opinions
Chamber/DDA Update — By Andrea Taylor
As we welcome in a new year, I am very proud of the progress of our Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority (JDA) made in 2018 as well as the community as a whole. I am also very excited to see what 2019 holds! The Chamber has grown by over 25% in membership this year…
Read MoreBorders and Citizenship — By John Reed
Borders and Citizenship The debate about immigration has been going on ever since the country was founded. At its most basic it comes down to how we define ourselves as a nation and as a people. I guess that argument first started after the tower of Babel fell, but some very fundamental questions need to…
Read MoreLiving To Be 100 — By Tommy Purser
It was close to 30 years ago when a “futurist” speaker at a Georgia Press Association event looked around the group in the room where he was speaking and said, “Yep. I suspect everyone in this room can expect to live to be 100 years old.” IF, he added, you don’t die in an accident,…
Read MoreNew Beginnings — By John Reed
New Beginnings This is the time of year we start to see commercials for diets and gym memberships. Even though we are in mid-winter, the beginning of the calendar year is seen as a time to make changes in one’s life. I’ve never liked the tradition of New Year’s resolutions. For one, I’m not very…
Read MoreSnipesville Parade Now 31 Years Old — By Tommy Purser
At Tuesday’s Annual Snipesville New Year’s Day Parade, I was told some residents of the area wanted to get together and develop a history of the event. I’ve never missed the parade since its inception in 1988. That year, the Snipesville Volunteer Fire Department sponsored the event to raise funds for the department. Over the…
Read MoreShowing Gratitude — By John Reed
Showing Gratitude Like many, I spent time with various friends and families this Christmas season. I was witness to several gift-opening sessions, and found numerous similarities as well as differences in how the presents were received by the children. In every case, parents overspent on their kids in comparison to their financial situation. That seems…
Read MorePoinsettia — By Jennifer T. Miller
Poinsettia Through the holiday season, we celebrate many familiar traditions. One symbol of the holidays that graces the window seals, hearths and tabletops; is the poinsettia. Every time I see a poinsettia, it takes me back to my college days. I worked in the greenhouse at ABAC for several semesters and I came to loathe…
Read MoreThe answer is NO!!
I spent hours Tuesday night listening over and over to videos of Hazlehurst City Council meetings held Thursday, Dec. 13, and Monday, Dec. 17. I am baffled. First off, I found out about last Thursday’s meeting Monday morning through a phone call from freelance reporter Mary Ann Anderson who filled in for me for eight…
Read MoreAltruism vs. Opportunism — By John Reed
Altruism vs Opportunism Our country seems more divided than ever. Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative…At the simplest level, the two competing mindsets might be called altruism vs. opportunism. Altruists give to others without considering the price to themselves, while opportunists rise without help from anyone else. Each has an appeal, but one is an illusion that…
Read MoreLeadership Changes — By Tommy Purser
I think I was 20 years ahead of my time when, 30 years ago, I lamented the fact that many of our elected officials were more interested in not raising taxes than they were in providing our community what it deserved. At one time, decades ago, members of the county commission refused to raise taxes…
Read More