Thursday, November 21, 2002

'Losers'? Flag protesters got rid of Roy Barnes
An editorial on Nov. 10 referred to the flag protestors as losers. Dont cry for us. We accomplished our mission. We and the other good citizens of this state got rid of Gov. Roy Barnes. Where we go from here and what we have yet to do remains to be seen. Buckle your chinstrap!

'Ridiculous' stormwater utility should be ended
This letter pertains to the stormwater runoff tax. A ridiculous tax! We still have a rain deficit of almost 7 inches, with seven weeks remaining in this year. Mother Nature provides us with this special gift, the rain that we dont have enough of.

Voters ungodly with failure to back Democrats
God gave Georgia some God-fearing leaders who care about people, like Gov. Roy Barnes, state Sen. Charles Walker, and Sen. Max Cleland, who gave all of his limbs except one arm and never stopped helping his country, yet the voters let them down.

Attack on National ignores women's problems
The Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC) is a private organization and should be allowed to exclude whomever they want. After Martha Burk, chairwoman of the National Council of Womens Organizations (NCWO), wrote a letter to Hootie Johnson, chairman of the ANGC, tensions rose in the quiet air of Augusta. Burk is pressuring the ANGC to allow women to join the club. Surprisingly, though, Burk does not have many allies among female golfers, and few women are supporting her cause.

Two wall visitors share special bond
Two men sat at a table looking over medals, patches and other paraphernalia from the Vietnam War last Saturday evening at the Merchants Association of Columbia County Fairgrounds.

Yearbooks go digital at Augusta Prep
Technology may be solving the dilemma of finding storage space for all those yearbooks.

Christmas tree planted at government center
With their hands on their chins and their heads cocked, George Fuller, his crew and county officials inspected the Christmas tree to see if it was standing straight.

Girl Scout troops collect for charity
Girl Scouts turned out by the hundreds Saturday afternoon to collect donated clothing and other items for Goodwill Industries.

First responders tool up to save lives
Emergency first responders call the span of time between an accident and arriving at an emergency room the golden hour - the moments that often decide whether an accident victim lives or dies.

Barbecue teams go whole hof for contest
Barbecue was in the air last Saturday for the Veteran's Day Bar-B-Que Cookoff.

Relatives' memories linger
Members of Staff Sgt. Johnny LeBoff's family gathered at the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Wall on Friday to honor the fallen Vietnam War soldier who was taken from them 35 years ago.

Wall of Heroes
As Taps played at the opening ceremonies of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Wall, an emotional Diane Moore tightly hugged her grandson, who was just introduced to his great-grandfather, Thomas Moore, a still-missing soldier of the Vietnam War.

Concert honors those in uniform
"God and Country" was the theme of a concert staged by the Columbia County Choral Society last Friday evening to honor America's military and emergency first responders.

In touch with freedom
Visitors ponder, reminisce at the American Veterans Traveling Tribute Wall

Get up and go
Bible Fellowship Church present The Dixie Echoes Quartet in concert on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Pensacola, Fla.-quartet will perform at the Belair Conference Center, behind the Hampton Inn Suites on Belair Road. The Byrd Family Gospel Singers will play host to the program and Heartland Gospel Trio also will perform. This program is free. There will be a love offering received. For more information, call 651-1971.

Police blotter
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's office.

Current events
The Grovetown Against Drugs 10th Annual Free Summer Day Camp Cake Sale will be held at the Grovetown Dept. of Public Safety, 306 East Robinson Ave., on Friday and Saturday beginning at noon each day. Suggested donations cost $8 per cake.

Time capsule
As reported in The Columbia News-Times 13 years ago on Wednesday, November 15, 1989.

School lunches
Columbia County school lunch menus

Ask parents about school year
Columbia County children next year will start public school a day earlier than this year, and the school term will end five days later than this years calendar.

Preventing tobacco use
Despite a decrease in the overall number of smokers, every day more than 6,000 adolescents under the age of 18 smoke their first cigarette, and more than 3,000 become daily smokers. Clearly, the need for education and for the implementation of programs to help smokers quit is still great.

Hootie and the blowhard
Martha Burk is making me crazy. Nuts, batty, goofy, squirrelly, as in looney-tunes. Shes got me so distraught, I keep having nightmares that Im back in grad school on my first day of Womens Literature, when nobody warned me Id need to pretend I hated men and loved Toni Morrison.

Bronze pork awaits GOP
At a celebratory dinner for newly elected Columbia Coun-ty Commission Chairman Ron Cross this past weekend, the handful of Democrats scattered at a couple of tables were easy targets for some good-natured ribbing.

Athlete Spotlight: David Green
For Harlem High School senior David Green, basketball is just mind over matter.

Lackluster gridiron still had bright spots
Another high school football season is over, and Columbia County squads took one on the chin in 2002.

Football season limps to a halt
Columbia County's public high school football season is finished, but it's not time to throw out the cliche "It's all over but the shouting."

Viking sink Lion's title hopes again
If the First Presbyterian Day School football team ever wanted to change its nickname, "Lion Tamers" would be an appropriate moniker.

Hoops teams face tough year
There's good news and bad news for the Evans High School basketball program.

Sports briefs
The Consumers' Research Council of America recently selected David Usry, head golf professional at North Augusta Country Club, as one of "America's Top Golf Instructors." The CRCA is an independent research company based in Washington that evaluates professionals that provide consumer services throughout America.