4.14.2010 union sentinel

ATLANTA (April 8, 2010) – !e legislature’s primary goal this session is to cultivate an environ-ment that revitalizes Georgia’s job and economic sector. !e Senate has taken signi"cant steps toward that goal by passing legislation centered on less spending, lower

taxes, providing business growth incentives and "nding government e#ciencies to spur economic de-velopment. Here’s a look at some of the key solutions the Senate has passed so far that will drive Geor-gia’s recovery.

Job Growth (HB 1023): Now awaiting "nal approval from the governor, the Jobs, Opportunity, and Business Success Act of 2010 ( JOBS Act of 2010) is a shot in the arm to Georgia’s sluggish job sector. !e Senate made quick work of passing this legislation that is designed speci"cally to encourage and reward those who invest in Georgia and create jobs. First, employers will receive credit against the unemployment tax if

they hire someone currently re-ceiving unemployment bene"ts. !ree other key elements of the bill include the creation of an “an-gel investor” tax credit, which will reward those who invest in Geor-gia start-up companies that create jobs. !e bill also updates Georgia tax code by eliminating the state’s “net worth” tax, a 1930’s relic that punishes companies that accu-mulate wealth. Finally, there will be a 25 percent reduction in the long-term capital gains rate once the state’s reserve fund reaches $1 billion, followed by a 50 percent reduction the next year. By rec-ognizing that free-markets, invest-ment, and the private sector are the key to job recovery, we’re giv-

ing Georgia a competitive edge in creating economic growth.

Property Taxes (SB 346 & SB 517): Senate Bill 346 is the most sweeping overhaul of the Georgia property tax system in decades and achieved unanimous approval in the Senate. !e Property Tax As-sessment and Appeals reform bill is aimed at ensuring all Georgia properties are properly assessed at Fair Market Value and that proper-ty owners have guaranteed rights to appeal.

Senate Bill 517 eliminates the state’s portion of a tax on the American Dream, which is home ownership. Homeowners need as much "nancial relief as possible and should not be over-taxed. !e

State of Georgia currently levies an ad valorem tax on all property, and is a component of local prop-erty tax bills. !e state millage rate is a quarter mil (.25/$1,000 assessed value). Counties argue that the state requires them to do property assessments and to col-lect ad valorem tax. !is is a major step in allowing local governments to have more control over proper-ty taxation. Removing the state ad valorem tax will have no e$ect on counties, cities and school fund-ing. !e prohibition of the tax be-gins once state reserve funds reach $500 million.

Health Care Protection (SB 317): Georgians deserve the right to choose their own health care.

!e actions by the President and the Democratic-controlled Con-gress were clearly out of touch with the American people and the people of Georgia. !erefore, the Senate passed the Health Care Freedom of Choice bill, which prohibits any federal mandate from compelling Georgia citizens, employers, or health care provid-ers to participate in any health care system. !e bill does not a$ect current health care services pro-vided in Georgia.

A$ordable options for Health Insurance (SB 407): !is bill al-lows Georgia health care custom-ers to buy approved out-of-state health care insurance plans. !e

A%er a three hour stando$ with an Atlanta SWAT team, James Sco& Carringer, 42 of Young Har-ris, GA ended his own life. !e events leading up to this tragedy started on Tuesday, April 6th when Carringer drove to Kennesaw, GA and met a relative at Dick's sport-ing goods parking lot in Kennesaw. He then abducted the 19 year old female, drove her to a remote part of Gilmer County and raped her.

Early on Wednesday morning Carringer released the victim at the campus of Kennesaw State University where she a&ends col-lege. She then proceeded to check herself into North Georgia Medi-cal Center and reported the crime to Gilmer County Police. !e po-lice then issued an alert for Carrin-ger's black Nissan Xterra.

On !ursday Morning around

5:30 a suspicious vehicle match-ing the description of Carringer's Xterra was reported in the Mid-town Atlanta Area on Peachtree Street. Police arrived on the scene shortly therea%er. "!e man in the vehicle said that he had explosives, and was suicidal," said Major R.L. Browning of the Atlanta Police Department.

Police a&empted to talk with Carringer to no avail. A SWAT team was soon called in and about 20 mins. later a gunshot was heard from inside the SUV. A bomb squad robot detonated a window and a%er thorough inspection, no explosives were found. !at is also when they found that the driver was dead from a self in'icted gun-shot wound. He was con"rmed to be James Sco& Carringer.

Peachtree Street was blocked o$ in Midtown Atlanta from 5:30 to 8:30 am and the altercation caused many tra#c jams during the heavy morning commuter hours. Car-ringer was a home appraiser work-ing with the Appraisal Agency in Young Harris, GA. !e Georgia Real Estate Commission's website reports that Carringer's appraiser license had been revoked.

Carringer was a former resident of Cherokee County, NC. Out of respect for the victim and the fam-ily Carringer, no further informa-tion will be released concerning the rape, and the case is now said to be closed.

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Sentinel Volume 16,Issue 15

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By ELAINE OWENSentinel Writer

R apist k illshimself

Military plane carrying four crashes in Fannin

GOP OrdersPicnic

Life and Arts, 1B & 6B

NewArtGallery

Elaine Owen/Sentinel Photo!is helicopter made at least six trips carrying water to the crash site.

See Senate, page 3A

Gilmer County Sheri!James Sco& Carringer

Community, 8A

By SEN. CHIP PEARSONColumnist

Senate Cultivates Climate of Business and Job GrowthU.S. Navy T-39 Sabreliner aircra%.

A Naval aircra% based in Pen-sacola, FL and used for training purposes crashed just a%er 5 p.m. Monday. !e US Navy T-39 Sa-breliner crashed in a "eld o$ Star Creek Road in Fannin County.

According to FAA o#cials, the plane was part of Training Air Wing 6, which conducts routine cross-country missions through Fannin County. !e plane went down af-ter a%er narrowly missing a home and set "re to the woods where it crashed.

A U.S Forestry Service helicop-ter was called in to keep the "re contained. !e copter was leased from Helicopter Express in Law-renceville, Georgia, one of the larg-est "re contractors in the United States.

According to witnesses, the downed aircra% was mangled with li&le le% other than the tail section.

O#cials said the pilot and two others were con"rmed dead in the crash. Rescuers are searching for a fourth person said to have been on the plane. !e pilot and crew mem-bers were not identi"ed at press time.

3 dead, 1 missing

Much speculation has arisen a!er the recent events involving the radical behavior of local, James Sco" Carringer. Investigations should be in order with his possible connection to the local area female abduc-tions, along with one abduction of a young girl in Alabama. #e black Nissan External used in the At-lanta kidnapping of Carringer’s step-daughter could possibly be linked to the case in Alabama. It has been stated by several community members that knew of Carringer that he owned a silver Xterra as well. #e vehicle matches the one related to the Cornwell case, except for the Florida tag. If you were planning to do what he did, how hard would it be to steal a phony tag. #ey can check to see if his grandmother lives in FL. If so, then maybe she is the one that wrote the le"ers to Cherokee County, NC. If it is a match, it's worth further investigation.

#is is worthy of a lot of interest. "He" is obviously a rapist. No argument here. He just proved his abil-ity to be brutal, criminal, and crazy, a!er his stand o$ with SWAT and the suicide. Add that to his silver Xterra SUV that reportedly was used in Kristi Corn-

well’s abduction, and the reported late model silver SUV used in the a"empted abduction in Ranger, what do you think?

Carringer’s sister commi"ed suicide two years ago a!er a"empting to kill her children. #e sister's mar-ried name is Davis and she was from Brasstown, NC. Kristi's so called boyfriend, Douglas Davis, was on the phone with her when she was taken and if I'm not mistaken, he is from NC. I know Davis is a common name but isn't that a weird coincidence? He also has a conviction in Clay County in 2000. Assault and ha-rassment, received probation/parole. Would Kristi have supervised him as a Parole O%cer? Many peo-ple are beginning to talk in the community that have legitimate insight on the suspects/victims involved. You can read more on topix.com. #e fact of the mat-ter is that he was a premeditated rapist, and there is too many coincidences not to at least investigate him as a possible suspect.

- name withheld upon request

#e International Code Council Publishes a New Green Building Code

What is the International Code Council? #e organization that publishes the codes that our states have adopted. Your building in-spector enforces these codes when inspecting your construction.

Does this mean we will all have to build by this new code? Not un-less the state government or local county adopts this code as law. #e International Code Council writes many di$erent codes, and our gov-ernments choose which ones they want to make law. #ey also might revise them to suit their own juris-diction. Perhaps the government could make this an option instead of a requirement.

Why is this news important to us? First because it can substan-tially change green building here in the mountains and throughout the rest of our country. At this time,

if you want to build and you want your building certi&ed green, you must choose between several green building programs like Tennes-see Valley Authority's Energyright Program, Western North Caro-lina's HealthyBuilt Home Program, Southface Institute's Earthcra! House Program, or LEED. Each program has its advantages and dis-advantages. Usually you must &nd a builder that is approved to build under this program. You also need someone to inspect and certify that your building meets the program's requirements during various stages of construction.

If the new green building code is adopted where you live, it would be enforced by your building inspec-tors. #is would make green build-ing certi&cation much more acces-sible to all. But this would come at a cost. #e inspectors would need extensive training. #e local build-ing departments would need access to expensive testing equipment to test the home and the ductwork for air leaks.

#ere is another reason this is important to us. Right now the In-ternational Code Council has pub-lished a dra! of this code on their web site for public review and com-ment. If you are concerned with this issue, you can download your own copy, study it, and email back the changes you would like to see.

People in the construction indus-try like to complain about build-ing codes. But if they have a valid complaint they can do something about it. #ey can submit their idea to the International Code Council. If the council's engineers see that the complaint has merit, if a change would not raise building costs too much, if it would improve con-struction, they just might change the code.

For your copy of this new code: www.iccsafe.org Click on “Codes, Standards, and Guidelines” then “International Green Construction Code.” Download your own copy.

#is column also invites your in-put. Email me your questions and ideas.

PCs CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH! However, unless one happens to fall on your head while you’re walking down the street, personal computers can’t kill you'but they can hurt you!

Every year nearly 2 million people su$er work-related mus-culoskeletal disorders, including repetitive strain injury, caused by computer use, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Now, since so many individu-als have computers in their homes and many times the computers are just “stuck” any place available, and you sit on whatever stool or chair handy, doctors are hearing about and treating more and more complaints of wrist, back and neck pain.

If you spend any amount of time with your lap top or at your PC work station, it behooves you to give some thought to how'and how long at a stretch you work. Ask yourself if you are following the suggested rules to keep you from acquiring a repetitive strain injury, such as (CTS) Carpal Tun-nel Syndrome'of which there has been a decrease in the past &ve years, but there are still plenty of other prevalent repetitive stress ailments a(icting the hands, arms and elbows as a result of prolonged computer use.

We also have a more recent complaint on the rise'take a guess! You’re right! (TMI) Text Messaging Injuries and some call it ‘Blackberry #umb’. #is in-jury may cause De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis'In de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, the sheath of the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist becomes in)amed or swollen, restricting the tendons’ movement. #e result is discom-fort and pain every time you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a &st. According to the American Physical #erapy Association'when text messaging, people tend to tense their shoulders and upper arms, which cuts down circulation to the forearm at the time when the consistent movements of the

thumb and &ngers require in-creased blood )ow. Also, because so many PDA users are middle-aged businesspeople, overuse can in)ame underlying arthritis, fur-ther increasing the risk of injury.

When using your keyboard, the cardinal rule is, keep your wrist straight. Some PC users have found that a wrist support in front of the keyboard and/or actually pu"ing an elastic wrist brace on their wrist helped. You want to support your wrists to prevent them from bending upward when typing or mousing.

Ergonomics is a buzzword'to sell chairs, keyboards, desk, mouse, work station, etc… Er-gonomics: “#e science which is concerned with the problem of how to &t a job to man’s anatomi-cal, physiological, psychological characteristics in such a way as to enhance human e%ciency and well being.” I wish we could trust that everything that is labeled “Ergonomically Correct” is really the best that we can do for our-selves'but o!en it is not'just a pre"y color.

YOUR CHAIR does have lum-bar support, doesn’t it? And its height is adjustable, right? Find-ing the right chair is more di%cult than you might think. #e chairs height should be alterable, allow-ing you to &nd a place where you can sit with your arms level to your keyboard and your feet )at on the )oor. Don’t overlook the armrests,

whose height and width should both be adjustable. You ought to be able to tilt the chair back when you’re not typing so that you can occasionally take the load o$ your spine; and you may &nd a low foot stool is helpful when you are “rest-ing your back”. (You can &nd a good chair between $100 - $300, but will take research.)

To keep your back and neck healthy, take frequent breaks, ge"ing up from the computer, stretching, and walking. Remem-ber to drink plenty of water, espe-cially when you are really working on a project!

EYES are another area for con-cern when computing. If you wear glasses'you need a separate pair of computer glasses. If you wear bi or tri-focal glasses and try to use the computer for any length of time'you WILL develop a neck/back problem. I took a yard stick and measured how far my eyes were from the screen (24 inches) and ask my eye doctor to &t me for a pair of computer glasses'and to put a small reading lens on the bo"om'they are actu-ally bi-focal'but &"ed for me for computer use'I leave them at my computer'they are always handy.

Computers are great, when they’re not a pain in the neck, back, wrist or eyes. For more in-formation than you ever wanted to know'Google ‘computer health hazards’ or anything to do with injuries or computer repetitive in-juries, etc. You can retrieve some helpful information'unless they are trying to sell you something!

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor’s o!ce and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator "om Fulton County (GA) Schools. She writes Your Health Ma#ers as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the ad-vice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains, near Blairsville. Claudia can be reached at [email protected]

Even though one writer has sug-gested – indeed stated as fact – that the equivalent of the combined populations of Wyoming, North Dakota, and Vermont descended on DC to protest health care, a number even conservative blog-gers disagree with, I think we can all agree that a signi&cant num-ber of people were in the Capitol. #eir gathering was democracy in action, up to a point. Even though this nation has a long history of protests against unpopular poli-cies, I remember anti-Vietnam war protesters in the late 1960’s, and how ugly that scene became as I watched it on the nightly news. I was in the military at the time and wholeheartedly agreed with the then-current conservative slo-gan, America: Love It or Leave It. However, those protests, unlike many others, cast an ugly, dark mood over the country.

In spite of conservative pun-dits trying to put a good face on the DC protests, their actions re-minded me of the anti-Vietnam war protesters. One writer had the gall to suggest that our black Congressmen were lying about being called the “n” word. In fact, he is pu"ing forth the argument trying to be made by conservative pundits that such unacceptable behavior was fabricated. Such rea-soning is excessively cynical, bor-dering on paranoia. I do not think that protests that split this coun-try into two hardened factions is healthy or productive. #ey were not healthy in the 1960’s and I do not think they are healthy today.

Legitimate protest should not include personal slurs and when such slurs occur, the leaders of the movement should denounce them publicly. We can say that

there have been threats made on the lives of Congress-people from both sides, conservative and pro-gressive. Such behavior is inexcus-able regardless of who is guilty. Such behavior should not be de-fended unless we consider hate speech to be a family value. In my opinion, the protests have gone over the top, just as they did in the 1960’s. Even in a democracy, there are limits to protests, just as there are limits to free speech. #e dis-agreement has go"en too ugly and that, in turn, begins to threaten the foundation of democracy.

One writer chastised me to “get [my] facts straight” but then mis-quoted Speaker of the House Nan-cy Pelosi. By changing one word, the writer totally mischaracterized the meaning and intent of what she said before the 2010 Legisla-tive Conference for National As-sociation of Counties. She did not exhort Congress to pass the health care reform bill so that “we” can &nd out what is in it, indicating the Democrats had no idea what they were voting on. Here is her actual quote: “But we have to pass the bill so that you can &nd out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.” When quoted correctly, there is an entirely dif-ferent meaning.

However, I do agree with the writer that when writing an article for a wide audience, it behooves the writer to check and double check their facts. With that in mind, I invite anyone to point out inaccuracies in my articles. I make no claim to inerrancy. However, I do complete a background check on everything I write about and work to make sure I do not repeat inaccurate material.

With that in mind, a writer piqued my interest last week who said Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey was the origin of the “I can

see Alaska from my house” re-mark. So, I Googled the inter-net and found that was true, but misleading. Sarah Palin has been ridiculed because her answers to questions about her foreign policy experience have been nonsensi-cal, not because they were false. For example, what she really said, that Tina Fey made fun of, was: “#ey're our next door neighbors and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.” #is statement was from an ABC News interview, September 11, 2008, suggesting that the ability to see Russia from Alaska constituted foreign policy experience. In a follow-up inter-view with Katie Couric on CBS, she said: “As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border.” #is was an a"empt, once again, to explain why Alaska's proximity to Russia gave her foreign policy experience for the US Vice-Presidency (in-terview on September 24, 2008). If the ability to see Russia counts as foreign policy experience, then anyone who travels outside the United States has a ton of such ex-perience.

Next week, I hope to focus my column of the e$ects of the new health care reform on the citizens of Georgia, especially the Ninth District. For example, 203,000 seniors in Georgia will have their brand-name drug costs in the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” reduced by 50% while 1.1 million seniors will start receiving free preventative services. I am the &rst to admit that there are problems with the bill just passed but, frank-ly, we had to start somewhere. Fu-ture changes in the system will be more gradual and, hopefully, do a much be"er job reigning in costs.

A UNION SENTINEL

CO LU M NS & O P I N I O NS

By Richard McCrea Columnist

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

By Claudia Parks RN Columnist

LEANING LEFTBy Jim FitzgeraldSentinel Guest Columnist

EDITOR'S INBOX

Worth Considering... A #ought for Today

“One joy sha"ers a hundred griefs.” –Chinese Proverb

“Joy is the holy &re that keeps our purpose warmand our intelligence aglow.” –Helen Keller

“To get joy, we must give it;And to keep joy, we must sca"er it.” –John Templeton

Unlike happiness, dependent on circumstances,Joy goes deeper, to the soul of delight.Happiness comes and goes, dissipates;Joy can be present, even amidst darkest night.Joy comes in what we give, expecting no returns.Joy is a condition of mind that glows and burns.

-Ethelene Dyer Jones

RECLINING RIGHTIt has been said that for liber-

als and Socialists, history begins when they got up in the morning. It appears to have been con&rmed by President Obama who has ne-gotiated a nuclear weapons reduc-tion treaty with Russia that gives away a lot, and gets virtually noth-ing in return.

Obama has agreed to cut US military weapons in the one area where the United States holds a substantial advantage. Russia holds a substantial advantage in conventional tactical low yield nuclear weapons and troops. #ey are not addressed in this treaty.

#erefore it appears that the only real result of this Treaty will be to weaken the United States ability to defend itself and en-courage our enemies to do more mischief. Under this Treaty the Russians essentially keeps the same number of its deployed strategic launchers, whereas the United States will have to destroy several hundred of ours.

According to Frank J. Ga$ney, Jr., a former national security ad-viser and weapons systems expert,

“#e Russians are aggressively modernizing their strategic forces with both new missiles and war-heads. #ey claim, that by 2015, roughly 80% of their long-range arsenal will have been upgraded - an activity the United States is subsidizing by paying them to dismantle their old weapons sys-tems, freeing up funds for Mos-cow's modernization programs.

By contrast, the United States has not introduced a new nuclear weapon in over 15 years.” Our missile submarines and bombers are even older, some dating back to the &!ies and sixties.

Also Moscow has said it will feel free to disregard this Treaty if they believe US missile defenses in Eu-rope are a threat to its deterrent. Just for the record, when have the Russians ever actually kept their word in a Treaty? #ose who know their history, realize that the Russians have rarely ever kept their word.

Also under this Treaty the US is promising not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states that are in compliance with the Treaty even if they a"ack the United States with biological or

chemical weapons or launch a paralyzing cyber a"ack. When this became public knowledge this past week, President Obama said he could “change his mind” a!er we are a"acked.

If we had a “fair and balanced press” with an ounce of common sense and guts, they would be demanding that Obama be im-peached because he is breaking his sworn duty to “protect and defend” the United States. #is would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

Some are beginning to wonder if it is true that Obama is try-ing to destroy the United States. We have seen him insult and un-dermine our strongest allies e.g., Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Columbia, and more. But to our enemies like Iran he sends yearly greetings and poses for photo ops with brutal Marx-ists like Chavez of Venezuela and Putin.

#ose that have not learned the lessons of the past are bound to have been repeated. It is time to stop the Pollyannaish “Hope” and make the “Change.”

By James F. DavisSentinel Guest Columnist

THE GREEN COLUMN

Tip # 1 – If you have questions about your taxes or whether you need to !le call me at 706-745-7998 or email at [email protected].

Tip # 2 – As we approach the end of the tax season many people talk to me about ge"ing an extension so they do not have to !le their in-come tax by April 15th. Some of the things you need to remember about !ling an extension are you must include with your request for extension the amount of money you expect to owe the IRS now. Which means you are not ge"ing an extension on paying your tax, but rather an extension of paper work for an additional 90 days. To me a be"er way is to !le your taxes with as much information as you have now and pay the tax ac-cording to what you !le. #en you have 3 years to !le an amendment to correct your taxes and pay the remaining taxes you owe. If you don’t have the money to pay the tax, there are a couple di$erent ways to pay the tax, but it will cost you extra.

Tip # 3 – Several people have asked about using the rebate on new energy e%cient home appli-ances they bought to help with their federal income tax. #is re-

bate is not associated with your federal tax, but rather is a rebate from the state. Each state received money from the American Recov-ery and Reinvestment Act $300 million program to assist states in the rebate for energy e%cient home appliances. Georgia residents who replace an existing appliance with a new Energy Star quali!ed ap-pliance purchased on or a&er Feb 12, 2010 are eligible. For more information go to WWW.ENER-GYSAVERS.GOV or call

1-866-296-1633.

In spring in Appalachia we look through eyes of winter’s lingering to see signs of renewal. Stretching up our mountainsides are trees with snow-white blooms, looking more like angel-clouds descend-ed and brightening our still cool days.

It is our sarvis tree (also known as service tree, an Anglicization of the Latin sorbus torminalis, or wild service tree). Its white blos-soms are as welcome as the spring sunshine, as heartening as the balmy breezes that blow from the south to awaken all of nature and bring hope and beauty to a gray landscape.

Our north Georgia poet, By-ron Herbert Reece (1917-1958) wrote about the service tree in his second book of poems, Bow Down in Jericho (E. P. Du"on, 1950). #e poem is so beau-tiful, so to-the-point. It gives such a clear word-picture of the scene that no explication should be forthcoming. Just enjoy his words, his insight, his 'awless presentation in:

We Could Wish #em a

Longer Stay

Plum, peach, apple and pearAnd the service tree on the hillUnfold blossom and leaf.From them comes scented airAs the brotherly petals spill.#eir tenure is bright and brief. We could wish them a longer stay,We could wish them a charmed bough

On a hill untouched by the 'owconsuming time; but they Are lovelier, dearer nowBecause they are soon to go,Plum, peach, apple and pearAnd the service blooms whiter than snow.

-Byron Herbert Reece (in Bow Down in Jericho, 1950)

Reece in his poem pairs the “ser-

vice tree on the hill” with more domesticated trees common to Appalachian orchards: “plum, peach, apple and pear.” #ere on the mountainside, the service tree bears its blossoms, fragrant in the early-spring.

It gives me a sense of connect-edness to know that my grand-mother looked out and saw the service (sarvis) tree blooming and declared, “Spring is here!” And it was also with a sense of con-tinuation back to her mother and grandmother before her who had likewise looked for this harbinger of spring on the mountainsides, lighting up the grayness before all the trees had budded forth.

A commonly held belief about why this tree was called the “sarvis” or service tree is likewise a part of our Appalachian cul-ture. It bloomed out in time to be gathered and taken to church ser-vices (sarvis) in the early spring. It could also be used at spring funerals, some of which had to be delayed until the ground was thawed enough to dig the grave and bury the dead. I can’t remem-ber this happening, but I am told it was true, back when our win-

ters were much more severe than now. Much farther north than our North Georgia mountains, I did once visit in the Adirondak mountain region and saw a “hold-ing place” where the corpse was kept until the thawing ground removed the resistance and al-lowed the shovels to enter to dig the grave.

And why did Reece, in his poem, relate the service tree blos-soms to our be"er known “plum, peach, apple and pear”? I think it was because they bloomed close to the same time in spring. He could have included it because the service tree had fruits of its own coming in the fall season as a re-sult of spring blooming. #e ser-vice tree bears a small edible fruit which is similar to a date. #is fruit is stringy and astringent.

My grandmother, Sarah Eva-line Souther Dyer (an herbalist “doctor”) would have known that it was good for colic when boiled and made into medicine. Even the second part of the Latin name, “sorbus torminalis,” means “good for colic.” Also, when the fruit was le& until the over-ripe or “ble"ed” stage, it became less-astringent and good for use as food as well as for home-brewed medicines.

Go back now and re-read Re-ece’s beautiful poem. Let its lines help you to see “the service tree on the hill.” #ese “blooms whiter than snow” provide a lovely sight to winter-weary eyes. “We could wish them a longer stay,” but alas, time moves on (and times, too, for that ma"er). And so do our mountain ways, our connections to a past life slower in pace, our ways of “making-do” and appreci-ating what we have. Even a show of spring and blossoms ready for “services”(whether church cel-ebration or funeral wake (can remind us of those good times. We can only prolong these white blossoms of our rich mountain life through passing on our lore, our stories, our memories. #ey, like “the service blossoms whiter than snow” are “lovelier, dearer now/Because they are soon to go.” Let us do what we can to help these rich stories remain among us.

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April 4, 2010

Justin Cory Heffley arrested for

underage consumption; tail-light

requirement

April 5, 2010

Timothy James Harrell arrested hold

for other agency

Charles Evan Bryant arrested for

child support

Michael Shane Lance arrested for

possession of marijuana <1 oz (city);

drivng w/lic suspended or revoked 1st

(city)

Edward Alexander Jennings arrested

for DUI 1st offense; open container;

failure to maintain lane; too fast for

conditions; safety restraint

April 6, 2010

Michael Anthony Mitilinakis arrested

for theft by shoplifting

April 8, 2010

Venessa Marie Gibson arrested for

deposit account fraud (5 counts); theft

by shoplifting

Douglas Lamar Byers arrested for

probation violation

Jon Kenneth Perkins arrested for fail-

ure of sex offender to register

April 9, 2010

Richard Dean Middleton arrested for

abandonment of child

Aarynn Deandra Wills arrested serv-

ing time

Melissa Dean Green arrested serving

time

Lewis James Tilson arrersted for

damag

ing/destroying/secreting property to

defraud

April 10, 2010

Michael Anthony Panetta arrested for

DUI 1st offense; broken windshield

Donita Joyce Ward arrested for

speeding 30-34 MPH over; reckless

driving; speeding (1-24 MPH over

speed limit) (city)

Diana Shea Howell arrested for DUI

1st offense

Bryan Ashley Crawford arrested for

DUI 1st offense

Wayne Edward Sawson arrested for

aggresive driving (city); reckless driv-

ing (city)

Union County Arrest ReportApril 4- April 10, 2010

Senate:Continued from page 1A

#rough Mountain

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Georgia state insurance com-missioner will have the author-ity to identify at least five states with health insurance laws and regulations substantially consis-tent with Georgia law. The state could then approve individual health insurance policies for sale in Georgia. This ensures con-sumer protection with the states coming together to approve qual-ity, highly-respected insurance providers. Out-of-state compa-nies offering health benefit plans will be subject to regulation by the Georgia insurance commis-sioner.

Government Efficiency (SR 510 & SR 1231): SR 510 will save millions in taxpayer dollars and allow Georgians to have a greater voice in how their money is spent. Through an amend-ment to the State Constitution, the resolution allows the General Assembly to authorize the State Properties Commission (SPC), the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, or both to enter into multi-year rental agreements. By allowing

the state to enter into multi-year leases, we could save an estimat-ed $37 million over 10 years.

SR 1231 allows Energy Saving Performance Contracts (ESPC) if approved by Georgia citizens on the November 2010 ballot. Performance contracts would al-low state agencies to divert funds that would normally be spent on utility bills into building im-provements that lower energy consumptions. This would cre-ate jobs and lower energy costs at the same time. If Georgians au-thorize ESPCs via a question on the November 2010 ballot, then Georgia could see a substantial amount of economic activity be-ginning in early 2011, with total numbers easily reaching the hun-dreds of millions.

Transparency in Government Act (SB 389): The public infor-mation website open.georgia.gov will be expanded to include all three branches of government, any regional education service agency, all local boards of educa-tion, federal pass through dollars and contracts and expenditures

made by the General Assembly. With this legislation, the General Assembly will be included in the auditing and tracking functions of open.georgia.gov, run by the Department of Audits and Ac-counts. This bill ensures all fis-cal actions of the entire legisla-tive arm of state government are available for the general public to find.

Public-Private Partnerships along Highways: Georgia’s rest areas and service to travelers along interstate highways will greatly improve if Georgia is al-lowed to establish partnerships with private companies and fran-chises. Senate Resolution 822 urges the Georgia Department of Transportation to obtain a waiver from the Federal High-way Administration that would allow commercial operations in rest areas along the interstates in Georgia. The goal is to part-ner with the private sector to help save money, maintain our rest areas, keep them open later, serve more people, and help lo-cal economies.

Deal's Congressional Seat up for GrabsSix republicans, One Democrat, One Independent are running for May 11th Election

Atlanta- Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced the close of candidate qualifying for the Special Election to !ll the un-expired term in Congressional District 9 on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at noon. #e candidates below quali!ed and paid the quali-fying fee of $ 5,220 for the Special Election to be held Tuesday May 11, 2010.

If no candidate receives a major-ity of the vote, a run-o$ election will be held Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

#e election is a non-partisan Special Election with no party pri-

mary. However, each candidate's party a%liation , if any, will be list-ed on the ballot.

#e election for Congressional District 9 will occur in the 'owing counties: Catoosa , Dade , Dawson, Fannin , Gilmer , Hall, Lumpkin , Murray, Pickens , Union , Walker, White, Whit!eld, and portions of Forysth and Gordon. Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tues-day, May 11, 2010.

#e following candidates quali-!ed for Congressional District 9 and will be placed on the ballot in alphabetical order.

Chris Cates: RepublicanBlairsville, Ga.

Mike Freeman, DemocratGainesville, Ga.

Tom Graves: RepublicanRanger, Ga.

Lee Hawkins : RepublicanGainesville. Ga.

Bert Lo&man : RepublicanJasper, Ga.

Eugene Moon: IndependentGainesville, Ga.

Bill Stephens : RepublicanCumming, Ga.

Steve Tarvin : RepublicanChickamauga, Ga.

TED’S TAX TIPS 2010 #5By TED NOELLE #e locations and hours for the

FREE preparation and E-FILING of your tax return are as follows:

HIAWASSEE – United Meth-odist Church MONDAY – 9 AM to 2 PM

BLAIRSVILLE – First Baptist Church of Blairsville TUESDAY AND THURSDAY – 9 AM to 2 PM

#ursday April 15th will be the last day for tax preparation and E-Filing at the Blairsville site, but you can always give me a call with your questions or !ling requirements

.Union GeneralHospital AuxiliaryExperience the Frenzy! Masquerade $5.00 Jewelry and Accessories SALE. Monday, May 3, 7:00 am – 6:00 pm. Held at the Union General Hospital—Old Lobby. Sponsored by the UGH Auxiliary to raise funds for scholarships and special needs at the hospital and nursing home. Cash and credit cards ac-cepted. We appreciate your support!

The Cherokees: Lives Legends, & MusicThis program, tells a story of the Chero-kee people in the Sautee and Nacoochee Valleys. Much more than a history, the daily lives of the native people are explored and wonderful legends are told – all supplemented with authentic

by a dynamic Cleveland Cherokee group “Women of Heart.”

The presentation is designed to be enjoyed by folks of all ages. It informs and entertains and brings the Cherokees alive as a people with a well-ordered society, deep beliefs, and traditions; not just another tribe. For more informa-tion, please call SNCA at 706-878-3300. Join us at Truett-McConnell College

the right, look for signs. Sponsored by the History Museum of the Sautee

Nacoochee Center, Yonah Art Guild, TMC, and partially funded by the Ga. Council for the Arts and Appalachian Studies Center. The program runs from at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on April 15, 2010. Tell your friends to meet us at TMC for authentic Cherokee entertain-ment, 706-896-1060.

Old Union BaptistChurchYou are invited to our Revival starting Sunday, April 25 with services at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM; services on Monday 26th, Tues 27th and Wed 28th will begin at 7:00 PM. Our guest speaker is Rev. Johnny Foster, a native of Ranger, Cherokee County, North Carolina. He has been blessed with three sons (one a Pastor in Maiden, NC) and three grandchildren. Rev. Foster is current Senior Pastor of Truett Memorial Baptist, Hayesville, NC.

Rev. Foster attended Fruitland Bible Institute of Hendersonville, NC and has pastored a number of churches in Western North Carolina to include Mt. Pisgah at Warne. He has preached over 70 revivals and led in church renewal. He has been involved in Mission work in Germany, Africa and the Philippines. Special singing is scheduled each night and will include: Emily and Steven Phil-lips and the Friendship Choir, Ms. Pam Corn, Ms. Joy Squires, and the Truett Memorial Baptist Choir. Old Union Baptist Church is located on Highway 76, Young Harris GA

Road to RecoveryAre you a cancer patient? Do you need a ride to and from your treat-ment sessions? A lack of transpor-tation should not be the reason why cancer patients do not receive the life-saving cancer treatment they need. The American Cancer Soci-ety offers their Road to Recovery program to help transport cancer patients to and from their treat-ment. The Society has a toll-free number that you may call, and an operator will put you in touch with local volunteers that give cancer patients without personal transpor-tation rides to and from their can-cer treatment sessions. Give them a call at 1-800-ACS-2345.Man to ManProstate Cancer Support Group—3rd Monday of every month from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at The Cancer Treatment Center Auditorium, 750 Deep South Road, Blairsville.Parkinson’s supportOur group meets at 3 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the conference room of the Union County Public Library. For further information contact Paula Wilde at (706) 745- 6594 or Peter and Hel-en Schultze at (706) 745-9171.Alcoholics AnonymousBlairsville group meets every Monday and Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. at the Mountain Presbyterian Church on Hwy. 515. For more in-formation call 706-994-4462.T.O.P.S.TOPS (Take Pounds Off Sensibly) support group is moving to a new location at Zion United Methodist Church, 4812 Young Harris Hwy. Time weigh in 5:00; meeting starts at 5:30. Come join us to learn how to lose weight the sensible way. Membership fee of $24 includes monthly magazine subscription. Monthly awards and contests, weekly programs on nutrition and health. For more information call Sandy at 706-835-1607.Morning Co!eeGroupRegency Hospice announces Men’s Morning Coffee Group at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. For men who have a lost spouse, partner, or experienced other losses and would like to share with other men, please join us on Tuesday at

Tuesday morning of each month.For more information call Su-

zanne Repp, Bereavement Coun-selor at Regency Hospice in Hia-wassee, Ga., at 800-577-8791.Cancer SupportGroupAt the United Community Bank in Hayesville, N.C. Patients, fami-lies and friends are all welcome to attend. United Community Bank is located at the corner of Hwy. 64 and Hwy. 69. Meeting time is 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The group will meet twice a month (on the 2nd and 4th Mondays). For more in-formation, please call Janet Curns evenings at 828-389-0295.Narcotics Anonymous WeeklyMeetings ListMondays - 7 p.m. 12-Step meeting at Union County Annex Building located at 71 Hospital Street. This is an open meeting. Union County Anti-Drug Coalition.Tuesdays - 4 p.m. Open discus-sion meeting at Towns County Avita Community Partners. Meet at 1100 Jack Dayton Circle, Young Harris, Ga.Tuesdays - 7 p.m. Discussion meeting at Union County Annex

Building & New Hope Counseling at 71 Hospital St.Wednesdays - 6 p.m. Open discus-sion meeting at Union County Avi-ta Community Partners. 41 Hospi-tal St., Suite 100, Blairsville.Fridays - 8 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Union County Annex & New Hope Counseling, 71 Hospi-tal St.All the meetings are open & any-one can attend. For more informa-tion regarding any of these meet-ings, please call 706-897-9775, 706-896-6263 or 706-745-4066.Bereavement Support GroupMeetingWelcome to a community bereave-ment 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 ev-ery 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.Young Harris Al AnonThe Young Harris Al Anon Family Group will meet at 12 Noon every Tuesday in Young Harris, Ga., at Sharp Memorial United Method-ist Church, Room 105. For more information, please call 706-781-3158.Your Journey FromMourning to JoyGriefShare is a Biblically-based weekly support group for people grieving the death of someone close. It’s a place where you can be around people who understand how you feel and the pain of your loss. At GriefShare, you’ll learn valuable information that will help

your life.A GriefShare group meets ev-ery Tuesday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting September 1, at All Saints Lutheran Church in Blairs-ville. Call 706 745-7777 for more information.

GWRRA meetsChapter J of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, GA. We eat at 11 AM followed by the meeting at 12:00 during which rides and other activ-ities are announced and discussed.

We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone inter-ested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are wel-come and we look forward to see-ing participants from other chap-ters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us.

For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-896-7403Tri-State BusinessWomenFormerly known as Business Women of Blairsville, the Tri-State Business Women is an organization of entrepreneurial women in Geor-gia, North Carolina and Tennessee who own and operate their own businesses and are a positive force in the community. Their vision and mission is to support one another in continuing success through net-working and marketing.If you are a woman in business in the area, there is a place for you to receive support, gain leads, and spread the word about your prac-

tice or business in the area. Meet-ings are held every Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. at Grinds N Glazes in Blairsville. For more informa-tion, please contact Susanne John-son, President, at 706-781-1678 or Cathy Wheeler at 706-781-1050.Ga. Mtn. Writers ClubWe meet 10 a.m. to noon the second Wednesday of the month at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic church on the Young Harris Highway. We have no membership dues or

our writings and provide helpful criticism, inspiration, motivation and encouragement to each other. Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be a writer - just visit and enjoy listening to readings and dis-cussion. You will be entertained – and maybe acquire a new interest. Call for information: Larry Casey at 781-6636 or Ellie Dobson at 745-0678. Knights of Columbus, North Georgia Council Knights of Columbus, North Georgia Council, monthly meeting is on the second Thursday of the month and meets 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Blairsville. All active members are invited to at-tend the meeting and social hour.Bagpipe InstructionThe Appalachian Saint Andrew’s Pipes and Drums bagpipe band is offering free instruction to all who want to learn how to play the Great Highland Bagpipe or learn Regimental Drumming. The band meets each Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon in the Parish Hall of Saint Clare’s Episcopal Church for instruction and practice. For further information, please call 706-835-9071 or 706-745-3526.Mountain HighHiker's ScheduleMountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasion-ally specialty hike, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the beauti-ful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia.Check the web site: Mountain-HighHikers.org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.Kiwanis ClubThe Kiwanis Club of Blairsville is dedicated to serving and support-ing young people in the immedi-ate area around Blairsville through numerous projects. The Kiwanis Club meets at the Cobb’s Mill restaurant in Blairsville at 12:00 Noon each Monday. Come join in the fun with us. For more infor-mation, contact President Charlie Krick at (706)781-6793.DAVThe Disabled American Veterans meet monthly on the second Mon-day of each month at noon in the Old Nursing Home, Room 116, in Blairsville. Please join them.Club 180 for TeensJoin us on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. for fellowship, fun and snacks at Choestoe Baptist Church, 4455 Choestoe Church Rd., located south of Blairsville off Hwy. 129 and Hwy. 180. For more informa-tion and directions, please call the church at 706-745-6370.Mountain SoundsWe meet every 2nd & 4th Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30p.m. at the Senior Center in Blairsville. No matter if you just started playing the dulcimer or if you are expe-rienced, come join us for a good time playing your favorite songs and learning new songs. For more information, please contact LaDale at 706-835-1688 or [email protected]. Hope to see you at our next meeting!Just 4 HoursJust 4 hours a week can make a big difference in caring for abandoned

and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to trans-port dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.Trout UnlimitedTrout Unlimited meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at Ca-dence Bank conference room in Blairsville at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please call Marcus Tuschel at 706-835-9010.Experimental Aircraft Associa-tionThe Experimental Aircraft Associ-ation - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. For more information, contact Jim Olson at 828-557-2446.Shooting Creek Basket WeaversThe Shooting Creek Basket Weav-ers Guild meets on the 2nd Wed. of each month from 9:45 until 2:00 at the Shooting Creek Community

-freshments are served and a busi-ness meeting is held before a weav-ing project is presented. For more information, contact Joan (Guild president) at 706-896-1534.UC Republican PartyThe Union County Republican Party holds its monthly meet-ings on the third Saturday of each month at Victoria’s Sweet Shop. Meetings begin at 9am and have an optional breakfast for $6. More information can be found at www.uniongop.org.Tri-State Business WomenWomen business owners in the tri-state area are welcome to attend and join our weekly meeting every Tuesday at 8am. Meetings are held at the Blairsville Restaurant with breakfast available to those inter-ested. Come and see how women are making an impact as leaders in our community. For more informa-tion visit www.tri-statebusiness-women.com.Republican WomenOf Union CountyThe RWUC meets the fourth Tues-day of each month at 7pm. Meet-ings are held in the Brackett Room at the United Community Bank. For more information visit www.RepublicanWomenOfUnion.org.Mothers ofPreschoolers

mothering organization, creates communities and resources to help make "better moms who make a better world." A MOPS group is a place where moms can come-just as they are-to build friendships, re-ceive mothering support, practical help and spiritual hope. Join us - because better moms, make a bet-ter world! Visit us at www.MOPS.orgMothers of Preschoolers meets on the Third Thursday of each month in the new fellowship hall at First Baptist Church of Blairsville from

706-745-2469 for more informa-tion or email us at [email protected] MountainMelodiesSmokie Mountain Melodies is a la-dies barbershop-style chorus whose

in North Georgia and Western North Carolina. As a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the chorus is committed to a goal of advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through edu-cation and performances.Smokie Mountain Melodies meets every Tuesday night at 6:30 at the First United Methodist of Union

County in Blairsville, Georgia lo-cated at 859 Highway 515. Any women who have a love of singing are welcome to join. For more in-formation call the Director, Phyllis Baker at 706-379-3836.Forming GourmetDinner ClubShare superb dinners with other

have some gourmet cooking skills and room to host candle light, sit down dinners in your home. Full time and part time residents wel-come. Hiawassee and Young Har-ris. Limited membership. Call Di-ane 706-835-5007Amateur RadioAttention HAMs and anyone inter-ested in Amateur Radio. The North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) meetings are held on

7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairs-ville. All of our meetings are open to the public. Our next meeting is to be held December. For more in-formation about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665. Amateur license testing will be held on De-cember 7th in Blairsville at 310 Welborn Street, Blairsville, GA. Contact Bob Ochs at 706-838-4728 for more information.Computer ClubOn April 12th at 7PM there will be a presentation of Snagit by MCUG Secretary/Treasurer George Done-gan. George, a founding mem-bers of the club, will present and demonstrate Snagit, a Windows based screen capture program. A Q&A session will begin at 6 PM (prior to the presentation) so bring your questions and we will try to

an interesting evening discussing home computer stuff. The meeting will be held in the Goolsby Cen-ter, Young Harris College. All the Mountain Computer User Group meetings are open to the public the 2nd Monday of each month. Great door prizes are awarded to mem-bers present. For more information please go to www.mcug.org.Auto ClubThe next meeting of the Good Neighbors Auto Club will be on Thursday starting at 7:00 PM. Meeting to be held at Brothers Restaurant in Murphy, NC. All meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Thursday of each month.Mountain Community SeniorsMountain Community Seniors will meet this Thursday, April 7th, at 2 PM at the Senior Center in Hia-wassee.Our speaker will be Robert Brew-er, County Extension Agent for Towns County. Come join us as Mr. Brewer gives us gardening tips for vegetables and plants.We look forward to seeing our friends and neighbors in Clay and Union Counties join us for refresh-ments and getting some ideas for their gardens.OrganizationalMeeting

Gardener interested in support-ing projects in Towns and Union counties, please join us at 6PM, March 18th at the Blairsville Civic Center for an organizational meeting. We will discuss poten-tial projects, as well as review possible meeting locations and dates and time for monthly meet-ings. For additional information, please contact Patti Bransford at 706-896-6430, or cell 706-781-4040. email: [email protected] The Master Gardener Program in Georgia is a volunteer training program designed to help Exten-sion agents transfer research-based information about garden-ing and related subjects to the

public by training home garden-ers. For more information about the Master Gardener program in your area, contact the Cooperative

Mountain Coin Clubmeets 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.MOAAThe Blue Ridge Mountains Chap-

-sociation of America (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, National Guard, reserve, retired, former military, Public Health Service, NOAA of-

-ing spouses are invited to attend. For information please contact one of the following individuals, in North Carolina: Jim Ferrell at 828-335-9203, and in Georgia: John Quinlan at 706-896-2430, or visit www.moaa.org/chapter/blueridge-mountains. Relay for LifeWig DriveWe all know how irritating it is when we’re having a bad hair day, but can you imagine how it must feel to be losing your hair, and possibly even your hope? With the “A Good Hair Day” Wig Drive sponsored by !e Cancer Cen-ter at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) and !e American Cancer Society, you can help restore hope to cancer patients who are ba"ling the emotional and physical e#ects of chemotherapy. During the “A Good Hair Day” Wig Drive, !e Cancer Center will be collecting donations of pre-loved and newly acquired wigs, wig stands and wig hair products. !rough a partnership with Lanier Technical College, students in the school’s cosmetology department will clean and restyle all donated wigs. !ese wigs will be given away free of charge to women who may not have access to the resources or $nances to obtain one otherwise. !e wig drive will begin April 1 and culminate with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life on June 4, 2010. Wig drop o# locations include:NGMC Radiation Oncology Department (bo"om %oor of the Outpatient Building)

!e Longstreet Cancer CenterOncology Specialists of North

Georgia, a division of Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic

Southeastern Gynecologic Oncol-ogy (o&ce of Dr. Andrew Green)

Hall County Relay for Life at Road Atlanta in Braselton on June 4, 2010

Wig donations are tax deductible (name and address needed to send tax form).

By donating wigs and associated products, you can help give a good hair day to people in need by re-building their self-con$dence and give them a new perspective as they undergo cancer treatment. For more information, contact Lisa Mahon, NGMC Breast Cancer Patient Navi-gator, or Elida Lopez, American Can-cer Society Patient Resource Naviga-tor, at 770-219-8800.Blairsville Aglow Lightouse!e Blairsville Aglow Lighthouse welcomes speaker Reeda Faye Kelley of Blairsville. Reeda Faye is an avid Bible student and teacher. She is mar-ried to Garry and they have six (6) children. Reeda Faye home schools their children. Make plans now to come out and hear the teaching that the Holy Spirit has given Reeda Faye for us on Saturday, April 17th at 9:30 am at the Blairsville Chrisitan Center. Invite a friend and share the bread of life and the anointing of the Holy Spirit during this beautiful season of Spring!!

A UNION SENTINEL

C A L E N DA R

Un ion : Recur r i ng EventsSUPPORT

Un ion : Upcoming Events

ACTIVITIES

"Community NIGHT"TO BENEFIT CASTAWAY CRI'ERS PET RESCUE

TUESDAY, APRIL 27TH 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM BROTHERS RESTAU(NT

AT WILLOW (NCH ON HIGH-WAY 76, YOUNG HARRIS

Mrs. Ge-rardine Bi-emer age 94 of High-land Trace B l a i r s v i l l e formerly of P h i l a d e l -

phia , PA . and West Palm B e a c h , F L . passed away

on Sunday A pri l 4 ,2010 at her home fol low ing a br ief i l lness . Mrs. Biemer was born on Nov.18,1915 in Phi ladelphia ,PA . ,the daughter of the late Henr y Dietz and the late Marie Beuttler Dietz . She en-joyed jigsaw puzzles,cr y ptograms and reading .She was a lov ing mother, grandmopther and great grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband , Freder-ick Biemer in 1993. Mrs. Biemer was of the Catholic faith.

Sur v iv ing Mrs.Biemer are one son and daughter in law, Michael and Mar y El len Adams of Blairsv i l le, four grandsons, Michael and Jef f rey Adams, Jo -seph and Kev in Graf f , f ive great grandchi ldren, K ay la , K aci , Hunter, D y lan and Ty lor, many other relat ives and f r iends also sur v ive.

No ser v ices are planned at this t ime. In l ieu of f lowers i f you w ish, the fami ly requests that memorials may be made to the American Cancer Societ y or to the Union Count y Humane Societ y in memor y of Mrs. Bi-emer.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv i l le in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the fami ly g uest book and send condolences on l ine at w w w.mountianv iew f uneral home.com

UNION SENTINEL A

CO M M U N I T YTributes

Gerardine Biemer

Mr. Nor-man Henr y Cross age 75 of Blueberr y Lane Blairs -v i l le passed away on Sat-

urday A pr i l 10,2010 at his home fol low ing a

br ief i l lness . Mr.Cross was born on June 27,1934 in Detroit , MI. , the son of the late Nor-man Cross and the late Esther Lear y Cross . He was a veteran of the US Army. He ret ired as a Computer Programmer f rom Olsonite w ith over t went y f ive years of ser v ice. Norman loved mi l itar y models ,woodworking and other outdoor projects . He was preceded in death by his w i fe,Henr ietta Cross in 2006. Mr.Cross was of the Chr ist ian faith.

Sur v iv ing Mr.Cross are one son and daughter in law,Norman J.and Simone Cross of Red ford , MI. , one daughter and son in law, Kimberly and Tony Jordan of Blairsv i l le , t wo brothers and sister in laws, Jack and Z onnie Cross of Dal las , TX . , R ichard and Janice Cross of Troy, MI. , one grand daughter, Jul ia Cross , a niece and nephew,many other relat ives and f r iends also sur-v ive.

A graveside ser v ice were held on Monday A pr i l 12,2010 at 2:00 pm f rom Union Memor y Gardens Cemeter y w ith Pastor Dav id Wr ight of f ic iat ing . A me-mor ial ser v ice and v isitat ion w i l l be held at a later date and w i l l be announced . The fol low ing gentleman ser ved as pal l bearers , Tony Norman J.Cross , Tony Jor-dan, Tommy Anderson, Rodney Joiner, Frank Camadecka and Charles Long . In l ieu of f lowers i f you w ish, the fami ly requests that memor ials may be made to a favor ite char it y of your choice in memor y of Mr.Cross .

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv i l le in charge of the arrangements . You may sign the fami ly g uest book and send condolences on l ine at w w w.mountainv iew f uneral home.com

Norman Cross

Mrs.Mari lyn E. Dierker age 78 of Forge Mil l Rd. M o r g a n t o n passed away on Tuesday Apri l 6,2010 in the Fan-

nin Regional Hospital fol low-ing an ex tended i l lness. Mrs. Dierker was born on July 9,1931 in Pittsburg ,PA .,the daughter of the late Harold P.Evans and the late Viola Evans.She was a Sweet Adeline Singer for several years.She was preceded in death by her husband,Charles E.Dierker in 2009. Mrs. Dierker was a mem-ber of Shepherd of The Hil ls Lu-theran Church.

Sur v iv ing Mrs. Dierker are one brother,Harold Evans of Arizona,many other relatives and friends also sur v ive.

A memorial ser v ice w il l be held at a later date at The Shep-herd of the Hil ls Church.In lieu of f lowers i f you w ish, the family requests that memorials may be made to High Countr y Harmo-nizers, PO Box 1076 Blairsv i l le, GA . 30514 in memor y of Mrs. Dierker.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv i l le in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send condolences online at www.mountainv iew f uneralhome.com

Marilyn Dierker and was a regular member of the B.R Roundtable. He was such a Ford enthusiast that if you cut him he would bleed Ford Blue!

Surviving , in addition to his par-ents are his wife, Angela Bell Nel-son of Blairsville; daughter, Katie Nelson of Augusta, Georgia; sister and brother-in-law, Patsy Nelson King and Chris King of Blairsville; nephews, Mitchell King of New York, New York, and Curtis King of Blairsville.

Life Celebration services were held in the Chapel of Cochran Fu-neral Home of Blairsville on Tues-day, April 6, 2010 at 2:00 P.M. with Rev. Billy Stiles and Rev. Jimmy Rogers officiating. Interment fol-lowed in Union Memory Gardens. Serving as pallbearers were the fol-lowing gentlemen: Robby Turner, Jacky Jones, Randy Sosebee, Terry Roberts, Gene Mason and Steve Hill. Honorary pallbearers included Tyson Chambers, Jimmy Thomas, R .B. Brown, Johnny Thomas, Don Ragen, Joe Carter, Mike Plott and Charlie Brown.

Billy Nelson, better known as Mr. Gopher, age 58, of Blairsville, Georgia, passed away Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Saint Joseph's Hos-pital in Atlanta.

Billy was born on July 3, 1951 in Murphy, North Carolina, to J.C. and Edna Earl Sampson Nelson of Blairsville. Billy was a member of the First Baptist Church of Blairs-ville, Young Cane Masonic Lodge, F & AM, the Blairsville Cruisers, and was a regular member of the B.R Roundtable. He was such a Ford enthusiast that if you cut him he would bleed Ford Blue!



The family received friends on Monday, April 5, 2010, from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville.

The family requests in lieu of flowers to make memorial con-tributions to one of the following organizations: The Union County Humane Society, 2079 Bowling Gap Circle, Blairsville, Georgia 30512; or , Castaway Critters Pet Rescue; or The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alex-andria, Virginia 22312.

Arrangements entrusted to Co-chran Funeral Home of Blairsville. Please visit us on the web at www.cochranfuneralhomes.com to send condolences and sign the online guest registry.





The family requests in lieu of flowers to make memorial con-tributions to one of the following organizations: The Union County Humane Society, 2079 Bowling Gap Circle, Blairsville, Georgia 30512; or , Castaway Critters Pet Rescue; or The American Diabetes

Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alex-andria, Virginia 22312.

Arrangements entrusted to Co-chran Funeral Home of Blairsville. Please visit us on the web at www.cochranfuneralhomes.com to send condolences and sign the online guest registry., better known as Mr. Gopher, age 58, of Blairsville, Georgia, passed away Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Saint Joseph's Hos-pital in Atlanta.

Billy was born on July 3, 1951 in Murphy, North Carolina, to J.C. and Edna Earl Sampson Nelson of Blairsville. Billy was a member of the First Baptist Church of Blairs-ville, Young Cane Masonic Lodge, F & AM, the Blairsville Cruisers, and was a regular member of the B.R Roundtable. He was such a Ford enthusiast that if you cut him he would bleed Ford Blue!






Ruth West-fal l was born in New port , K e n t u c k y . She raised her son and daughter in South Florida, than moved to Arizona

where she lived for over 35 years.Her daughter and son in law, Di-ane and Craig Arlotta, moved Ruth to Blairsv i l le in order to care for her and nurse her back to health so she could fal l in loved w ith the mountains and beauty of the area. After a brief period of time in Blairsv i l le, Ruth passed away peacef ul ly at home w ith her daughter and son in law by her side.Ruth leaves behind two grandsons that love her dearly, her 98 year old sister, and many nieces, nephews and other family members in Ohio, al l whom she loved dearly.

Funeral Ser v ices were held on Thursday Apri l 8, 2010 at 4pm from the Mountain View Funeral Home w ith Deacon John Paul McGuire of f iciating. The ser v ices w il l conclude w ith a white dove release to symbolize Ruth’s home going.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv i l le in charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send condolences online at www.mountainv iew f uneralhome.com

Ruth Westfall

Billy Nel-son, better known as Mr. Gopher, age 58, of Blairs-ville, Georgia, passed away

Saturday, April 3, 2010 at Saint Joseph's Hospital in At-lanta.

Billy was born on July 3, 1951 in Murphy, North Carolina, to J.C. and Edna Earl Sampson Nelson of Blairsville. Billy was a member of the First Baptist Church of Blairs-ville, Young Cane Masonic Lodge, F & AM, the Blairsville Cruisers,

Billy Nelson

Our school bank

United Community Bank cel-ebrated Easter with ‘Our School Bank’ at Union County Elemen-tary School and Mountain Area Christian Academy.

United Community Bank’s Sharon Arnold held a Jelly Bean Guessing Contest at each school. Two lucky winners emerged from the many entries with Misty

Houston of M.A.C.A. guessing the exact number of Jelly Beans at 700.

Presley Gooch was the victor at Union County Elementary with a guess of 800.

Just remember, because you won doesn’t mean you can eat all of them at one si!ing. Enjoy and take them slow.

Contributed PhotoSchool girls pose a"er participating in jelly bean guessing contest

Contributed PhotoMalachi Patrick, 1st place, age 6-8

Twelve new members from all over Northeast Georgia have joined the North Georgia Tech-nical College Board of Trust-ees. Membership on the board is now up to the target range in numbers. “We’ve just added to the quality of our board,” said an excited Cynthia Brown, NGTC’s Director of Institutional Ad-vancement. “We are thrilled with the great new energy they bring to the board.”

The Board of Trustees oversees the NGTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds and providing resources for NGTC’s educational excellence. Many student scholarships are funded by the Foundation.

The new members to the board spread the balance of represen-tation from all of the counties served by the college. Beginning their terms of service February,

2010, are Michael Callahan and Rachel Morrison of Franklin County, Scott Smith of Fannin County, Ann Purcell of Haber-sham County, Danna Wright of Rabun County, Brian Fulbright and Janney Sanders of Stephens County; Lewis Kelley and Bar-bara Lerdon of Towns County, Jacque Bentley and Bob Ramay of Union County, and Rose Mariee Allison of White County.

Standing board members in-clude Bob Evans, David Foster, Mike Haynie, Ed Nichols, David Strickland, Steve Tilley, Shirley Wilkinson, and Whitt Diggs. Jim Marlowe, Marvin Scobee, and Pam Spangler have recently ac-cepted the position of emeritus board members.

“We owe those loyal people like former president Jim Marlowe, Bob Evans, Whit Diggs, Shirley Wilkinson and David Strickland, along with several who have now

left the board, a great debt,” said NGTC President Steve Dough-erty. “It is not easy to recruit good foundation trustees and Cynthia has done an outstanding job. I’m sure you’ll see this new, vibrant board of trustees is ready to carry forward to help North Georgia Technical College be all it can be to this community.”

The NGTC Foundation was created in 2000 to enhance edu-cational opportunities at NGTC. The Foundation continues to receive requests for scholarships during a time of record enroll-ment on its three campuses. For those interested in making it pos-sible for students to achieve the dream of a life-changing educa-tion, the Foundation accepts charitable tax deductible dona-tions including gifts, pledges, and planned gifts as well as items such as automobiles, boats, equipment, and real estate.

NGTC Foundation Board Ready for Action

Contributed PhotoPicture: Back row (L-R): Steve Dougherty, Janney Sanders, Whit Diggs, David Strickland, David Haynie, Bob Ramay, Lewis Kelley, Sco! Smith, and Cynthia Brown. Front row (L-R): Steve Tilley, Anne Purcell, Rachel Morrison, Jim Marlowe, Bob Evans, Barbara Lerdon, and Jacque Bentley.

On April 6, 2010, the Gaddis-town Homemakers honored the members the Suches Fire Depart-ment at an appreciation dinner, to thank them for their support. In addition to the Fire/Rescue/EMS services the Fire Depart-ment provides to the Suches com-munity, they support the com-munity service activities of the

Gaddistown Homemakers such as hosting the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and providing the Fire Department’s meeting/training room for Homemakers use. In January 2010, a separate facility was o!ered to the Gad-distown Homemakers for use as a “clubhouse”.

A"er the appreciation dinner,

all Fire Department members were invited to tour the “club-house” which the Homemakers had refurbished.

Since its inception in 1985, #e Gaddistown Homemakers organization has been involved in preserving the natural beauty of the area and the noble traditions of the past, as well as supporting

and taking pride in the various modernization e!orts underway in the Suches community. Each year the Homemakers participate in various fundraising activities in order to support community activities such as the Suches Vol-unteer Fire Department, aid to needy families, the annual Christ-

mas Tree Lighting Program and, at Woody Gap School, the read-ing program, science trip, and col-lege scholarships.

Homemakers in the Suches area are cordially invited to at-tend one of our meetings, which are held on the First Tuesday of every month, February through

November, at 7 p.m. in their new “clubhouse” (the facility formerly used for Pre-K students), located at 74 Fire House Lane, which is across from Woody Gap School, between Dr. Prui$’s o%ce and the &re house. Please call any Gaddistown Homemakers mem-ber for additional information.

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Hiawassee Park, Planned Senior Housing coming to Hiawassee, Ga.

Baptist Retirement Commu-nities of Georgia, Inc. presented progress on Hiawassee Park, a planned senior housing located on Highway 76 overlooking Lake Chatuge. BRCGA was funded to provide below-market rates for independent and assisted rental living. BRCGA developed and currently operates two senior liv-ing campuses - Clairmont Crest in Decatur, Ga. and Palme$o Park in Palme$o, Ga.

Laura Willis, President and CEO of BRCGA, said their pur-pose is to provide a!ordable housing for seniors age 50 and up in a Christian environment. "However," Willis stated, "we do not discriminate! We have non-Baptists and even non-Christians who live in our neighborhoods."

"We can hope they will want

to be Christian a"er living there," she suggested with a smile.

Do$ie Aiken, VP Development & Information, next showed an architectural and engineering site plan rendering the commu-nity layout. #e residences will be built terraced, so that each living quarters will have a view to the lake and mountains.

#e "Manor House" will house 60 independent and 24 assisted living units ranging from 322 up to 1,170 square feet each with varying 'oor plans. Inside the Manor House will be found a din-ing room, library, activities and cra"s rooms, beauty and barber, chapel, exercise and laundry fa-cilities.#e smallest units starting at 322 square feet are for those residents who need nursing at-tendance.

Separate co$ages of 1,750 square feet with up to two car garages will be available on the property, which will include walk-ing trails and outdoor amenities.

Peggy Becke$, VP Marketing and Public Relations, explained the current stage of "lease-up" where those interested in liv-ing at Hiawassee Park can place a $1,000 deposit to reserve their space. A"er the lease-up phase is substantially complete, the de-velopers will be able to budget and announce the speci&c rental rates. #e plans were approved to date with a promise to keep the city posted as developmental questions arise. Mayor Mathis thanked the three for their pre-sentation and said the City wel-comed the plans so far for Hia-wassee Park.

Gaddistown HomemakersHonor Suches Fire Department

Contributed PhotoGaddistown Homemakers volunteers during “clubhouse” refurbishment: Jane Berry, Lexi Adkins, Marie Piper, Margo Crooks, Pat Kunka.

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North Georgia GOPannounce speakers for annual picnic

(ROCK SPRING, GA and MARIE!A, GA) - "e 9th and 11th GOP Districts announced today that Congressmen Phil Gin-grey (R-11) and Tom Price (R-6), along with Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, Speaker of the House David Ralston, and Georgia GOP Chairman Sue Everhart will head the list of o#cials and candidates expected to a$end the Districts’ Annual Picnic at Fox Farms in Gordon County on Saturday, April 17.

"is is the %rst such joint event for the two districts, but neither is a novice in organizing district-wide events. For the 11th District and Gordon County, Fox Farms has been the venue for many simi-lar events in the past. "e 9th Dis-trict has had Annual Picnics for the last sixteen years. “We have a crowd from around the District,” said District Chairman Doug Grammer. “People look forward to it, because it’s an opportunity to enjoy some family-friendly time with other conservatives and party volunteers, as well as legisla-tors, GOP leaders, and candidates. Going joint doubles the fun for both.”

Jason Shepherd, 11th District Chairman, agreed and noted that with Lt. Governor Cagle, Speaker Ralston, Congressmen Gingrey and Price, and State Chairman Everhart there, “…we have some top-notch icing on the cake. With everything that’s happened in Congress, and the budget chal-lenges facing the State, it is espe-cially important to be able to hear from these individuals, and vice versa.”

"e event is expected to draw over 300 people, according to Gordon County GOP Chairman Jim McGarvey. “"at could turn out to be a conservative number, especially considering the election excitement that’s out there, and the number of candidates vying for all these o#ces,” he noted. His view is shared by both District Chairmen. Shepherd was con%dent, however, that “…regardless of the number, we are prepared and feel everyone will enjoy not only this beautiful se$ing, but music from our locally famous band “True$ Moss and the Country T”, the food, and of course, seeing friends and interact-ing with speakers and candidates.”

Tickets to the event, which starts at 10:00 am and ends at 2:00 pm, can be purchased online at www.goppicnic.eventbrite.com or at the picnic. Directions and other infor-mation, including a list of speak-ers, can be found on the Gordon County GOP website at www.gordongop.org. “We also have sponsorships available at several levels, and are extremely grateful for the support from them,” noted Shepherd. “About the only thing we don’t know is how great the weather will be.”

"e Ninth District includes the counties of Catoosa, Dade, Daw-son, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gor-don, Hall, Lumpkin, Murray, Pick-ens, Union, Walker, Whit%eld, and White. "e Eleventh District in-cludes the counties of Cha$ooga, Floyd, Bartow, Polk, Harrelson, Paulding, and half of Gordon, Car-roll, and Cobb counties. Both are considered among the most con-servative districts in Georgia.

Pat Gray speaks to Union County Li-ons

Contributed PhotoLions Speaker Pat Gray.

Hard times o&en call for drastic measures, especially when it comes to %nances! Ever thought of a Re-verse Mortgage? Well, Ms. Pat Gray, guest speaker at the event Union County Lions meeting, spoke of Re-verse Mortgagee, which is quite an eye opener.

So, what is a Reverse Mortgage? Who is eligible? Why would a per-son want one? Ms. Gray answered

these three questions and more. First and second, a Reverse Mortgage al-lows a homeowner, age 62 or older, to convert a portion of the equity in their primary residence into cash. "ird, you would have no monthly debt payment!

"e money received is tax free, so maybe a person would like to take a long dreamed about cruise! Or help a family member or any number of

other reasons. No strings a$ached as to how the money will be used. A big plus is the homeowner retains the ownership and will never be or-chid to leave their home.

"e loan, including accrued inter-est, is due only when the home is va-cant due to sale, moving or death of the borrower. Ms. Gray gave much more information and a question and answer followed her presenta-

tion. "ank you, pat Gray, for infor-mation that many present did not know about. For additional infor-mation you may contact Ms. Gray at 706-897-2822.

Ms. Gray has been and continues to support Union County Lions with donations from her shop, "e Carriage House, for which the Lions appreciate so very much. Remember the Lions Mo$o: " We Serve".

Suches men's breakfast

On the %rst Saturday of each month, a group of 20 to 30 men gather informally at the Zion church fellowship room in Such-es, GA, for their monthly “Men’s Brotherhood Breakfast,” where they cook & eat breakfast, decide how they can help in various com-munity service projects, tell lies about their “rod & gun” skills (we are all sinners!), and either get a devotional by a local or visiting preacher, or get an earful of some-thing else from somebody else.

Ira T. (“I. T.”) Harkins (see photo A), born in the Baxter area of what is now within the greater Suches community, and today re-siding in a home built on the foun-dation of the building which once housed the old Baxter Post O#ce (which “I. T.” moved to another location on the property), is the doyen who provided the glue that held the group together for about the last decade. He has recently

passed the reins of leadership to some of the “younger fellows” (“I. T.“ is age 91), but he carries on as a capable backup whenever needed, and continues to be a re-spected sage and counselor to the men who meet for breakfast the %rst Saturday of each month, and to the greater Suches community, each day of the year, All men in the Suches area who are interested in participating should call “I.T.” Harkins (706.747.3853) for more information.

At the April, 2010 meeting, Chuck Esposito, a member of the group for the last eight years, addressed the gathering with a short two part speech: he began his presentation with the topic of “Generosity and Charity,” and segued from there to “April is na-tional Parkinson’s Diseases Aware-ness Month,” a topic with personal meaning to Chuck, who has had the disease since 2004.

Contributed PhotoGroup photo of the breakfast a$endees, April, 2010

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