03.11.10 Fannin Sentinel

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SentinelFANNIN

!e War He Still Remembers

50 Cents

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8 | THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 | WWW.GEORGIASENTINEL.COM

Sentin leFannin

P.O. Box 799

Blue Ridge, GA 30513

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Foster children say care is frightening

Contributed PhotoThe Jones family: from left, Dorianna, Shayla, Makayla and James holding Jonathan.

Fannin unemployment rising

Ed Andrews was only 20 years old when he joined the Marines and went o! to war--the war he still remembers.

"I remember," he said, "because I was part of it. You can’t forget something like that."

Andrews is retired with wife Laura and two dogs, now living in Mineral Blu!. "ere, at the end of his driveway, he recently erected a flagpole made to the exact dimen-sions of the one used by the U.S.

Marines to raise an American flag on top of Mount Suribachi in World War II.

"e original raising of the flag was on February 23, 1945 at 10:20 a.m.

Sixty five years later, February 23, 2010 at exactly 10:20, Andrews and Retired Army Colonel Conrad Boterweg raised an American flag on that flagpole in remembrance of those who fought on Iwo Jima dur-ing WWII.

Before the ceremony, Andrews told the story behind the raising of the flag. ""is is not about me," he

said, "It’s about Americans and the flag, a symbol of why we were there and the significance of raising the American flag."

Raising the American flag at the summit of Mt. Suribachi during the battle for Iwo Jima has become an image of bravery and heroism. However, there were actually two flags raised on the mountain’s sum-mit that day. Andrews was part of the first flag-raising--just after the Marines had finally gained the top of the mountain after days of hard fighting. "is (first) flag, measuring 54x28 inches was deemed too small

to be easily seen from the base of the mountain so a second, larger flag was raised later that day.

Andrews remembers the exact words of the commander who or-dered a new flag raised. Colonel Johnson (USMC) said it (the origi-nal) was so small that it couldn’t be seen from down below. According to Andrews, Johnson said, "I want this flag put up so every S..O.B.... can see it." "e second flag, mea-suring 8 foot long, was taken from the landing ship LST-779.

It was the job of the 4th and 5th

Fannin's preliminary December 2009 un-employment rate of 10.4 percent is higher than Gilmer's 10.3 and Union's 9.3 percent, according to Georgia Department of Labor statistics.

It's also higher than the state's preliminary De-cember unemployment rate of 10.3 percent. "e state's preliminary January rate is 10.4 percent.

Initial unemployment claims in Fannin County for January are 410, a 19.2 percent increase over January 2009's 344, and a 34.4 percent increase over December 2009's 305.

Gilmer County showed a 14.8 percent de-crease in initial unemployment claims and Union County showed a 37.2 percent increase from last

January.Retail sales figures provided by Assistant Fi-

nancial Manager Rita Davis show that retail sales for December 2009 are $232,707.42, down $39,433.86 from last year's December figure of $272,141.28.

On the other hand, hotel/motel tax figures gathered by Davis show that January 2010's fig-ure of $25,528.52 are significantly higher than January 2009's amount of $11,097.22.

"I do believe that the county's e!orts to col-lect the local three percent excise tax are part of the reason for the increase from last year. But also remember that the receipts from last month were actually lower by about $3,500, so sometimes people just pay it di!erently, by the month or the quarter," Fannin County Chamber of Commerce President Jan Hackett remarked.

"e tax amount received for December 2008 was $45,036.64, and the amount for December

2009 was $41,592.56, a drop of $3,444.08.Another factor could be that the tax can be

paid on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis, so business owners may have changed their pay-ment schedules, she said.

Debbie Jackson was hired in June 2009 to be the lodging tax representative at the county tax commissioner's o#ce. Presently, Jackson has no way to compare rental statistics from before June 2009, although she will be able to do so by the end of the year, she said.

"Nothing has changed in this o#ce except that now we are strictly enforcing the due dates and late penalties," Jackson said.

She added that the o#ce has yet to collect any late fees.

She said there may be a number of factors causing the increase, including enforcement, in-creased awareness, and homeowners renting their former residences.

Foster care is frightening, foster children and foster parents agree.

"It was scary," said Kim Callihan, 23, a foster child who aged out of the system.

"I didn't know her (Lucy Kep-pel), and I was going into her home. It took me awhile to warm up. It took me awhile to realize this is my home," said Brittany Nicole Pryce, 19, another former foster child.

Foster parents James and Dori-

anna Jones and Lucy Keppel agreed that adding a new child to their homes can be daunting. Many times, foster parents don't know the kind of home where the child resided, they don't know the child's complete past medical or psycho-logical history, and they don't know how the child will fit in.

But foster parents and children agree placement focuses on helping the children.

"It's done for service," said Dori-anna.

By: Lisa Gagnon

Sentinel Writer

County unemployment ratehigher than surrounding area

By: Elaine Owen

Sentinel Writer

By: Lisa Gagnon

Sentinel Writer

Contributed PhotoVeterans at the !ag-raising ceremony (L-R): Jerry Estes, Joey Co"ey, Dale Dyer, Howard Tilley, Faron Barton, Ed Andrews, Elaine Owen, Conrad Boterweg, Marvin Waldrop, Pluen Troost, Benton Potter. (not pictured Nathaniel Prather)

Fannin County law enforcement and emergency agencies received 46 automatic electric defibrillators (AEDs) February 24 at the Blue Ridge fire station.

"e AEDs were purchased as the result of a grant written by Region 1 EMS Director David Loftin and North Georgia Public Health Promotions Coordinator Rhonda Payne.

Originally, Fannin County was supposed to receive 36 units. How-ever, Loftin was able to provide 10 additional units, according to Lon-nie Oliver, Fannin County EMS director.

"e two-year $200,000 grant allocates $100,000 this year for AEDs and training for Fannin and Gilmer counties.

Next year, another $100,000 will be allocated for AEDs and train-ing in Murray County, as well as additional AEDs purchased and placed in each school in all three

counties.Law enforcement and emergen-

cy personnel received cardiopul-monary resuscitation (CPR) and AED training February 9 and 11 at the county detention center.

Up to 50,000 of the annual 300,000 deaths by sudden cardiac arrest could have been prevented if CPR had been performed and an AED had been available for im-mediate use, according to the Red Cross.

"e grant also requires public ed-ucation. "e program, called When Minutes Count, gives information about reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke and warning signs for both. Meetings are scheduled at 6 p.m. February 26 and March 4 in the Bonnie Higdon Reaves Cam-pus auditorium in Epworth.

$100,000 grant funding pays for new defibrillators

By: Lisa Gagnon

Sentinel Writer

All commissioners were present Tuesday, February 23 for the twice a month meeting.

Safety Director Lonnie Oli-ver reported that February calls included 429 EMS, 140 fire, 138 rescue, and 14 ground falls. Oliver explained that most of the calls due to falls were caused by the snowy weather in February.

Fannin County assisted in the Whitepath auto auction incident with 7 EMS runs.

Commissioner Steve Morris commended Oliver, "It's a thank-less job that you guys do..."ese people do not get enough thanks for what they do. I want to thank each of the employees of Fannin County, including the Road De-partment, because they do a won-derful job without much apprecia-tion."

Commissioner Garnett Webb reported that there had been some response to his resolution asking businesses that wanted to do busi-ness with the county to call and let them know. He said, "It just makes good sense to support and buy in the county."

Webb expressed concern regard-ing the development authority, saying, "I would like to challenge the Fannin County Development Authority to put up a crash pro-

gram and go aggressively after grants for roads. "is could save Fannin County thousands of dol-lars over the next few years. "ey should make it a priority to ex-plore any available grants."

Chairman Bill Simonds re-ported that the Water Authority Bill passed the House February 18 (159-0) and will now go to the Senate. If it passes that chamber, it will go to the governor for signa-ture, then become law.

Simonds also reported on road work being done on Squirrel Hunt-ing Road and Bullen Gap. ""ere’s a lot of roads that need work and we know that; we’ll get to them as soon as we can," he said.

Fannin County Commission-ers meet at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Tuesday every month in the third floor Jury Assembly Room at the Court House. Meetings are open to the public.

Of 700 February calls, 14 were due to falls, Oliver saysBy: Elaine Owen

Sentinel Writer

Contributed PhotoFannin County EMS Director Lonnie Oliver shows one of the 46 AEDs the county received for law enforcement and emergency vehicles February 24.

See FOSTER CARE, page 3A

See IWO JIMA, page 8A

!ere comes a time when one needs to dispose of some of the many books one has collected over their lifetime. In so doing I ran across a book that my late father had given me"Anatomy of an Illness, by Norman Cousins, #rst published in 1979. He had given it to me on my birthday with this note, “Claudia, since you not only deal with sick people and probably will for the rest of your life, and you teach others how to deal with them. To me, this book touched on the direct and indirect ap-proach to care for the ill, plus a bit on preventing illnesses. Hopefully this will be useful to you, your pa-tients, and students.” As it turned out, it was very useful, and re-reading it will make it a “keeper”! It challenged me to make laughter the subject of this week’s column.

In his famous book, Nor-man Cousins described his #ght against a disease for which doctors had no known cure or treatment. He was told that he had li$le chance, if any, of surviving. Hear-ing this, Cousins decided to take the ma$er into his own hands and started to plan his own recovery plan, including laughter and a%r-mative emotion like love, faith and hope. He also took a great deal of vitamin C, which he read would be bene#cial for his condition.

Cousins was editor of the Saturday Review of Literature. He was diagnosed in 1964 with spon-dylitis, an acute in&ammation of the spine. Cousins was sure that negative thoughts can cause ill-ness. So, he reasoned that posi-tive thoughts could have the op-posite e'ect. He le( the hospital and checked into a hotel where he watched humorous movies and shows. He found that 10 minutes of hearty laughter resulted in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. He continued this “treatment” until he recovered. He wrote this widely read book about his amaz-ing recovery. (You can still get this book on Amazon.com and it is

worth reading.) We have heard all our

lives"Laughter Is the Best Medicine! I love a good dose of laughter! It will cure just about anything I have wrong with me! Humor is infectious. !e sound of roaring laughter is far more con-tagious than any cough, sni)e, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and in-creases happiness and intimacy. In addition to the domino e'ect of joy and amusement, laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protects you from the damag-ing e'ects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

Scientists have also discovered that laughter in-creases your cardiovascular &ex-ibility (your blood vessels exer-cise through dilation). Laughter convulses your diaphragm, which in turn massages your internal or-gans. Massaged internal organs are happy internal organs and they cooperate by staying plump and juicy. Laughter also causes you to gulp in large portions of air, oxy-genating your blood. When that air is expelled, it’s been clocked at 70 miles per hour, providing the lungs with an excellent workout. A good hearty laugh will cause you

to lose muscle control, which re-laxes the skeletal system.

Four-year-olds laugh on an average of 500 times a day, while adults laugh a mere 15! !is should tell us that we could have the heart rate and blood pressure of a child if we laughed more!? Laughter causes the brain to pro-duce hormones called beta en-dorphins which reduce pain and causes our adrenal glands to man-ufacture cortisol, which is a natural anti-in&ammatory that’s wonder-ful for arthritis.

Laughter also provides a catharsis, which means to purify or purge, to the emotions. It also brings about a spiritual renewal or release from tension. More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to #nd new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most di%cult of times, a laugh"or even simply a smile"can go a long way toward making you feel be$er. And laughter really is contagious"just hearing laugh-ter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in on the fun.

Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. !ey fall into the gray zone or ordinary life"giving you the choice to laugh or not. Number one rule"be able to laugh at yourself!

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor’s o%ce and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County Schools. She writes Your Health Ma$ers as a public service; the in-formation here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her hus-band make their home in the beau-tiful north Georgia Mountains. Claudia can be reached at [email protected]

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a retired teacher of high school history, government, and econom-ics. I am also an information junkie, constantly &ipping back and forth between CNN and FOX News and sur#ng the Web for the latest updates and analyses on politics, the economy, and current events. Politically, I lean to the right, but I consider myself mod-erately conservative; I am certainly no radical. I have voted for the Republi-can candidate in every presidential election since I turned eighteen, but I am registered as an Independent and plan to stay that way. No party or po-litical action commi$ee dictates how I think on any single issue. Moreover, I consider both major political parties responsible for our current economic mess.

I am a member of a Southern Baptist Church and a$end regularly, though I am not dogmatic about de-nominational di'erences. My faith is extremely important to me and in&u-ences my beliefs in all areas of life, but I think people o(en pretend to know a lot more about God than any of us actually do. Since we currently “see through a glass darkly,” I don’t think we should pretend to have all the an-swers.

I love my country. I used to tell my students that they should get down on their knees every day and thank God that they were born in the United States of America. I still believe that, but I am profoundly worried about the future of this great nation. Like so many others who are far more knowl-edgeable than I, I think our economy is on an unsustainable path. !e chal-lenges we face are enormous and com-plicated. !ere are no easy answers, no painless solutions to our problems.

I am a mom and a new grandmoth-er. I look into the eyes of my precious, perfect, beautiful li$le granddaughter and wonder what the future holds for her. How will our 12 * trillion dol-lar national debt a'ect her life and the lives of all our children and grandchil-dren? What are we doing to them? Will her generation be the #rst not to have be$er lives than their parents had? I see my former students so excit-ed about starting their careers, ge$ing married, and having babies. I o'er my congratulations and wish them well – but I fear for them.

My husband is a retired federal em-ployee. He served for over thirty years, working hard to provide farm loans, low-interest loans for housing, and grants for important things like water and sewage systems, #re trucks, and community centers for small towns. (He was NOT part of the sub prime lending #asco.) I believe our govern-ment provides many good and neces-sary services. I am not anti-govern-ment, but I do believe in LIMITED and #scally responsible government.

I believe it is my duty to be a law-abiding citizen who pays my taxes, stays informed, and votes. I also think it is every citizen’s duty to speak up when our leaders are taking us down the wrong path. We have freedom of speech and we should exercise it. Otherwise, we get the government we deserve.

I believe as Winston Churchill did, that “democracy is the worst form of government…except for all the oth-ers.” Like any red-blooded American, I value the freedom and individualism a'orded me by a democratic society; at the same time, I see the inherent weaknesses in democracy that could destroy us from within. I recognize that capitalism has provided more prosperity for more people than any

other economic system in history. On the other hand, we’ve all seen how the system can be gamed by those whose greed has run amok – to the detriment of us all. I am wary of too much gov-ernment control, but also recognize that some level of government regula-tion is necessary.

I am sick and tired of the radicalism of American politics. As a nation, we have become so polarized we can no longer carry on a civil conversation about the di%culties we face. Demo-crats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, practice trench warfare - lobbing verbal a$acks back and forth at one another across the No Man’s land of moderation while the media plays up the di'erences and stokes the #res of anger and discontent. How can compromise take place in such a poisonous atmosphere? It can’t, and it doesn’t.

Where are the moderates? Where are the voices of reason? I believe we need more people who are willing to navigate the “mushy middle” where one is bound to be a$acked by ex-tremists on both sides. Granted, it is a di%cult, dangerous and thankless job. Just recently, Senator Evan Bayh called it quits because he has given up on get-ting the two parties to work together to accomplish anything of real value. But unless we learn to come together, really talk to each other and not past each other, we are in serious trouble.

When I was a li$le girl, my mama taught me that there are two sides to everything. She always listened to my side and then helped me see other points of view. !e lesson stuck, and I later taught my classes that when you hear extremists argue their positions, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle.

Over the last year, it has become apparent that conservatives believe our founding fathers made a ter-rible mistake in creating a three-part, check-and-balances system of government. !eir a$ack on DC daily would lead one to believe that Obama and the Democrats gained power through a coup d’état rather than a fair election. Technically, Bush won o%ce in 2000 by 576 votes (he lost the popular vote) but claimed a mandate. Obama re-ally did have a mandate, winning almost ten million more popular votes than McCain and sweeping the Electoral College. However, Democrats have been hampered from delivering on their top priori-ties by losing the public relations ba$le. As I pointed out in previ-ous columns, one would think the Democrats are responsible for the high unemployment rate and bulg-ing national debt rather than the savior of the economy.

As part of the PR ba$le, conser-vatives criticize the Democratic health care reform bill for having over 2,000 pages. !ey brag that the Republican version is a mere 219 pages. Ask any lawyer which version would be the easiest to slice and dice in a court of law. Ask any lawyer where you would #nd the greatest number of loopholes to exploit. Ask any lawyer which version demonstrates intellectual laziness. It is easy to state a broad principle but di%cult to de#ne, in detail, how that principle can be implemented in practice. !e Pre-scription Drug Bill of 2003, con-tained over 1,100 pages so I sus-pect 2,000 pages may be too few for an overhaul of the entire health care system. On the other hand, 219 pages seem like an anorexic runway model.

Do you remember the health care #ght back in 1994? Repub-licans won that ba$le, using the same arguments they are using today. Moreover, what did we get?

Managed care, HMO’s, PPO’s, provider panels, rationed health care, preapprovals, higher co-pays, markedly increased premiums, a “free market” in health care that has driven millions of citizens out of the health care system, and mark-edly increased government fund-ing of health care bene#ts for chil-dren, the poor, and the chronically ill. Now, a(er that terrible experi-ment, we are back at the drawing board and Republicans are propos-ing more of the same! Republicans had their chance and it was ine'ec-tive. !ey could have “tweaked” the system during Bush’s term but they did nothing in spite of mounting evidence of a broken health care system. Now it is the Democrats turn – and everything suggests a radical improvement is the only thing that will reign in health care costs. I pay over $12,000 in premi-ums a year for two, almost $1,200 a year in Medicare premiums, a $100 per person deductible, and 20% co-pay. Over 50% of my net pay is spent on health care – and I am a healthy person. !ank goodness, I have other sources of income.

Conservatives claim that the use of reconciliation is rare and should not be used for health care. With-out belaboring the point, su%ce it to say the Republicans used it fre-quently during their time in power. Now John McCain, who I used to respect, is proposing that reconcili-ation is inappropriate for trimming fraud and waste from the Medi-care system. John, bless his heart, is not credible on this issue. In 1989, 1995, 1997, and 2005, Mc-Cain voted to substantially slash Medicare funding – all through reconciliation! Republicans used reconciliation to cram the Bush tax cuts down our throats (to bor-row an over- used phrase from Fox “news”). I wonder if our founding fathers intended for Congress to be paralyzed by the #libuster or if they understood passage to mean a simple 51-vote majority.

Another argument in the con-

servative ba$le to impugn govern-ment is to spew forth withering criticism of federal government programs, claiming gross ine%-ciency, while trumpeting the bene-#ts of private enterprise. !ey love to pick on the post o%ce so I am excited to see how they will handle the recent post o%ce request to cease Saturday mail delivery. Ev-ery time the post o%ce proposes raising the cost of a stamp by a penny or two, or stopping Saturday delivery, all hell breaks loose. You see, the post o%ce cannot make changes without Congressional approval because the Post Master General is a Constitutional o%ce, even though the post o%ce re-ceived no funding from the federal government. However, comparing the post o%ce to private delivery companies is like comparing ap-ples to oranges. No other company delivers mail to EVERY address in the country, as well as its territo-ries like Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and St. John, six days a week at an a'ordable price. If UPS and FEDEX did the same thing, service would be una'ord-able to a vast majority of citizens. If our local, state, and federal govern-ments had to use FEDEX or UPS to deliver o%cial documents, like tax bills, taxes would have to rise to cover the signi#cant increase in costs.

I doubt that our founding fa-thers could foresee that governing would boil down to a public rela-tions campaign. I suspect that they believed the weight and responsi-bility of governing would force self and party interest to yield to coun-try interest. I think they believed that the federal government was to consider legislation in light of the entire country rather than regional and local interests. However, since we started drawing Congressional districts that look like space aliens, the interests of DC starting boil-ing down to PR ba$les, earmarks, and the politics of personal enrich-ment.

A GEORGIA SENTINEL

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

By Jim FitzgeraldSentinel Guest Columnist

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

By CLAUDIA PARKS RNColumnist

SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLEBy Jim FitzgeraldSentinel Guest Columnist

It’s not a Constitutional thing, as such.++ Freedom is the intangible the grassroots folk say we are losing.+ Loss of freedom comes with

growth of government and the usurped power that comes with that.+ Americans are a freedom lov-ing people and don’t like the impending

cradle to grave nanny state they see on the hori-zon.+

!e FCC recently caved in to greed and lobby pressure when they mandated that over the air TV signals be digitized.+ !e increased power

need shortened the transmission range.+ !ree people on our street no longer have TV.

We had to replace a toilet recently.+ So we set something called a “dual &ush”.+ !is is a new stan-dard coming to us from California.+ First

we had low &ush next will be low &ush for solids

and lower &ush for liquids.+ !e next regulation will be “when”.+

We converted the generator from gasoline to pro-pane. But now the engine’s fuel is no longer certi-#ed.+ Several emails to di'erent sub-agencies

of the EPA asking how to re-certify have gone un-answered.+ !e EPA set the standards but doesn’t know how we are to comply with them!

We the People would have more freedom if the government would bu$ out of our lives.+ Ask your congressmen if he believes this.

M. J. BlanchardBlairsville!"It does not take a majority to prevail . . . but rather

an irate, tireless minority, keen on se"ing brush#res of $eedom in the minds of men."!! Samuel Adams

Lost Freedoms

EDITOR'S INBOX

Added James, "a service for the children and a service to the community."

James is principal at Crossroads Alterna-tive School in Gilmer County and president of the Foster and Adoptive Parents Associa-tion. Dorianna stays home with their three children, five-year-old Makayla, four-year-old Shaylee and 21-month-old Jonathan.

Keppel fostered Callihan and Pryce; recent-ly adopted two brothers, ages 7 and 9; and is presently fostering a teenager. Her niece and the niece's child also live with her.

Callihan, at the age of 12, placed herself in foster care, first by repeatedly calling police when left home alone and then by asking to be put into foster care.

"It was a hard decision to make, because I made the decision myself. I wanted a way out. I knew I deserved a better life. I knew I de-served someone who would take care of me," she said.

She received that life in foster care. Callihan was placed in-county and was able to continue at her school. When she was named to home-coming court, Keppel paid for her hair and nails to be done and for a dress, none of which is covered by state funding.

Callihan stayed in three di!erent foster homes until she turned 18 and still maintains relationships with her foster families.

"I still go back and visit them. For my four-year-old son, they're like grandparents," she said.

"If they've been in my house for any amount of time, they're my kids. I run into my kids. "ey come see me at work," Keppel said.

Unlike Keppel, who had already raised her daughter when she became a foster mother more than eight years ago, the Joneses were thinking of adoption when they became foster parents.

"One of the thoughts of ours was maybe to eventually adopt," James said. Overriding that thought, though, was their wish to help chil-dren, they said.

Until they adopted Makayla and Shaylee in 2008 and Jonathan in 2009, they fostered children of all ages. At one time, they had five foster children in their home.

"We felt that it was a calling from God," Dorianna said.

Both families said that it's important to remember that it's all about the child. And, sometimes, that means facing the loss of a be-

loved child when he or she returns to a par-ent.

""ey need to realize that the main focus of it is reunification with biological parents," said James.

"Even if it (return of a foster child to a bio-logical parent) hurts us, as long as it helped them," said Dorianna.

When questioned, all three foster parents said the key to successful parenting is treating the child as their own.

But foster children are di!erent in that, in some cases, the child's medical or psychologi-cal history is murky or unknown, especially if it's an emergency placement.

When the Joneses first took Makayla and her sister into their home, Makayla became ill with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a disease caused by ingestion of food or liquid contami-nated with the E. coli bacteria.

Dorianna spent weeks in the hospital with Makayla even though the state would have provided a caretaker for her.

"My outlook on it was she was put in my home to take care of," she explained.

Dorianna said she would get the other chil-dren ready for school, then stay all day at the hospital with Makayla, get home in time to get the other children ready for bed, and then repeat the process the next day.

"e Joneses missed their tenth anniversary celebration during Makayla's illness, but both said they have no regrets.

All three foster parents are concerned about the lack of foster homes in Fannin County. ""ere's an extremely big problem as far as not having enough foster homes," Dorianna said.

"ey urged people who love children and who can provide an extra bedroom to look into foster care. All three said they hoped that church members would step up to help Fan-nin County's children.

Keppel said that most of Fannin County's teenagers are being put in group homes all over the state because there are not enough foster homes in the county. She added that most foster parents want younger children, so there are fewer homes that will take teens.

Foster families can specify the type of placement they wish, she explained. For ex-ample, some families will only take certain age groups, others will only take temporary place-ments, and others will take only emergency placements.

James Jones said that teens are sometimes more traumatized than younger children, be-cause they've usually been with their families longer. Teens have also become accustomed to the rules in their houses and may be reluc-

tant to change. Teens are at the age when they want more control over their lives, and foster care is restrictive, Keppel said.

Foster children must always be supervised by an approved adult, they can't get a driver's license or drive, they can't stay at a friend's home, and they can't go out of state without a parent's or the court's permission. "e state pays for their physical and mental health care. And the Foster Child Education Grant per-mits all foster children who are in state cus-tody at age 18 to get college tuition, room and board expenses covered as long as they are in foster care.

Keppel added that foster children come from all sorts of backgrounds. "ey can come from wealthy or poverty-stricken families. "eir parents may be well-educated or men-tally deficient. "ey are just as likely to be spoiled or honor students or school leaders as they are to be abused or neglected.

Foster parents, too, can vary. "ey can be single or married. "ey can own pets, as long as the pets are determined not to be danger-ous and as long as they have all their shots. "ey can rent or own their homes. "ey can be of any faith or no faith at all.

All must be financially secure, because the state's per diem rate does not cover all the child's costs. All must receive training, and their homes are inspected each month. Fos-ter parents must all take continuing education each year.

And, Keppel maintained, foster homes are not the same as group homes. Group homes, she said, are more impersonal. "eir purpose, she said, was to take in children who had physical or emotional problems that made them di#cult to place. Now, most of Fannin County's teen wards of the state are placed in group homes throughout the state.

Callihan and Pryce said that going to a group home was never used as a threat, but every foster child knew that if they became violent, used drugs or engaged in unsafe be-havior, they might go there.

"Group homes are very structured. It's harder to form the bonds you would in a fam-ily setting," James said.

""e threat of a group home is very scary," Keppel said.

""e foster home, it's more like a family. You feel like you're being taken care of," Cal-lihan said.

"e next orientation meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 6 at the Fannin County DFCS o#ce at 990 East Main Street, Suite 10, in Blue Ridge. "e next set of weekend classes will be between Fannin and Gilmer counties.

Information about Georgia foster care is available online at www.myturnnow.com or www.GApartnershipparents.org.

For more information about foster care and adoption or to register for orientation or class-es, call (877) 210-KIDS or Washuta at (706) 632-2296, extension 25.

GEORGIA SENTINEL A

N E W SYou could be in the coin club

F!""#"S$"%#"$&PUBLISHER: Frank Bradley

!e Fannin Sentinel (USPS # 024-582) is published weekly each !ursday by Sen-tinel News Group at P.O. Box 799, Blue Ridge, GA 30153. Subscriptions are $20 for 1 year in Fannin County; $45 out of area. Single copy rate is 50¢. Periodical

postage is paid at Blue Ridge, GA. To subscribe: call 706.632.6397. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to the address listed below: Fannin Sentinel, 3608

East First St., Suite 105, Blue Ridge, GA 30513.

706-632-6397CORRECTIONS: If you "nd a mistake of fact in the Fannin Sentinel that is seri-

ous enough to warrant a correction or clari"cation, call or stop in so we can make it right in the next week's edition. Email us at [email protected]

Feed Fannin class gives fruit tree tips

FemaleRepublicans to gather

Fire station dinner set March 13

"e Mountain Coin Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Early activities begin at 5:30. Meeting follows at 6:30 p.m.

"e club meets at Cadence Bank in Blairsville..

For more information, call YOCS, 706-379-1488.

Free class on tips for productive fruit trees co-sponsored by Feed Fannin and Mercier Orchards, "ursday, March 11, 10:00 a.m. at Mercier Orchards, 8660 Blue Ridge Drive, Blue Ridge. For more information call 706-632-3411.

AARP tips, notices, news and information

Fannin County Republican Party meets at 7 p.m. Monday, March 15 at the Senior Center in Blue Ridge. Speakers will be congressional can-didates Lee Hawkins and Bobby Reese and Herman Clark, who is running for superior court judge.

Business meeting will include election of treasurer and election board members.

For more information, please call chairman Ron Bolin at 706-492-7724.

Make an informed decision before you vote in the Primary Election, July 20. "ree candidates will be at the monthly meeting of Republican Women Wednesday, March 17 at Harvest on Main in Blue Ridge. Bert Loftman is running for U.S. Con-gress, Harold Logsdon for Insurance Commissioner and Faron Barton is running for Post One Commis-sioner. Come and hear what they will do to help Fannin County and their opinion on other issues important to you. Lunch is at 11:30 and speakers begin at noon. For more information, please call Elaine at 706-632-0021.

Mark your calendar now for Sat-urday, March 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. "at's when the fifth annual corned beef and cabbage dinner will be held at the station on Aska Road. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for children. According to Ed Judge, money from this event will help the Fire Station build two bays to add to the two originally built in 2005. Entertain-ment will be provided and a quilt ra$e will be held. For more informa-tion, call Ed Judge at 706-632-7697.

Foster care:

Foster mother Lucy Keppel, center, with foster daughters, Brittany Nicole Pryce, left, and Kim Cal-lihan.

Republican party meets March 15

/SENTINEL

school closings, emergencies, traffic, hot news...

"e AARP TAXAIDE program is in full swing giving FREE tax preparation and FREE e-filing assistance to all clients in the low and moderate income people. You do not have to belong to AARP nor be a certain age to

receive assistance.

During the month of February, the TAXAIDE coun-selors have helped over 500 people in the Hiawassee and

Blairsville area.We are open in Hiawassee on Mondays from 9 AM to

2PM at the United Methodist Church next to the Fair Grounds. And in Blairsville on Tuesdays and "ursdays from 9 AM to 2 PM at the First Baptist Church Bldg H

across from Rite Aide Pharmacy.Since this is the busy time of the tax year, it is advisable

to come by 11 AM to insure we will have time to com-plete your return.

We have been trained and certified by the IRS and AARP to prepare itemized deductions, sale of stocks and property, and all kinds of other transactions. "e

TAXAIDES have over 95 years of tax preparation experi-ence and every return is quality reviewed to insure accuracy.

If you have any questions feel free to call TED NO-ELLE, the Local Coordinator at 706-745-7998 or tjno-

[email protected].

Tip # 1 – If you have questions about your taxes or wheth-er you need to file call me at 706-745-7998 or email at [email protected]

Tip # 2 – New this year, you do not have to pay Federal tax on the first $2400 of Unemployment Compensation you received in 2009. So far, the State of GA does not recognize this credit.

Tip # 3 – If you are lucky enough to be receiving a refund this year, you may purchase up to $5000 in US Series I sav-ings bonds in multiples of $50.

Tip # 4 – One area of misunderstanding from last year and into this year is if you sell stocks at a loss, you need to list them on your tax return. Not only will some of the loss apply to this years return and the excess carried over into next years return, but this will clear the stock with the IRS. "e IRS is given a report by the stock company of the sale, but does not know the beginnings of the stock. "ey do not know the purchase price or when you purchased the stock so if you do not report that information they think the sale is all profit and will tax you on the sales amount. If this is your case, or if you have received a letter from the IRS stating you owe tax on the stock sale amount, we can help you straighten this out at no cost to you.

By: Ted NoelleContributing Writer

Ted's Tax Tips Safe Drivingwith AARP

Come join the AARP Safe Driving Course March 11th & 12th at the Shirley Miller Building located behind the renovating Union County

Library.

"e fee is $12.00 for AARP members and $14.00 for

non-members.

To enroll please call Jessica deRuise at 706-439-6332.

A GEORGIA SENTINEL

CALENDAR

UG Hospital Auxiliary to host a Gold Buying Event

on Tuesday, February 23rd from Noon to 7:00pm at the Union General Hospital in Blairsville.

Go through your jewelry box and pull out all the old pieces you no longer wear—broken chains, a single earring, out of style earring jackets, class ring, a forgotten boyfriend ring or pendant, an old gold watch (doesn’t matter if it works) and bring it to the hospital. South-east Gold Buyers will determine if its 10K, 14K

or 18K and you can trade it for current market prices and get PAID on the spot!!!!

Southeast Gold Buyers will be making a -

ing Home Special Needs and to provide schol-arship for local medical students.

For more information on this event, please contact Pat Cook at 706 781-1908 or email [email protected]

Grassroots groupWill be meeting on February 11th at 6:30

P.M. at the Civic Center. Advocacy discussions will be conducted. Jeff Langley candidate for

Jones candidates for 9th District will discuss the grassroots efforts and his campaign. Please bring non-perishable food for the 9th district food bank. Contact 706/745-7201.

Free native plant sym-posiumFebruary 20, 9am-3pm at NC Arboretum, Asheville, presented by NC Native Plant Soci-ety. Ed Schwartzman, NCDENR, Natural Her-

River; Scott Dean, WNC Naturally, on Great

hike and many other presentations. Brought to you by Gardens of The Blue Ridge & Carolina

index.php/site/event_details/1445/

MOPS"Blairsville Mothers of Preschoolers will meet February 18th at the First Baptist Church of Blairsville from 6-8pm. Join us as marriage counselors Phil and Mary Mason answer all your relationship questions and offer tips on keeping the SIZZLE in your marriage! MOPS is open to mothers of children birth-Kindergarten. To make a reservation

706-745-2469. Visit us at www.mops.org for more informa-tion!"

Union General Hospital Auxiliary

is hosting a gold buying fundraiser on Tuesday, February 23rd from Noon to 7:00pm at the Union General Hospital in Blairsville.Go through your jewelry box and pull out all the old pieces you no longer wear—broken chains, a single earring, out of style earring jackets, class ring, a forgotten boyfriend ring or pendant, an old gold watch (doesn’t matter if it works) and bring it to the hospital. Southeast Gold Buyers will determine if its 10K, 14K or 18K and you can trade it for current market prices and get PAID on the spot!!!!Southeast Gold Buyers will be making a 20%

Home Special Needs and to provide scholar-ship for local medical students. For more information on this event, please contact Pat Cook at 706 781-1908 or email [email protected].

Saved by Grace Full Gospel Church will be having a All

Weekend Service on Saturday, February 20th- Sunday February 21st.

Saturday, February 20th Services will be at 10 a.m. until ?, Saturday evening 7 p.m. to ?

Sunday Morning Service begins at 10 a.m. all day food and refreshments will be served on Sunday.

The church is located on Burnt Schoolhouse Ridge Road. Everyone is invited to attend.

Reverend Shannon Burrell.For more information contact Mary Jane

Kitchens 828-389-4180

Road to RecoveryAre you a cancer patient? Do you need

a ride to and from your treatment ses-sions? A lack of transportation should not be the reason why cancer patients do not receive the life-saving cancer treatment they need. The American Cancer Society offers their Road to Recovery program to help transport cancer patients to and from their treatment. The Society has a toll-free number that you may call, and an operator will put you in touch with lo-cal volunteers that give cancer patients without personal transportation rides to and from their cancer 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 Au-ditorium, 750 Deep South Road, Blairs-ville.

Parkinson’s supportOur group meets at 3 p.m. on the 2nd

Wednesday of each month in the confer-ence room of the Union County Public Library. For further information contact Paula Wilde at (706) 745- 6594 or Peter and Helen Schultze at (706) 745-9171.

Alcoholics Anony-mous

Blairsville group meets every Monday and Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and Sat-urday mornings at 8 a.m. at the Mountain Presbyterian Church on Hwy. 515. For more information call 706-994-4462.

T.O.P.S.TOPS (Take Pounds Off Sensibly)

support group is moving to a new loca-tion 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 sensi-ble way. Membership fee of $24 includes monthly magazine subscription. Monthly awards and contests, weekly programs on nutrition and health. For more infor-mation call Sandy at 706-835-1607.

Morning Coffee Group

Regency 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 10 a.m. We meet the first and third Tuesday morning of each month.

For more information call Suzanne Repp, Bereavement Counselor at Re-gency Hospice in Hiawassee, Ga., at 800-577-8791.

Cancer Support Group

At the United Community Bank in Hayesville, N.C. Patients, families 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 information, please call Janet Curns evenings at 828-389-0295.

Narcotics Anony-mous Weekly Meet-ings List

Mondays - 7 p.m. 12-Step meeting at Union County Annex Building located at 71 Hospital Street. This is an open meet-ing. Union County Anti-Drug Coalition

Tuesdays - 4 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Towns County Avita Commu-nity 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 discussion meeting at Union County Avita Commu-nity Partners. 41 Hospital St., Suite 100, Blairsville.

Fridays - 8 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Union County Annex & New Hope Counseling, 71 Hospital St.

All the meetings are open & anyone can attend. For more information regard-ing any of these meetings, please call 706-897-9775, 706-896-6263 or 706-745-4066.

Bereavement Sup-port Group - Meet-ing Changes

Welcome to a community bereave-ment support group. A place to share your thoughts and feelings and grow to-gether with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one.

First Thursday of every month at Unit-ed 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 in-formation.

Young Harris Al AnonThe Young Harris Al Anon Family

Group will meet at 12 Noon every Tues-day in Young Harris, Ga., at Sharp Me-morial United Methodist Church, Room 105. For more information, please call 706-781-3158.

Your Journey from

Mourning to JoyGriefShare is a Biblically-based week-

ly 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 you through this difficult time in your life.

A GriefShare group meets every Tues-day, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting Sep-tember 1, at All Saints Lutheran Church in Blairsville. Call 706 745-7777 for more information.

GWRRA meetsChapter J of the Gold Wing Road Rid-

ers 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 activities are announced and discussed.

We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becom-ing a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to see-ing participants from other chapters. There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us.

For further information, contact Chap-ter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-896-7403

Tri-State Business Women

Formerly known as Business Women of Blairsville, the Tri-State Business Women is an organization of entrepre-neurial women in Georgia, North Caro-lina 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 con-tinuing success through networking 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 practice or business in the area.

Meetings are held every Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. at Grinds N Glazes in Blairsville. For more information, please contact Susanne Johnson, President, at 706-781-1678 or Cathy Wheeler at 706-781-1050.

Ga. Mtn. Writers ClubWe meet 10 a.m. to noon the sec-

ond Wednesday of the month at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic church on the Young Harris Highway.

We have no membership dues or elect-

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 discussion. 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 sec-ond Thursday of the month and meets 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Blairsville. All active mem-bers are invited to attend 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 High Hik-ers Schedule

Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally spe-cialty hike, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia.

Check the web site: MountainHigh-Hikers.org for schedule and meeting lo-cations or call 828-389-8240 for informa-tion.

Kiwanis ClubThe Kiwanis Club of Blairsville is dedi-cated to serving and supporting young people in the immediate 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 information, con-tact President Charlie Krick at (706)781-6793.

DAVThe Disabled American Veterans meet

monthly on the second Monday 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 fel-lowship, fun and snacks at Choestoe Bap-tist Church, 4455 Choestoe Church Rd., located south of Blairsville off Hwy. 129 and Hwy. 180. For more information and directions, please call the church at 706-745-6370.

Mountain Sounds Dulcimer Club

We 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 experienced, 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 transport 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 Thurs-

day of each month at Cadence Bank con-ference room in Blairsville at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please call Marcus Tuschel at 706-835-9010.

Experimental Aircraft Association

The Experimental Aircraft Association - local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. For more informa-tion, contact Jim Olson at 828-557-2446.

Shooting Creek Bas-ket Weavers Guild

The Shooting Creek Basket Weavers Guild meets on the 2nd Wed. of each month from 9:45 until 2:00 at the Shoot-

-tion) in NC. Refreshments are served and a business meeting is held before a weaving project is presented. For more information, contact Joan (Guild presi-dent) at 706-896-1534.

UC Republican PartyThe Union County Republican Party

holds its monthly meetings 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.union-gop.org.

Tri-State Business Women

Women 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 Res-taurant with breakfast available to those interested. Come and see how women are making an impact as leaders in our com-munity. For more information visit www.tri-statebusinesswomen.com.

Republican Women of Union County

The RWUC meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Meetings are held in the Brackett Room at the United Com-munity Bank. For more information visit www.RepublicanWomenOfUnion.org.

Mothers of Preschool-ersmothering organization, creates commu-nities and resources to help make "bet-ter moms who make a better world." A MOPS group is a place where moms can come-just as they are-to build friendships, receive mothering support, practical help and spiritual hope. Join us - because bet-ter moms, make a better world! Visit us at www.MOPS.org

Mothers of Preschoolers meets on the Third Thursday of each month in the new fellowship hall at First Baptist Church of Blairsville from 6-8pm. Call the church

-tion or email us at [email protected].

Smokie Mountain Melodies

Smokie Mountain Melodies is a ladies barbershop-style chorus whose members

and Western North Carolina. As a chap-ter of Sweet Adelines International, the chorus is committed to a goal of advanc-ing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and perfor-mances.Smokie Mountain Melodies meets every Tuesday night at 6:30 at the First United Methodist of Union County in Blairsville, Georgia located at 859 Highway 515. Any women who have a love of singing are welcome to join. For more informa-tion call the Director, Phyllis Baker at 706-379-3836.

Forming Gourmet Dinner Clubdining connoisseurs, must have some gourmet cooking skills and room to host candle light, sit down dinners in your home. Full time and part time residents welcome. Hiawassee and Young Harris. Limited membership. Call Diane 706-835-5007

Amateur RadioAttention HAMs and anyone interested

in Amateur RadioThe North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C.

(Amateur Radio Club) meetings are

7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. Our next meeting is to be held December 1st and will begin with a special techni-cal session on Amatuer Radio Emergency

Tarheel Network in North Carolina. For

more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Amateur license testing will be held on December 7th in Blairsville at

310 Welborn Street, Blairsville, GA. Contact Bob Ochs at 706-838-4728 for more information.

DAR MeetingThe December meeting of the Old Uni-

coi Trail Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolu-tion will be held at the Big Springs meet-ing room at The Oaks in Hiawassee, GA, Saturday, December 12th, 2009, at 10:15 AM. OUTDAR members will tell about their memories of celebrating Christmas in other countries. Members will also

club chapter projects. If you are inter-ested in learning more about DAR, an organization for women who have Revo-lutionary War patriots in their family his-tory, contact Eloise Wolfersteig, Regent, 706-379-2533. Old Unicoi Trail Chapter serves Towns, Union, and Fannin Coun-ties. The Old Unicoi Trail homepage is found online at http://oldunicoitrail.geor-giastatedar.org.

Computer ClubThe Mountain Computer User Group Will meets in November on TUESDAY at 7 PM in the Goolsby Center, Young Harris College. Please note this is a change from our normal meeting date. At this time we will be presenting a program on all the new technologies that you can expect to get for Christmas. Come join us as we travel into the land of new technology. You might just get a glimpse of what Santa has in store for you at Christmas this year. Don’t forget we are meeting on Tuesday, November 10th. at 7 PM and not on Monday as we normally do.We will start the evening with our usual Q&A session. Come and join us for a lively session that is bound to increase your computer knowledge. Our Q&A session begins at 6 PM. Bring a friend and join us for the evening, you’ll be glad you did.

Union County Repub-lican Party will be holding its monthly meeting on Saturday, January 16th at 9:00 am at Vic-toria’s Sweet Shop at 2386 Young Harris Highway, Blairsville. A buffet breakfast for $6 will be available and is optional. Everyone is invited to attend and meet

-ers this month are:

Max Wood, running for Attorney General - By way of Presidential appoint-

ment, Max Wood served as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia beginning in 2001. He served as the Chief Prosecutor and law enforce-

70 county Middle District of Georgia. This district includes the cities of Athens, Macon, Columbus, Albany and Valdosta.

Insurance Commissioner - She is a con-servative running to serve Georgia as Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Pro Fair Tax, Pro Gun, and Pro Life.

Doug MacGinnitie, candidate for Secretary of State Candidate - Doug be-lieves the key to creating jobs during the current recession is a focus on small business.“More than 75 percent of jobs that are created in this kind of recession are created at the small business level,” he said. “If you care about jobs in the state, then you should care about small business.”.

Melvin Everson, running for Labor Commissioner - Republican Melvin Everson has developed a reputation for strong, conservative leadership as a State Representative from Gwinnett County. Prior to being elected to the State Legis-lature, he was elected City Councilman in Snellville twice. Everson has made a dif-ference for those he has served at both the local and state level. He served 23 years in the military before retiring in 1999.

Additional information may be ob-tained at www.uniongop.org or by calling 706-781-1013.

Patriots of Union County

The Patriots of Union County meet on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 P.M. at the Civic Center (next to Steve's Steak House). 185 Wellborn St. This is a non-partisan group and every-one is invited.

The meetings will feature discussions on Constitutional rights, state's rights, right to bear arms, Fair Tax, border secu-rity, energy dependence and more.

A canned and non-perishable food drive will be held in conjunction with the meeting for the 9th District Food Bank

For more information call: 706-745-7201

Auto ClubThe next meeting of the Good Neigh-

bors Auto Club will be on Thursday, Jan-uary 21st, starting at 7:30 PM. Meeting to be held at Brothers Restaurant in Murphy, NC . All meetings are open to the pub-lic and are held on the third Thursday of each month.

Mountain Communi-ty Seniors meets second Thursday each month at Senior Center in Hiawassee at 2:00 P.M.. We invite and welcome all Mountain Seniors from Towns, Union and Clay Counties to join us. We have Music,

trips. On Thursday Feb. 11th We have Roy Perrin, Principal of Towns County High School who will give us his very entertaining rendition of Elvis. Light refreshments served. Do come join us.

Un ion : Recur r i ng Events

Church

SUPPORT

Un ion : Upcoming Events

ACTIVITIES

Fann in : Upcoming EventsMOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of -

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

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 Geor-gia: John Quinlan at 706-896-2430, or visit www.moaa.org/chapter/blueridgemoun-tains.

Community Prayer Meeting

This Thursday, February 11,2010 a community prayer meeting will be held at

downtown, Blue Ridge at noon. Everyone is invited to attend as we continue to pray for our nation'sand community's leaders and true repentance for our country. Please come and support our efforts as we join with

questions please contact : Lydia Long 706-374-4750

I think of teachers.They provide shoulders for others to stand upon.

Every noted doctor, inventor, musician, writer, scientist, physicist, philosopher, political leader, agriculturist, theologian, professor and

every other person whose work has made a difference had teachers who spurred them on to greatness.

-Ethelene Dyer Jones

“If I have seen further than others,it is by standing upon shoulders of giants.”

-Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Worth ConsideringA thought for today

GEORGIA SENTINEL A

CO M M U N I T YTributes

Harold John Williams Mr.Harold John Williams age 76 of Lake Vista

Drive Blairsville passed away on Thursday March 4,2010 following an extended illness.Mr.Williams was born on September 26,1933 in Detroit,MI.,the son of the late John Williams and the late Lenna Sing-er Williams.Mr.Williams retired as captain from the West Palm Beach Fire Department after over twenty three years of service.He was a veteran of the US Air Force.He was preceded in death by a son,Ricky Wil-liams in 2005.Mr.Williams was of the Methodist faith.

Surviving Mr.Williams are his loving wife of fifty six years,Tawana Lemons Williams of Blairsville,two sons and one daughter in law,Jeffrey and Laiy-ing Williams of Sylvan Lake,MI.,John Williams of

St. Augustine,FL.,one sister,Shirley Carroll of Rock Hill,SC.,four grandchildren,Brittney, Amanda,Samantha and Bailey,many other relatives and friends also survive.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday March 7,2010 at 5:00pm from the Mountain View Funeral Home with the Rev.Harold Savage officiating.In lieu of flowers if you wish,the family requests that memo-rials may be made to St.Jude Children’s Hospital in memory of Mr.Williams.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com

Gloria Crump SasserMrs. Gloria Crump Sasser, age 72, of Blairs-

ville, Georgia, passed away Tuesday, March 2, 2010 in Union General Hospital in Blairs-ville.

Mrs. Sasser was born in Forrest, Illinois, on Wednesday, March 17, 1937, a daugh-ter of the late Hersel Crump and the late Alethia Saxton Crump.! Mrs. Sasser moved to Blairsville from Sarasota, Florida in 1986.! She attended New Union Baptist Church.! Glo-ria loved camping and! f ly fishing;! and she enjoyed sewing and was very good at it.! Gloria was also an avid reader.! Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Shirley Patterson.

Surviving family members include her husband, James "Jim" Sasser, of Blairsville; daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Darryl Watson of Port Charlotte, Florida; and daughter and son-in-law, Terri and Bob Palmer, of Orlando, Florida;! Step-Son, Dennis Sass-er, and his wife, Beth, of Ft. Green, Florida; Step-son, Henry Sasser, of Bradenton, Florida; sister, Lois Stew-

art, of San Diego, California; and a brother, James Crump, of Le canto, Florida; granddaughters:

Tammy W hidden and Nikki Palmer; grand-son, David Palmer; step-granddaughter, Randi Sasser; and step-grandsons, Antho-ny Sasser and Jimmy Sasser.

Funeral services were held! Friday, March 5, 2010, at 2:00 p.m., at New Union Baptist

Church, with Rev. Harrison Bradley and Mrs. Sasser was eulogized by Dennis Sasser.! Mrs.

Sasser was instate at the church starting at 1:30 on Friday, prior to the funeral service. Special music was presented by New Union Baptist Church Choir, Dennis Abbott, Charles Abbott, and Lita Gowder.! Burial took place in the church cemetery.! ! Visitation at the funeral home was held on Thursday evening , March 4, 2010, from 7 until 9 p.m.

Arrangements entrusted to Cochran Funeral Home - Blairsville Chapel.! Please send condolences and sign the guest registry at www.cochranfuneralhomes.com.

Jack Ray Mr.Jack Ray age 90 of Mocking Bird Lane

Blairsville passed away on Saturday March 6, 2010 at his home following an extended illness.Mr.Ray was born on Feb.23,1920 in Cordele,GA .,the son of the late Richard Carsey Ray and the late Nannie McKin-ney Ray.He was a veteran of the US Navy of WWII.He was a longtime member of the VF W and also had served as Mayor of Jeffersonville,GA .He was preceded in death by his parents and also by four brothers.He was a loving husband,father,brother,grandfather and great grandfather.Mr.Ray was of the Baptist faith.

Surviving Mr.Ray are his loving wife of six-ty eight years,Betty York Ray of Blairsville,two

daughters and one son in law,Jackie and George Law of Murfreesboro,TN.,Betty Sue Loflin of

Blairsville,one brother,Warren Harold Ray of Valdosta,GA .,five grandchildren,eleven great

grandchildren,several nieces,nephews,many other relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Tues-day March 9,2010 at 2:00pm from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Way-

mon Lovell officiating.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Tuesday

from 1-2pm. Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in

charge of the arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com

Novalee Potts NationMrs.Novalee Potts Nation age 93 of Branan

Lodge Blairsville passed away on Thurs-day March 4, 2010 in the Union County Nursing Home following a brief illness.Mrs.Nation was born on Oct.18,1916 in Union County,the daughter of the late Henley Potts and the late Della Shope Potts.She was a native and lifelong resident of Union County.She was preceded in death by her husband,John Henry Nation,Son,James Junior Nation a daughter,Della Mae Shelton and a brother,Rev.Horace Potts.She was a loving mother,sister,grandmother and great grandmother.Mrs.Nation was a member of Fair View Baptist Church.

Surviving Mrs.Nationtwo daughters and one son in law,Willie K .Grindle of Lawrenceville,GA .,Shelby and Bill Ledford of Blairsville,five sons and four daughter in laws,Wayne and Hazel Na-tion of Blairsville,GA .,Johnny and Lois Na-tion of Murphy,Herbert and Karen Nation of McDonough,GA .,Gerald Nation of Blairsville,Benny

and Jerri Nation of Dahlonega,sister in law,Iva Potts of Blairsville,eighteen grandchildren,forty

great grandchildren,four great-great grandchildren,many other relatives and

friends also survive. Funeral services will be held on Sat-

urday March 6,2010 at 2:00pm from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Jerry

Helton and Rev.Luke Durden officiating.Special music will be presented by Troy Dyer

and Craig Stephens.The following gentleman will serve as pallbearers,Herbert Nation Jr.,Joseph

and Alan Grindle,Charles Wright,Eddie Nation and Jeremy Durden.Serving as honorary pallbear-ers will be, Austin Nation,Doug Nation and David Harbin.Interment will follow in the Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery where she will rest next to her husband,Henry.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6-9pm.


William Ralph JonesMr.William Ralph Jones age 93 of Ralph

Jones Rd.Blairsville passed away on Sunday Feb.28,2010 in the Union County Nurs-ing Home following an extended illness.Mr.Jones was born on Dec.24,1916 in Union County,the son of the late John Martin Jones and the late Ader Caven-der Jones.He was a native and lifelong resident of Union County.He was a veteran of the US Army of WWII.Ralph was a lov-ing husband,father and grandfather.He was pre-ceded in death by a son in law,Jim McCarter,two brothers,Dewy and Jewell Jones,four sisters,Cordie Bell Smith,Imogene Kile,Claudine Jones and Birdell Jones.Mr.Jones was of the Baptist faith.

Surviving Mr.Jones are his loving wife, Agnus Irene Combs Jones of Blairsville,son and daughter in law,Bill and Jean Jones of Blairsville,daughters,Janice Erwin of Blairsville,Lillian McCarter of Blairsville,son and daughter in law,Donald and Bonnie Jones of Blairsville,Ronald and Sheila Jones of Blairsville,ten grandchildren,Nicole Queen,Jessica Erwin,Jonathan

Jones,Tiffany Ringenberg ,Sheena Jones,Shauna Jones,Kile Jones,Blake Cunningham,Isaac Jones

and Emily Jones,five great grandchildren,many other relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Thurs-day March 4,2010 at 11:00am from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Jerry Helton and Rev.Tony Black officiating.

Special music will be presented the Kelley Trio.The following gentleman will serve as

pallbearers,Jonathan Jones,Donald Jones,Leslie Groves,John Hill,Benny Erwin,Michael

Ringenberg ,Matt Queen and James Jones.Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Kile,Blake and Isaac.In-terment will follow in the Mt.Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery will the North GA .Honor Guard conduct-ing military honors.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Wednesday evening from 6-9pm.


Willa MullMrs. Willa Mull, age 83, of! Belton, SC passed away

Friday, February 26, 2010! in Anderson, SC.!Mrs. Mull was born on Sunday, December 5, 1926

in Cherokee County, NC, to Ganes and Vada Led-ford Ballew. She was a member of Macedonia Baptist (Wolf Creek) Church. She was preceded in death by husband, J.E. Mull; her parents; brothers, Clarence Ballew, and Winford Ballew; sisters, Jeanette Tankers-ley and Lena Denton.!

Survivors include:! daughter, Cathy (Ronnie) Law-son of Belton, SC, son, J. B. (Barbara) Mull of Cleve-land, TN, granddaughter, Tracy Doré, grandson, Ron

Lawson, great granddaughter, Keegan ! Doré, and great grandson, Dillon Lawson.

Funeral services were held, March 1, 2010 at 1:00 PM from the Finch-Cochran Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Phil Byler and Rev. Paul Adams officiating. Music was provided by Mrs. Judy Byler. Pallbearers were Wayne Harper, Mike Ballew, Glenn Tanner, Ter-ry Satterfield, Billy Meese and Keith Roberson. Burial followed in the Copper Ridge Memorial Gardens.

Arrangement entrusted to Finch-Cochran Funeral Home McCaysville, GA .! www.cochranfuneral-homes.com

James Mack Guffey Mr.James’’Mack”Guffey age 72 of Young

Harris St.Blairsville passed away on Sunday March 7,2010 in the Chatuge Regional Nursing Home following an extended ill-ness.Mr.Guffey was born on March 2,1938 in Union County,the son of the late Lloyd Guffey and the late Minnie Jordon Guffey.Mr.Guffey was a native and lifelong resi-dent of Union County.He loved hunting and fishing and spending time with his best friend Blaze his dog.He was preceded in death by his first wife,Jean Hughes in 2008 and by his second wife,Evelyn Louise Thomas March 3,2010.Mr.Guffey was a member of Zebulon Baptist Church.

Surviving Mr.Guffey are three sons and two daughter in laws,Gary and Denise Guffey of Hiawassee,Greg Guffey of Young Harris,Chris and Shelly Guffey of Young Harris,step daughter,Pam Young ,two sisters,Sharon Poulos and Ellen Kirby both

of Blairsville,one brother,Jack Guffey of Blairsville,ten grandchildren,three great grandchildren,several

nieces,nephews,many other relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Tues-day March 9,2010 at 11:00am from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Gary Guffey and Rev.Jimmy Rogers officiating.

The following gentleman will serve as pallbearers,Brian,Hogan,Jordan,Daniel and An-

drew Guffey and William Young.Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Watson and Stacy

Stephens and Kevin Russell.Interment will follow in the Old Union Baptist Church Cemetery.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Mon-day evening after 6:00pm.


!e Healing Hands Commu-nity Clinic hosted a CPR Saturday for its volunteer sta". Jack Harper, certi#ed CPR instructor, gracious-ly devoted his time and services for the event.

!e number of patients the clinic is now serving has increased and thus so has its needs. Dr Bryan Johnson, whose practice is located in Hiawassee, has served as our volunteer physician quite o$en and the clinic sta" and pa-tients would like to thank him for his compassion and willingness to serve.%

!e clinic is in the process of #l-ing for its tax-exempt status. Once received, this will open the door for the clinic to apply for and re-ceive grant money and to be able

to receipt individuals and busi-nesses for their donations.

Look for the Healing Hands Community Clinic donation jars throughout the community, as the clinic is need of funds to complete the 501c application fee and for its medication assistance fund.

!e clinic provides general healthcare to adults and children over the age of two who are unin-sured, not eligible for Medicade or Medicare and whose income is less than 200% of the feder-ally de#ned poverty level. Patients should bring proof of income at the time of their visit -previous year’s tax return or recent proof of income statement.

Clinic services include: General health care for chronic

and acute health conditions, oth-er than chronic pain, narcotics, emergency treatment, pregnancy, or serious mental health illnesses.

Medication assistance program – aiding patients to obtain medi-cation from local pharmacies, or pharmaceutical companies when funds are available.

Healthcare education.!e clinic sta" appreciates com-

munity support. Should you care to make a monetary contribu-tion or donation of medical sup-plies/equipment, please contact the clinic at 706-994-6768. !e clinic is open every Saturday from 9-12. !ey are located at 850 Bi-ble Camp Circle directly behind House of Prayer Church on Pat Colwell Rd.

Healing Hands Community Clinic

Have you ever wanted to know how the canning process works? Do you want to reduce household expenses? Do you have an inter-est in starting your own culinary business? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you won’t want to miss the community meeting Saturday March 27th at

the cannery. We will be discussing the old

& proposed new cannery as well as the possibility of a culinary in-cubator in our future. It will start with the history of our current cannery. !is will lead into what plans have been made for the pro-posed new cannery. If you want

to know about how your SPLOST dollars are being invested wisely and how this project bene#ts ev-eryone then you don’t want to miss the meeting.

!ere will be a demonstration of how the canning process works. !e canning process is a mystery to many, so come see how it hap-pens from the raw ingredients, to a #nished canned food product.

!e potential of a new culinary incubator could be a tremendous opportunity for many, as well as a great economic development tool for Union County. A Question & Answer session will conclude the presentation.

Please try and join us at the can-ning plant on March 27th at 11:00 AM. !e canning plant is located on Hughes St. behind the old Health Department Building. For further information please contact Brad Lester at (706)994-0582.

Growing your economic dependance

What a great relief for Lions of Georgia and especially for Lions of District 18-D here in North Georgia when the Dacula Lions Club do Dacula, Georgia was recently chartered. Twenty-one new Lions made history this special night as Charter Mem-bers! !eir sponsoring club was the Snellville Lions of Snellville, Georgia.

!e following Union County Lions were privileged to be in a&endance at this celebration : President Lisa Li&le and Gene & Louise LI&le. Lion Gene is the Im-mediate Past President of Union County Lions Club. Lion Louise is the current Peace Poster Chair-person.

!ere were six Past District Governors present of which sev-eral were also Past Council Chairs: current District Governor, as well as two who are also Past Interna-tional Directors of Lions Interna-

tional.Current 18-D District Gover-

nor, Grace Clower, presented the Charter as well as the signing. Lion John Pearce, PID, was the guest speaker sand he was introduced by Lion Buddy Ouzts, PID.

Congratulations, Dacula Lions Club. By the way, be on the look-

out for a coming news article of another new Lions Club to be chartered! !is only means that there will be opportunity for ad-ditional service to those in need of eye glasses & exams, eye surgery, hearing aides, and so much more!

Lions Mo&o: "WE SERVE"

New Lions Club for District 18-D

Left to Right: President Lisa Little of Union County Lions Club, Presi-dent Scot Addes of new Dacula Lions Club, and UCL's Louise & gene Little.

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Rep. Nathan Deal, Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, named Melanie Harris chairman of the Fan-nin County for Deal Steering Committee. Harris has long been active in the local and state Republican Party. She presently works as the executive administrative as-sistant for the Fannin County Sheri! 's Department. She is married to Kevin Harris. "e couple has two children, Jordan and Grant.

Fannin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bill Simonds and John Tucker are the committee's co-chairs.

Other steering committee members are Lane Bishop, Bradley Davis, Weldon and Judy Davis, Lynn Doss, Ron-nie Godwin, Marie Herndon, Jessica Jackson, Dr. Steven Miracle, Manny Robles, Carol Smith and Brian Stan-ford.

"e Blue Ridge Mountain Chap-ter of the Sons of the American Revolution will hold their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 16th at 6 p.m. at "e Brother's Restaurant in Towns County. Dinner cost is $13.00

"e program will be brought by Immediate Past President Harry Strickland of Towns County. His topic will be the History of the Strickland Family.

"e Blue Ridge Mountains Chap-ter serves Union, Gilmer, Towns,

Fannin and Rabun Counties. If yup have a Revolutionary War patriot in your family history and err inter-ested in becoming a member of an organization whose roots err in our nation's beginnings, please call your reservation to William O. Brazil at 706-781-3500 by Saturday, March 13th.

"e SAR is a historical, educa-tional and patriotic non-profit cor-poration that seeks to maintain and extend:

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Come join for a good time!For additional information con-

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Sons of the American Revolution meet

Place your ad in our classi!eds and reach thousands of North Georgia readers. Cost is only $5 for the !rst 10 words for one

week in Union, Towns and Fannin Counties. Call (828) 389-8338CLASSIFIEDS

RV Campground Host Need-ed for Hiawassee. Must be able to do light chores Call Robbie 706-897-1041

Gorgeous, soft green, Coun-try French, distressed China Cab-inet. Original Price $1,950.00 will sell for $475.00. I will be happy to e-mail pictures for anyone in-terested. Call 706-897-5728

2008 Jayco Feather for Sale : 19’9” Camper $12,799.00. Ex-cellent condition, only used during travel one time. Have used where it sits 2 times. Have sway tow bar ( worth $400) , electronic brake adjuster, 12 ‘ x 9’ awning, full kitchen, gas stove/oven,microwave, cd/ra-dio, shower ( inside and out) . Please contact ONLY if serious about looking at it, and pos-sibly purchasing. It is located 2 miles south my home, in a rental space, so like I said please be se-rious if wanting to see/purchase it! Located south of Blairsville, just north of Vogel State Park.

Queen bed, sofa folds down to a full sizes bed, Tires like new ( about 200 miles on them)

e-mail me at : [email protected] if you would like pho-tos Call 706-781-1748

For Sale Dining Room Table with 4 chair, handmade solid hardwood, asking $200 call 828-735-1328

Happy Jack Mitex For ear mites in rabbits, dogs, or cats, ask for Happy Jack Mitex. Con-tains no IGR’s., Hiawassee Feed & Farm Supply ( 896-1319) www.happyjackinc.com

Eagle Restoration, LLC., Staining and Pressure Cleaning.

706-632-6266 eaglerestoration-llc.com

Cooking with Kara *NEW* The Hiawassee Health Hut, your nat-ural grocer. 3243 Dogwood Lane Hiawassee GA. Open Tuesday-Friday from 8-3 p.m. and Satur-days from 9-4. Saturday morning cooking classes from 11-1. For more information call Kara 828-389-7044. Visit: www.Cooking with Kara.com

A and R Landscape Residen-tial and Commercial Lawn Care. Plant, turf and grassing, lot clean-up, mulching and retain-ing walls. 706-994-2457

Tile installer your tile or mine, 26 years experience have refer-ences and liability insurance. Ask for Don at 828-389-9394

D&L Painting & drywall INC. -

all types of finishes & textures 100% Quality Driven. Free Es-timates cell: 828-508-5270 of-fice(1): 828-321-2111 office(2): 828-479-4052

Massage Therapy- in the com-fort of your home. Licensed and insured. 18 years experience, call Gerri; 1 hour $40; Half hour $25; 706-896-6108.

Housing Crisis hitting home? Payments straining your wallet? Call 877-835-8904 to lower your Mortgage payments.

Walker Storage Corner of Old Highway 64 West and West Cher-ry Road. Convenient to Warne, NC. and Western Clay County. Variety of sizes. Concrete block Construction 828-389-4926 Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Will baby sit your child or children: Any age. Reasonable rates.References available. Call 706-299-1614

Moving Sale: 4 piece bedroom set, Dining Table, sofa and love seat, Lamps, Some misc. items. Call 828-389-0859

Paying cash for gold! Rings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, etc.In most cases, paying at least DOUBLE what any pawn shop will pay. Gold tested, weighed and you are paid on the spot! 706-896-1380-

Sell your Boat, RV. We bring the buyer to you. 1-866-417-8291

We buy junk, wrecked, rusted old cars and trucks. Call George 706-455-1129

Have any old Mac/Apple products just sitting around gathering dust? Do-nate old iPods and computers, even if they don’t work anymore, to Harrison by contacting [email protected].

Wanted : Old Pinball Ma-chines , Electro-mechanical, Call 828-389-6459

Black and white Australian Shepherd lost on Gum Log near county line. Bob tail dog, no col-lar, male. Please call 706-897-8150 or 706-781-3974.

House for Sale By Owner 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, a sunroom, LR, DR, HWF, Many extras, Partially furnished. In beautiful Plantation Villa in Hiawassee, Georgia. Walk to Town, Walk to Lake $175,000.00 Call 706-400-8159

2 Bedroom, 3 Bath Cabin with Mtn. views for rent. $850.00 a month, plus first month security deposit. 3 miles from Blairsville. All appliances,finished basement. 1-770-995-0184

Small lake house on Lake Chatuge with dock. 2BR/1BA, par-tialy furnished, $600 plus deposit. Annual lease, no smoking, no pets. Valerie 404-849-9010. Available Jan-uary 9th.

Mobile Home for Rent Two bedroom, one bath Mobile Home

for rent in Hiawassee, Ga.,$125 per week or $400 per month, plus $200 Deposit. No Pets. Call 706-835-6561

Apartment for Rent in Hiawassee Specious, light, 1 bedroom, large bathroom. All appliances! Private covered deck! monthly $475.00 plus deposits 706-896-4988 or 706-781-9917

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Following President Obama's Wednesday announcement that he would seek a quick vote on health care, Congressman Nathan Deal, a candidate for governor of Georgia has announced that he will post-pone his departure from Congress until later in March. Deal discussed the change with Governor Sonny Perdue, who encouraged him to stay.

"Just two days after I announced my intentions to leave Congress, the majority party stepped up the schedule for the proposed health care bill," Deal said. "Having been

deeply involved in all health care legislation for the past decade, I knew it was important to stay and vote down this bill."

But he made it clear; he is not backing down from the important race for governor.

"I announced I was leaving Con-gress to focus on winning the Re-publican primary for governor so as to deny Roy Barnes the opportuni-ty to face the Republican candidate who currently leads solely based on name recognition. He is the one Republican Roy Barnes is sure to defeat," Deal said.

"As governor, just as I have in Congress, I will listen to the people of Georgia. I listened yesterday to President Obama's aggressive push for a quick vote on 'Obama-Care' and am staying in Congress un-til the end of March, so that I can continue the fight against the most liberal health care proposal ever of-fered."

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Silas House and Public Outcry tell a moving story of mountaintop mining

Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1949 war film that follows a group of Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima dur-ing World War II. It is the story of a tough Marine Sergeant played by John Wayne.

Marine veteran Ed Andrews would probably never be compared to Sgt. Stryker but he has something in com-mon with the film. He has actual sand from Iwo Jima.

Andrews, now 86 and living in Min-eral Blu!, served one year at Iwo Jima. He was there when the American flag was raised on Mount Seribachi. He remembers every detail of the war, in-cluding the blackness of the sand and the large granules that reminded him of coarse ground co!ee. He also mourns the Marines who "never made it back."

"ose memories are real to Andrews, as real as the sand he shared.

Silas House, writer, poet, songwriter and activist, gave the sixth annual Helen Lewis Lecture Friday in the auditorium at the Bon-nie Higdon Reaves Campus in Epworth. "e lecture was sponsored by the Craddock Center at Cherry Log.

Craddock Center Executive Director Trisha Senterfill introduced Helen Lewis as the wom-an who educated a whole generation of Appa-lachian children and saved mountains through her teaching of Appalachian studies. Lewis now lives in Morganton and is honored with this an-nual lectureship.

Silas House serves as National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) in Appalachian Studies at Berea College and is a well known author of five books. He is also a song writer and heads up a band called Public Outcry. "rough words and music, he and his band members fight mountaintop removal, an ecologically devastat-ing form of coal mining.

House and band members Jason Howard and Kate Larken brought their voices in testament to what it means to live in Appalachia and the value of preserving a culture’s history and spirit through stories and music.

"e author of the novels Clay’s Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, "e Coal Tattoo, Eli the Good and two plays "e Hurting Part and Long Time Traveling, House co-authored a nonfic-tion book with band member Jason Howard about social protest called Something’s Rising.

According to House, mountaintop removal isn’t going to end anytime soon. He says we are an energy-hungry nation, a selfish country that won’t even look into ways to reduce the use of gas and electricity. While he doesn’t specifically call for the end of the coal industry, he does believe that we can fight for coal mining to be done in a more responsible and respectful way. We can make sure that our streams are protect-ed, that our homes are protected and that our people are protected.

Howard maintains that mountaintop remov-al isn’t only destroying the land and water and trees and animal habitat and mountains and things like that; it’s also destroying peoples’ lives and Appalachian traditions and culture. "For generations," he said, "these mountains have sheltered us and provided us with stories and protection. "e storytelling is something that’s been lost today because as those mountains are leaving, our culture is leaving, too."

House and Howard are both from central Appalachia; both are grandchildren of miners, and grew up very much a part of the world of coal mining. Both have close family members who worked in the mines and both lived close to mines. House said, "If you’re an Appalachian, you always have a love-hate relationship with coal, but it just became more and more obvious to both of us that this (mountaintop mining) was wrong—and we felt it would be morally wrong to sit by and not say something about it."

Public Outcry proved what a three-minute song can do as they sang "All "at We Have," whose haunting words left few dry eyes in the auditorium. "Don’t tear down these mountains with your mining machines...for the land and each other are all that we have."

Howard provided alarming facts about mountaintop removal: that typically surface mining blasts 1,000 feet of rock to get to a two-

feet thick seam of cold. Rocks fill up the valley, 1,500 miles of streams are buried. Water is pol-luted and people can’t live where water is pol-luted.

Kate Larken provided chilling statistics as she played and sang, "Can’t Put it Back." "is song tells how "You see the course laid out be-fore you, you see the mountains blood run black, she was killed as she lay sleeping and they can never bring her back...coal is tapped, drilled and blasted...you can’t put it back...ain’t no moun-tain where there was before."

House began his lecture by saying he became aware of injustice by two events that shaped his

life. "e first happened when he was 11 years old and his uncle was murdered. He remembers attending the trial, "all the children attended...and I remember everything about that trial, the sounds, the smells, the sweat. It lasted two months and the murderer served six months in jail. I remember thinking something wasn’t right."

"e other injustice was the murder of a place. His family owned a ridge where crawdads lived in the streams, 100 year old beech trees, sycamores, gums, hickory, maple and other hardwood trees were part of their life. "After the coal companies moved in, our way of life changed forever," he remembered.

House said he was tired of the injustice. He saw "the murder of my ridge." He carried this injustice into his adult life and (ultimately) that led to his activism to protest the process of mountaintop removal with its method of de-stroying the land by creating "valley fill" out of the trees and vegetation, and its use of slurry impoundments that result in contamination of the waters and flooding of whole communities, destroying homes, families and lives.

In Something’s Rising, House and Howard make the case that Appalachians must stand on their own against this practice which uses machines to rob the region of jobs and land. House says he has witnessed firsthand the ef-fects of mountaintop removal. "I watched a scene of utter destruction. A bulldozer groaned back and forth, piling up green-leafed trees it had knocked over. Another mess of trees was burning, the black smoke curling up on the spring air. "ere was nothing else but dirt and exposed rock for acres and acres before the site stopped abruptly at the rich, green woods in the distance. Beyond them was blue mountains that faded away to the horizon like smudges of paint."

"eir song, "Cranks Creek" tells of storms, floods, protests and people rising to turn the tide, and concludes with a takeo! from "Shall we Gather at the River?" ending with "before the mountains are washed to the sea."

House says mountaintop removal has de-stroyed a million and a half acres in the past 30 years and it’s going on at an accelerated rate now. He laments, "It’s not just destroying the land; it’s destroying a whole people. It’s destroy-ing a culture. It’s destroying towns. People are part of the environment. It’s killing them."

According to House, between 1991 and 2004, there were 33,000 jobs lost in the Appalachian area in Kentucky. "And there’s no end in sight," he said.

House admits he is a tree hugger and a moun-tain hugger. Even so, he does not say that the coal industry should be shut down; he thinks mining can be done with respect and responsi-bility, treating the place and its people with dig-nity. "So far the coal companies have refused to listen to that request and government o#cials refuse to require them to do so," he said.

House’s message was moving and heart-rending: We are all connected. We need to read books, become educated about the environment, consider the mountains, become more aware of the trees and streams, and remember that "we all live downstream.

""e best advice I can o!er is to live by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

He concluded with, "Be fearless and bold; share your knowledge; be of service to others and live in love and goodness."

Marine Divisions, comprised of the 25th, 26th and 27th regiments, to secure the area around Mount Su-ribachi. Andrews was in the 26th. Americans needed this part of the island to develop a base for B29 bombers flying out of Guam to land and refuel.

"e Division landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945 on the north-east side of Mount Suribachi and immediately sustained heavy losses. From February 19 until March 18, the Division had over 1,000 Ma-rines killed in action and nearly 3,000 wounded. "is was the high-est casualty rate in all Marine divi-sions involved in the invasion.

"at February morning, the 4th and 5th regiments began their climb up the rough terrain to the top. "eir mission was to "cut the island in two and secure the moun-tain." After furious fighting and resistance on every side, the Ameri-cans were able to declare a victory and at approximately 10:20 a.m., the flag was hoisted above the is-land on a steel pipe that had been used as a water pipe and left there by the Japanese.

"e sight of the American flag flying from the top of Mount Su-ribachi was a welcome sight for Americans all over the island. And for the first time during WWII, an American flag was flying above what was considered Japanese ter-ritory, the southernmost island in Japan’s homeland.

"is symbol of victory sent a wave of encouragement to the men fighting below, and struck a demor-alizing blow against the island’s defenders. ""at helped us," said Andrews, "We worked hard to get that flag up there."

Andrews said 25,000 Marines were killed and scores more wound-

ed before the Americans took con-trol of the island. "I was lucky," he remembers, "I walked on the island, and I walked o!."

On March 27, 1945, the last Ma-rines of the Division sailed from Iwo Jima and arrived in San Di-ego, California shortly thereafter. "en, in early August 1945 word came that the Army Air Force had dropped a giant bomb (the atomic bomb) that could destroy an entire city. "e Fifth sweated out the ru-mors, which were confirmed a few days later and the Division was put aboard ship with other occupation-al forces, waiting on orders or news of a treaty.

On August 14, 1945, the Japa-nese government surrendered un-conditionally, ending World War II. After the treaty was signed, the Division went ashore and did oc-cupational duty on the southern island of Kykshk.

"e majority of the Division’s Marines were discharged and the division was deactivated on Febru-ary 19, 1946, exactly one year after their arrival at Iwo Jima.

Andrews returned to civilian life in March, 1946. With help of the GI Bill, he graduated from Auburn with a BS in Education and spent 32 years with the telephone com-pany. "e family moved to Mineral Blu! in 2005.

Andrews said he intends to fly the flag 24 hours a day. He hopes it will be a reminder of those who fought and those who didn’t make it back. It will be flown at half mast every February 23, in remembrance of the sacrifice Americans made.

"e group gathered for the me-morial ceremony consisted of friends, neighbors and veterans. Dale Dyer, local historian and Air Force veteran who served in Nor-mandy, said, ""e Marines took a terrible loss but what most people don’t remember is that the Air Force lost more than all the other services combined in that war (WWII)."

Graves digs into Fannin CountyTom Graves is running for U.S.

Congress. He was in Fannin County Sunday to visit with residents and talk about problems they were facing and how he would represent them if elected their representative in Washington.

"e first stop for Tom and Julie Graves Sunday was Blue Ridge United Methodist Church, where they met friends for the morning worship ser-vice.

Lunch at Harvest on Main followed, with more friends stopping by. It didn’t take long for Graves to understand that people in Fannin County were worried and they wanted him to o!er some as-surance that things were going to get better.

Most people wanted to know his priorities if he is elected in November. "Specifically," said one, "what is the first thing you will do when you get to Washington?"

"e would-be congressman hesi-tated just a second before replying that

every decision he made would be with the thought of what is best for people in the ninth district. "You will be my number one priority," he said, "and I will always be mindful that you are the ones who elected me and I will repre-sent you well."

Other topics: jobs, the economy, ed-ucation, even antibiotics injected into beef and chicken, were other things discussed with Graves as he spent hours talking to local residents.

Graves is currently serving in his fourth term in the Georgia House of Representatives and was recently rec-ognized nationally on the Jobs, Op-portunity and Business Success Act of 2009 (JOBS Bill), designed to help small businesses and put Georgians back to work through a series of tax credits, cuts, and incentives for busi-nesses.

Graves and his family live on their farm in Ranger, Georgia. He and his wife, Julie, have three children, JoAnn, John, and Janey. "e Graves attend Belmont Baptist Church in Calhoun where he is an ordained Deacon.

By: Elaine Owen

Sentinel Writer

Contributed PhotoTom talks to Fannin County Republican Party Chairman Ron Bolin, Phil and Sally Forest of Ellijay.

Iwo Jima:

Sands !om Iwo Jima

Contributed PhotoGrains of sand from Iwo Jima.

By: Elaine Owen

Sentinel Writer

Contributed PhotosSilas House, Kate Larken and Jason Howard

03.11.10 Fannin Sentinel

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