday, Remember, this privilege that has been f for and defended years. There will be poll ers available to help anything you don't stand about this new system. May we have a turnout on election may the best for the best interest nation, state 50 Yea Ago,,, lntl00 Hogansviile ,INNOVATIVE NATION: "The Goblins may not be ble, but Coach Castronis r ly thinks they're after his haltbacks this season7 • CRUELTY OF TION: "Conversion HogansvUle's to operation at the local rate authorized by the Georg00 Commission is be completed on NoV. according to LA. Wood ager for Southem Telephone Com4ny7 • BOOM TIMES: me newest thing in town is =Penny Profit Food which opened Penny Profit is offerin( store prices and is owned by Ben Brock." • FAMOUS FACES: the eleclkm next week, dential contenders Stevenson and General' Eisenhower were both tured on the front page. • THIS JUST IN: next time a pretty girl at you, smile back."