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The Monroe County Reporter * April 18, 2018
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ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN by Don Daniel
All hail vo-tech schools
last couple ofwedcs, there have been several
rts, specifically in The Wall Street Journal and
a Trend magazine, about alternatives to college
coming high school graduates. I digress for a
couple of paragraphs. My step-dad was the founder and first
director of the then-called Swainsboro Area Vocational and
Techrfical School which is now called a college.
Back in 1963, Swainsboro, Emanud and the surrounding
counties were facing a shortage of qualified workers in a society
which was changing from agricultural to industrial. Finding
qualified workers who could weld, repair small engines, fix air
conditioning, lay bricks, become hair dressers and wanted to go
into nursing were non-existent.
The local board of education named Dad as the director to
make the necessary progress to open a school that would provide
an education for those who were used to low-paying, menial
jobs with no future often staring at the rear end of a mule. I dofft
know what the enrollment numbers are but the college contin-
ues to provide a workforce from which industry and businesses
can recruit Many of the students have a job even before they
graduate.
One of the industry recruitment tools the local Swainsboro
chamber of commerce used and uses was the availability of a
trained workforce as well as the ability to train students for the
desired industrial jobs.
Tne one-building campus now consists of eight buildings on
almost 30 acres. As a tribute to honor Dad's efforts, his name is
permanently on display over the auditorium entrance, "Maurice
D. Boatwright Auditoriurff'.
Now back to some more trade school info: There are now
22 technical colleges across the state that are offering a broad
spectrum of courses and careers to those graduating seniors that
dofft want to be indebted to a college loan or put the finandal
responsibility on their parents.
The Georgia Trend lead into the story' qot Your Daddy's Vo-
tech School", was "Georgiab technical college system is preparing
students for careers and maldng sure industry has a ready supply
of employees? That was the same objective when SAVTS opened
in 1963. I am sure Dad is proud and smiling. He is buried less
than a mile from the school and I
am sure looks over it every
Central Georgia Technical Col-
lege has a campus here in Forsyth
and I assume provides the type of
curriculum necessary for students
to become a success without a col-
lege degree.
"YES, WE have no bananas!" I
discovered reading The WSJ that
the world's most popular fruit is the
banana. Again, I digress for a couple
ofparagraphs.
I know what you are going to
say when I tell you I am not a fan
of bananas or banana puddiff
Just haven't ever liked the taste
and assumed at an early age that bananas were monkey food.
Another reason, banana puddin' was always a Sunday special
with leftovers being served for a couple ofweeks just kiddin a
couple of days.
So, this may surprise you ffyou haven't purchased any bananas
lately: The price that stores pay for the dongated, ydlow-pealed
fruit has soared to record highs. But the good news is many
retailers have been hesitant to pass their rising banana prices on
to you banana lovers.
ABOUT ONCE a month, I have to take my collected loose
change to the machine that gives me "real money" for all the
pocket change I have chunked into the piggy bank I keep on my
kitchen counter, filled mostly with pennies, nickds, dimes and
few quarters. I like the surprise ofthe total. Fun!
When was the last time you bought something for a penny
or even a nickd? There is some Washington "swamp" talk to do
away with the penny and nickd; the U.S. Mint quit minting them
because it costs more to make the nickd and penny than they are
worth.
TODAY AFTER 12 noon is when Forsyth voters will find out
who has qualified to seek the dty throne of the deceased former
councilman Dexter King. Early voting begins April 30 through
May 18. The "real" voting is going to be held May 22. I am sure
Wdl and staff will make sure you know what is going on with the
candidate(s) and dection.
THE FIRST correct answer to last wed& The Question was
Matthew Robichaux is the new person working for the Forsyth
Convention & Visitors Bureau. Winners get the certificate for a
Jonah's cookie, a dozen Dunkin Donuts, Dairy Queen Blizzard,
Whistle Stop fried green tomato appetizer, slice of Shone3es
strawberry pie, The Pickled Okra sandwich, chips and drink and
a Fqrsyth Main Street t-shirt.
Herds The Question for this weelc Monroe County Magistrate
Judge Buck Wilder was pictured in overalls instead of a judge's
robe on the front cover of The Spring Home & Garden section
for doing what? First correct answer after 12 noon gets the goody
certificate.
. . - . -
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
To the Editor, According to the DataUSA website,
"1"have been following the P&Z the median household income for
| application from the developer of Monroe County was $48,744 and I am
II a low-income and Hun apart- sure that the figure that applies to this
,L.ment project at 5771New Forsyth subdivision is probably well over the
Road and need to shed a little light $80,000 mark. This means that resi-
on this situation. The homeowners in dents build, live in, and meticulously
Cross Creek and in Riverside maintain the type of homes
Plantation did not move that cost over a quarter of a
into Monroe County and million dollars to build and
invest their life savings and they pay large amounts of
a goodly portion of their property tax, but sddom
monthly income just to have require any county services
a devdoper come in and from the Sheriff's Depart-
destroy the property values ment, Fire Department, or
by building a future slum, Road Department.
drug retailing operation, RICKETSON I have looked at the
and burglary headquarters information regarding the
next door. When zoning type of resident that will
first came to Monroe County, it was qualify for these apartments from the
explained to us ordinary folks that it text of another property managed by
was to protect property values and the Vantage Group and one warning
control growth in the proper manner really stood out: "This property may
for the benefit of all A low-impact also designate units for renters with
office park or something similar might even lower incomes, from 60% of
be an appropriate high use of this land AMI (Area Median Income) down to
that is adjacent to a very nice subdivi- 30% of AMI". But wait, it gets worse:
sion that is home to stable, settled, and "It is even possible that all units have
responsible families, been set aside for those with extremdy
low incomes (as low as 15% of AMI)".
Even though the project is planned
for Monroe County, it is technically
adjacent to Bibb County, which has an
AMI of $36,519 according to a quick
look online. 15% ofthat figure is less
than $5,500 per year, or about 9% of
the Monroe County AMI.
These government-subsidized apart-
ments could not be a worse fit for this
area and will cause property values to
drop like a rock, leaving the people
that paid their taxes every year strand-
ed with homes that have to be guarded
24/7 and then have to be sold at
a devastating loss. I urge everyone that
has worked and paid their taxes in this
area to take time off from work, travel
up to Forsyth, and attend the P&Z
meeting on Monda); April 23, at 5:30
p.m. and then take time off from work
again on Tuesday, May 1, at 6 p.m. to
attend the County Commission meet-
ing to make sure they fully understand
that this type of development is bad for
Monroe County and its dtizens.
John Ricketson
South Monroe County
To the Editor,
eautify Forsyth's
"Public En-
emy Number One"
continues to litter
Ensign Road with empty cans
each afternoon. In addition
to his favorite Mang-o-rita,
our perpetrators expanded
his (her??) tactics to grape,
lime and even pineapple.
Several cans have been
Rita Man: Eyes are watching.
Drink if you must, but use
your trash can, not Ensign
found at the entrance ofRoad, as your de osito r.
Meadow Park Estates. Could ,ore terry
our villain be residing there? Forsyfh
Inquiring minds want to Tom Perry is chairman of
know. Beautify Forsyth.
A warning to you, Mang-o-
i/!i iiiiii!~i
II I
To the Editor,
he Georgia High School
Association's lack of com-
mitment to competitive
balance in high school ath-
letics directly affects public schools
across the state during Class 3A and
4A state playoffs. Since the 2016
reclassification, the eight Atlanta-
area private schools in 3A and 4A,
representing 7% of all schools, won
40% of state rifles (23 of 58 competi-
tions). Since 2000, these eight private
schools have won 240 state titles
while competing in 3A and 4A.
While this tremendous disparity
continues in 3A and 4A, Sen. Jeff
Mullis (R-Chickamauga) sponsored
Senate Bill 456, which requires
GHSA split all sports in Class 1A. 1A
public school Gordon Lee is in Sen.
Jeff Mullis's district. Last fall, Gordon
Lee lost to a private school in the
volleyball playoffs. Not unusual since
no 1A public school has won a state
championship in volleyball. AJC
high school sports reporter Todd
Holcomb was the first to report this
on April 9. During the 2016 reclas-
sification, Gordon Lee moved down
from Class 2A to 1A. Senate Bill 456
can be found at www.legis.ga.gov/
Legislation/20172018/174279.pdf.
During the 2012 GHSA redassifi-
cation, two of the 1A sports not split
into both public and private playoffs
are soccer and volleyball. In an un-
usual move, GHSA
recently split the
playoffs for these
two sports. The
previously stated
reason why these
two sports have
not been split
in 1A is due to
inadequate school
participation rates.
The timing of
GHSA s decision
and Senate Bill 456
are not random
events.
MP teams often lose to At-
Last Nov. 30, lanta
area private schools
the Alabama High in the playoffs, such as this
School Athletic As- loss in the state semis to
sociation approved Blessed
Trinity in December.
a new competitive
balance plan that
only affects private schools. This
plan is based on a private school's
success rate, by sport, in state tour-
naments and was adopted by a bi-
partisan group of public and private
school administrators. If a private
school has significant success in state
tournaments during a three-year pe-
riod by sport, that school will move
up a dassification in that sport.
On March 14, the Tennessee
Secondary School Athletic Associa-
tion (TSSAA) voted to completely
split public and private schools
into separate divisions. This ap-
plies to all competitions.
Twenty-one years ago,
the TSSAA took the first
step by placing private
schools into a separate
division if these schools
offered need-based
financial aid. The March
2018 TSSAA proposal to
completely split public
and private schools was
submitted by Memphis
private school Harding
Academy. The proposal
passed unanimously and
will go into effect during
the 2019-20 school year.
GHSA'S lack of com-
mitment to competitive
balance in 3A and 4A
and Sen. Mullis's decision
to create additional par-
ity in 1A speaks volumes for where
priorities lie. Both the public/private
1A split in 2012 and GHS/ s 2016
decision to push 2A private schools
out of 2A, proves there should be
separate public and private school
playoffs in all sports and in all clas-
sifications, not just the two lower
dassifications. Unfortunately for 3A
and 4A public schools in 2018, it will
be wash, rinse, and repeat.
Alan Henderson
Watkinsville
I AM going to miss Dr. William C. Cummings! I considered
Bill a dose Mend andwe had many conversations about not
his religious beliefs the growth potential, leadership and future
of Forsyth and Monroe County.
Bill was the vice-president of human resources ofthe former
Charter Medical in Macon. When the medical conglomerate
sank, Bill and his wife Anne invested in downtown Forsyth
and opened The Left Banque Tea Room, a travd agency and
purchased The Rose Theater where they had "open air" concerts
since there was no roof on The Rose Theater building.
They didn't go broke owning those three businesses on the
square, they just decided to do something else. Bill got back into
human resources consulting and wrote a Sunday column in the
Macon Tdegraph,
My many conversations with Bill were always about the growth
and direction Forsyth-Monroe County was and was not goin
He was always positively optimista2 with a tone of on,
both ofus hoping to be around when the dty and county woke
up to the potential they were not capitalizing on.
NOSED OUT!. Saw where the county commissioners were go
ing to discuss purchasing a new canine for the Sheriff's Depart-
ment- Guess the old dog "got nosed out"!
LISTEN TO The Reporter On The Radio on Majic 100 Sun-
days at 7 am. or anytime by clicking on the radio icon at mymcr.
net. You can also see on the show on Forsyth Cablevision.
Don Daniel founded the Reporter in 1972. Email him at tul-
laybear@bellsouth.net.
