Biggest winner on Sunday: Me

Sunday, April 10, 2005 was a day for comebacks and underdogs.

And the arrival of a special little girl.

Tiger Woods, starting off two over par and far back in the field Thursday at the soggy opening of the Masters Tournament, staged an incredible turnaround at the Augusta National to win his fourth green coat in a sudden-death playoff Sunday evening.

Earlier in the afternoon, Jeff Gordon overcame car problems and a three-lap deficit to roar back to the front of the field and win the Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia for his second NASCAR victory of the year.

Sunday morning, at 8:01 a.m., little Savana Camille Sullivent was born. She's the daughter of former News-Times receptionist Amy Sullivent Priessman, who now is a bookkeeper for the Augusta Canal Authority.

Almost as importantly -- for me, at least, and since I'm the one writing this, that's what counts, isn't it? -- Savana is my goddaughter.

And God, is she pretty. Not since the birth of my own daughters have I been as smitten with a baby girl (but don't tell my sisters -- they'll tan my hide if my nieces find out I said that).

Weighing just an ounce under 8 pounds, Savana started small. And while she may never be into golf or auto racing, she's destined for big things in the world.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Savana.

Happy Huguenot Day

An old newspaper story tells me today is Huguenot Day, commemorating the Edict of Nantes in 1598 by Henry of Navarre. The obscure (except to historians) declaration granted freedom and religious liberty to protestants in France.

According to research from my uncle, our family long ago was likely among the Huguenots who fled France during persecution by Catholics. Tens of thousands of Huguenots had been killed 26 years earlier in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, and thousands more were expelled.

The ones who remained had to practice their beliefs in secret until the Edict of Nantes gave them a breather for nearly 100 years. Louis XIV revoked the edict in 1685, causing some 400,000 Huguenots to flee persecution.

However we were involved, eventually my family wound up here. That's good, because otherwise we'd be French. Nothing against the French, particularly, but given a choice I'm much happier being an American.

Even persecution, then, has a positive side.

So, happy Huguenot Day.

Anti-impact seminar

Today is the deadline to make reservations to attend the seminar on impact fees to be held Monday morning at the Government Center Auditorium in Evans.

The Builders Association of Metro Augusta, Inc., to their credit, has set up the seminar, free of charge to anyone who is interested in impact fees on new developments. The seminar will be conducted by a man the builders humbly describe as "a respected Georgia land use attorney."

Well. Let's be clear about exactly who their man is. Deron Hicks is a lawyer paid to represent the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association. He successfully sued Dekalb County for levying "excessive" building permit fees, represented the Homebuilders Association in its losing suit against Cherokee County's impact fee, and has been a voice for builders around the state in opposition to impact fees.

By all means, call the Homebuilders today at 860-2371 to reserve a seat at the 8:30 a.m. seminar. But don't go expecting to get anything other than an anti-impact fee propaganda session.

(Barry L. Paschal is publisher of The Columbia County News-Times. E-mail comments to barry.paschal@newstimesonline.com.)