Happy Independence Day!

America was founded by dissatisfied people who had enough of the status quo, who fought against the old ways and governments where some men had more rights than others. On Independence Day not only do we celebrate our right to stand up and speak, to disagree with each other on occasion, and to demand equal treatment, we celebrate the ones who did those things even when they weren’t supposed to as they rebelled and built a new nation from the ground up.

Also: Thoughts on America this July 4th from the Peach Pundit.

If you haven’t gotten your fireworks fix yet, there will be small shows tonight at Sloppy Floyd State Park near Summerville and in Cloudland Canyon towards Trenton. Here’s some info about the one at Sloppy Floyd.

40 people attended last year, this says, so you can avoid the crowds and it only costs $5.

The city’s new fire and police chiefs have new ideas for their respective departments. Fire Chief Busby hopes to lower the fire insurance rating to save us all money, while Police Chief Clift plans to send more cops to visit schools and hold community events in the projects.

Walker County Schools’ new boss is a former toy store manager, a Star Wars fan, a high school basketball star, and until last week worked for Catoosa schools. His wife still works for that system, and they live in Catoosa off Three Notch Rd.

If you plan to vote in local elections this summer, today is the last day you can get registered. Early voting starts next Monday. Also FYI, this week the city will permanently return to the once-per-week garbage pickup schedule.

A small forest fire on the Walker/Gordon Co line near Pinhoti Trail on Chestnut Mountain has been verified by a Forest Service employee. Hot as it is, imagine trying to fight a difficult-to-reach fire miles into the remote woods on the side of a mountain. Folks putting their butts on the line to keep the world from burning down.

As-of 11 PM last night the fire was contained, and officials expected to have it extinguished early Monday. Chestnut Mountain is behind Mountain Top Boys Home off GA. 136 between Villanow and Calhoun.

Temperatures have exceeded 100° every day since the middle of last week. Unofficial reports of 107° to 110° in Walker County Saturday, breaking daily and all-time records.

Have you checked on the older people you know, to make sure they’re OK in the heat? Everybody indoors with A/C or at least a fan? A person or animal can very easily die in heat like this, so be diligent and don’t assume everybody’s OK if you haven’t checked. If you need a fan, or are willing to get somebody one (or a window unit) please let us know here.

Will SunRae begin bottling water in Kensington the first week of July as promised? If you still believe that, Bebe has some Arizona swampland to sell you on your way to vote.

Followup to Muddy Water, 05/11/2012

In early May, Walker County residents were excited to hear of a new business moving into one of the area’s underused industrial buildings. But the company, its claims, and the site being used may not all be what they seem – and the entire project could be more about politics than business.

Channel 3 WRCB, May 7 2012:

“Real Bright Sunrae Water will be relocating to Walker County, taking over an existing 200,000 square foot facility and bringing the promise of solid job growth.

“‘They are going to hire twenty people to start, and then more as production ramps up and the facility expands,’ said Walker County Economic Development Director Larry Brooks.

“The former Barwick Archer building in Kensington will be the new home for the company, which plans to start production the first week of July and will eventually bottle about 2.5 million sixteen and twenty ounce bottles of water a year, with an additional 150,000 five gallon containers for home and commercial use once full production commences.

“‘I am so pleased to welcome this new company to Walker County,’ said Walker County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell. ‘We continue to receive wonderful news of businesses choosing to invest in our county. We hope Sunrae will have a long and prosperous relationship with Walker County.'”

This seems to be good news. The Barwick plant in Kensington has been sitting empty, or being used as warehouse space, for the better part of three decades. It’s an eyesore and a huge waste of potential. But the mill has a sordid past that could make it less than ideal for a company interested in bottling water, and as the stated July deadline for production arrives there seems to be nothing actually happening in Kensington.

Last night Walker Commissioner candidate Dr. Paul Shaw was on UCTV Night Talk. Shaw did well, pointing out problems with the current commissioner (poor planning, no transparency, growing county debt), discussed the broken sole-commissioner form of government, and challenged Bebe Heiskell to a debate.

The show aired live but may repeat today. UCTV live feed online.

Schedule changes and service cuts have begun this week at all four Cherokee Regional library branches.

“Services are being cut, too. For example, the genealogy and local history room at the LaFayette-Walker County Public Library only will be open on Fridays and Saturdays because Jill Trubey, the employee in charge of the room, had her hours cut from 40 to 13 hours a week, Library Director Lecia Eubanks said.

“Library youth education coordinators won’t visit schools to promote the youth summer reading program, which probably won’t be six weeks long next year, she said. The number of computers available to the public will be reduced by anywhere from one-quarter to one half, Eubanks said.”

According to library insiders, the computer cuts and genealogy room closure aren’t necessary due to the budget changes, they’re just being done so library customers feel the pain and demand money for the system… There really seems to be no reason why cutting back staff means cutting back computers, and staffers aren’t always in the Georgia Room when it’s open now.

Meanwhile, Dade County Schools aren’t cutting the amount of money they give the library system – they’re ending it all together. $0 funds available next year for the Trenton library from Dade Schools.

Pardon our conspiracy theory, but Dade County will have a question on their ballot this summer asking citizens to support a new property tax solely for the library system. What better way to get that approved (and thus no longer have to fund the libraries with county/school money in Dade) than gut their budget so people are desperate enough to support a new tax to keep the doors open?

In all these situations, instead of crying and going to vote for a new tax to support libraries, you should go to your county and school leaders and ask them what the hell happened to the tax money you already gave them that the libraries don’t get much of.

Last week during the candidate forum, Steve Wilson claimed there had been no jail escapes since he’s been Sheriff and said Freddie Roden “stuck his foot in his mouth” for claiming otherwise. Now Wilson says he “forgot” about two incidents where prisoners got loose (one made it to Chattanooga) but says Roden is wrong for demanding every jail door and gate be locked 24/7.

“Wilson said the gate, which recently was replaced during a number of upgrades at the jail, is closed from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. It’s also closed, as are the sally port doors, when a dangerous or high-profile prisoner comes in during the day, he said.

“But it’s not practical to keep everything shut down all the time, the sheriff said. ‘We’ve tried it,’ Wilson said. ‘We have [too] much traffic coming and going during the regular work hours.’

“‘That just goes to show [Roden’s] lack of experience running a jail,’ said Wilson, who’s been sheriff and jailer since 1997. ‘He doesn’t know how a jail operates on a daily basis.'”

Yes call Roden an idiot for suggesting we shouldn’t leave half the jail doors open 12 hours a day. Maybe there’s a better way than the broken way you do it, Wilson.

We said his claim of no escapes was a “non-truth” or a lie, and this proves that to be the case. If you accept Wilson’s claim, that he forgot, either he’s incompetent/unaware or he has Alzheimer’s. If you’re the Sheriff how do you “forget” about people escaping from jail unless you’re oblivious to what goes on at the jail, or losing your mind? Senile or a liar – neither is what we need as Sheriff.

WQCH Radio, 06/26/2012:

“IF YOU NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE, BETTER VISIT THE CARE MISSION IN LAFAYETTE, THIS WEEK. THE MISSION WILL BE CLOSED NEXT WEEK FOR CLEANING AND REMODELING WORK. THEY’LL BE CLOSED FROM JULY 2nd THROUGH JULY 10th. THOSE WHO’D LIKE TO DONATE CLOTHING OR OTHER ITEMS ARE ASKED TO WAIT UNTIL THE CARE MISSION RE-OPENS ON JULY 10th.”

There’s also a food program feeding kids (under 18) lunch at the Housing Authority every day, all through the summer, and feeding programs that alternate between Second Baptist and First Methodist. Mt. Zion Church in Naomi also has a food pantry available for those in need while the Care Mission is temporarily closed.

Governor Deal has appointed 36-year-old Court of Appeals Judge Keith Blackwell to the GA Supreme Court. He’ll be sworn in on July 19th to replace a retiring judge.

In Georgia we elect the Supreme Court judges, but the governor can select replacements if one ever retires, dies, or otherwise vacates a seat.