Opinions & "][deas
THE HOGANSVILLE HOME NEWS
USPS 620-040
o, (rtmr. publkatimI
Millard B. Grimes, President
JOHN KUYKFDALL
PUBI JSI II'EI )1"1'( )R
LAtaUE .Iws
A.DVERTISING DIRECTOR
Curer CLVBOOK
AS,'gDC I ATE EI)ITOF(
ROB RICHARDSON
A,',;SISTA1VI' EI)IT()R
JAYNE GOLDSTON
B uslrz..s MANA(;EI¢
Phone (706) 846-3188 • Fax (706) 846-2206
P O. Box 426
Hogansville, Georgia 30230
The Woes and Yeahs
Of Owning a Home
A house can be a wonder-
ful thing, but I've learned
recently it can also be very
costly.
This past year I've been
remodeling my home, well ff
you can call it that. I live in an
older home in Harris County,
one that I grew up in and even
raised my children in.
I inherited the home from
my mother, who inherited it
from my grandmother. So, as
you already can tell, I have a
pretty strong attachment to
the old place. But as I pro-
ceed, you'll probably realize
the attachment is even
greater than you suspect.
When my wife and I first
married, we purchased a
very nice double wide. The
kids came along, my mother
passed away and we decided
to remodel the old home and
make it our own.
It took a great deal of time
and money to remodel that
house, and while it was not
the nicest home one coutd
own, it was comfortable and
we raised our children there.
Over the years, my wife
and I would do little things to
the house, but after the first
remodeling we were not so
ready to begin again.
" About September of last
year, I decided to do some
remodeling, or at least that
is what I thought I was going
to do. It turns out, that even
though I thought I was tak-
ing care of the home pretty
well, there were things that
had been neglected.
THE FIRST thing I had
to do was put in a new cen-
tral heat and air conditioning
system. Unfortunately, it had
to have everything, including
new duct work and insulation
in the attic. About $7,0001ater,
the job was done and the new
heating and cooling system
was working extremely well.
About two months later, I
developed a small leak in the
roof. So, I had a roofer to come
out and he patched a few
places on the roof and
charged me about $500. Well,
it turns out that there were
two layers of shingles on that
old roof and the patching did-
n't work. So, it was time for
a new roof at the tune of about
$6,000.
The home has very large
front porch, and I decided it
needed replacing. That
porch, which I thought would-
n't be very much, came with
a price tag of about $2,000.
By now, I decided it was
time to do a little work inside.
A few hundred dollars later
I had two rooms repainted
new trim work was added and
I had new electrical outlets.
Now that the rooms
looked so good, I decided it
was time for a new living
room suit. Well, there was
another $2,500.
OK, with all the new look
in those two rooms new floor
covering was essential.
There was another $2,000.
Once those rooms were
completed, I thought it would
be nice to fix up two of the
bedrooms as well and do a lit-
tle sheet rocking. You
guessed it, there was anoth-
er $2,500.
While the contractor was
there, he gave a look at the
windows of the home and
said, "You're gonna have to
replace those soon or you're
going to have a problem with
the walls. They are beginning
to rot a little and if it keeps
up, you'll be working on the
walls inside."
OK with all the work that
had been done, I couldn't take
' 'a chance on that happening
so I ended up with about
$5,000 worth of windows.
If you are calculating you
see how this was an over-
whelming and costly adven-
ture.
One good thing about
owning a home, verses rent-
ing one, is that you build up
equity in your home. So, I took
"a new loan on the home and
had all this work done. The
only problem is I'll be about
70 years old, should the good
Lord decide to let me live that
long, before the house is final-
ly paid for. Of course, by that
time it will need all these
things again. Not to mention
the fact there are many other
things I would like to do to
the house and will probably
do.
As you can tell, my open-
ing statement is very true, it
is a costlything to maintain
a house. It can also be very
aggravating. However, if you
total up all the benefits it's
really not costly at all.
As one of the commer-
cials on television reminds us
many times ....
House payment.., much,
Cost of repairs.., too much
Aggravation.... way too much,
Finally owning.., way too long,
Having something to call
your own, having a nice place
to live, knowing that it will
always be yours-and above
all, the memories that one has
to last a lifetime ....
PRLCELESS.
THE HOG.ANSViLLE HOME NEWS is published weekly by the Star-Mercury
Publishing Company, a division ()f Grimes Publications, at 3051 Rooe el€ Highway.
Manchester, Georgia 31816. USPS 620-040. Subscription rates by mail: $20 in
Troup, Harris or Meriwether Counties; $24 a year elsewhere. Prices include all
sales taxes. Periodical lXstage paid at Hogansville, Georgia 30230.Single copy
50€.
FoR sllBscmerlONS call (706) 846-3188 or write to Circulation Manager, Star
Mercury Publications, P. O. Box 426, Manchester, Georgia 3 | 816.
PI"MAS'rER: Send address c "hanges to E O. Box 426, Hogansville, GA 30230.
STAFF
Publisher and Editor ............................................................................ John Kukyendall
Advertising Director .................................................................................. Laurie Lewis
Associate FAitor ................................................................................... Clint Claybrcxk
Business Manager. ............................................................................... Jayne Gotdston
Assistant Editor ..................................................................................... Rob Richmdson
Staff Writers .......................................................................... Bryan Geter.Billy Bryant
Comlxsing.,..: ....... : ............................................... Dewayne Flowers. Robert Weems
Legals ...................................................................................................... Jayne Goldston
Circulation Manager. .............................................................. Barlya Arlene Steerman
Press Manager. .............................................................. i ................. Wayne Grochowski
Pressroom Assistants ..................... Larry Colleges, Zaddie Dixon,Damell McCauley
Mailroom Distribution ............................................................................... David Boggs
CORIRATE OFFICERS
President ............................................................................................. Millard B. Grimes
Vice President .................................................................................. Charlotte S. Grimes
xecuive Vice President and Secretary ........................................ Laura Grimes Cofer
Freasurer. ...................................................................................... Kathy Grimes Garrett
egal Counl and Assistant Secretary .............................................. James S. Grimes
PAGE 4A - HOGANSVILI HOME NEWS - DEC. 11, 2003
hol irH
FaeinglgthHighSe o Reun o
collFertR n LWinS, t GriuZ:d's g:.e?em;:tirCk2rspehde and has a child. He farm
little and repa,=
Home Billy Bob Bailey?" had clocked Dudley at 110 Volkswagens, hesaid.
Written in 1979
Of all the people I have
met in my life, Dudley is one
of them, which is the one of
the nicest things anybody
ever said.about him.
It was great to see Dudley
Stamps at my 15th high school
reunion. It was great to see
everybody, bus seeing
Dudley was special.
Dudley and I used to hang
out together and do weird
things. Actually, Dudley did
weird things and I would go
alongto see what he was going
to do next.
Dudley enjoyed driving
motorized vehicles as fast as
they could possibly go. The
fastest I have ever traveled
on land was inside the 1960
Thunderbird Dudley's par-
ents bought him for his 16th
birthday.
Often I questioned
Dud]ey's parens' judgement
in buying him a car, because
he spent his entire junior and
senior years in high school
attempting suicide in this
1960 Thunderbird.
One night, the highway
patrol stopped Dudley and
miles per hour.
Dudley was incensed. He
swore he had been going at
least 120. Dudley also owned
a truck. We were driving
around in Dudley's truck and
he said to me, "I wonder if
trucks will float." An idle
thought, I figured. I figured
wrong. Dudley was a man of
action. He immediately drove
his truck into the middle of
White Oak Creek.
I learned a lot of impor-
tant things hanging out with
Dudley Stamps. One thing I
learned is trucks won't float.
WHEN DUDLEY eventu-
ally traded his car, for a case
of beer and several back
issues of Guns magazine, it
looked like it had been
through the Third Pun.ic War.
The best fist fight I ever
saw involved Dudley Stamps.
It was the heavyweight cham-
pionship of the ninth grade,
between Dudley and the
school bully.
The school bully was a
dummy. He verbally assault-
ed Dudley one afternoon in
study hall when the teacher
went out of the room.
It was a close fight, but
the judges, one of the 10th
grade girls and myself, gave
Dudley the decision. Soon
afterwards, the school bully
joined the drama club.
ABOUT HALF the class
turned out for the reunion. I
won most divorces. One of
the people who helped me win
that award was there. I don't
mind admitting it. She looked
terrific.
A couple of my class-
mates are now lawyers. One
is president of a company.
The girls who were pretty in
high school still are.
I was proud of myself
because several of my class-
mates walked up to me and
said they read what I writq r
in the newspaper. Some even
mentioned they enjoyed it.
I imagined Dudley as a
hired gun. Or at least a
steeplejack. He's married
We had a brief conver /I
tion.
/--k
"I see your ugly pictt
in the newspaper sore
times," Dudley said to me.
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah. But I don't read t
garbage," he continued.
"Oh, no?"
"No. And the only timq
see your picture is whet
need some paper to put
the car so it won't leak oil
my garage floor. I look
and say, "There's that
fool with oil all over his
pid face."
Thanks, Dudley, I neec
that.
BY SPECIAL
WITH HIS WIDOW, DEDRA,
HOME NEWS IS CARRYING
ED COLUMNS BY
GRIZZARD, WHO GREW UP IN
BY MORELAND, AND
MOST WIDELY READ
BOOKS AND TAPES ARE
PRODUCTIONS, P.O. BOX 19H
ATLANTA, GA 31118-1266 AND
BOOK AND MUSIC STORES NATIi
WIDE.
Appeasement Will Just Not
It is hard to believe anoth-
er presidential election is just
around the corner.
Next spring and summer
both Democrats and,
Republicans will be conduct-
ing state presidential primar-
ies with the general election
to follow some eleven months
down the road on the first
Tuesday in November of
2004.
Millions of dollars will be
spent by both parties prior to
the election in hopes of swing-
ing the election.
The target of much of this
advertisement will be aimed
at states predicted to be
close. In many cases this
money will be well spent if
two percent of the registered
voters are changed.
Think about the many vot-
ers who say they will not vote
because their vote will make
no difference.
Nothing could be further
from the truth. These voters
of indifference could control
most elections
We are told that anti=Bush
ads will begin running in sev-
eral states where the vote is
expected to be close next-
fall.
Voters who now class
themselves as undecided will
be the principle target of
these early ads.
row, I would vote for Bush.
PRESIDENT BUSH is This decision is coming from
being criticized more for his a voter that claims no alle-
spending policies in Iraq and gianceto either party, but has
lack of spending and concern voted Democratic more
for prescription drugs, because of domestic policies.
medicare, and senior care Often we are forced to stand
programs, up and fight to keep the peace
Most of us do not wish to we can live with.
be classed as "Hawks" who
go looking for a fight in trou- MY GRANDFATHER
ble, nor do we want "peace at taught me to never bully any-
any price" or the attitude of one, but defend my rights.
a dove. Once while I was a young
One thing is for sure, if child another youngster
the election were held tomor- about my age bullied me.
When my
saw this,
to him crying again he
really give me somethin
cry about.
Knowin
meant what he said,
time this youngster
me around, I
the nose and this ended
troubles with this
In fact, we became the b,
of friends.
The I)emoerats seem
be putting the blame, for
situation in Iraq on Bush.
Frankly, I'm not in pc
tion to know who to blar
but I can tell you one
never will I believe t]
appeasement is the
I remember Briti
Prime Minister
Chamberlain who
to appease Nazi
before World War IWo.
Appeasemenl
then, and will not work
50 Years Ago...
In the
Hogansville Herald
Predecessor tothe Hogansville Home News
• CHEVY MEN,
LY - The front page of the
3, 1953 Hogansville. Heral,
reported that "Red Couch,
lar sales manager at
Chevrolet Co., and J.W. Lunsfor
were honored g
ing of the 1954 Oldsmobiles
New Orleans on Monday.
expect to be more
when they see the ne
Chevrolets."
*GOOD PRICE FOR THI
OPEN-MINDED: The
Furniture Store advertised
lamps at 50 percent off. "
*CINEMA - Westerns wer
still the bread and butter of
Royal Theatre. Movies
that week were 'Pals of
Saddle' and 'The Man
Alamo.' But suspense fans got
break, with "Mickey Spillaine's
the Jury," in 3-D.
• MODERN MARVELS -
was reportedthat "1,215. of th
nation's telephones are
Hogansville." Georgia had
of 700,000 and the nation
had just marked the installatio
of the 50 millionth telephone.
"For rent: Two
or unfurnished.
ladies preferred."
BREAK WITH TRADITION
The Colonial Stores ad
a 'Nancy Carter tested Reci
for 'Kidney Bean Rabbit.'
