The Hogansville Herald November 27, 2003: Page 4

November 27, 2003 The Hogansville Herald
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OF,inions & Ideas PAGE 4A - HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS - Nov. 27, 2003 THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS USPS 62O-O4O Milla B. Gd, Pm-Ident JOHN KUYFJ;N1)AI J. PUBI JSI IER]EI HTOR LAURIE LEWlS ADVERTISING DtRECroa ClJa'F CIAYBR(X)K A."k,( X" I A'FE EI }ITOR ROB RICHARDSON A%'qISTANT EI)ITOR JAYNE, GOLDSTON , B USINI,2-;S IIANA(;ER Phone (706) 846-3188. Fax (706) 846-2206 P. O. Box 426 Hogansville, Georgia 30230 Much to Be Thankful For this Thanksgiving If you've read my columns lately, you're prob- ably wondering if I'm depressed. The only reason I say that is because a number of my readers have asked me if I am. Apparently some of my columns lately have made them think that. I'm not depressed, every- one. I promise I'm not. Life is a funny thing, one day things can seem bad, the next day their good and the next day they can be so-so. That's just life and it changes every da3). After reading this col- umn, I think you will all agree that I'm not depressed at all. It's Thanksgiving, one of the greatest holidays of the year. It's a time for sharing family, enjoying good food and not feeling guilty about it, and above all for giving thanks for all we have been blessed with throughout the year. I would like to take this time to share a few of my blessings with my readers. One thing I have to be thankful for is working here at the newspaper. To say it can be hectic sometimes and down right challenging Would be an understatement. BUt, the truth is I wouldn't do anything else. I love working at the newspaper and am lucky to do so. In today's world, no one ever knows how solid the company is they are employed by. Newspapers however, are a little differ- ent. One thing's for sure, unless the world changes greatly, newspaper people are pretty much assured of a job. , I am thankful that God gave the ability to do this line of work and that he has pro- vided me with a good job, a good employer and wonder- ful readers like each of YOU. THE GOOD Lord has seen fit to bless me with a wonderful family. Especially a grand son that loves his Pawpaw very much and enjoys the time we get to spend together. I have two wonderful children that have been successful in life so far and I'm very proud of them. Although I've haven't talked about it much, I was divorced this past year after 28 years of marriage, but my ex-wife and I remain good friends, as well as remaining good friends with her fami- ly. To me, they will be fami- ly. I'm blessed with a sister and she has a wonderful fam- ily and I have aunts that care about me very much. So, I'm thankful for the family that the Lord has given me and for taking care of them for another year. I HAVE PLENTY of clothes to wear, food to eat and a home that is warm and safe. A nice car to drive and (while I'm not rich) have the money to enjoy life by pur- chasing nice things for myself and my family. Along with all of those things, I'm blessed with many good friends. Some are clos- er than others, but still good friends that care about me and wish nothing but the best for me and I feel the same way about them. This past year, there have been some not so good things that happened, but there nvere far more good things that did happen to me and I'm thankful for each and every one of them. My Morn used to tell me that bad things sometimes had to happen to us to make us appreciate all the good things in our life. It never ceases to amaze just how smart my mother really was, because there is no doubt that today, as I sit here and write this column and reflect on the past year, I realize just how good life is for me. The bad things that have happened to me this past year have made me appreciate the things I do have much more and extremely thankful that I have them. God has blessed me more "this past year, in many ways, than ever before and for that I'm thankful. AS WE TAKE this time to thank God for all we have. I wanted to share some of my reasons to be thankful with my readers and assure each and every one of you that I'm doing fine and thankful to have lived another year. I woId not change the experiences and lessons in life that I've learned this past year for anything. Now, if you'll all excuse me there is a big bird, lots of dressing, plenty of goodies and a wonderful grandson that is expecting me for Thanksgiving. So, take time this holiday to thank God for what you have, but more importantly .... take time to enjoy it. THE HOGANSVILI.E HOME NEWS is published weekly by the Star-Mercury Publishing Company, a division of Grimes Publications. at 3051 Roosevelt Highway, Manchester, Georgia 31816. USPS 620-040. Subscription rates by mail: $20 in rroup, Harris or Meriwether Counties; $24 a year elsewhere. Prices include all sales taxes. Periodical postage paid at Hogansville, Georgia 30230.Single copy 50¢. FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager. Star Mercury Publications, P. O. Box 426, Manchester, Georgia 31816. POI'MASq'ER: Send address changes to E O. Box 426, Hogansville. GA 3{J230. STAFF Publisher and Editor ..................................................................... ....... John Kukyendall Advertising Director .................................................................. : ............... Laurie Lewis Associate Editor. .................................................................................. Clint Claybrook Business Manager ................................................................................ Jayne Goldston Assistant Editor ..................................................................................... Rob Richardson Staff Writers .......................................................................... Bryan Getcr, Billy Bryant Composing ............................................................ Dewayne Flowers. Robert Weems legals,.....: ................................. : ............................................................. Jayne Goldston Circulation Manager ............................................................... Barbara Arlene Steerman Press Manager. ................................................................................ Wayne Grochowski Pressroom Assistants ..................... Larry Colleges, ' "Zaddie Dixon,Darnell McCauley Mailn×m Distribution ............................................................................... David Boggs Co OWICEaS President ............................................................................................. Millard B. Grimes Vice President .................................................................................. CharJ&te S. Gdmes Executive Vice President and Secretary ........................................ Laura Grimes Cofer Treasurer ....................................................................................... Kathy Grimes Garrett Legal Counl and Assistant Secretary ............................................... James S. Grimes 'How She Must Have Suffered, From Lewis Grizzard's collection "Won't You Come Home Billy Bob Bailey?" Written in 1978 Soon after dying, "Mama Willie" Went to the heaven it talked about in her Bible, and she is presently very happy there. For some reason, I am absolutely certain of that. MORELAND, GEORGIA Willie Smith Word died last week, and they took her down to the little cemetery on the south end of town and put her next to the only man in her life, Charles Bunyon Word, who will have been gone 20 years come April. Willie Word lived to be almost 89. She was the moth- er of five children. I can't begin to count the grandchil- dren, great-grandchildren and even great-great-grand- children. The funeral was what Willie Word - we called her "Mama Willie" - would have wanted, two hard-shell Baptist preachers shaking the rafters in the tiny church and duet renditions of her favorite hymns, "Amazing Grace" and "Precious Memories." "I'VE KNOWN this good woman all of my life," one of the preachers said. "She was solid as a rock." She was, I knew Willie Word all of my life too. I think you would have liked her. She laughid a lot. I will always remember that. And she enjoyed a little dip of snuff before bed, and she knew a number of important things she passed along to those fortunate enough to find a place under her wing. Important things. Like thunder won't hurt you, but running with a pointed object can. Like if you don't take a nap after lunch you could get polio; and Jesus said the red words in the Bible. She could cook. The woman never failed at a pie or a cake, and she must have fried 10,000 chickens in her lifetime. I hope I remem- bered to thank her for the por- tion that wound up on my plate. She was born dirt poor in another century. Think of the changes she saw in her 88- plus years: Two world wars, the Great Depression, running water, the automobile, the air- plane, radio, television, William McKinley to Jimmy Carter, horses and buggies to moon shots. !Fhis was the same woman who never missed a rasslin' match on television and dared anyone to suggest the punch- es might be pulled. She saw some troubles. A son died young. Her man went suddenly. And her last years were filled with pain. She was taken from her little frame house a couple of years ago and hospitalized, never to come home again. There was no hope. But she lingered on and on, barely conscious of her surround- hags. "How she must had suf- fered," a daughter was say- ing at the funeral. The modern technology that can send a man to the moon and even stall may be thanked. the support of drugs devices, and perhaps she suffer; and she died in body else's bed, and I she deserved better. Who's to blame? We .are, because those ing drugs and devices that when a life ceases precious, it is an affront that life not to allow its natw rat - and dignified - leave. My family - and other families in similar situation - might not have wanted be reminded of that, but think Willie Smith Word, grandmother, would wanted me to say it anyway. BY SPECIAL WITH HIS WIDOW, DEDRA, HOME NEWS IS CARRYING GRIZZARD, WHO GREW UP IN NEAR" BY MORELAND, AND MOST WIDELY READ BooKS AND TAPES ARE STILL AVAIlr ABLEFOR PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX ATLANTA, GA 31118-1266 AND AT BOOK AND MUSIC STORES NATION" WIDE. Let's Try a Common Sense Solu " One of the bigger prob- lems facing the Georgia General Assembly when they assemble in January will be what to do about keeping the 10 year old HOPE Scholarship solvent. The state legislature and the State House's Higher Education Committee have been working hoping to find a workable solution by the time the Georgia legislature convenes in Janus. There is no doubt that the HOPE Scholarship is the most popular piece of legislation to come out of Atlanta since the vote for secession in 1861 .... What seems to make HOPE at the top of the state's popularity list is the fact all students are given ample opportunity to seek a "high- er education," regardless of the economic status of his or her family. If changes are not made in the HOPE funded Georgia Lottery the various pro- grams, including pre- Kindergarten, could be dip- ping into state reserves by the 2006-07 budget year. Currently, under the HOPE program, students with a B average or higher receive full tuition, mandato- ry fees and money for books to attend a Georgia public col- lege technical school students are also eligible, and students at Georgia private colleges can receive a $3,000 annual grant. RECENTLY, a state com- mittee of lawmakers, parents, students and educators rec- ognized a series of changes said to save the HOPE pro- gram over one billion dollars over the next five years. The changes included eliminating fee and book money, kicking poor per- forming college students off the scholarship faster, and using the 3.0 GPA standard used by colleges for a B aver- age to decide whether high school students have the grades needed to get a HOPE scholarship. The last recommendation could keep thousands of potential scholars from get- ting a HOPE scholarship because it would make a B average tougher to attain than i!ii!i!:%:i # under the current system used for HOPE.: "" ' In addition, Perdue is pushing hard for his propos- al to require high schoolers to get a minimum 900 on the SAT, along with the B aver- age, to earn a HOPE scholar- ship. Students without the 900 would get a scholarship for one semester, then lose it if they didn't maintain a B aver- age in college. YOU CAN EXPECT many Republicans and right wing Democrats to support a sim- ilar change in qualifications to save HOPE. Many minori- ties in the state legislative have voiced opinions that lean toward limiting scholarships to families with annual incomes of $66,000 and Estimates say placing a on family earning will the HOPE Scholarship gram. Recent studies many students flunk out ing their first year on arships. With a higher more strict SAT score grade point average, to me this money gram c., d be saved. i':',T6"' tfi6" ":'iSle '- oppose this method be argued that these if led students will not be miss, ing the education of the HOPE program way because a vast majoritY' of these will flunk out in the first year. Georgia's HOPE has been a model the state's youth. Let us that our state legislators serious thought to this lem and make the best cessions necessary to our HOPE program. I would think that to reasonably sure qualified would be the most "common sense" solution this problem. 50 Years Ago,,, In the Hogansville Herald Predecessor tothe Hogansville Home News *BAD PRE-HOLIDAY GATHER- ING - The front page of the Nov. 26, 1953 Hogansville Herald reported that Cecil Dean was shot and killed by fits son-in-law, "the result of a family quar- rel." • CHANGE OF PLANS: Hogansville merchants agreed to keep their stores open on the day before Thanksgiving "because of the fact that the mills will pay off on Tuesday afternoon." • GOOD DEAL, EVEN FOR CHUB- BY KIDS - The Belk-Gallant store was offering child portraits for one cent per pound." -CINEMA- Apparently it was Risque Week at Hogansville's Royal Theatre. A double feature was showing, featur- ing "one Gifts Confession," showing a towel-draped Cleo Moore with the admonishment, "Men, money and me go together!" The other scintilating selec- tion was "The Marshall's Daughter," which carded the description, "Man, oh man, what a woman!" - perhaps an eady inspiration for Shania Twain. • INTIMATE WEAR JUST FOR OUR TOWN - Belk-Gallant advertised 'Humming bird stockings for ladies for $1.65." *FROM THE CLASSIFIEDS: "Wanted: Ride to LaGrange to Dixie Mill from 2 to 10, or either someone to ride with her."