The Underground is on break for the remainder of this week. We’re spending time with family and hope you’re fortunate enough to do the same. See some friends or relatives, eat some pie, take a walk, have a drink or a smoke (or don’t), and thank God for the life you have.

Daily Updates will resume Monday; breaking news and occasional light reading will be posted to LU Facebook through the weekend.

“O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion, and be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen.” — Samuel F. Pugh

Consider this an open thread to discuss whatever you choose.

The LaFayette Underground will be taking the rest of this week off for Thanksgiving. Check LU Facebook or Twitter for intermittent posts (minimally) about breaking news or interesting reading throughout the rest of the week. Next Daily Update will be for Monday November 26th – have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.

Congrats to the 5/6 year old and 7U Ramblers teams for winning championships Friday in the North Georgia Youth Football League Superbowl.

FYI, LaFayette garbage customers with Thursday pickup will get their bins emptied this week on Wednesday. Tuesday customers won’t be changed.

And no we don’t know when they’ll bring you a bigger trash bin.

(Bonus FYI: Special City Council meeting tonight at 7 PM.)

Commissioner Heiskell held no public meeting Thursday. There hasn’t been one since the second Thursday of October (18th), and next week is Thanksgiving – but she vowed on UCTV Wednesday night to have one on November 29th. They legally have to meet at least once a month; presumably that meant once in a four-week period but in Bebe’s Walker County the first Thursday of October and the last Thursday of November is “once a month.”

She said they aren’t doing a meeting because nobody ever comes to them. While they might not be standing-room only, there are citizens who try to attend every meeting. The problem is, some of them have started asking questions and taking notes.

If the meetings ARE poorly attended (which most of them probably are) it’s likely because she has them at 10 AM on a weekday when most people are working or in school, because she cancels them at the last minute more than half the time so those who CAN attend usually are inconvenienced, and because she doesn’t listen to her constituents anyway, so most people figure why waste the time?

WQCH Radio, 11/15/12: “LAFAYETTE’S NEW MAIN STREET MANAGER AND DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MATTHEW WILLIAMS, WAS INTRODUCED AT THIS WEEK’S COUNCIL MEETING.

“A NATIVE OF CUMMING, GEORGIA… MATTHEW HAS DEGREES IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND HISTORY FROM NORTH GEORGIA COLLEGE, AND A MASTERS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY, FROM AUBURN. HE MOST RECENTLY WORKED AN INTERNSHIP WITH THE CITY OF CUMMING, WHERE HE HELPED WITH HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND CITY PROMOTION. HE SAW THE OPENING IN LAFAYETTE IN AN ON-LINE AD.

“AS THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM MANAGER, MATTHEW WILL BE WORKING ON THE DOWNTOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND WELL AS SEEKING NEW BUSINESSES TO KEEP THE AREA ‘ALIVE AND THRIVING’. HE WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARDS. HIS OFFICE IS LOCATED IN HISTORIC CHATTOOGA ACADEMY.”

Another outside hire. Apparently Northwest Georgia has completely run out of anybody qualified to do anything, or the locals who might be able to do these jobs know enough about LaFayette that they won’t touch it..

Mr. Williams replaces Catherine Edgemon, who was fired back in September. No doubt he’ll do a better job than she did; it wouldn’t take much.

However, development and preservation are not the same thing. It’s understand all this is funded through multiple grants glommed together to make a single position, but LaFayette needs someone to do historic preservation in the downtown area, and a separate city-wide development authority.

WQCH Radio, 11/12/12: “A GENEROUS DONOR HEARD THE NEWS THAT SOMEONE HAD STOLEN A LAFAYETTE MAN’S WHEEL CHAIR AND DECIDED TO PROVIDE A REPLACEMENT.

“LAFAYETTE POLICE CAPTAIN STACEY MEEKS SAID THE NEWS WAS PICKED-UP FROM OUR WEBSITE, BY A CHATTANOOGA TV STATION. THE DONOR HEARD THE STORY THERE AND POLICE CHIEF BENJIE CLIFT WENT TO CHATTANOOGA TO PICK UP THE DONATED WHEEL CHAIR ON FRIDAY. ‘IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NEW WHEEL CHAIR WILL BE BETTER THAN THE ONE HE HAD’ MEEKS SAID.

“KEVIN SMITH USES THE WHEEL CHAIR AS HE DONATES HIS TIME ON VARIOUS PROJECTS AROUND THE LAFAYETTE AREA, FROM HELPING OUT AT THE CARE MISSION, TO KEEPING THE CITY’S SIDEWALKS CLEAR OF DEBRIS. THE WHEEL CHAIR DONOR WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, MEEKS SAID.”

This is great news for Kevin and shows there are still some caring people left in LaFayette. Hopefully community generosity won’t stop with just a chair or donated money; Kevin’s greatest need isn’t for financial help, but for friendship and guidance. He needs people to be nice to him (he’s often made fun of for his clothing), to talk to him regularly, and help him make good choices. Kevin Smith is just one of many living in the Queen City who need friendship and mentoring more than they need money or materials.

An account set up to raise funds for buying Kevin a new chair has nearly $400, mostly donated by LU readers. With a chair already purchased, there’s no clear direction for the money. Donors have been contacted by the fund coordinator to see what they prefer the funds be used for – some other purchase for Kevin, a charitable donation, or a refund.

Chattanooga Street Tavern is now open. Posted hours are 11A-10P weekdays and 11A-Midnight on weekends.

Apparently they also have food.

Happy Veterans’ Day.

This reunion was a hundred years ago, and these men are long since gone on to Glory. But we have plenty of local veterans still with us, from war time and peace both. Be sure to say “thank you” to any you know.

Most local city and county government offices closed today, no mail service, due to commemoration of Veteran’s Day, which was technically yesterday.

LaFayette City Council meeting tonight at 7:30. Posted agenda includes discussion of the Wardlaw St. closure, road repair complaints, rezoning, basketball uniform bids, employee salary adjustments, and Christmas events like the parade and a Reindeer run fundraiser.

The Veteran’s Day event Friday morning at LHS was well-attended, but the chair representing county government was left empty as the Commissioner’s Office sent no representative to the ceremony. That’s how Bebe! honors Walker’s vets, most of whom probably voted for her.