Resolution to get reworking

File this away as yet another example of a good deed not going unpunished.

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Augusta's chapter of the NAACP recently passed a resolution in recognition of the second anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings that claimed the life of 33 people, including Lakeside High School graduate Ryan Clark.

In addition to honoring Clark for his heroism, the resolution "strongly encouraged" enactment of a list of gun and security measures on college campuses.

Soon after the resolution was approved, however, Clark's family asked for it to be recalled "until we can agree on the language and content of the document."

The letter to Augusta NAACP President Charles Smith, sent by Ryan's aunt, Pat Craig, on behalf of Ryan's mother, Letitie Clark, expressed "mixed emotions" about the resolution, and said "I regret that the family did not have a chance to view and consult with you on the resolution regarding language and content that we can support."

Craig later explained that the resolution included the name of the gunman and members of Ryan's family, but left out the name of his sister. Additionally, "Parts of the language used did not reflect well Ryan's personality, character and personal philosophy about mankind," Craig wrote in an e-mail.

The good news, she says, is that Smith has agreed to resubmit the resolution with the family's input.

Retirement 'berry' good

My wife and I saw an ad in The News-Times for a blueberry farm over in North Augusta and decided to check it out on Saturday.

Much to our surprise, we discovered the owner is none other than former Columbia County School Superintendent Lynn Cadle and her husband.

They used to live on Columbia Road near Lewiston Road and had a pick-your-own blueberry farm there. They've since moved a couple of times and now have a nice place off Martintown Road with about an acre of blueberry bushes and blackberry vines.

Cadle holds a historic place in Columbia County as its first (and, to date, only) female superintendent and as the county's last elected superintendent. Running a berry farm seems like a nice way to retire.

And I'm sure the thorns on those blackberries are nowhere near as sharp as school politics.

Lutie Brewton Nagle

Speaking of superintendents, Charles Nagle is mourning the loss of his mother, Lutie Brewton Nagle, who passed away last Thursday in Claxton, Ga., at age 91.

If children are a reflection of their parents, I'm sure Mrs. Nagle was a fine woman. She was a retired educator, by the way - so the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

I'm sure the family would appreciate our prayers.

Award time

Last week was awards week around here, and The News-Times staff was thrilled to once again take top honors in the Georgia Press Association Better Newspapers Contest in our classification.

The News-Times won the overall award each year from 2000 to 2005, to the chagrin of our competitors. We then spent two years wandering in the daily newspaper wilderness, competing against Athens, Griffin and other second-tier daily newspapers as the GPA tried to figure out how to categorize us.

They finally set up a new classification with large, non-daily but more than once-weekly papers. And we won.

Meanwhile, congratulations to our friends over at WGAC-AM 580. For the eighth time in a row they've won the Georgia Association of Broadcasters' medium-market station of the year.

These awards, by the way, aren't just peers slapping each other on the back. They're judged by press associations from other states who evaluate the work from afar.

Hooray for us!

Happy birthday, Rootie

Today is middle-daughter Ellie's 19th birthday. Sing her a birthday song if you see her, OK?

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