TOWNS 42/16 39/12 44/25 57/ 35 54/45 53/35 46/30 Putting the budget on a diet WWW.GEORGIASENTINEL.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | 50 CENTS Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday TCES students learn all about water W e e k l y W e a t h e r F o r e c a s t ECONOMICS EDUCATION POLITICS PO BOX 172 Hiawassee, GA 30546 By: Sen. Chip Pearson By: Sen. Jim Butterworth Frank Bradley / Sentinel Photo Contributing Writer Contributing Writer See
STONE
Page
8A
Sentin e l WWW.GEORGIASENTINEL.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | 50 CENTS TOWNS Mayor Barbara Mathis has requested that names be submit- ted to her of Towns residents who have helped with good deeds or inspired someone in a way that can be acknowledged for their work, kindness and all-around good citizenship. Thus far, the council has named two official good citizens. First was Eunata Chastain. Barbara said Eunata came to her mind after Eunata's recent death. For all the service she did for law enforcement for Towns County. She worked for 30 plus years in the courthouse as secretary for Towns County's Sheriff's Department. Unfortunately, Eunata was a widow raising a son, Junior, after the death of her husband, Jay Chastain, who was killed on December 8, 1974in the line of duty , while serving as sheriff of Towns County. Junior was 4 1/2 at the time. He now serves on the Hiawassee Town Council. Eunata had declining health problems for several years, but always had time for her grandson, Trey, who she truly adored. She will be missed by all, but her memories will always remain in or hearts and minds. The council approved the Citizen of the Month for March to be J. William Denton, who was born on March 27, 1930 to J.Y. and Emma Denton. He attended school in Towns County and then Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force serving four years. He fought in the Korean War. After discharge from service, he joined his father's insurance agency and worked there until he retired. J. William served as chairman of the board of the Towns County Hospital for many years; he was also chairman of the Towns County School Board for several years. He was successful in the relocation of the school complex. Denton was active in the Towns County Lions Club. A life long member, he served on the Georgia Mountain Fair Board as a director. He was interested in the history of Towns county and the City of Hiawassee. He was proud of the progress both the town and county made during his lifetime. Among all those busy times, J. William found time to race automobiles and motorcycles. The City Council deemed it a pleasure to honor J. William Denton for all the hard work he contributed to the area. Hiawasee Town Council names Citizens of the Month Weekly Weather Forecast Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 42/16 39/12 44/25 57/ 35 54/45 53/35 46/30 PO BOX 172 Hiawassee, GA 30546 NEWS COMMUNITY Sentin e l TOWNS EDUCATION The members of the Education Committee from the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center went into the classrooms of Towns County Elementary School. They were there to teach lessons on the many uses of water and water conservation. Each second grader made their own rain gauge to take home. Instruction was also pro- vided on water conservation, the water cycle, animals that live in the water and water pollu- tion. Programs such as this would not be pos- sible if it were not for the cooperation of Principal Don Dermody, his administration and the second grade teachers at the school. A special thanks goes to Ms. Stephanie Moss for coordinating this program within the school. The Education Committee is part of the Community Council at the G.M.R.E. Center. The Community Council was founded in 2003 for the purpose of enhancing the mission of the G.M.R.E. Center. The council emphasizes education, outreach and preservation. Last year, 2,700 students in Union, Fannin, and Towns County in Georgia and Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina either attended programs at the Center or invited pre- senters into their school. If you've driven up the hill to the Towns County Nursing Home, you how broken up and marked with potholes it is. Well that condi- tion is soon to be corrected. The state department of transportation has arranged to have the road resur- faced at no cost to the City or County, except local government has to pick up the tab for repairing the potholes before the resurfacing can take place. On Monday, the Hiwassee Town Council voted to pay for that cost up to an amount not exceeding $3,000. Work is expected to get underway this month. In another matter, the Council voted to shift some payment funds into a water treatment reserve fund boosting that account by about $40,000. Regarding Wastewater Treatment funds, the board moved $50,000 from a line item budget number to meet USDA require- ments. County manager Rick Stancil reported to the Council that its 2009-2010 budget is in good shape. The council approved the report. The council approved a dedication and acceptance easement of ARC for the sewer line running to the school. Stancil said all the property owners along that route had been especially cooperative. The board approved of separat- ing the water and sewer accounts for auditing purposes. The council approved a mea- sure to allow restaurants to serve beer and wine at counter space to See DANCE Page 8A Learning about H 2 O “Leave no stone unturned.” This has become the theme of the budget process during the past few weeks. With Georgia facing an unprecedented slide in revenue numbers for the last 18 months, we have no choice but to make tough spending cuts. With education accounting for over 60 percent of state spending, our choices to cut are dismal at best. As your State Senator, one of the things I feel obli- gated to do is keep you informed on issues and clarify topics when necessary. It is my desire to clear muddy waters that have been created over the last few days with regard to discussions of the Board of Regents’ budget. Through the budgetary process, the governor pro- posed $265 million in cuts to the Board of Regents’ $2.2 billion budget. In recent discussions, members of the House and Senate appropriations committees asked the Board of Regents to demonstrate what another $300 million in cuts would consequently mean. This was simply proposed as topics for discussion to better understand the severity of our current budget. The result was a laundry list of terrible choices including No Stone Unturned POLITICS See STONE Page 8A A Lean Economy calls for a lean budget ECONOMICS Putting the budget on a diet To cope with a sluggish economy and plummeting revenues, Georgia’s state govern- ment needs a major life- style change. We’re putting our budget on a lean diet of essential spending by concentrating funding in the vital areas of government, such as education, public safety and transportation. Every idea is on the table as to how we fill over a $1 billion hole in the state budget. We’ve reached the end of the legislature’s two-week working recess, in which Senate and House members came together in unprecedented joint budget hearings to work through the Fiscal Year 2011 bud- get. While meeting with every state agency to go over their 2011 budgets and suggested cuts, the common theme that emerged was consolidating services and identifying unnec- essary government spending. We’re considering every tool in the toolbox to decide what cuts will be most effec- tive and have the least impact on the state. One of the hot button issues to come out of these meet- ings was the discussion of potential cuts to Georgia’s uni- versity system. After Chancellor Erroll Davis presented a budget with cuts totaling $265 million, lawmakers asked university officials to come back with an additional $300 million in cuts. Some have suggested that such cuts could result in increases to college tuition. Others fear that course See BUDGET Page 8A MAKING ROAD IMPROVEMENTS Towns County Fire Department Assisted in stopping the blaze at Ridges Home TCES students learn all about water By: Sen. Chip Pearson Contributing Writer Frank Bradley / Sentinel Photo Joan Crothers and Steve Smith, elected to the Hiawassee Town Council last November. They both recently attended a comprehensive training program at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia in Athens. On Monday, Mayor Barbara Mathis complimented them for their completion of the training. By: Sen. Jim Butterworth Contributing Writer Road up to Towns County Nursing Home to be paved
Transcript
SentinelWWW.GEORGIASENTINEL.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | 50 CENTS
TOWNS
Mayor Barbara Mathis has requested that names be submit-ted to her of Towns residents who have helped with good deeds or inspired someone in a way that can be acknowledged for their work, kindness and all-around good citizenship.
Thus far, the council has named two official good citizens. First was Eunata Chastain. Barbara said Eunata came to her mind after Eunata's recent death. For all the service she did for law enforcement for Towns County. She worked for 30 plus years in the courthouse as secretary for Towns County's Sheriff's Department. Unfortunately, Eunata was a widow raising a son, Junior, after the death of her husband, Jay Chastain, who was killed on December 8, 1974in the line of duty , while serving as sheriff of Towns County. Junior was 4 1/2 at the time. He now serves on the Hiawassee Town Council. Eunata had declining health problems for several years, but always had time for her grandson, Trey, who she truly adored. She will be missed by all, but her memories will always remain in or hearts and minds.
The council approved the Citizen of the Month for March to be J. William Denton, who was born on March 27, 1930 to J.Y. and Emma Denton. He attended school in Towns County and then Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
In 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force serving four years. He fought in the Korean War. After discharge from service, he joined his father's insurance agency and worked there until he retired.
J. William served as chairman of the board of the Towns County Hospital for many years; he was also chairman of the Towns County School Board for several years. He was successful in the relocation of the school complex. Denton was active in the Towns County Lions Club. A life long member, he served on the Georgia Mountain Fair Board as a director. He was interested in the history of Towns county and the City of Hiawassee. He was proud of the progress both the town and county made during his lifetime.
Among all those busy times, J. William found time to race automobiles and motorcycles.
The City Council deemed it a pleasure to honor J. William Denton for all the hard work he contributed to the area.
Hiawasee Town Council names
Citizens of the Month
W e e k l y W e a t h e r F o r e c a s tWednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday
42/16 39/12 44/25 57/ 35 54/45 53/35 46/30
PO BOX 172 Hiawassee, GA 30546
NEWS COMMUNITY
SentinelTOWNS
EDUCATION
The members of the Education Committee from the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center went into the classrooms of Towns County Elementary School. They were there to teach lessons on the many uses of water and water conservation.
Each second grader made their own rain gauge to take home. Instruction was also pro-vided on water conservation, the water cycle, animals that live in the water and water pollu-tion. Programs such as this would not be pos-sible if it were not for the cooperation of Principal Don Dermody, his administration and the second grade teachers at the school. A
special thanks goes to Ms. Stephanie Moss for coordinating this program within the school.
The Education Committee is part of the Community Council at the G.M.R.E. Center. The Community Council was founded in 2003 for the purpose of enhancing the mission of the G.M.R.E. Center. The council emphasizes education, outreach and preservation. Last year, 2,700 students in Union, Fannin, and Towns County in Georgia and Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina either attended programs at the Center or invited pre-senters into their school.
If you've driven up the hill to the Towns County Nursing Home, you how broken up and marked with potholes it is. Well that condi-tion is soon to be corrected. The state department of transportation has arranged to have the road resur-faced at no cost to the City or County, except local government has to pick up the tab for repairing the potholes before the resurfacing
can take place. On Monday, the Hiwassee Town Council voted to pay for that cost up to an amount not exceeding $3,000. Work is expected to get underway this month.
In another matter, the Council voted to shift some payment funds into a water treatment reserve fund boosting that account by about $40,000.
Regarding Wastewater Treatment funds, the board moved $50,000 from a line item budget number to meet USDA require-ments.
County manager Rick Stancil reported to the Council that its 2009-2010 budget is in good shape. The council approved the report. The council approved a dedication and acceptance easement of ARC
for the sewer line running to the school. Stancil said all the property owners along that route had been especially cooperative.
The board approved of separat-ing the water and sewer accounts for auditing purposes.
The council approved a mea-sure to allow restaurants to serve beer and wine at counter space to
See DANCE Page 8A
Learning about H2O
“Leave no stone unturned.” This has become the theme of the budget process
during the past few weeks. With Georgia facing an unprecedented slide in revenue numbers for the last 18 months, we have no choice but to make tough spending cuts. With education accounting for over 60 percent of state spending, our choices to cut are dismal at best.
As your State Senator, one of the things I feel obli-gated to do is keep you informed on issues and clarify topics when necessary. It is my desire to clear muddy waters that have been created over the last few days with regard to discussions of the Board of Regents’ budget.
Through the budgetary process, the governor pro-posed $265 million in cuts to the Board of Regents’ $2.2 billion budget. In recent discussions, members of the House and Senate appropriations committees asked the Board of Regents to demonstrate what another $300 million in cuts would consequently mean. This was simply proposed as topics for discussion to better understand the severity of our current budget. The result was a laundry list of terrible choices including
No Stone Unturned
POLITICS
See STONE Page 8A
A Lean Economy calls for a lean budget
ECONOMICS
Putting the budget on a diet
To cope with a sluggish economy and plummeting revenues, Georgia’s state govern-ment needs a major life-
style change. We’re putting our budget on a lean diet of essential spending by concentrating funding in the vital areas of government, such as education, public safety and transportation.
Every idea is on the table as to how we fill over a $1 billion hole in the state budget. We’ve reached the end of the legislature’s two-week working recess, in which Senate and House members came together in unprecedented joint budget hearings to work through the Fiscal Year 2011 bud-get. While meeting with every state agency to go over their 2011 budgets and suggested cuts, the common theme that emerged was consolidating services and identifying unnec-essary government spending. We’re considering every tool in the toolbox to decide what cuts will be most effec-tive and have the least impact on the state.
One of the hot button issues to come out of these meet-ings was the discussion of potential cuts to Georgia’s uni-versity system. After Chancellor Erroll Davis presented a budget with cuts totaling $265 million, lawmakers asked university officials to come back with an additional $300 million in cuts. Some have suggested that such cuts could result in increases to college tuition. Others fear that course
See BUDGET Page 8A
MAKING ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
Towns County Fire Department Assisted
in stopping the blaze at Ridges Home
TCES students learn all about water
By: Sen. Chip PearsonContributing Writer
Frank Bradley / Sentinel PhotoJoan Crothers and Steve Smith, elected to the Hiawassee Town Council last November. They both recently attended a comprehensive training program at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia in Athens. On Monday, Mayor Barbara Mathis complimented them for their completion of the training.
By: Sen. Jim ButterworthContributing Writer
Road up to Towns County Nursing Home to be paved
p.2APage 2A TOWNS SENTINEL March 11, 2010
CALENDAR & COMMUNITYAlzheimer's Support
Alzheimer’s Support Group for caregivers and family members meet the first Tuesday of each month at 1:30 in the McConnell Baptist Church Family Life Center.
Enotah Garden Club
Enotah Garden Club of Young Harris meets the 3rd Thursday of each month, at 1:45 pm. The meet-ing will be held at the Young Harris City Hall.
GWRRA MEETS
Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month (except December) at Daniel's Steakhouse, Hiawassee, GA. We eat at 11 AM followed by the meeting at 12:00. All motorcy-clists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters. For further informa-tion, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-896-7403
Mountain High Hikers
Mountain High Hikers sched-ule two hikes each Tuesday, occa-sional specialty hikes, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. Check the web site: MountainHighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for informa-tion.
Chattahoochee-Nantahala
Trout Unlimited Chapter
692
Meets the second Thursday of every month at the Cadence Bank,336 Blue Ridge Street in Blairsville, Ga. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. with fly tying instructions beginning at 5 p.m. for both begin-ning and advanced tiers. For fur-ther information call 828-389-3016.
Hiwassee River Valley
Kennel Club
Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Brother's Restaurant on Hwy 64 in Murphy, NC. We invite all those interested in pure bred dogs and canine activities to attend. Call President Kit Miracle @ 706 492 5253 or Peggy Moorman @ 828 835 1082 for details.
Towns Co. Historical
Society
Towns County Historical
Society meets the second Monday of each month at the Hiawassee Senior Center (beside the Courthouse) at 5:00 pm. For info 706-896-1060, TCHS, PO Box 1182, Hiawassee, GA 30546 www.townshistory.org
Intermediate Bridge
Location change:Bridge playing is held at the
Towns County Recreation
Department, on Monday and Fridays at 12:45 p.m. Contact Eden at 706-896-6921 with questions or more information.
Lions Club Meeting
The Towns County Lions Club meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at the Anderson Music Hall at 6:30 p.m.
Single Parent Support
Group
Support Group to encourage uplift and change the lives of Moms, Dads and Grandparents who are raising children on there own. Introductory meetings will start every Second Tuesday of the month @ the Mountain Regional Young Harris Library at 6:30 pm. If you have any questions or if you need more information please Contact us at 706-379-9974
Mtn. Community Seniors
Meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at the Towns County Seniors Center. We invite and wel-come all mountain seniors from Towns and Union Counties. Music, informative speakers, picnics, field trips.
The local chapter of the AARP was discontinued in Dec. of 2009. The same fun-loving group still meets but is now called the Mountain Community Seniors.
Bereavement Support
Group - Meeting
Changes
Welcome to a community bereavement support group. A place to share your thoughts and feelings and grow together with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one. First Thursday of every month at United Community Bank, Small Community Room, Blairsville from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. We will only meet once per month. Facilitator: Suzanne Repp, LCSW. The group is presented by Regency Hospice and is free of charge. Please call 1-800-577-8791 or 706-896-1251 for more
information.
Winter Storytime
Sept.-March 2010 for Towns & Union Counties @ Mtn.Regional Library, Young Harris 379-3732, Wednesdays 11:00AM. Age open.
Regency Hospice
Regency Hospice announces new Men's Morning Coffee Group: New location: Victoria's Bake Shop 2386 Young Harris Hwy. Blairsville, Ga 30512 Dates: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month 10 a.m. to Noon
Army & Navy Garrison
#66
The Army and Navy Garrison #66 meets the first Wednesday of each month. Dinner is at 6 p.m. Veterans meeting and Women's Auxiliary begin at 7 p.m. 2641 Hwy 66, Young Harris, Ga ( at the Ga/NC State Line) Bill Curns, Commander
Towns County
Republican Party
We meet the first Tuesday of every month at Daniel's Steakhouse at 6:30pm. Guest speakers regu-larly. Please make plans to attend.
Enchanted Squares
The Enchanted Valley Square dance the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month at the Towns County Elementary Cafeteria from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Ray Mauney is our caller.
Prayer meetings
Everyone is welcome and invited to attend! Prayer meeting every Tuesday morning 10 a.m. until service ends at Eagle Wing Deliverance Church and Out Reach Ministries!
1591 Fire Tower Rd S.E. Fairmont, GA 30139
Free lunch after service with desert and tea Its time America turns back to much prayer like never before.
Matthew: 26:41 and Thessalonians: 5:17
Our 24-hour prayer line is always open: 706-337-3241
Anytime you would like for me to come to your home or church to ministries Call:706-337-3241 Anytime! Let's all pray for our nation, Soldiers and Leaders.
Grieving the Loss of a
Child
Anyone who has lost a child or grandchild is invited to participate in a gathering at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Hayesville to reflect and share. Facilitators will be Reverend Darrell Golnitz and his wife, Mary, Director of Christian Education, who also lost a child. Join them on Saturday, March 20 at 10 AM in the Parish Hall. Please call the church office at 828-389-3397 if you are interested. Good Shepherd is located on one mile east of the traffic light at Kerr’s Pharmacy on Rte. #64
Free Food Distribution
There will be a free food distri-bution Tuesday, March 16th, 2010. The distribution will be held at The Towns County Food Pantry from 2pm-6pm. All that are in need of food assistance are encouraged to attend. If you are unable to pick up your food please contact the pantry at 706-896-4783, prior to distribu-tion day so arrangements can be made to deliver your food. All cli-ents and inquiries are confidential.
The Mountain Coin Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Early activities begin at 5:30. Meeting follows at 6:30 p.m.
The club meets at Cadence Bank in Blairsville..
For more information, call YOCS, 706-379-1488.
Castaway Critters
"COMMUNITY NIGHT" TO BENEFIT CASTAWAY
CRITTERS PET RESCUE
HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO
TUESDAY, MARCH 16th, FROM 4:30 pm - 8:30 pm
BROTHERS RESTAURANT AT WILLOW RANCH
ON HIGHWAY 76, YOUNG HARRIS
What a great way to have a
great meal and also benefit aworthy cause. Come and
bring your friends. Please mentionto the hostess that you are
supporting Castaway Critters.
A volunteer from Castaway Critters will be there to answer
any of your questions regard-ing their non-profit organization.
Pancake Breakfast
Are you ready to escape the house, the cold, warm up your tummy, and find out how all your friends fared during the Arctic Winter in the mountains?? Come to the Senior Center in Hiawassee and join your neighbors and friends on Saturday, March 20th from 7:00 am until 11:00 am for a big hot breakfast of pancakes, sausage, eggs and socializing! Tickets will be sold at the door for $5.00 per person and the proceeds will assist in benefiting the many charitable projects that the Masons and Stars sponsor in your community! So, don't wonder what everyone is talk-ing about on the afternoon of March 20th! You be there with your family and enjoy this time of true warmth and great food! To purchase tick-ets ahead, see a Mason or Eastern Star or tickets will be sold at the door! If you've been once, we know you won't miss this fabulous celebration of End of Winter Pancakes! See you there! For additional information, please con-tact Brittnay Pack (706-897-1725), Frances Shook (706-896-2647) or Shirley Stallings (706-896-7943).
FREE Seminar
March 25, 2010, 6:00 p.m. - United Community Bank’s Meeting Room
If you would like some guid-ance in dealing with financial mat-ters in these difficult economic times, plan to attend this FREE seminar which will be hosted by Sylvia Turnage, Certified Public Accountant, and Susanne Johnson, Regional Vice President of
Primerica. The session will be tar-geted to ages 25 to 50. Topics covered will include budgeting, saving, credit scores, debt elimina-tion, insurance needs and identity theft.
Although the seminar is free, it is necessary for you to reserve a seat by calling Sylvia at 706-745-5125 or Susanne at 706-781-1678.
FREE Event:
2nd Annual “Swing Into Spring” Community Home Expo Located at Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa March 13th & 14th 9:00 am until 5:00 pm Contact: 706-379-4606
City of Young Harris
Meeting
The City of Young Harris can-celed their Called Meeting and their Regular Meeting that was to be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 due to the weather. The Called Meeting has been rescheduled for March 11, 2010 at 6:30 P.M. The Regular Meeting will immediately follow at 7:00 P.M. Both will be held in the Council Room of Young Harris City Hall located at 5187 Maple Street.
Cooking with Kara
Home of the Natural Body Makeover, and the "Shed weight, Look, and Feel Great! a 30 Day Health and Lifestyle System
Bus: (706) 970-9505www.NaturalBodyMakeover.
comwww.CookingWithKara.com
Over the last year, it has become apparent that conservatives believe our founding fathers made a terrible mistake in creating a three-part, check-and-balances system of gov-ernment. Their attack on DC daily would lead one to believe that Obama and the Democrats gained power through a coup d’état rather than a fair election. Technically, Bush won office in 2000 by 576 votes (he lost the popular vote) but claimed a man-date. Obama really did have a man-date, winning almost ten million more popular votes than McCain and sweeping the Electoral College. However, Democrats have been hampered from delivering on their top priorities by losing the public rela-tions battle. As I pointed out in previ-ous columns, one would think the Democrats are responsible for the high unemployment rate and bulging national debt rather than the savior of the economy.
As part of the PR battle, conser-vatives criticize the Democratic health care reform bill for having over 2,000 pages. They brag that the Republican version is a mere 219 pages. Ask any lawyer which version would be the easiest to slice and dice in a court of law. Ask any lawyer where you would find the greatest number of loopholes to exploit. Ask any lawyer which version demonstrates intellec-tual laziness. It is easy to state a broad principle but difficult to define, in detail, how that principle can be implemented in practice. The Prescription Drug Bill of 2003, con-
tained over 1,100 pages so I suspect 2,000 pages may be too few for an overhaul of the entire health care sys-tem. On the other hand, 219 pages seem like an anorexic runway model.
Do you remember the health care fight back in 1994? Republicans won that battle, using the same argu-ments they are using today. Moreover, what did we get? Managed care, HMO’s, PPO’s, provider panels,
rationed health care, preapprovals, higher co-pays, markedly increased premiums, a “free market” in health care that has driven millions of citi-zens out of the health care system, and markedly increased government funding of health care benefits for children, the poor, and the chronically ill. Now, after that terrible experiment, we are back at the drawing board and Republicans are proposing more of the same! Republicans had their chance and it was ineffective. They could have “tweaked” the system during Bush’s term but they did noth-ing in spite of mounting evidence of a broken health care system. Now it is the Democrats turn – and everything suggests a radical improvement is the only thing that will reign in health care costs. I pay over $12,000 in pre-
miums a year for two, almost $1,200 a year in Medicare premiums, a $100 per person deductible, and 20% co-pay. Over 50% of my net pay is spent on health care – and I am a healthy person. Thank goodness, I have other sources of income.
Conservatives claim that the use of reconciliation is rare and should not be used for health care. Without bela-boring the point, suffice it to say the Republicans used it frequently during their time in power. Now John McCain, who I used to respect, is proposing that reconciliation is inap-propriate for trimming fraud and
waste from the Medicare system. John, bless his heart, is not credible on this issue. In 1989, 1995, 1997, and 2005, McCain voted to substantially slash Medicare funding – all through reconciliation! Republicans used rec-onciliation to cram the Bush tax cuts down our throats (to borrow an over- used phrase from Fox “news”). I wonder if our founding fathers intended for Congress to be paralyzed by the filibuster or if they understood passage to mean a simple 51-vote majority.
Another argument in the conser-vative battle to impugn government is to spew forth withering criticism of federal government programs, claim-ing gross inefficiency, while trumpet-ing the benefits of private enterprise.
They love to pick on the post office so I am excited to see how they will handle the recent post office request to cease Saturday mail delivery. Every time the post office proposes raising the cost of a stamp by a penny or two, or stopping Saturday delivery, all hell breaks loose. You see, the post office cannot make changes without Congressional approval because the Post Master General is a Constitutional office, even though the post office received no funding from the federal government. However, comparing the post office to private delivery companies is like comparing apples to oranges. No other company deliv-ers mail to EVERY address in the country, as well as its territories like Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and St. John, six days a week at an affordable price. If UPS and FEDEX did the same thing, service would be unaffordable to a vast majority of citizens. If our local, state, and federal governments had to use FEDEX or UPS to deliver official documents, like tax bills, taxes would have to rise to cover the significant increase in costs.
I doubt that our founding fathers could foresee that governing would boil down to a public relations cam-paign. I suspect that they believed the weight and responsibility of govern-ing would force self and party interest to yield to country interest. I think they believed that the federal govern-ment was to consider legislation in light of the entire country rather than regional and local interests. However, since we started drawing Congressional districts that look like space aliens, the interests of DC start-ing boiling down to PR battles, ear-marks, and the politics of personal enrichment.
Leaning LeftBy: Jim Fitzgerald
Columnist
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"I doubt that our founding fathers could foresee that governing would boil down to a public relations campaign."
Dear Lula Belle, I recently transferred to a
new school and I can already tell it is different from my old school. Many kids curse, drink, and smoke. Some kids even drink and smoke with their parents. When the kids ask what my favorite alcoholic drink is, I stutter and say I don’t drink. They all laugh. One of my friends is having a party which will have alcohol. My friend said that this could be my chance to be cool and hang with her friends. Should I go or should I not and be a loser for the rest of the year? –Trying to fit in
Dear Trying to fit in,Anyone who has a “coolness
radar” based on your favorite alcoholic drink sounds like a loser to me. Instead of trying to fit in with others, just be yourself and find others who fit in with you just the way you are. Instead of going to this dumb party, host a party of your own with some of the new friends you find. Also, please ask your parents to anony-mously report this party to the police. Any adults who supply alcohol to minors will be arrest-ed. I know it is difficult to feel left out and it hurts your feelings to be laughed at for not being “cool.” But let me tell you some-thing that’s really cool: Imagine yourself working hard in school and staying out of trouble over the next few years. Next, imagine walking into your ten year high school reunion with that good head on your shoulders held high. Picture yourself driving up in
your nice car that you purchased with the money you’ll be making as a successful career person. I promise you, some of the kids who thought they were so cool by wasting their precious youth try-ing to grow up too fast and dam-aging their growing brain by poi-soning it with alcohol, will be the obvious losers.
Dear Lula Belle,I am writing to you because I
am about ready to end a long-time friendship. My best friend has changed a lot this year. She used to be unpopular like me but now she thinks she is so hot. I do not know why, but the popular girls started liking her and hang-ing out with her on the weekends. She acts all mean to me in front of them but is still nice to me when it’s just the two of us together. When it’s just us, I pre-tend nothing is wrong. She invit-ed all these girls to her birthday party but did not include me at all. She just lied and acted like she wasn’t having a party. But I found out about it. What should I do? –Left out
Dear Left out,Write down a list of at least
twenty qualities that make a good friend. Then, ask yourself if this particular girl meets your stan-dards of a good friend, one item on your list at a time. If she fails this friendship test, it is up to you, not her, to decide if you would like to keep pretending this girl is your BFF (best friend forever.) There is absolutely no need for a formal declaration or a
break-up to take place. Just know in your heart that you are choos-ing to take a break from this friend for a while. Keep your distance, but do not be unkind. You can tell her you are busy if she asks you to hang out. The reason I say this is because peo-ple change. She may not be act-ing like a nice friend right now, but that does not mean she won’t come to her senses later and real-ize she is being a jerk to you. Friendships have lots of ups and downs. This may just be a down time and nothing permanent. She is her own person and she can pick other friends just like you can. Let this be a signal for you to branch out too. There are nice people out there just waiting for a nice friend like you.
Dear Lula Belle,I have a problem. I was mad
at my friend and I told another friend something bad about her. It wasn’t true, but it quickly got spread around to other people. I feel bad now. My friend doesn’t even know I started the rumor. What should I do? –Sorry
Dear Sorry,My advice is simple: Tell the
truth, apologize, and set the record straight. You know, most people have trouble admitting their mistakes and they lay the blame on others. I am impressed you did not do that. You were mad at your friend but you left out the details of why. I think that’s wonderful. You must real-ize it isn’t important what she did to you; you are just focusing on your mistake. Good for you. Everyone makes mistakes but it takes a mature person to feel sin-cerely sorry about it and an even more mature person to take action to fix it.
Need Advice? Ask Lula Belle by sending your questions to: [email protected] or mail them to: P.O. Box 311, Cleveland, GA 30528.
The Towns Sentinel (USPS 015364) is published weekly each Thursday. Subscriptions are $25 a year in Towns County; $45 out of area. Single copy price $.50. Periodical postage paid at Hiawassee, Ga. Call 706-896-6397 to subscribe.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Towns Sentinel P.O. Box 172, Hiawassee, GA 30546
OPINIONThe Towns Sentinel is in the 11th year of
publication.
CORRECTIONSIf you find a mistake of fact in the Towns
Sentinel that is serious enough to warrant a correction or clarification, call 706-896-6397,
ADVERTISEMENTSIn case of errors, the Towns Sentinel is
responsible only for the cost of the actual advertisement. Customers are encouraged to check their advertisements the first week of run. In case of errors, the Towns Sentinel will not credit advertisements for more than
one week.
LETTERS WELCOME
The Towns Sentinel welcomes letters to the editor. Letter should be typed and no longer than 500 words. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number
for verification. Letters that cannot be confirmed with the writer cannot be
The March 3, 2010, edition of the Towns/Union Sentinel contained an article indicating U.S.
Representative Nathan Deal (R-GA/9) resigned his Congressional position to focus on his candida-cy for Governor of Georgia as a Republican. I applaud his decision to resign. However, this should have occurred when he announced his candidacy.
I recommend, that upon announcing a run for an elected position, the candidate should immedi-ately resign any elected or appointed position the individual holds. Further, any civil service employ-ee should also immediately resign.
Seldom do we see an individual run for elected office and resign their current position. This is a conflict of interest because the individual is no lon-ger providing full attention to his/her constituents.
Rather, the candidate will run and if not elected return to his/her current position as if nothing hap-pened. This must change! Will we ever see a politi-cian submit a bill requiring elected, appointed, and civil service employees to resign upon announcing candidacy for a different office? Of course not!
I challenge our elected officials to approve such a bill for federal, state, county, and local levels of government. I also ask my fellow voters to con-tact their representatives and challenge them vote “Yes!” for this bill.
I hear Georgians loud and clear. After months of personal conversations, phone calls, let-ters and emails, they have made it clear that they do not want the government to take over their health care. It’s not just conser-vatives in the south who are kick-ing and screaming over the bills that Congress approved. According to the latest CNN poll, only twenty-five percent of Americans support the Democrats’ attempt to socialize medicine. That means an over-whelming majority want an entirely new bill or for Congress to stop work on health care reform altogether. Still, liberals in Congress are doing their best
to ram through a government takeover of health care.
Instead of listening to the American people’s demand to start over, Democrats are threat-ening to use a legislative trick known as reconciliation. Under normal floor procedures, the Senate must have sixty members who are ready to vote on a piece of legislation. However, they can get around this process by using the budget reconciliation trick, which only requires fifty-one votes. Even the man who helped craft the reconciliation process, Democrat Senator Robert Byrd, called the misuse of this process “an undemocratic disservice to our people,” and he’s not the only one speaking out against his own party. According to Democrat Senator Kent Conrad, reconcilia-
tion was never designed for legis-lation as significant as compre-hensive health care reform.
I do not think we should stop working to reform the health care financing system here in America, but we do need to start over with a clean sheet of paper. Republicans have common-sense solutions, such as my OPTION Act, that will allow individuals to buy health care across state lines, cover people with pre-existing conditions, and improve access to Health Savings Accounts with-out launching a government take-over. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid should support the commonsense, mar-ket-based solutions that Americans are demanding.
Liberals always reveal their fearsAs I read Jim Fitzgerald’s column, from your
Feb 25 edition , titled CONSERVATIVES SHOULD REJOIN OUR DEMOCRACY, I was reminded of what always seems to be their pattern: They attack what they fear.
Evidently, Mr. Fitzgerald fears conservatives, as he describes them as, “little more than hysterical children throwing a temper tantrum.” My, my, isn’t that just too bad! He goes on, to say, “They bear little relationship to reason or fact, just anger, pure unadulterated anger.” Wow, what a vicious bunch, we conservatives must be! What Fitzgerald, and his buddies can’t stand, is when thinking folks disagree with them. But, there’s more: “As for destroying our country, the conservative temper tantrums and obstructionism appear to be doing more to cripple this country than anything progressives have done, either now or in the past.” Wow, again! He faults conservatives for making grandiose general state-
ments. What about these? Let’s see some examples, Mr. Critical Thinker, as this self-described colum-nist spews forth. With the dems in control of both houses of Congress, how is it, that conservatives…as nasty as they are…can be obstructing anything?
If, in his column title, Fitzgerald is referring to the USA in his use of the word “democracy,” I would point out that, for the record, the USA is a representative republic. To most folks, that’s not a big deal. But, for Mr. Critical, let’s get it right, alright? Plus, just what is he implying, when he says, “rejoin the democracy.” That sounds a tad grandiose, in itself, doesn’t it?
If I were in charge of what gets printed in the TOWNS SENTINEL, I would look twice, before honoring this guy with space in my paper; that is, if I had any sense of truth and honesty.
-Gary A. Lee
Americans Reject a Government TakeoverBy: Paul C. Broun U.S. Congressman
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a retired teacher of high school history, government, and economics. I am also an information junkie, constantly flipping back and forth between CNN and FOX News and surfing the Web for the latest updates and analyses on politics, the econo-my, and current events. Politically, I lean to the right, but I consider myself moderately conservative; I am certainly no radical. I have voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since I turned eighteen, but I am regis-tered as an Independent and plan to stay that way. No party or political action committee dic-tates how I think on any single issue. Moreover, I consider both major political parties responsi-ble for our current economic mess.
I am a member of a Southern Baptist Church and attend regu-larly, though I am not dogmatic about denominational differenc-es. My faith is extremely impor-tant to me and influences my beliefs in all areas of life, but I think people often pretend to know a lot more about God than any of us actually do. Since we currently “see through a glass darkly,” I don’t think we should pretend to have all the answers.
I love my country. I used to tell my students that they should get down on their knees every day and thank God that they were born in the United States of America. I still believe that, but I am profoundly worried about the future of this great nation. Like so many others who are far more knowledgeable than I, I think our economy is on an unsustainable path. The chal-lenges we face are enormous and complicated. There are no easy
answers, no painless solutions to our problems.
I am a mom and a new grand-mother. I look into the eyes of my precious, perfect, beautiful little granddaughter and wonder what the future holds for her. How will our 12 trillion dollar national debt affect her life and the lives of all our children and grandchildren? What are we doing to them? Will her genera-tion be the first not to have better lives than their parents had? I see my former students so excited about starting their careers, get-ting married, and having babies. I offer my congratulations and wish them well – but I fear for them.
My husband is a retired fed-eral employee. He served for over thirty years, working hard to provide farm loans, low-interest loans for housing, and grants for important things like water and sewage systems, fire trucks, and community centers for small towns. (He was NOT part of the sub prime lending fiasco.) I believe our government provides many good and necessary ser-vices. I am not anti-government, but I do believe in LIMITED and fiscally responsible government.
I believe it is my duty to be a law-abiding citizen who pays my taxes, stays informed, and votes. I also think it is every citizen’s duty to speak up when our lead-ers are taking us down the wrong path. We have freedom of speech and we should exercise it. Otherwise, we get the govern-ment we deserve.
I believe as Winston Churchill did, that “democracy is the worst form of government…except for all the others.” Like any red-blooded American, I value the freedom and individu-alism afforded me by a demo-cratic society; at the same time, I see the inherent weaknesses in democracy that could destroy us from within. I recognize that
capitalism has provided more prosperity for more people than any other economic system in history. On the other hand, we’ve all seen how the system can be gamed by those whose greed has run amok – to the detriment of us all. I am wary of too much gov-ernment control, but also recog-nize that some level of govern-ment regulation is necessary.
I am sick and tired of the radicalism of American politics. As a nation, we have become so polarized we can no longer carry on a civil conversation about the difficulties we face. Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, practice trench warfare - lobbing verbal attacks back and forth at one another across the No Man’s land of moderation while the media plays up the differences and stokes the fires of anger and discontent. How can compromise take place in such a poisonous atmosphere? It can’t, and it doesn’t.
Where are the moderates? Where are the voices of reason? I believe we need more people who are willing to navigate the “mushy middle” where one is bound to be attacked by extrem-ists on both sides. Granted, it is a difficult, dangerous and thank-less job. Just recently, Senator Evan Bayh called it quits because he has given up on getting the two parties to work together to accomplish anything of real value. But unless we learn to come together, really talk to each other and not past each other, we are in serious trouble.
When I was a little girl, my mama taught me that there are two sides to everything. She always listened to my side and then helped me see other points of view. The lesson stuck, and I later taught my classes that when you hear extremists argue their positions, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.
Somewhere in the middleBy: Paula Canup
Columnist
CPR SaturdayAdult CPR Training
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church
Young Harris, GA
Class starts at: 10:00 a.m. (The length of the class is approximately 3 hours.)
CALL 1-800-282-1722 Ext. 29
TO RESERVE A TIME
Event Hosted By:Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church
&Towns County Unit of the American Red Cross.
The Towns County Sheriff's office versus the Towns County 4-H Sharpshooters. It will be the match of the year. This fundraising event will be
open to the public. Stay tuned for full details next week!
Sharpshooter Match Coming Soon!
Page 4A TOWNS SENTINEL March 11, 2010
COMMUNITY
The Healing Hands Community Clinic hosted a CPR Saturday for its volunteer staff. Jack Harper, certified CPR instructor, graciously devoted his time and services for the event.
The number of patients the clinic is now serving has increased and thus so has its needs. Dr Bryan Johnson, whose practice is located in Hiawassee, has served as our volunteer phy-sician quite often and the clinic staff and patients would like to thank him for his compassion and willingness to serve.
The clinic is in the process of filing for its tax-exempt status. Once received, this will open the door for the clinic to apply for and receive grant money and to be able to receipt individuals and
businesses for their donations.Look for the Healing Hands
Community Clinic donation jars throughout the community, as the clinic is need of funds to com-plete the 501c application fee and for its medication assistance fund.
The clinic provides general healthcare to adults and children over the age of two who are unin-sured, not eligible for Medicade or Medicare and whose income is less than 200% of the federally defined poverty level. Patients should bring proof of income at the time of their visit -previous year’s tax return or recent proof of income statement.
Clinic services include: General health care for
chronic and acute health condi-
tions, other than chronic pain, narcotics, emergency treatment, pregnancy, or serious mental health illnesses.
Medication assistance pro-gram – aiding patients to obtain medication from local pharma-cies, or pharmaceutical compa-nies when funds are available.
Healthcare education.The clinic staff appreciates
community support. Should you care to make a monetary contri-bution or donation of medical supplies/equipment, please con-tact the clinic at 706-994-6768. The clinic is open every Saturday from 9-12. They are located at 850 Bible Camp Circle directly behind House of Prayer Church on Pat Colwell Rd.
After fifteen years of story times, summer reading pro-grams, and special programs at schools, festivals, and day care centers throughout Fannin, Towns and Union Counties, Linda Foster is retiring from the Mountain Regional Library System at the end of March. Miss Linda has entertained and inspired a whole generation of children in our mountain counties – in fact, the first group of chil-dren she had in the summer read-ing program in 1995 are now
bringing their children to library programs. Besides being a teller of tales, a spinner of stories, and clever creator of games, Miss Linda is a talented artist. You may remember some of her beau-tiful bulletin boards and great craft projects she created for all those who visited the library to enjoy. Children and now adults in the three counties still stop her in the grocery store with calls of “hey Miss Linda!” That is what has kept her going all these years! But now, it is time for Miss Linda
to enjoy some well-deserved time to chase other dreams and relax a little bit. To celebrate her retire-ment – and all the good memo-ries she will leave us with – the Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris will host a recep-tion in her honor on Thursday, March 25th at 6 p.m. Please join us for refreshments and remi-nisces as we celebrate Miss Linda. For more information call 706-379-3732 or visit www.mountainregionallibrary.org.
Miss Linda is Retiring
The AARP TAXAIDE pro-gram is in full swing giving FREE tax preparation and FREE e-filing assistance to all clients in the low and moderate income people. You do not have to belong to AARP nor be a certain age to receive assistance.
During the month of February, the TAXAIDE coun-selors have helped over 500 peo-ple in the Hiawassee and Blairsville area.
We are open in Hiawassee on
Mondays from 9 AM to 2PM at the United Methodist Church next to the Fair Grounds. And in Blairsville on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM to 2 PM at the First Baptist Church Bldg H across from Rite Aide Pharmacy.
Since this is the busy time of the tax year, it is advisable to come by 11 AM to insure we will have time to complete your return.
We have been trained and certified by the IRS and AARP to
prepare itemized deductions, sale of stocks and property, and all kinds of other transactions. The TAXAIDES have over 95 years of tax preparation experience and every return is quality reviewed to insure accuracy.
If you have any questions feel free to call TED NOELLE, the Local Coordinator at 706-745-7998 or [email protected].
AARP TAXAIDE Program
$2,000Cashback
$4,000Cashback
$2,500Cashback
$3,500Cashback
Up To
2010 Edge
Jacky Jones Ford - Hayesville 1-888-319-9590 - 828-389-6325
1493 Highway 64 W, Hayesville NC 28904
AARP Safe Driving Course Come join the AARP Safe Driving Course March 11th
& 12th at the Shirley Miller Building located behind the renovating Union County Library. The fee is $12.00 for AARP members and $14.00 for non-members. To enroll please call Jessica deRuise at 706-439-6332.
Page 5A TOWNS SENTINEL March 11, 2010
HIAWASSEE UNITED METHODIST CHURCHThe “Come As You Are” Church
706 896-2818 & 706 896-3678 FaxSunday School . . . . 9:30 AMWorship Service . . . 10:45 AMWed. Bible Study . . 6:00 PM
Senior Pastor Jim BlairDirector of Music and Worship
Hope Horkavy
Praise God Together With Us!1139 US Highway 76, West
“ On the Hill “www.hiawasseeumc.org
P. O. Box 609Hiawassee,GA 30546
TURPIN’S WRECKER SERVICELocal & Long Distance Towing
Light & Heavy Duty Towing706-896-4138
828-389-0832 (NC)Available 24/7
Britt & CapriWomen’s Boutique
706-896-6222
Tugaloo Home Health Agency
KB HEALTH Technology, Inc.Georgia Licensed Medicaid
Agency also providing:
Private Pay and Insurance Services
Personal Care and RespiteCelebrating 21 Years
BRASSTOWN MANOR
Independent and Assisted Living
706-896-4285
BENNY’S SanitationResidential and Commercial
Garbage Service706-896-2573
Aloha WellnessLook good and feel even better!
706-896-3300 706-896-1050 - Fax
Mossy Bo!oms Cafe 1620 Hwy 76 W Hiawassee, GA
706-896-0553
Jacky Jones CHRYSLER
PLYMOUTHDODGEJEEP
Law Office
of Gayle Graziano
Wills and Probates
www.americaninhomeblinds.com
Young Harris Hwy., Blairsville
1034 Young Harris Hwy (Hwy 76E)
Blairsville, GA 30512
(706) 745-1020
www.americanhomeblinds.com
Dust Bunnies
678-697-3276
Since 1949—
W.N.C. Marble & Granite
294 Old State Road
Marble, N.C.
Buy Monuments—Direct1-800-621-1279
Register Now! “Ballet”, “Tap”, “Jazz” and MORE!
Ages 3 to Adult, Beginner to ExpertBrasstown Dance Academy
Now Accepting New Students706-379-2651
On US 76 on the hill across from the EMC in Young Harris
Dance Classes
Friends Moving Company
Local and Long Distance
706-896-7720
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Stimulus money for NC used to Monkey's on Cocaine
Subject to our liberal credit policy and limitations, if any.
Strut’s Shoe StoreMen - Women - Children
Come in and browse: Jewlery, Socks, Tees, Handbags, & Belts
706-896-20021374 US Hwy, 76E - Hiawassee GA
ALWAYS ChristmasYear Round Christmas and Fine Collectables
www.alwayschristmas.comMon.-Sat. 10am-5pm
By: Jim Davis Columnist
Young Harris Meeting Called to Discuss SPLOSTA meeting has been called by the Mayor and City Council of
Young Harris to discuss the Commissioner’s proposed SPLOST plan. The meeting will be held in the Council Room of City Hall located at 5187 Maple Street on Thursday, March 11th. at 6:30 P.M. The Regular Meeting will follow.
Shirley JarrardCity Clerk/Finance Officer
Public Hearing Opportunity City of Young Harris
The Comprehensive Plan is the guiding policy document for growth and development in the City of Young Harris. In the State of Georgia, all local governments are required to adopt comprehen-sive plans, in compliance with the Georgia Planning Act. The Planning Act also assigns local govern-ments certain minimum responsibilities to maintain “Qualified Local Government” (QLG) status and, thus be eligible to receive certain state funding.
The Plan consists of several elements including Housing, Natural and Community Resources, Economic Development, Population and Land Use, which includes the Future Land Use Map. The Plan also includes a Short Term Work Program (STWP) and Capital Improvement Plan (CIE). These sections direct the City on implementation of projects within a five-year timeframe.
The City of Young Harris, City of Hiawassee, and Towns County are working with the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission to develop their new joint Comprehensive Plan. Participation from the public in this plan update is critical to develop a policy document that reflects the needs and desires of the community. The City of Young Harris will hold two Public Participation Opportunities this month. One will be held on March 16, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. in the Council Room of Young Harris City Hall located at 5187 Maple Street. The second meeting will be held on March 23rd. at 12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. in the Council Room of Young Harris City Hall located at 5187 Maple Street.
Since you have a stake in how we grow, we would like for anyone who has a Young Harris address or has a business in Young Harris, to participate in these hearings. We would like for you to submit the following:
Submit one (1) photo of Young Harris – Why is it Beautiful – as you see itSubmit one (1) photo of what you don’t like about Young HarrisSubmit one (1) photo of what you would most like to see in Young HarrisThese photos can be old photos (historical) and photos that were taken in other seasons. You
can drop the photos off at City Hall or mail them to: City of Young Harris, P.O. Box 122, Young Harris, Ga. 30582.
Any individual who will need accommodations for a disability in order to participate in these meetings should contact Young Harris City Hall at 706-379-3171.
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Sons of the American Revolution
Page 6A TOWNS SENTINEL March 11, 2010
LOCALTowns County Arrest Report
Daniel Scott Carver, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 8/10/63 Arrested for ter-roristic threats & acts ( 2 counts) on February 13, 2010 and released on February 14, 2010.
Stevenson Weston Croft, of Charlotte, NC, DOB 04/15/84 Arrested 48 hours to serve jail time on February 14, 2010.
Paris Andrew Nichols, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 3/8/68 Arrested for speeding - 35 zone, 15-19 over; driving while license suspended on February 14, 2010 and released on February 14, 2010.
Shannon Jay Garrison, of Hayesville, NC, DOB 1/28/77 Arrested for theft by taking on February 15, 20210 and released on February 15, 2020.
Adam Bo Riddle, of Brevard, NC, DOB 2/18/83 Arrested for posses-sion of marijuana; driving under the influence of; open container/passen-ger area of on February 15, 2010 and released on February 15, 2010.
Jamison Chadwick Williams, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 8/19/77 Arrested for D.U.I/refusal; driving while license suspended; speed lim-its-55/45 on February 16, 2020 and released on February 17, 2010.
Marion Shane McClure, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 1/17/70 Arrested for possession, manna, dis-turb, etc on February 17, 2010 and released on February 17, 2010.
William Benjamin Davis, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 8/8/63 Arrested for possession, manna,disturb, etc. of
control subs. or maja;penal ( 2 counts); stop signs and yield signs on February 18, 2010 and released on February 18, 2010.
Mary Teresa Chinery, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 7/24/54 Arrested on February 19, 2010 and released on February 19, 2010.
Donald Terrell Ford, Cleveland, TN, DOB 11/25/53 Arrested for speed limits; reckless driving on February 21, 2010 and released on February 21, 2010.
Caleb Chapman Weaver, of Young Harris, GA, DOB 6/5/89 Arrested for speed limits; reckless driving on February 21, 2010 and released on February 21, 2010.
Steven Dewayne Wade, of Fayetteville, GA, DOB 8/10/66 Arrested for no-passing zones; driv-ing while license suspended; safety belts on February 22, 2010 and released on February 22, 2010.
Christopher Blake Carroll, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 1/31/90 Arrested for basic rules; driving while license suspended or revoked; tires; broken windshield on February 22, 2010 and released on February 23, 2010.
James David Friedley, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 4/26/88 Arrested for possession of marijuana on February 25, 2010 and released on February 26, 2010.
Steve Samuel Johns, of Hayesville, NC, DOB 10/03/79 Arrested for possession of marijuana; D.U.I./drugs; failure to maintain lane;
safety belts; speed limits; insurance required; revoked registration on February 25, 2010 and released on February 25, 2010.
Gerald Dean Littrell, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 5/21/59, Arrested for tail lights; driving while license suspended on February 25, 2010 and released on February 25, 2010.
Nikita Ann Maddox, of Hayesville, NC, DOB 12/12/90. Arrested for pos-session of marijuana; failure to main-tain lane; tires on February 25, 2010 and released on February 26, 2010.
Tyler James Wise, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 6/23/92. Arrested for disor-derly conduct on February 25, 2010 and released on February 26, 2010.
Kevin Scott Baker, of Fayetteville, GA, DOB 7/12/80. Arrested for pro-bation violation on February 26, 2010 and released on February 26, 2010.
Austin Lloyd Derryberry, of Alpharetta, GA, DOB 10/07/86. Arrested for possession of marijuana misdemeanor; license to be carried & exhibited on demand on February 26, 2010 and released on February 27, 2010.
William Trevor Weaver, of Talking Rock LN, GA, DOB 7/13/89. Arrested for disorderly conduct; public drunk-enness; obstruction or hindering law enforcement officers; simple assault; furnishing to, purchase, or possession by persons under 21 fas. on Februjary 27, 2010 and released on February 27, 2010.
February 14th - February 27th
Mr.James’’Mack”Guffey age 72 of Young Harris St.Blairsville passed away on Sunday March 7,2010 in the Chatuge Regional Nursing Home following an extend-ed illness.Mr.Guffey was born on March 2,1938 in Union County,the son of the late Lloyd Guffey and the late Minnie Jordon Guffey.Mr.Guffey was a native and lifelong resident of Union County.He loved
time with his best friend Blaze his dog.He was preceded in death by his
by his second wife,Evelyn Louise Thomas March 3,2010.Mr.Guffey was a member of Zebulon Baptist Church.
Surviving Mr.Guffey are three sons and two daughter in laws,Gary and Denise Guffey of
Hiawassee,Greg Guffey of Young Harris,Chris and Shelly Guffey of Young Harris,step daughter,Pam Young,two sisters,Sharon Pou-los and Ellen Kirby both of Blairsville,one brother,Jack Guffey of Blairsville,ten grandchildren,three great grandchildren,several nieces,nephews,many other rela-tives and friends also survive.
Funeral services will be held on
Tuesday March 9,2010 at 11:00am from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Gary Guffey and Rev.
-lowing gentleman will serve as pallbearers,Brian,Hogan,Jordan,Daniel and Andrew Guffey and William Young.Serving as honorary pall-bearers will be Watson and Stacy Stephens and Kevin Russell.Inter-ment will follow in the Old Union Baptist Church Cemetery.The fam-ily will meet with friends at the funeral home on Monday evening after 6:00pm.
Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the ar-rangements.You may sign the fami-ly guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfu-neralhome.com
James Mack Gu!yTributes
Mr. James Howard Lovell, age 43 of Blairsville, GA passed away on Monday, March 01, 2010 in Ev-ergreen Hospital in Evergreen, AL. He was born to the late Vaughn and Linda (Wright) Lovell on October 10, 1966 in Hiawassee, GA. He is survived by sisters, Angela Brown, of Blairsville, GA; Cynthia West, of Crestview, FL; nieces, Jessica Lance, of Blairsville, GA; Courtney Wilson, of Hiawassee, GA; neph-ews, Curtis Brown, of Young Har-ris, GA; Bill Wilson, of Crestview, FL; many great nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services were held on Friday, March 05, 2010 at
2:00 PM from Pine Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Mark Shook, Rev. Charlie Bowen and Rev. Dwayne
provided by Spirit Bless, Denisa and William Lovell. Pallbearers were:
Darrell Shook, Jacob Shook, Chris Keys, Randall Mathis, Brandon Da-vis, Lecho Olvera, Stephen Crisp and Sam Guy. Honorary pallbearers were: Cotton Penland, Dale Penland, Colten Shook, Cassen Shook, Isaiah Shook, William Wilson, Tyler Rich-ards and the Deacons of Pine Grove Baptist Church. Interment was in Pine Grove Baptist Church cem-
request donations be made to Pine Grove Baptist Church, c/o Alisa Richards, P.O. Box 216, Hiawassee, GA 30546. Banister Funeral Home of Hiawassee in charge of arrange-ments.
James Howard Lovell
The Green Column
How can your green business sell to a public that does not understand the value?
Educate your customer. If you use high pressure tactics to sell green, you will not succeed. Insulting your competitor by telling your client they are less green will not work. If your client understands why your service is valuable, how your prod-uct works, they will be more likely to purchase. Take for example a green home designer and planner. The customer needs to understand why he should pay for a green plan. Start with the fact that an energy ef-
system. By using the best combina-
the customers' lifestyle, budget, and work best on their building site, they can have much better results with-out spending as much. For example, a home that faces the warm, south winter sunshine would require a different design than one facing the cold, north wind. A home that faces the hot summer sun would require yet another design. A plan that fo-cuses on the most important issues
homeowner save much more energy costs without spending as much. The designer could conclude with ex-
the extra money they spent on green planning was recovered in one year of reduced energy costs, and perhaps how the clients report that this is the most comfortable home they have ever lived in. That is how you edu-cate your customer.
How do you educate your custom-er before they meet you? By creating a marketing program that focuses on educating the public. Your com-
and advertisements should teach the same message. Research what your clients know. Ask previous clients what was most important to them. Write articles for your web site that
-amples. The home designer might show completed projects, what was
are. Other articles might discuss how a green home can be more comfort-able, less costly, or more durable. Blogs are great for this. Attend a free class on how to market your business using blogs March 15 at the Andrews
out what they want and need. Focus on that. Ask them why they are in-terested in your product or service. What do they believe about green? How important are these beliefs? Would they spend more if it reduces their energy bills? Makes their home healthier? More comfortable? Re-duces maintenance? Saves the earth? Most clients would appreciate these questions. They prove that you are listening to them and working to ful-
in global warming they will not care that your product will reduce the burning of coal, but might care if it reduces their electric bill. Focus on
wants. A trade show or home show is
a great place to market your green business and meet clients for less cost. AVI is planning a green fair for this summer. Email me for more de-tails. [email protected]
Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initia-
Read this column and many others online at georgiasentinel.com
#006 Educating your customer on the bene!ts of being green
Brian Mull, age 35, of Acworth, GA passed away Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at his home.
Brian was born on October 28, 1974 in Hiawassee, GA.
Survivors include: mother, Joan and Floyd Taylor of Acworth, GA; father, Steve Berry of Cornelia, GA;
GA; daughter, Taylor Brawley of Acworth, GA; brother, Clint & Kelly Berry of Dallas, GA; grand-mother, Elizabeth Mull of Hiawas-see, GA; nephew, Donovon Berry of Dallas, GA. and two aunts.
Funeral services were held Satur-day, March 6, 2010 at 2:00 PM from the Cochran Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Harold Ledford and Rev.
was by Reggie Sprinkles. Music was provided by Kerry and Kathy Dills. Pallbearers were Craig Hogsed, Johnny Shook, Derek Bradshaw, Ja-son Garrett, Jess Gibson, Kris Phil-lips, Eric Mulkey, Stacey Hooper. Honorary pallbearers were D.J. Beck and Brandon Shook. Burial was in Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery.
Cochran Funeral Home Hiawas-see, GA www.cochranfuneralhomes.com in charge of arrangements.
Brian Mull
Mr. Dewey Nolan Whiddon, age 83 of Hiawassee, GA, passed away Saturday, March 6, 2010 at his home.
Mr. Whiddon had been a resident of Towns county for the past 12 years, moving from Sumner, Geor-gia. He was born in Worth County, GA to Green Dewey Whiddon and Elizabeth Slappey Whiddon; Mr. Whiddon graduated U.G.A. with a Bachelor of Agriculture and Georgia State with a Masters in Phychology, he was a member of AARP, McCo-nnell Memorial Baptist Church and Senior Singles. Mr. Whiddon was a retired Realtor.
Surviving are: daughter, Alycen Estelle Whiddon of Hiawassee, son, Alexander Carswell Whiddon of Athens, GA, son, Bruce Nolan
Whiddon of Macon, GA, daughter, Elaine Carswell Marchant, Brother, Drexel Whiddon of Grand Isle, LA and sister, Gussie Whiddon Lums-den of St. Simons, GA.
Mr. Whiddon was preceded in death by his wife, Marion Hutchin-son Whiddon in 1977; son, John Dewey Whiddon; brother, Wayne
Whiddon and sisters, Gloria Whid-don Patterson and Charlotte Whid-don Campbell.
Services were held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, March 9, 2010 from the McConnell Memorial Baptist Church in Hiawassee, GA with Rev.
music was presented by Patsy Dan-iels. Pallbearers were Don Rickert, Clyde Brown, Robert Fraire, James Bazzinotti, Greg Baumann and Tommy Tatum. Graveside services were held at Sumner Cemetery in Sumner, GA, on Sunday, March 14, 2010.
Cochran Funeral Home of Hia-wassee (www.cochranfuneral-homes.com) in charge of arrange-ments.
Dewey Nolan Whiddon
Sheila Marion O’Neal, age 86 of Hiawassee, GA passed away on Monday, March 1, 2010 following a period of declining health. She was born to the late
James and Edith (Newlands) Far-quharson on December 19, 1923
survived by daughters, Sheleila O’Neal, of Hiawassee, GA;Deena O’Neal Riley, of Decatur, GA; son Joe O’Neal, of Conyers, GA;
sister,Margaret Seymour, of Harrow, England; six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one niece and one nephew.
Memorial services were held on Saturday, March 06, 2010 at 3:00 PM from the chapel of Banister Fu-neral Home with Rev. George Wan-
granddaughter,Shannon Higgins and son, Joe O’Neal. Closing prayer was presented by Danny Thompson.
-quest donation and contributions
be made to her favorite charity “In Memory of Sheila O’Neal”, East Maui
Animal Refuge, 25 Malu Aina Place, Haiku Maui, Hawaii 96708-5361. Banister
Funeral Home of Hiawassee in charge of arrangements.
Sheila Marion O'Neal
February 28th - March 7thShawn William Duvall, of
Hayesville, NC, DOB 1/3/92. Arrested for probation violation on March 1, 2010 and released on March 1, 2010.
Brian Wayne Demers, of Young Harris, GA, DOB 3/20/72. Arrested for possession of marijuana on March 1, 2010 and released on March 1, 2010.
Brian Wayne Demers, of Young Harris, GA, DOB 3/20/72. Arrested for possession of marijuana on March 2, 2010 and released on March 2, 2010.
Benjamin Matthew Barnard, of Blairsville, GA, DOB 9/16/83. Arrested for possession of marijuana-misdemeanor less than 1oz.; proba-tion violation on March 4, 2010 and released on March 4, 2010.
Tony Louios Robinson, of Hayesville, NC, DOB 10/04/57. Arrested for probation violation on March 4, 2010 and released on March 4, 2010.
Cassidy Steve Stewart, of Hayesville, NC, DOB 1/28/89. Arrested for obstruction or hindering law on March 4, 2020 and released on March 4, 2010.
James Daniel May, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 9/5/83. Arrested for pos-session, manna, distrib.etc on March 5, 20120 and released on March 5, 20210.
Daniel Scott Carver, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 8/10/63. Arrested for serve 48 hours on March 5, 2010.
Stanley Reginald Raymond, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 9/28/50.
Arrested for child molestation; aggra-vated child molestation on March 5, 2010 and released on March 5, 2010.
Enrique Rodriquez Ceron, of Hiawaassee, GA, DOB 12/21/67. Arrested for open container/passen-ger area of motor vehicle; safety belts; dumping, despising,etc. litter on pub-lic or private property; disorderly con-duct on March 6, 2010 and released on March 6, 2010.
Sergio Salazar, of Hiawassee, GA, DOB 8/12/89. Arrested for D.U.I./alcohol; driving on roadways laned for traffic; safety belts; open contain-er/passenger area of motor vehicle; license required: surrender of prior licenses; insurance required-no insur-ance; suspended registration 40-6-15; probation of violation on March 6, 2010 and released on March 6, 2010.
TWITTER.COM/SENTINELSCOOPGET BREAKING NEWS UPDATES ON YOUR PHONE:
Place your ad in our classi!eds and reach thousands of North Georgia readers. Cost is only $5 for the !rst 10 words for one
week in Union, Towns and Fannin Counties. Call (828) 389-8338CLASSIFIEDS
RV Campground Host Need-ed for Hiawassee. Must be able to do light chores Call Robbie 706-897-1041
Gorgeous, soft green, Coun-try French, distressed China Cab-inet. Original Price $1,950.00 will sell for $475.00. I will be happy to e-mail pictures for anyone in-terested. Call 706-897-5728
2008 Jayco Feather for Sale : 19’9” Camper $12,799.00. Ex-cellent condition, only used during travel one time. Have used where it sits 2 times. Have sway tow bar ( worth $400) , electronic brake adjuster, 12 ‘ x 9’ awning, full kitchen, gas stove/oven,microwave, cd/ra-dio, shower ( inside and out) . Please contact ONLY if serious about looking at it, and pos-sibly purchasing. It is located 2 miles south my home, in a rental space, so like I said please be se-rious if wanting to see/purchase it! Located south of Blairsville, just north of Vogel State Park.
Queen bed, sofa folds down to a full sizes bed, Tires like new ( about 200 miles on them)
e-mail me at : [email protected] if you would like pho-tos Call 706-781-1748
For Sale Dining Room Table with 4 chair, handmade solid hardwood, asking $200 call 828-735-1328
Happy Jack Mitex For ear mites in rabbits, dogs, or cats, ask for Happy Jack Mitex. Con-tains no IGR’s., Hiawassee Feed & Farm Supply ( 896-1319) www.happyjackinc.com
Eagle Restoration, LLC., Staining and Pressure Cleaning.
706-632-6266 eaglerestoration-llc.com
Cooking with Kara *NEW* The Hiawassee Health Hut, your nat-ural grocer. 3243 Dogwood Lane Hiawassee GA. Open Tuesday-Friday from 8-3 p.m. and Satur-days from 9-4. Saturday morning cooking classes from 11-1. For more information call Kara 828-389-7044. Visit: www.Cooking with Kara.com
A and R Landscape Residen-tial and Commercial Lawn Care. Plant, turf and grassing, lot clean-up, mulching and retain-ing walls. 706-994-2457
Tile installer your tile or mine, 26 years experience have refer-ences and liability insurance. Ask for Don at 828-389-9394
D&L Painting & drywall INC. -
all types of finishes & textures 100% Quality Driven. Free Es-timates cell: 828-508-5270 of-fice(1): 828-321-2111 office(2): 828-479-4052
Massage Therapy- in the com-fort of your home. Licensed and insured. 18 years experience, call Gerri; 1 hour $40; Half hour $25; 706-896-6108.
Housing Crisis hitting home? Payments straining your wallet? Call 877-835-8904 to lower your Mortgage payments.
Walker Storage Corner of Old Highway 64 West and West Cher-ry Road. Convenient to Warne, NC. and Western Clay County. Variety of sizes. Concrete block Construction 828-389-4926 Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Will baby sit your child or children: Any age. Reasonable rates.References available. Call 706-299-1614
Moving Sale: 4 piece bedroom set, Dining Table, sofa and love seat, Lamps, Some misc. items. Call 828-389-0859
Paying cash for gold! Rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, etc.In most cases, paying at least DOUBLE what any pawn shop will pay. Gold tested, weighed and you are paid on the spot! 706-896-1380-
Sell your Boat, RV. We bring the buyer to you. 1-866-417-8291
We buy junk, wrecked, rusted old cars and trucks. Call George 706-455-1129
Have any old Mac/Apple products just sitting around gathering dust? Do-nate old iPods and computers, even if they don’t work anymore, to Harrison by contacting [email protected].
Wanted : Old Pinball Ma-chines , Electro-mechanical, Call 828-389-6459
Black and white Australian Shepherd lost on Gum Log near county line. Bob tail dog, no col-lar, male. Please call 706-897-8150 or 706-781-3974.
House for Sale By Owner 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, a sunroom, LR, DR, HWF, Many extras, Partially furnished. In beautiful Plantation Villa in Hiawassee, Georgia. Walk to Town, Walk to Lake $175,000.00 Call 706-400-8159
2 Bedroom, 3 Bath Cabin with Mtn. views for rent. $850.00 a month, plus first month security deposit. 3 miles from Blairsville. All appliances,finished basement. 1-770-995-0184
Small lake house on Lake Chatuge with dock. 2BR/1BA, par-tialy furnished, $600 plus deposit. Annual lease, no smoking, no pets. Valerie 404-849-9010. Available Jan-uary 9th.
Mobile Home for Rent Two bedroom, one bath Mobile Home
for rent in Hiawassee, Ga.,$125 per week or $400 per month, plus $200 Deposit. No Pets. Call 706-835-6561
Apartment for Rent in Hiawassee Specious, light, 1 bedroom, large bathroom. All appliances! Private covered deck! monthly $475.00 plus deposits 706-896-4988 or 706-781-9917
Ridgeline ApartmentsEarly Spring Special! Sit in your
rockers and watch Spring Arrive from your front porch! 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath to 2 Bedrooms , 1 1/2 Bath from $495.00 per month with se-curity deposit. Maintenance FREE! NO steps! FREE water & Trash dis-posal! All appliances included! “It’s time to move up to the Ridgeline Apartments! “3346 Highway 64 East, Hayesville, NC 828-389-1545
The following positions are available
Hughes Pool & StoneCarries a full line of Landscaping products including:
Located behind Downtown Pizza in Murphy on Church St.
Call (828) 837-6222
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Page 8A TOWNS SENTINEL March 11, 2010
COMMUNITY
accommodate single individuals rather than requiring them to sit at a table. The county manager is going to tidy up the amendment to that effect, while still requiring the
restaurant to sell food and alcohol-ic beverage at a 70 % to a 30 % or better mix.
Concern was expressed at the council meeting about the exces-sive water usage for the city due to leaks. The council decided to research the matter further and see what can be done to reduce this leakage and at what cost.
Mention was made of a public
meeting to take place in the court-house on March 17the between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. when a representa-tive from U.S. Senator Johnny Issacson will be of a listening trip. There is also a possibility of other state and federal governmental officers attending. This meeting is to be conducted in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce to game some ideas to improve the
Citizens:massive layoffs, cutting essential programs, limiting future fresh-men admissions and cutting research programs.
Again, these are purely points for discussion. This is what hap-pens when open dialogue takes place with the goal of finding reasonable common ground. Rest assured, nothing on this list is going to a vote. As a matter of fact, these are not even recom-mendations from the Board of Regents. At this point, we are lay-ing everything out on the table and looking at every available option so we can make smart, informed decisions.
I am extremely concerned about the topic of the 4-H and county extension programs. These programs cannot be removed from UGA’s Research and Extension arms. 4-H touches
the lives of more than 156,000 students and aides them in devel-oping valuable life skills that bet-ter prepare them for leadership roles in their careers and commu-nity. Economic growth and suc-cess of Georgia agribusinesses greatly rely on the next genera-tion of innovators.
Additionally, the Extension Service helps Georgians become healthier, more productive, finan-cially independent and environ-mentally responsible. Extension agents are in nearly every county in Georgia. Most counties have a combination of agents who spe-cialize in agriculture, natural resources, youth development and family and consumer scienc-es. Historically these programs have been a “budget line item” in the state budget and thus an argu-ment could be made that they actually are not subject to being cut by the Chancellor of the Board of Regents or the President of the University of Georgia. I am studying this topic further and will determine the best method to
defend these programs.To clarify: There will be cuts.
Some school programs might be limited, but not eliminated. There will be layoffs, but not to the extent recent discussions implied. February revenue numbers haven’t been released yet but they will be a very significant indica-tor as to what our next steps in the budget process will entail and how severe the cuts will need to be. Regardless, rest assured that I remain committed to ensuring that future generations of 4H-ers will have plenty of opportunities to use their heads, hearts, hands and improve their health through programs administered through statewide County extension offic-es.
As always, if you have any comments, concerns or would like your voice heard, please feel free to contact me anytime. If you need contact information you can go to the Georgia General Assembly website or simply send an e-mail to [email protected].
Stone:
offerings, programs and research services will have to be reduced. Because nearly 65 percent of our budget goes to education, some cuts will have to be made. The good news is that Georgia still has sig-nificantly lower tuition compared to other states within the Southern Regional Education Board; Florida has increased their tuition up to 15 percent. However, we have no intention of balancing the budget on the backs of our students. Everyone is being asked to share the burden, and it is important that the universi-ty system prioritize its spending cuts.
Another option that’s available to plug the budget gap is updating user fees. Many of these are out-dated and were set as far back as 1967. We’ll look at adjusting fees across three dimensions: updating them to current levels by accounting for inflation, covering costs and keeping them in line with other southeastern states. When we start cutting the budget to the bone, it’s
important to look at other areas of government that can supplement those reductions and allow us to continue funding essential services.
Again, these are simply options that are on the table. No final deci-sions have been made, and we are still awaiting February’s revenue numbers before setting anything in stone. Last year, February was the worst month on record for revenue collections. If February numbers slip again this year, we’re expecting the governor to revise his revenue estimate, which is another game-changer for the budget. The current budget we’re working on antici-pates a 4 percent revenue growth, which may be too optimistic. This anticipated growth is set by the gov-ernor, who establishes the revenue estimate every year. By law, the legislature has to base the state bud-get off the governor’s revenue esti-mate. If revenues come in under that estimate, it’s the legislature’s job to go back and cut spending further.
The governor derives his esti-mate from projections by the state economist, who has said we can expect to see growth by the middle of this year. While this is positive
news, that revenue growth is already spoken for by the increase in Georgia’s student population and rising health care costs. If Washington has its way, the growth in Medicaid rolls is sure to eat up a significant portion of additional rev-enue the state has to spare.
That is why conservative prin-ciples are so important in budgeting, and balancing a fiscally responsible budget is what Senate Republicans are committed to doing. This is one of the best ways to create an eco-nomic environment in Georgia that creates jobs and gets people back to work. In the coming weeks we’ll continue working to balance the budget, and I’ll continue fighting for those conservative principles that help make our state the economic engine of the South.
# # # #Sen. Chip Pearson serves as
chairman of the Economic Development Committee. He repre-sents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, and Union coun-ties and portions of Forsyth and White counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Budget:
Free Tax HelpThe AARP TAXAIDE sites in Blairsville and Hiawassee are open and in full operation preparing your tax return
and EFILING your return for FREE. This service is open to all ages and is designed for middle and low income tax payers.
With a combined experience of 84 years in tax preparation and an individual average of 6 years each, the TAXAIDES are prepared to complete your return in almost any individual tax situation. We do have some limits imposed by AARP, such as no Preachers and no Farmers. But generally we can prepare most individual returns we are asked to prepare.
The locations and times of preparation are: BLAIRSVILLE – TUE and THURS 9 AM – 2 PM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH BLDG H And HIAWASSEE – MONDAY 9 AM – 2 PM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH NEXT TO THE GA MOUNT FAIR GRNDPlease bring last year’s tax return and all your normal tax information and include the real estate tax paid in
2009 and information on any new car or home you purchased.
ADVERTISE
Sentinel Newsgroup706.896.NEWS (6397)
Fruits and VegetablesThe optimum time to prune all
fruit trees is just before bloom. Pruning allows the tree to direct nutrients to branches that will bear high quality fruit. The objective is to remove dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Also, remove shoots that are growing straight up or down, as neither provides good fruit develop-ment. Growth crisscrossing the cen-ter of the tree should be removed as well. A more open tree allows light penetration and air circulation, thereby increasing fruit quality and reducing disease and insect pres-sure.
Don’t turn under grass and weeds to plant strawberries. Enough old growth will survive to compete with the young plants, making for a weedy mess. There is increased danger of grubs in such locations.
For your first raspberry patch, think small; 6 to 10 plants will do for a start. Since raspberries send out underground runners which can
be invasive, you may want to sink an 8- to 12-inch sheet of metal verti-cally around the planting.
Before planting a backyard orchard, map out the site, giving particular attention to air and water drainage. Avoid frost pockets, areas where cold air gathers, or you may be disappointed year after year when flower buds freeze and drop. Good water drainage is also impor-tant for good tree growth. If drain-age is questionable, drainage tiles or land reformation by be required for productive fruit trees. Shallow soils may require irrigation.
Spring applications of pesti-cides should be made on peaches, apples and pears. Correct timing for spraying depends on the stage of development of flowers.
Weed control is one of the most time-consuming, yet most impor-tant, practices in any fruit planting. Young strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and fruit trees all suffer if weed growth is uncon-trolled. Peach trees, of all the fruit trees, suffer the most from weed competition. Mulching helps con-trol weeds.
What you plant is what you get
with potatoes. When you plant seed potatoes (pieces of potato tuber), there is no true seed that may have been cross pollinated. So you can plant different varieties side-by-side in your garden and rest assured that each will produce the type of potato expected.
Plan your garden. Remember, it takes at least two hours per week to care for a 20 x 50-foot garden, not including harvesting and planting.
The lure of new varieties, col-ors, or yields often is hard to resist. Try a new type on a small scale until the plant has proven itself in your particular soil and climate. All-American Selections are always good to try.
Don’t dig too far down when planting asparagus crowns. Yields improve dramatically when crowns are set at a depth of 5 to 6 inches - - not the commonly advised 12 inch-es. Contrary to the standard prac-tices of deep planting and not har-vesting for up to three seasons, recent studies show that harvesting shallow-planted asparagus after the first year boosts yields 40 percent over three years.
Lettuce is very sensitive to low pH. Lime should be applied to the soil if the pH is below 60.
If your garden is on a hillside, plant across the slope (not up and down) to help hold moisture in the soil and reduce erosion.
Extension TipsBy: Robert N. Brewer, Jr.
Columnist
Time goes by so quickly, it can be easy to forget important deadlines and even easier to let critical items fall to the nether regions of your to-do list. Whether you get to everything or not, time marches on — so we’d like to share some March remind-ers with you.
Tax Time is right around the corner. If you haven’t filed your tax return yet, now is the time. But before you begin, you should make sure you have everything you need. For example, if you plan to claim your children or any other dependents on your tax return, you’ll need to have a Social Security number for each individual. If you don’t already have a Social Security number for a dependant, you better get to it right away. Applications and evidence requirements are avail-able online at www.socialsecuri-ty.gov/ssnumber.
Request your 1099 online. If you receive Social Security ben-efits and your total annual income
is $25,000 or more for an indi-vidual or $32,000 or more for a couple, you may need to pay taxes on a portion of your Social Security benefits. If so, you’ll need your SSA-1099, which shows the total amount of bene-fits received in the previous year. All 1099s were mailed by January 31, 2010. If you receive Social Security and have not yet received a 1099 for 2009, you can request a replacement online at www.socialsecurity.gov/onli-neservices.
Easy as A, B, C. If you’re covered under Medicare Part A, but originally opted not to apply for Medicare Part B, now’s the time to enroll in Part B. You’ll have to act fast, because the gen-eral enrollment period ends on March 31. Medicare Part A (hos-pital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility following a hospital stay, some home health care, and hospice care. Part B helps pay for doctors’ services and many other medical services and supplies not covered by hos-pital insurance. Learn more about Medicare by reading Social
Security’s publication on the subject at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html.
A few minutes now can change your retirement for years. If you’re not already retired and receiving benefits, there’s no bet-ter time than the present to visit Social Security’s Retirement Estimator for an instant, person-alized estimate of your future retirement benefits. Spend a few minutes trying out different sce-narios to figure out what retire-ment options will work for you — and what plans you may want to make now to benefit you in the future. You can do it in minutes at www.socialsecurity.gov/esti-mator.
We can’t stop time from marching on, but taking some time out now to focus on these important reminders can save you a lot of time in the future.
For more informa-tion about Social Security, visit us on the
web at socialsecu-rity.gov.
March Marches OnBy: Paul D. Barnes
Social Security Commissioner
Tip # 1 – If you have ques-tions about your taxes or whether you need to file call me at 706-745-7998 or email at [email protected]
Tip # 2 – New this year, you do not have to pay Federal tax on the first $2400 of Unemployment Compensation you received in 2009. So far, the State of GA does not recognize this credit.
Tip # 3 – If you are lucky enough to be receiving a refund this year, you may purchase up to
$5000 in US Series I savings bonds in multiples of $50.
Tip # 4 – One area of misun-derstanding from last year and into this year is if you sell stocks at a loss, you need to list them on your tax return. Not only will some of the loss apply to this years return and the excess car-ried over into next years return, but this will clear the stock with the IRS. The IRS is given a report by the stock company of the sale, but does not know the
beginnings of the stock. They do not know the purchase price or when you purchased the stock so if you do not report that informa-tion they think the sale is all profit and will tax you on the sales amount. If this is your case, or if you have received a letter from the IRS stating you owe tax on the stock sale amount, we can help you straighten this out at no cost to you.
