February 7, 2018
Reporter
Page 5A
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
by Don Daniel
n the monthly issues Of Georgia Trend maga-
zine, there is a column devoted to "Economic
Development Around The State", listing com-
panies coming to or
expanding all around
our state, i.e. a beer com-
pany expanding in Forsyth
County, a cookie company
expanding in Johns Creek,
a Belgian floor company
opening a distribution cen-
ter in Floyd County, 70 new
jobs going to Soperton down
in Treut]en County, and an
automotive parts company
investing $30 million into a
Harris County facility, cre-
ating 110 jobs.
Hardly a week goes
by that we don't see a
story about industrial
growth happening in counties all around us, Bibb,
Crawford, Peach, Jones, to mention just a few.
What do these counties and cities have that we
don't? Well; we do have a Development Authority
of Monroe County with a president and board that
should have clout whenit comes to identifying
and promoting Monroe County and "selling" a new
industry our assets. We haven't had a new indus-
try to locate in Monroe County since well, I can't
remember when.
And then, the City of Forsyth has an economic
development director that is supposed to be pound-
ing the state and nose to grind promoting down-
town Forsyth as a "good for business" location.
Downtown Forsyth has a couple of new businesses
which raises the question: Did they discover us or
we them? Luck of the draw, maybe.
I am sure these two individuals and their respec-
tive boards can come up with unimaginable excus-
es for the industry location stagnation that seems
to be plaguing Forsyth and Monroe County.
The question that seems to be the main topic that
is ignored: What are these other counties and cities
doing to attract economic growth? And here's one
for you to ponder: What, as a taxpayer, incentives
would you be willing to offer/give a prospective
industry to locate here? Or better yet, what incen-
tives would you recommend to the president of the
Development Authority of Monroe County and to
the City of Forsyth's economic director?
Economic development is a slippery slope and
requires a certain amount of finesse to stay "in the
game" of bidding against other cities and counties
for an industry that is out shopping around for the
"best deal" economically.
It would be a local game changer if we all could
work together, unified without selfishness or con-
cerned about who gets the credit. We all get the
credit when we are unified.
CLEANING off my desk, I found this email
from J Anna Banks, formerly with the Georgia
Department of Community Affairs but more
recently, Forsyth's Better Hometown Director. She
now lives in Alabama but has close family ties here
in Monroe County. She wrote, "I hated to read the
train museum efforts came to a halt in Forsyth.
While I don't know the particulars---space, $$$,
etc. to secure a home, I do understand the impor-
tant significance of the rail history in F0rsyth-
Monroe County and the tourism draw it could be
for the City/County".
J Anna further wrote of the logical locations for
a train museum: "While I am no longer a resident,
I want your community to grow and sustain local
businesses. Here are three options that may or
may not work and you may have considered these:
1. the old Ann's Deli---great location off 1-75 and
would clean up the derelict property. 2. Two story
white bldg. on Tift Campus. At one time there
was talk of making this bldg. a museum. Maybe
it could be a combo project---train history and jail/
COC history (top 10 arrests/prisoners---got to be
some colorful stories) plus close to proximity to
depot/rail. 3. Mr. Newton's property located next to
stone depot, back second that's "level" from street
elevation. He already has some retail space---un
tapped potential to make year round farmer's mar-
ket, train museum, a retail "depot" if you will.
"Thanks for letting me share my thoughts and t
hope that the train museum project can be resur-
rected."
Great ideas but sadly the Forsyth City Council
did not and does not realize the potential of such
a tourist attraction. Rather, they want to spend
taxpayer money to construct an arch on North Lee
Street to welcome tourists past hamburger hill
to Historic Downtown Forsyth-If-You-Can-Find-A
Parking-Place, take-a-shower-at-our-water-park,
play-golf-on-the-course-we-j ust-bought, have-a-
meeting-at-the-legion-hall-which-now-has-new-
roof, bring-your-skateboard-and-do-tricks-at-this
exciting-new-skateboard-park-that-is-under-repair.
Don't wait on this one! The council, at its annual
retreat in Atlanta, seemed to prioritize getting rid
of blighted properties. This newspaper and in this
column identified six blighted properties long ago
and, you guessed, nothing has been done and the
city ordinance in regards to blighted properties has
been ignored and more than likely will continue to
be so with excuse after excuse!
OUR county commissioners are "eyeing" a
master plan for the Monroe County Recreation
Department and Sarah Bazemore was the first
with that answer to The Question. She receives
a certificate for a dozen Dunkin Donuts, Dairy'
Queen Blizzard, J6nah's cookie, two Lucky Caf6
egg rolls, Whistle Stop fried green tomato appetiz-
er, Forsyth Main Street t-shirt, The Pickled Okra
sandwich, chips and drink. Here's The Question for
this week: according to last week's paper, how long
(how many days) has it been since Congressman
Austin Scott held his last town hall meeting in
Forsyth? First correct email answer after 12 noon
on Thursday gets the good certificate.
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email
him at mediadr@bellsouth.net.
TAKING A LIKENS by Dale Likens
the past two months my
wife and I have driven to
Arizona and back t ice.
Eight thousand miles in
all! We're tired! People
asks how our trips went. Let me
sum it up this way: Arizona is
okay, Texas is a long, long, long
way from anywhere and the
other states in between
were wonderfully closer
to home. That's about it.
It's nice to be home in
Forsyth, Georgia.
Because of our long,
sometimes tiring, trips,
I woke up one day last
week realizing January
was almost gone. What
happened? I didn't even
have a moment to think of a New
Year's resolution. The truth is, I
haven't thought of one for years.
When I did, I usually forgot them
by February, so what's the use?
Now, my thoughts have changed
to predictions; like what might
happen between January and
December of this year. Actually,
I'm not too good at predict-
ing either, especially in sports.
Shamefully, I even predicted
Hillary Clinton would win our
last presidential election. Not
because I wanted her to win.
Well! All the polls told me she
would!
However, since one of our vis-
its to Arizona was to attend our
grandson's wedding, my first pre-
diction is that sometime later this
year my wife and I will receive
a phone call from our grandson
and his lovely wife informing us
that we will soon be great-grand-
parents! That, of course, would
be wonderful news since my wife
/;:
;i
is already checking every
baby store at Tanger
Outlet and near-by malls
for baby clothes.
Another prediction I
am brave enough to pub-
hcly announce is that
Democrats will still be
taking counseling classes
and playing with clay to
help them ove our past
presidential election.
My third prediction is that a
few, heartless Republicans will
sneak into those classes and mix
a bag of cement and a bucket of
water with the clay just to con-
fuse and rattle the Democrats a
little more.
My fourth prediction is that
President Trump will offer all our
representatives and senators a
huge pay increase and finally get
a 100 percent agreement from
each party.
Prediction number five is that
the FBI will no longer be referred
to as the FBI. From this year on
it will be called the SYCU, which
means "Shucks, You Caught Us!"
One sure prediction I will make
this year is that Rep. Maxine
Waters of California will some-
how wiggle her way past Nancy
Pelosi and soon become our new
Minority Leader of the United
States House of Representatives.
Then, I predict that Nancy Pelosi
will protest and shout, "Impeach
her! Impeach her! Impeach her!"
I know this is a common pre-
diction among many who follow
politics, but I predict the "swamp"
will soon shrink to a mere "pud-
dle." I believe more and more
Democrats and Republicans will
crawl out of the swamp and dis-
appear into thin air. Then maybe,
just maybe, we can get back to
making America Great Again!
Finally, I predict that some
brave soul will e-mail Sean
Hannity and tell Sean he really
likes him. I believe he will toll
Sean that he has chickens that
watch the Sean Hannity show
with him and none of his chick-
ens have died watching the Sean
Hannity show! (I guess you have
to watch the Sean Hannity TV
show to know where I'm coming
from, btlt I predict it will happen!)
Then maybe, just maybe, he will
finally get rid of all that nonsense
at the end of each program!
Dale Likens is an author who
lives in Monroe County.
CAROLYN'S CORNER by Carolyn Martel
day I was thinking
about the privilege of
teaching at a women's
conference. As I
looked out over the
congregation, I noticed
some of the women were
crying.
WHAT WAS I say-
ing that struck ~ nerve
in thesewomen' Here
is the main poir~ of my
teaching. I said, ' lbday,
God wants .to activate
some hopes and dreams,
talents and abilities
that have been lying
dormant inside of
you. Satan has done
all he can to shut
you up, shut you in and shut you
down. Some of you should have
lost your mind by now. Some of
you shouldn't even have a mind,
because of all that you have been
through. But look at you. You're
here today and that's a testimony
of God's unfailing strength and
love! Obviously there's
something in you that
refuses to die! You have
refused to roll over and
play dead. Satan would
love for you to do that,
but obviously you're a
fighter and you refuse
to be defeated by the
schemes of the devil.
I CONTINUED,
)~t~j :r~,~ p "Ladies, I want you
to see yourself living
such a fearless, confi-
dent life through God's unlimited
power, that you will cause the
devil to have a nervous break-
down! Instead of you being the
one having a meltdown, let him
be the one that's calling for Prozac
and walking the floor at night.
Let him be one who he is wring-
ing his hands; let him be the one
who self-destructs; let him be 'the
one who rolls over and plays dead
because he sees Christ in you -
"the hope of glory!"
HAVE YOU lost your'confi-
dence? Maybe the bettor ques-
tion is, "Do you need to reclaim
your confidence in God?" His
word offers this encouragement
to men and women alike. Heb.
10:35 says,"So do not throw away
this confident trust in the Lord.
Remember the great reward it
brings you!"
Carolyn Martel is the advertising
manager for the Reporter. Email
her at ads@mymcr.net.
OUR
Monroe County's congressman Austin Scott (R-Ashburn) held
his last Town Hall with his constituents in Forsyth (at right)
on Aug. 20, 2014, which was 1,267 days ago. Scott defeated
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
his constituents in Forsyth. If you want an opportunity to
let Scott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
When Brian Kemp became secretary of state on Jan. 8, 2010, Terry Scarbor-
ough's survey of the Monroe-Bibb county line was on his desk.The law says
it's his job to do something with it. But Kemp, an ambitious politician who
announced on March 13, 2017 his intention to run for governor, punted. He
announced on Aug. 23, 2011 that he was rejecting the Scarborough survey
because he can't be sure it's the original line. Unfortunately, the law gives
him no such option. So on March 10, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered
him to set the line and resolve the dispute.That was three years ago.The
Reporter is devoting this space each week to counting the number of days
Kemp has been on the job, and yet not done his job. If you want Kemp to
do the job which he's sought three times before he gets a promotion to
governor, call his office at (404) 656-2817 and let them know.
SERVING YOU
FORSYTH
CITY
COUNClL
EricWilson
Mayor
478-461-0889
Dexter King Chris Hewett Julius Stroud Mike Dodd
Post 1 Post 2 Post 5 Post 6
478-320-3160 478-960-1017 706-819-0797 478-994-6203
Melvin Lawrence Greg Goolsby
Post 3 Post 4
478-993-7841 404-402-1134
