The time has come to not only flip the calendar for another month, but for yet another year.
As is the case with the passing of every 12 months, we’ve seen quite a bit during the past 52 weeks here in our home.
Some of it good, some of it not so good and some of it down right ugly I’m afraid to say.
I’m not one of those who pretend that if we bury our head in the sand and pretend that nothing bad happens then that makes it reality. Hogwash. You can pretend to live in that fantasy world if you like but here in the land of reality, we know that is not the case and will never be the case.
Winder and Barrow County does have some good things going for them. I’m not such a doom and gloom person that I don’t realize that. However, we’ve got some work in front of us folks and until everyone in leadership roles realize that then we are going to continue looking at problems with no solutions in sight. We are going to continue to have the same issues as we enter 2012 as we have entering 2011.
Some of the things that are on my wish list include:
•a long, long overdue serious look at traffic in downtown Winder. The solution is not to say, as one city official told me, that we “don’t have a traffic problem.” If that’s the case then I have a million dollars in the bank. Traffic has gone beyond being a hassle or an inconvenience in downtown Winder. It is dangerous and unless something is done more accidents are going to occur and more lives are going to be put in danger. This falls directly on the desk of the mayor who must lead the charge to have something done about this crisis.
•Speaking of downtown Winder, we continue to have decaying and dangerous buildings as part of the landscape. Nothing is done about them and I can only assume it is because of who owns them. Favoritism, the good-oldboy network or whatever you want to call it, is alive and well in downtown Winder it seems.
•Not in downtown Winder, but within the city limits, Holly Hill Mall continues to crumble at its foundation. The owner is not made to keep it up and those in charge of “overseeing” the property do nothing to oversee it. This property, which decades ago was something to be proud of, is an embarrassment now.
•Outside of Winder, officials in Auburn purchase a Christmas tree costing several thousand dollars and few people even notice. That money could have been spent so much wiser in these economic times. Holiday decorations are not necessary (call me Scrooge if you must), especially with that price tag attached.
•The Barrow County School System continues to insist on holding both high school graduations on the same evening. This is not Gwinnett County where we have lost track of the number of high schools we have. We should allow the students at both high schools to have their own night of graduation. I still have yet to hear one explanation for the change in the way it is done.
•Some Barrow County citizens probably have little need to ever enter our courthouse. If you go in for the first time be prepared for somewhat of a shock. It seems not only do you have to empty your pockets but you may be asked to remove your belt, your shoes, run your fingers through your hair and do a little dance just to enter. It’s simply another step in the direction of giving up more freedom under the false guise of security it seems.
The headlines of late have centered on what’s happening in our country’s airports, but it seems it’s also taking place in our county courthouses as well. Remember, you aren’t any safer by going through these UnAmerican measures.
Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal. He can be reached at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.
