Entries by Chris Bridges

We’ll turn the calendar for a new year in a few days and with that annual occasion comes the need for some change and improvement in various areas in Barrow County.

It’s not that everything is broken locally. However, only those who wear rose-colored glasses will try to convince you that we are living in paradise and nothing needs changing or fixing.

Let’s hope 2012 brings about some positive inroads for: [Full Story »] 

Those wishing to honor a veteran can take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make history by purchasing a brick engraved in the honor of a loved one who has served in a U.S. war.

The City of Statham is currently accepting order forms to purchase engraved memorial bricks for the construction of a local Veteran’s Memorial Park. Along with the American Legion Statham post, the city’s plans are to construct a Veteran’s Memorial on Jefferson Street in downtown Statham by the summer of 2012, organizers said.

Engraved memorial bricks are $30 each for a 4x8 brick or $100 each for an 8x8 brick and can be bought at city hall or through a participating American Legion. Drawings of the plans are on display in the Statham City Hall. An order form can be found on page 3A of the Dec. 14 print edition of the Barrow Journal.

Items from the Winder and Barrow political notebook:

•The Nov. 8 vote locally was termed “historic” by some.

I suppose that’s accurate. Barrow County will have a new form of government and while it was given approval by somewhat of a wide margin, I still can’t help but wonder if it was the correct decision. [Full Story »] 

After initially having thousands of voters on its challenge list, City of Winder officials learned Tuesday night only 182 voters were removed from the list of those eligible to vote locally.

The Barrow County Board of Elections & Registration removed 58 Winder voters whose letter was returned to the elections office marked undeliverable with no forwarding address or with a forwarding address outside the county.

Another 124 Winder voters were removed after not responding to the mailed hearing letter. [Full Story »] 

Last week, Barrow Journal photographer Jessica Brown and I had the chance to speak to Derek Hon’s journalism class at Winder-Barrow High School.

First, let me credit WBHS principal Al Darby for continuing to make this class available to students. With classes of this nature, you often wonder do some students sign up simply to take what they perceive to be an “easy class” or do they have a legitimate interest in the subject.

Based on the questions the students presented to Jessica and myself, I firmly believe there are some potential journalists in the group. Mr. Hon does a great job with the class and our paper has been fortunate to serve as something of a mentor to it. [Full Story »] 

Mike Rice, chairman of the Downtown Development Authority made some good points last week when he made it known he didn’t like the former properties owned by The Peoples Bank being allowed to fall into disrepair.

While Rice, who used colorful language to drive his case home, is correct in what he said, I wish the DDA chairman would have addressed some other locations which are much bigger eyesores in Winder.

I’ve harped on this before but since nothing continues to be done, I’ll mention it again: what about the former Peskins Building with its collapsing infrastructure and open windows with rotted boards? [Full Story »] 

With numerous news shows in recent days highlighting the 10th anniversary of 9-11, one has to wonder what direction our country is currently taking.

For the briefest of times, we were a united nation. Political differences — all differences — were set aside following the events of a decade ago. For a short moment, we were all Americans, under one flag.

A decade later finds us more divided than any time in our country, with the obvious exception of the Civil War. There is no compromise in Washington, D.C. The Republicans want it their way or no way. The Democrats are doing the same. Even issues which require little common sense can’t be agreed on? “If they are for it, I am against it,” seems to be the motto for both major political parties these days. [Full Story »] 

“It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over mutual concern for the future.” – Unknown

It was not a quiet week at my house. Mr. Clark and I finally saved enough money to have our badly broken down and rotting side porch roof, soffit, columns and fascia board replaced. What a mess.

I don’t care how good of a contractor you hire (and we hired a good one), or how much money you save up (and we saved up a good bit), there is no way around the fact that repairs to an old house are an expensive, surprise-filled (never in a good way) ordeal. [Full Story »] 

David McGee was probably the second Barrow County School System employee I met when arriving here in 1997. (If memory serves, Jeff Beggs was the first.)

McGee was a teacher and coach at Winder-Barrow High School at the time. I ventured to the softball field at Victor Lord Park early one morning where McGee was conducting a preseason practice with his team.

Despite being involved with the task of preparing his squad for the upcoming season, he took the time to walk over, shake my hand and talk with me for several minutes while his assistants directed the practice session. From that simple beginning came a strong working relationship that I am glad to say has continued all the way until the year 2011, almost 15 years later. [Full Story »]