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ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
work'
1-75 for truck lanes
.' word "celebration" is associated with an event
that is joyous and happy. With that said, I am
puzzled hearing and reading of the upcoming
50th anniversary today of the death of Martin
Luther King Jr. being dassified by some as a celebration. I
realize it is semantics, but I know of no reason to celebrate
the death of anyone. OK, I am sure we all have exceptions
but in this example celebration is not a celebration, but a
sad anniversary. Celebrate this life, not the death!
FINALLY there may be a reason Georgia's Department
of Transportation has been working like beavers clear-
ing all the trees on the 1-75 right-of-way north and south
of Forsyth. A local resident associated with the highway
construction industry sent me a link to Equipment World
that reported the following:
"Beginning in 2025, construction will begin on a two
commercial-vehicle-on lanes will be added to northbound
Interstate 75 from Macon to McDonough at a cost of $1.8
billion. The 40 miles of non-tolled lanes would have their
own entrances and exits and be separated from the regular
travel lanes by a barrier. GDOT estimates the lanes will
reduce delays 40 percent on 1-75 North in 2030.
"GDOT said it chose the location of the lanes because of
the heavy truck traffic coming from the Port of Savannah
and from trucks entering the state delivering products.
The commercial vehicles lanes would be the first of their
kind in the United States:'
HAVEN'T been able to confirm this rumor yet but will
let you know when I verify whether or not Michael Nor-
ris, Forsyth Economic Development director and Tammie
Pierson, Main Street director, have purchased a drone.
Guess they will be using it for
whatever promotional purpose.
,Wonder if they will loan the
drone to Forsyth Police Chief
Eddie Harris to make sure ve-
hicles parking in downtown are
at least at the 12 inch mark from
the white line. Wonder how
many warning tickets Chief
Harris and his gendarmes have
issued?
AS YOU are aware, Forsyth
collects a hotel/motel tax from
the 12 hotel/motels and KOA.
Forty percent of the taxes col-
lected go to the Forsyth Con-
vention and Visitors Bureau
and the balance of 60 percent goes into the city's coffer to
use however they deem fit. The CVB is supposed tospend
their share promoting the city and the hotel/motels that
collect and pay the tax.
Each month, a hotel/motel tax report is provided to the
CVB with the latest report, January, reporting $29,580.34
collected with the CVB getting $11,832,14 and the city
getting their hands on $17,748.20.
Here is a list of the top five tax collectors: Holiday Inn
Express, $8,031.89; LaQuinta Inn and Suites, $5,501.66;
Days Inn, $3,164.09; Comfort Inn, $2,572.95; and number
five, Red Roof Inn $2,299.23.
The least paid and collected taxes were from Budget Inn,
$80, and Rodeway Inn, $194.22.
THE CORRECT answer to last week's "The Ques-
tion" was Magnolia MedSpa, which was recognized by
Forsyth Main Street with a business award. Susan Parker
gets the goody certificate for a dozen Dunkin Donuts,
Jonah's Cookie, slice of Shoney's strawberry pie, Whistle
Stop fried green tomato appetizer, Dairy Queen Blizzard,
Forsyth Main Street t-shirt, sandwich, chips and drink at
The Pickled Okra.
Here's "The Question" for this week: How many Easter
eggs were dropped from a helicopter last Friday at the
Monroe County Recreation Department.
TAKING A LIKENS TO YOU by Dale Likens
In his latest novel tiffed, "Who is
the King in America? William
J. Federer quotes Carl Sandburg,
a Swedish-American poet,
writer and editor as saying, "When
a nation goes down one condition
may always be found; they forgot
where they came from" In the same
perspective, Mexis de Tocqueville,
a French diplomat and historian, is
quoted as saying, 'When the past
no longer illuminates the future, the
spirit walks in darkness."
When I read these quotes from
two of our great
historians I am sud-
denly reminded of our
present-day school
children and their
lack of knowledge of
our American history.
I think of our college
students and their
beach parties where
young men and wom-
en pour alcoholic bev-
erages down funnels
and into their throats
to prove they're part
of the carefree gang.
I am reminded, also,
of college students being asked to
identify a picture of our last Vice
President of the United States and
having no clue who this individual
is; this very same person who may
well run for the 2020 presidency
of the United States. Some cannot
name our 16th president of the U.S
nor are they aware of the great Civil
War our country so long endured.
Oh, yes, I am aware that most
students can operate a computer
and cell phone much faster than
I can. I've watched my very own
grandchildren play video games
with quickness and skill that I and
most adults can only dream of. I'll be
the first to admit it. I also know that
many of our children do know the
history of America. They do know
about our founding fathers. They
do understand where America is
heading, perhaps more than many
of our present-day, political leaders.
But I believe ffAmerica is going to
survive this world of chaos and chal-
lenges it will be because our people
understand where we came from. As
de Tocqueville says, "When the past
no longer illuminates the
future, the spirit walks in
darkness:'
I realize, too, that it
wasn't our children who
threw God out of our
schools. It was we adults
who shamefully allowed
this to happen. Perhaps
our spirit now walks in
darkness!
It is said that when
Mohammed moved into
a country he accused his
hosts of being intoler-
ant; you know, where
the attacker blames the
victim until he and his followers
finally drive the host out. Hmm! Let
me think on that one for a while.
The host is intolerant of those who
move into the country. Something
sounds familiar here! According to
Federer, Mohammed's tactics could
be summed up as, "1. Immigrate 2.
Increase (in numbers) and 3. Elimi-
nate (through violence)!"
Immigrate! Increase! Eliminate!
Well, it worked for Mohammed! But
many may say, "That could never
happen in America!" Well, let me
think about that one, too!
Continued from Front
fire fighters were called to the first
blaze around 8:50 p.m. on Thursday
at 221 Martin Luther King Drive,
at the corner of Union Hill Road, a
rental home owned by local busi-
nessman James Green. Forsyth fire
chief David Hemdon said firefight-
ers contained the fire to the attic
and kitchen. However, firefighters
were called back to the same home
around 1:30 a.m. because the fire
had re-started, and they were also
called to two homes on nearby Sharp
Street that were in flames.
Forsyth police Inv. Alexander
Daniels said the state fire investiga-
tor ruled that the fires at 114 Sharp
Street, which were owned by Willie
Dumas of Barnesville, were ruled to
be arson. He said there was evidence
that someone had thrown gasoline
on the homes and said it was appar-
ently the work of an amateur.
However, the state ruled that the
fire at 221 MLK was an accidental
fire because there was no evidence of
gas and it apparently started near the
stove, and re-started later that night
in the same spot. Reached by phone
on Friday, Green said he was in
Detroit to watch his grandson play
basketball but said firefighters called
him around 11 p.m. about the first
blaze. He said he had just renovated
the home and that a family was sup-
posed to move in on Friday.
"Sometimes stuffhappens" said
Green. "Forsyth has got a good
police department so I feel confident
they'll resolve this briefly:'
Green said he would be working
to find a place for his tenants to live
while he did repairs because they
had already paid a month's rent plus
a deposit. Herndon said he thought
the home could be repaired.
While the state ruled the MLK fire
was an accident, Herndon wasn't so
sure.
' M1 these fires are suspicious and
they are all under investigation;' said
Herndon.
Today I watch our school children
walk out of their classes, gather on
the streets by the thousands and
protest our second amendment.
Well, you must admit we who carry
guns are intolerant! Shame on us for
wanting to protect our families and
ourselves! However, I must admit I
can't understand where this knowl-
edge of right and wrong was thrust
upon such young leaders who have
never been taught the history of our
country. Have they not read about
our early Americans who picked up
their guns and went to war against
the monarch of England to defend
our God given rights? Have they not
been taught that our freedoms in
America are constantly being chal-
lenged? And I'm sure they do not
remember when Premier Khrush-
chev threatened that Russia would
'take America from within"
Many years ago, my wife and our
two young children and I visited
Williamsburg, Va. While there,
we watched a movie where our
founding fathers of our new nation
gathered together to decide whether
to go to war with England or cower
and sink into abysmal shame. Were
the colonists willing to be ignorant
by not paying attention to what the
British were doing? Patrick Henry
bravely stood up and glared at the
founding fathers with great resolve
and asked the question, ' kre we
disposed to be of the number of
those who, having eyes, see not, and,
having ears, hear not?" May I ask the
same question of America today?
May I also add to this question? "Do
we have voices and speak not!" God
Bless!
Dale Likens is an author who lives
in Monroe County.
Green bought the 1,500-square-
foot home from the Elizabeth Hart
Estate in 2016, and bought an
adjacent home next to his used car
lot at a county tax auction in 2011,
according to property tax records.
Hemdon said he's proud of his
firemen and thankful for the help of
the county fire department as they
worked together to put out blazes in
three homes overnight.
"They did an outstanding job,"
said Herndon. "Our resources were
stretched thin, but despite that, with
a lot of hard work, they did a great
job."
The original report was that four
homes were burned and that Green
owned them all, but that turned out
not to be true.
The state fire marshal is offering a
$10,000 reward for anyone who has
information leading to an arrest and
conviction for arson. Call 1-800-282-
5804 if anyone has information on
who burned the homes.
TALK on the street was that a potential business/indus-
try group visited Forsyth/Monroe County last week under
the cover of secretness with a select few locals getting to
meet and greet the visitors. Whatever the business/indus-
try group was, heard they would hire 200 if they located
here. That would be great.
CONTACT Don Daniel to answer The Question or
make a comment at tuUaybear@bellsouth.net. Listen
to The Reporter On The Radio on Sunday mornings on
Majic 100 at 7 or anytime by clicking on the radio tab at
mymcr.net. You can also watch and listen to Will, The
Dude and Don on Forsyth Cable.
his last
Aug,
incumbent Congressman Jim Marshall in 2010 after Marshall
LOOKING over the checks approved for payment by went several years without hosting a Town Hall meeting with
the County Commissioners, 10 checks were written to pay his constituents in rs h. If want an opportunity to let
garnishments of six county employees in the amount of $eott know what you want him to do in Congress, call his
$1,311.83. A check to the Georgia Public Safety Training Washington office at (202) 225-6531 and let him know.
Center in the amount of $13,028.40 was paid for meals
for inmates in the county hoosegow. The largest check in
the most recent pay-outs went to WalthaU Oil Company
in the about of $55.623.90 for "inventory gasoline" for all
county owned vehides.
No lawyer, commissioner reimbursements nor inmate
medical bills were paid in this go-round of writing checks.
ACCORDING to the Forsyth City Council agenda for
this past Monday night's meeting, the Council was going
to decide when the election will be held for the Post 1 seat
on the council previously held by the late Dexter King. I
am sure Diane Glidewell will have a front page story on
the council's decision for the election.
Word is already out there, there may be more than one if
not three candidates qualifying for the seat.
ON THE lighter side: The statistics on sanity is that one
out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of
mental illness, q-hink of your three best friends---if they're
okay, then it's you!
t
