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Volume 16, Issue 13

Passion play wows audience Change to

election

Special election moved back

March 24, 2010: Governor Sonny Perdue announced the special elections to fill vacant Congressional, State Senate and State House seats in North Georgia will be held May 11 instead of April 27.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp expressed concern that there would not be enough time to get ballots returned from military members stationed overseas.

Moving the election back two weeks would allow more time for the ballots to be printed, mailed out and returned. The qualifying period for candidates wishing to run in any of the three special elections will remain March 29 through March 31.

Voters in the 9th Congressional District must select a replacement for Nathan Deal in the U.S. House. Voters in the 49th State Senate District will fill the legislative seat formerly held by Sen.

Special attorney general to sue federal government

By Elaine owen Sentinel Writer

Gov. Sonny Perdue said he will appoint a special attorney general to sue the federal government over the new federal health care reform law.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday, the governor said he plans to assemble a team of lawyers to file the suit after Attorney General Thurbert Baker refused Perdue’s request to sue.

Baker is a Democrat who is seeking the democratic nomination to succeed Perdue, who is barred from running again due to term limits.

"I think in this economy, in this America that we all grew up in and love, forcing people to purchase things they don’t want to purchase, I think, violates a constitutional right that they have," Perdue said.

Perdue was referring to a part of the new federal legislation that requires nearly everyone to be insured or face paying a fine, starting in 2014. He also said the

By Elaine Owen Sentinel Writer

Lee Hawkins and citizens in the 12th State House District will replace Rep. Tom Graves.

All three elections will be held on May 11 and runoff elections, if needed, will be June 8.

Below is the writ of election for the 9th Congressional District: A vacancy now exists in the United States House of Representatives due to the resignation of the official elected to represent Georgia ’s Ninth District.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 21-2-543 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, a Writ of Election is hereby issued to the Secretary of State for a special election to be held on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, to fill the vacancy in Georgia ’s Ninth District of the United States House of Representatives.

Any inconsistent previous order is hereby rescinded.

law would cost the state millions of dollars every year by expanding Medicaid rolls, forcing the state health insurance plan to cover the adult children of state workers up to age 26 and requiring the state to set up a health care purchasing exchange.

Perdue is not alone in his concerns about how Georgia will pay for mandates in the legislation.

Other states have expressed concerns (mainly) over how expansion of Medicaid would impact their budgets, and many expect to sue the federal government.

In a two-page response to Gov. Perdue, Baker wrote, "I cannot justify a decision to initiate expensive and time-consuming litigation that I believe has no legal merit. In short, this litigation is likely to fail and will consume significant amounts of taxpayers’ hard-earned money in the process."

Following Baker’s refusal of the governor's request to sue, the state constitution gives the governor the right to appoint a

Harrison Keely/Sentinel Photo Blairsville First Baptist drama plays to large audience with charged emotions.

NGTC trains students for jobs

Students achieving a Technical Certificate of Credit at North Georgia Technical College shared a moment of pride with families and friends this week.

Each campus hosted an intimate occasion for students completing a certificate in Fall and Winter quarters. “We have grown so rapidly this past year, we wanted to take the right steps to ensure that everyone would be able to participate fully in our students’ accomplishments,� said Dr. Fran Chastain, Director of Student Affairs. “Holding a ceremony just for recognizing the completion of certificates allows us to better serve everyone.�

Blairsville residents completing their certificates included Contributed Photo Lisa Moesker and Patrick Schmidt in Fire Fighter I; Bri- Back row (L-R): Carol Cash, Della Grant, Chris Highley, and Tammy Irvin. Front row (L-R): Erica Stewart, Amy Poteete, Kelly RaeSee NGTC, page 8A Demick, and Amanda Black.

Through Mountain Mists 0HPRULHV RI (DVWHUV 3DVW

The early morning chill made shivers run through my body. I was but a child, maybe seven or eight at the oldest. I stood with other church members from Choestoe Baptist Church on the crest of the hill on the Holt property. From that vantage point, we had an excellent view of the eastern sky. Already it was tinged with streaks of gold and sparkling magenta. At the very first peek of the sun on the horizon, the Easter Sunrise Service began.

This, to my knowledge at least, was the first sunrise service I had ever attended.

Our pastor, the Rev. Claud Boynton, who had come to our church when I was age six, was what we call a bi-vocational pastor. For his “real� living, he worked under that inimitable forest ranger, Mr. Arthur Woody, to patrol the forests of our section of north Georgia, to build fire breaks, to build roads, and whatever else was assigned to the forestry workers. And, as an additional—and I might add—called—job, he served as By ETHELENE DYER-JONES pastor at Choestoe Baptist Church and at Zion and maybe Mt. Lebanon, too, over Columnist

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CO LU MNS & O P I N I O NS

By Jim Fitzgerald Sentinel Guest Columnist

LEANING LEFT

In earlier columns, I have upset conservative readers by suggesting that their response to Democratic governing has been to throw temper tantrums and to engage in actions that border on anarchy. One reader suggested that my view reflected a fear of conservatives.

In particular, this writer thought I had real problems accepting “thinking folks� that disagreed with me. I do confess to a fear of non-thinking, viscerally oriented folks but thinking people excite me. However, I must ask the conservatives where the “thinking folks� are hiding. Party leaders and quasi-leaders sound just like the protestors outside the Capitol.

It has been one gigantic, ugly, very ugly temper tantrum, especially since health care reform became the law of the land.

I have been looking for “thinking folks� within the conservative community. I prefer to discuss important issues with people who disagree with me. I have written before that I think the very best ideas come from the political dialogue between opposing views.

Unfortunately, such dialogue requires all parties to seek a melding of ideas in order to forge dynamic solutions to thorny issues. This is the point where conservatives left the farm. Their message has been “my way or the highway.� Alternatively, as John Boehner said, “No, we can’t!�

Whereas my previous characterization of conservative behavior may have been controversial, it should now be obvious that my description was actually tame.

Conservatives are acting like hysterical children throwing a prolonged temper tantrum. First, and this addresses the writer, conservatives have failed to put forth a reasonable set of arguments against the current health care reform bill. Nor have they provided any details of how they would reform the system. Yes, I am aware they put out a 219-page document outlining their proposed changes but it was an outline. Outlines lack the specific details that allow one to examine and determine

exactly how the changes would affect the consumer. Where are the “thinking folks� in the conservative movement?

Second, conservatives gave us managed care in 1994 using the same principles outlined in their current 219-page document. Using those principles, people are denied coverage, pre-existing conditions are not covered or there is a long waiting period, cesarean section can be considered a pre-existing condition, people can lose their policy if they get sick, managed care panels determine whether to approve or deny a recommended treatment, and the list of abuses go on. It was conservative principles that created the “donut hole� in the Prescription Drug Bill that costs seniors thousands of dollars a year.

Republicans have had more than 15 years to tweak and reform the health system but did nothing. It took the Democrats to rein in the out-of-control health system that many of us could no longer afford. I have always been puzzled how pro-life adherents can justify abandoning 45 million people without insurance, knowing that about 45,000 a year will die because of a lack of affordable health care. They insist a fertilized egg be brought to term but after birth, the child is on its own. I suppose they are really pro-birth, not prolife.

Third, whether the majority of conservatives are wonderful people or not, the face of the conservative moment is downright ugly. It should never be a problem to have legitimate disagreements.

That is an integral part of this country. However, to disparage, personally attack your opponent, make death threats, and vandalize Congressional offices is very third world, uncivilized, emotional, and hysterical. Limbaugh makes fun of chronic illness and appeals to the worst in us. Protestors in DC called Congressmen the N-word, spit on a Congressman, called Barney Frank a fag, Bart Stupak a “baby killer,� carry signs mocking the President, and bring politics to a new low. Palin has crosshairs on the Congressional districts of Democrats and tells her follow-

ers to “reload.� The fear-mongering, obstructionism, outright lies about “death panels,� and telling seniors they will lose their Medicare are tactics of poor losers, not patriots. The Bachmann’s, King’s, and Fox’s make such outrageous claims as to be unbelievable.

Hysterical, not thoughtful. Declaring the intent to secede from this country because you do not approve of the policies of a legitimately elected government is hysterical.

However, you might say, these public faces do not reflect the conservative movement. Then where are the reasonable public faces? Certainly not McConnell or Boehner who deliberately distort provisions in the health care reform bill and fail to mention that over 200 conservative amendments are contained in the reconciliation bill. I have scoured the internet, newspapers, and letters to the editor looking for conservative voices saying, “These public faces do not represent me or my views.� I did not mention Beck because he appeals to the National Inquirer crowd who believe in two-headed alien babies.

I am not fearful of dissent. I am not fearful of disagreement. I am fearful of hysteria. I am fearful of uninformed, misdirected, and misinformed anger. We have watched countries torn apart over ethnic and religious differences.

This country is not immune to an ideological rendering. After all, we have had one civil war. We do not need another. However, when conservatives call themselves “freedom fighters� and make death threats over extending health coverage to an additional 32 million people that is just a little over the top don’t you think?

Conservatives do not have a lock on the principles that make this country great. They are not the only guardians and interpreters of the Constitution. They are not the only people who think they know the intentions of the founding fathers. However, they do sound a lot like a religious cult, i.e., they think they are the only ones with the “truth.� This democracy is moving on. They need to get on the right side of history.

WHAT "HOPE & CHANGE" LOOK LIKE

By James F. Davis Sentinel Columnist

OK, we now know what “hope and change� means. It means even if the majority of Americans do not want it (59% in the CNN survey the night it was passed), government bureaucratic dictators are going to take over your life decisions in health care and as much of the US private free economy as possible.

Although President Obama, Pelosi and Reed promised the most open and honest administration ever and that everyone would have at least three days to read legislation to be voted upon, we now know they lied.

This bill was passed before virtually all our elected representatives or we constituents had a chance to read or see what is in it. As Nancy Pelosi said, “We have to pass it to see what is in it.�

No one gets any benefits from the bill until four years from now. But you will start be paying for it in the form of higher taxes for the next four years.

Once it starts in 2014, you'll have to pay a penalty of up to $2,085 a year if you don’t pay for mandatory medical insurance. That is a big leap towards dictatorial control of our pri-

vate lives.

It's a good bet your premiums will be significantly higher than they are now, particularly given the ridiculous double counting of revenues. This legislation included no real incentives to lower costs. But there is a lot of incentive for people to go to the doctor more often, because they will not have to pay any more – until the next year! And the massive fraud and waste we have in government run health care now in Medicaid and Medicare will grow exponentially.

The Government mandate in the bill that private insurance companies must have no more than 15% of their costs in administration does not give any evidence of how that can happen. The purpose of this mandate will wipe out our choice of private insurers.

The quality of health care will quickly go downhill for all of us as it has in every country that has given the government control. Putting an additional 30 to 50 million people on the rolls guarantees this because there will be the same number of doctors. Actually, as many as half of all doctors surveyed have indicated they will retire because the amounts they will be reimbursed will not cover their costs.

The Congressional Budget Office looked at this health care plan and estimated that there would still be 22 million Americans uninsured 10 years from now. The liberals and their media have tried to hide this.

Abortions will be funded by you whether you approve of it or not. Health and Human Services Director Kathleen Sebelius admitted that there will be a general fund for the purpose of paying people’s abortion premiums.

In the future you will no longer have the ability to choose your own doctor or get the health plan that you want. Since the government doesn't have to make a profit, and only needs to tax you more to keep its premiums below private companies, its premiums will be lower than private insurance and they will go out of business. But you will pay for it in higher taxes. Businesses will have to opt for the lower premium government insurance and within a few years it will put all private insurance companies out of business.

And lastly, President Obama has excluded children going to Catholic and private schools from the egg roll on the White House lawn. Happy Easter!

The Green Column Can you afford to live green?

In a recent meeting, the question was asked about building the housing development green. The answer was, “No, we will not be adding to the cost of these homes.�

Most people believe that building green makes a home more expensive, and with the current economy, we are all looking for ways to spend less. Everyone knows that solar panels cost a lot of money.

Organic foods cost extra. Many believe they cannot afford to live green.

Can living green reduce your cost of living?

Yes, in three ways.

First, by reducing energy costs.

Weatherizing existing buildings is where to begin. This is being proposed as part of the economic stimulus plan. If you are building or remodeling, you have the perfect opportunity to make your building much more efficient. As energy costs increase, so will the amount you are saving. There are ways to do this that do not cost extra during

By Richard C. MacCrea Andrews Valley Initiative

construction. There are also ways that cost extra, but save enough energy costs to compensate.

You can also reduce your cost of living by designing your building to fit the site. This can reduce construction costs, make your building more attractive and easier to maintain, and reduce energy costs.

How? Have you ever noticed how the snow melts much sooner on the south slopes of the mountains?

That's because the sun shines from the south in the winter. Take advantage of this with south facing glass and you will be much more comfortable and reduce your heating costs. What about getting too hot in the summer? Easy. Design the roof to shade the glass in the summer (when the sun is at a different angle). Also, reduce the need for expensive excavation and retaining walls by carefully paying attention to the slope of the land.

A third way that living green can reduce your cost of living has to do with your health. Medical costs are skyrocketing. Can your building be involved? Yes. Studies show that pollution levels are many times higher inside our buildings than outside. Choosing materials that are healthier, building in ways that prevent mold, getting rid of radon gas, and including universal design principles can all keep you more healthy in your home. Universal design? You should build your home to be comfortable to someone with disabilities. If you don't, and you end up in a wheel chair, will you have to remodel your home, or sell it? Why not design for this during construction?

It doesn't have to cost extra. In fact it can save you money. An AARP study concluded that this is your best retirement investment. Why? Because so many people end up in nursing homes earlier because their own home will not accommodate their needs as they age.

Many of these principles can make your home safer for you and your guests, and more valuable.

There are many other ways living green can reduce your cost of living.

Richard C. MacCrea is the director of The Greening of Andrews Valley, a program of Andrews Valley Initiative. He works in the field of energy efficient, green building. rmaccrea@ verizon.net

YOUR HEALTH MATTERS

As spring and summertime gets closer, we think more about traveling. My husband and I will be making a couple of trips in the next few months—both involving air travel.

I’ve gotten more disenchanted with getting on a plane these days! The hassles at the airport before you leave the ground is often enough to make you give it up all together!

But, as with many things in life, we find the need to rise above it!

This is a good time to review the topic of Air Travel Health & Safety Tips. Do you remember that TV commercial that showed the man in an airline seat and what all went on in that seat before he sat in it and then the people sitting next to him and what they were doing!? I can’t fly without thinking of it! I take a lot of hand sanitizer and also the individual packets of moist towelettes.

The main thing we all need to remember is to KEEP OUR HANDS AWAY FROM OUR FACE! Wash your hands every chance you get!

Here are a number of tips to take charge of your health in-flight.

The air is very dry and you may feel parched—like in a desert. You may need to use a moisturizer on your skin more often.

Try not to travel if you have a head cold, flu, or sinus infection.

The cabin pressure will make the symptoms feel painfully worse.

Under normal health conditions doctors may suggest that you take a decongestant (SudafedŽ) if you always get “stopped-up� on a flight.

I take one about an hour before departing if it is a flight more than two hours and I also have my normal saline nasal spray handy to constantly spray to keep my nasal passage from drying-out. You may find that lightly coating the area around the edge of your nose with petroleum jelly (I personally prefer MentholatumÂŽ) to avoid tenderness caused by dry air.

By Claudia Parks RN Columnist

Bring lots of chewing gum for changes in air pressure. Ears don’t always pop just during take-off and landing times, but during the flight.

Helps with the nerves as well! If you get pain in your ears you can help the process by swallowing, chewing gum, yawning, or opening your mouth wide.

Do not fly soon after surgery.

You should always check with your doctor—they may not mention this to you, making the assumption that you won’t be going anywhere real soon—especially by air. When traveling with a broken bone and especially if in a hard cast, make sure your doctor has provided you with adequate pain medication. The compression in-flight can make a broken bone feel excruciatingly painful.

If you are concerned about blood clots and the much publicized tourist class syndrome (DVT-deep vein thrombosis) consider taking an aspirin before flying as it has blood thinning properties. Of course if this is a real concern and frankly should be—check with your doctor. Remember: Avoid crossing your legs while seated. Get up from your seat and walk up and down the aisle at least once an hour.

Drink at least 8 ounces of water every hour or two and avoid alcohol,

Worth Considering...

A Thought for Today “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection.�

-from Book of Common Prayer “All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres.�

-Maltbie D. Badcock (1858-1901)

caffeinated beverages, and salty foods. Wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Keep the space under the seat in front of you empty so you can exercise your feet and ankles occasionally by turning your feet at the ankle in circular patterns.

Flexing and extending your feet from the ankle can help as well.

Pack your own neck pillow—it is rare for an airline to furnish pillows and blankets these days!

Keep all vital medications with you on board. Be sure you have more than enough for your trip.

Jet lag: Crossing time zones often leads to jet lag, which can result in headaches, upset stomach and nausea, difficulty concentrating, and trouble sleeping. Keep well hydrated before, during, and after your flight. Change your wristwatch to the new time as soon as you arrive at your destination, and adjust your sleeping and eating schedule to the new time zone. Engaging in social activities can also help your body clock adjust. When trying to stay awake, eat protein and vegetables and avoid starchy foods like pastas, breads, and rice.

I listed a few helpful hints when traveling by air. For a lot more helpful information go to: cdc.gov/travel and the CDC Travelers hotline 1-877-F YI-TRIP(394-8747) andtravel.state.gov/travel/tips/ tips_1232.html Good luck!

Claudia Parks, RN, is a former doctor’s office and emergency room nurse and retired as an educator from Fulton County (GA) Schools.

She writes Your Health Matters as a public service; the information here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of your physician. Claudia and her husband make their home in the beautiful north Georgia Mountains near Blairsville. You may contact Claudia at yhm@windstream.net

On Easter morning bright He rose From tomb of darkness breaking; Christ the Lord who conquered death The way of life thus taking To bring us hope, to give us life, Nevermore us forsaking.

All nature bursts in splendid bloom To celebrate our release from doom.

-Ethelene Dyer Jones

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We must make our voices heard Mists:

By Sen. Jim Butterworth Georgia Senator

Early this week, when Washington leadership forced their version of health care reform through to the president’s signature, the speaker of the House invoked very powerful words. Nancy Pelosi quoted the Declaration of Independence saying we have honored “the vows of our founders, who in the Declaration of Independence said that we are ‘endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’�

I offer to Speaker Pelosi that she should have kept reading. If she had, she would have read that “to secure these rights, governments are to be instituted among men.� The United States Constitution actually gives states the right to further protect citizens from federal encroachment.

It is not up to the federal government to create such mandates as requiring every citizen to purchase health care. We must continue to fight for what we know is right.

Thirty-eight states across the country are coming together and taking drastic steps to adopt legislation that will protect states’ rights and block the unconstitutional mandates that are being forced upon us and our children. I am happy to report that Georgia is one of these states. Your state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 317 out of the Senate last week, which says that no law can mandate you to participate in any health care program. State leadership is also pursuing available avenues for legal action against the legislation.

The architects of the Declaration of Independence wrote that our state and national leaders derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.� Understandably, we expect our leaders in Washington to take a stand for their constituents

because they are elected to serve at the will of the people. In order to serve at the will of the people, they must be open to listening to the people. We were misled to think that leadership in Washington, including the president, reached across the aisle for bi-partisan support. I contest that the only bipartisan aspect of this bill was the opposition. Several Democrats walked across the aisle to vote against the health care bill because they understood their role as an elected public servant.

This is not the first time in recent history that we have seen Washington turn its back on the American people. After seizing control of the automobile industry, Washington has now stolen control of our health care industry with bribery and arm-twisting. Soon, they will be attempting to high jack environmental trade practices.

While it is important to get our message out, it is even more important to act. We are afforded the right and privilege to vote. It is our ultimate voice as citizens when our leaders push our ideals aside.

Talk with your neighbors and get involved. Write the president, call the White House and most importantly - vote. Make your voice heard.

As always, I am proud to serve my constituents of the 50th district of Georgia. As legislators, we pray each day that we will have the strength and the wisdom to build a state that is healthy and economically prosperous. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to face tough decisions, confident that our sacrifices today will mean a better Georgia for tomorrow.

Sen. Jim Butterworth represents the 50th Senate District which includes Towns, Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, Banks, Franklin, and Hart counties along with a portion of White County. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at jim.butterworth@senate.ga.gov.

Continued from page 1A

to suches community. Later, he would go to full-time status as pastor, with Choestoe and Blairsville First as his charges, and eventually only Blairsville First. But the Easter sunrise service of note was rather early in his career as an outstanding pastor in the hills of North Georgia.

Pastor Boynton had many innovative ideas that we at Choestoe had not experienced before. One of them was to hold an Easter sunrise service.

And so we were gathered there, on the crest of the Holt property hill, awaiting the sunrise that early Easter morning.

As I mentioned above, I was cold. Mornings in Choestoe in March or early April (I did not look back to see which month Easter might have fallen, for I really don’t know exactly what year that long-ago sunrise service was held.) Even wrapped in my warmest coat, the early morning cold penetrated, and I wondered if I had been wise to attend the service. Everything about it was new and unusual to my child mind.

But the impression it made has held for my lifetime since then. I became aware at a very early age of how special Easter is. W here there was death and a tomb, there came, instead, resurrection from the dead and an empty grave. W here there was sadness and mourning, there came joy and hope.

From that point onward in my life, any time I stood at the grave of one beloved, I did not

consider the doom associated with death but the victory in resurrection.

You might say the cold I felt on that long-ago Easter morning when I attended my first sunrise service turned to a warmth in my heart that sees beyond death to life everlasting.

I can see in my mind’s eye the brilliance of the sunrise on that long ago Easter. I return again and again to the words my pastor, the Rev. Claud Boynton read from Matthew 28:1-10 (or maybe he read from Mark 16:1-11, or Luke 24:1-12, or John 20:1-18, all accounts of the resurrection).

The experience of that first sunrise service made a deep and lasting impression on me.

It changed my perspective on death and dying and gave me hope for life and eternity.

How much would I need that hope, and how it grew into fruition a few years later when my beloved aunt, grandfather and my own mother died (I was only fourteen at her death).

So Easter is a time of hope.

It was many years later, 1978, as a matter of fact. It was not even Easter in early spring but July, and heat from the sun in the Holy Land let us (my husband Grover, his sister Estelle and I) know that we were in a strange land. But in a sense, it was not a strange land, for most of my life I had read and heard about the places Jesus frequented when He was in the flesh upon this earth.

My husband and I, in that summer of 1978, were having the privilege of visiting his sister Estelle who was a missionary to the Holy Land. We went together to many of the sites described in the Bible and where Jesus traveled, performed His miracles, taught His disciples. And finally, the sites where He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, was tried by the Jewish Sanhedrin and in the Roman Praetorium, traveled on the Via Dolorosa (The Way of Sorrows), went to the cross on Golgotha, was placed in the tomb offered

by Joseph of Arimathea, and then on that glorious First Easter, the tomb was empty.

We experienced seeing the empty tomb and hearing a service of celebration beside it.

I thought of times in my husband’s ministry when he had led Easter sunrise services at various churches he pastored.

All of those early morning vigils were filled with hope and joy. The visit to Jerusalem and the Garden Tomb was indeed a highlight of my Christian life and journey. But as impressive as the visit to the empty Garden Tomb was in our Holy Land trip, it was no more impressive than that first Easter sunrise service in my memory when the sun burst forth from behind the mountains as the assembly of faithful believers gathered on Holt’s Hill in Choestoe. Resurrection took on a most significant meaning then.

Union County Arrest Report March 22- March 28, 1010 03/23/10 Michael Andrew Cheek, 24, of Blairsvile, GA arrested for bench warrant

Rachelle Vandora Ledford, 46, of Blairsville, GA arrested for deposit account fraud (14 counts)

Jerri Lynne Leggett, 47, of Blairsville, GA arrested for bench warrant

Pamela Ladell Hinson, 54, of Blairsville, GA arrested for deposit account fraud (3 counts)

Walter Ericson Mease, 56, of Signal Mountain,TN serving time

Melissa Dawn Green, 32,. of Morganton, GA serving time

03/24/10 Denise Marie Ullrich, 29, of Long Beach, CA arrested for bench warrant

Aarynn Deandra Wills, 32, of Blairsville, GA serving time

03/25/10 Edward Albert Carroll, 30, of Hiawassee, GA arrested for disorderly conduct (city) Steven Montgomery Burrell, 43, of Blairsville, GA arrested for child molestation 03/26/10 Tammy Annette Howard, 41, of Blairsville, GA hold for other agency

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Attorney: Continued from page 1A

special attorney general who will have the same power as the state attorney general in this specific matter, Perdue said.

Georgia probably will not join the lawsuit filed by attorneys general in at least 13 other states who are challenging what they see as an unconstitutional over-reach of federal power. Georgia will likely file a separate suit, Perdue said. "I think we run the risk of bearing some burden of shared costs if we join other states," he said.

According to Perdue, several lawyers have volunteered to take the state’s case without

pay.

The issue has fast become a bone of contention at the Capitol, where Republicans have attacked Baker’s decision not to follow Perdue’s direction.

One state representative said if (Attorney General) Baker tries to block Perdue’s selection of a special attorney general, House Republicans may move forward with articles of impeachment against Baker for failing to uphold his oath of office.

A spokesman for Baker said he had no plans to oppose Perdue’s authority to choose an

outside attorney.

Even as the impeachment process appears to be in motion, some lawmakers say it will not succeed because the threshold for impeachment is too high by requiring a vote of one-half of the State House and two-thirds of the State Senate.

The basis of the Articles of Impeachment are that Baker has violated Article V, Section 3, Paragraph IV of the state Constitution and OCGA §4515-35, both of which direct the Attorney General to take on matters of the state in court at the direction of the Governor.

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GEORGIA SENTINEL ‡ 7KXUVGD\ $SULO

C A L E NDA R Union: Upcoming Events Ca s t aw ay C r i t t e r s Pe t Rescue Castaway Critters Pet Rescue is s e e k i n g a F u n d r a i s i n g C o r d i n a t o r.

Individual will plan and coordinate various fund-raisers for the financial needs of the animals, transport of dogs, and upkeep of dog and cat shelters. Please call J u n e Yo u n g a t 7 0 6 - 4 0 0 - 8 6 1 2 , o r Martha Rollison at 706-379-2729.

C h i l d r e n' s Th e a t e r

"James and the Giant Peach," this season's first Sunny D Children's T h e a t e r p l a y, w i l l o p e n M a r c h 2 6 a t 7 : 3 0 p . m . A d d i t i o n a l p e r f o rmances will be staged March 27 and April 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. and March 27 at 2 p.m. The theater is located at 2591 East First Street in Blue Ridge. For tickets or more information, call (706) 6329223.01.

April "Dining w i t h Fr i e n d s "

For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one or family m e m b e r, f r i e n d o r o t h e r l o s s , a n d

would enjoy a meal with others with the same loss, please come a n d j o i n u s . We w i l l m e e t A p r i l 9 t h @ 11 : 3 0 a . m . a t D a n i e l s ' Steakhouse in Hiawassee, Ga., in their small private dinning room, k n o w n a s t h e " L i b r a r y " . We l o o k forward to meeting you there. For questions, please call Suzanne Repp, Bereavement Counselor with Regency Hospice at 706896-1251 or 1-800-597-8791.

Po s t m a s t e r s Co nve n t i o n

The Postmasters will be having their state convention at the

Union: Recurring Events SUPPORT Road to Recovery

Are you a cancer patient? Do you need a ride to and from your treatment sessions?

A lack of transportation should not be the reason why cancer patients do not receive the life-saving cancer treatment they need. The American Cancer Society offers their Road to Recovery program to help transport cancer patients to and from their treatment. The Society has a toll-free number that you may call, and an operator will put you in touch with local volunteers that give cancer patients without personal transportation rides to and from their cancer treatment sessions.

Give them a call at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Man to Man

Prostate Cancer Support Group—3rd Monday of every month from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at The Cancer Treatment Center Auditorium, 750 Deep South Road, Blairsville.

Parkinson’s support

Our group meets at 3 p.m. on the 2nd Wednesday of each month in the conference room of the Union County Public Library. For further information contact Paula Wilde at (706) 745- 6594 or Peter and Helen Schultze at (706) 745-9171.

Alcoholics Anonymous

Blairsville group meets every Monday and Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. at the Mountain Presbyterian Church on Hwy. 515. For more information call 706-994-4462.

T.O.P.S.

TOPS (Take Pounds Off Sensibly) support group is moving to a new location at Zion United Methodist Church, 4812 Young Harris Hwy. Time weigh in 5:00; meeting starts at 5:30. Come join us to learn how to lose weight the sensible way. Membership fee of $24 includes monthly magazine subscription. Monthly awards and contests, weekly programs on nutrition and health. For more information call Sandy at 706-835-1607.

Morning Coffee Group

Regency Hospice announces Men’s Morning Coffee Group at Mary Ann’s Restaurant. For men who have a lost spouse, partner, or experienced other losses and would like to share with other men, please join us on Tuesday at 10 a.m. We meet the first and third Tuesday morning of each month.

For more information call Suzanne Repp, Bereavement Counselor at Regency Hospice in Hiawassee, Ga., at 800-577-8791.

Cancer Support Group

At the United Community Bank in Hayesville, N.C. Patients, families and friends are all welcome to attend. United Community Bank is located at the corner of Hwy. 64 and Hwy. 69. Meeting time is 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The group will meet twice a month (on the 2nd and 4th Mondays). For more information, please call Janet Curns evenings at 828-3890295.

Narcotics Anonymous Weekly Meetings List

Mondays - 7 p.m. 12-Step meeting at Union County Annex Building located at 71 Hospital Street. This is an open meeting. Union County Anti-Drug Coalition.

Tuesdays - 4 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Towns County Avita Community Partners. Meet at 1100 Jack Dayton Circle, Young Harris, Ga. Tuesdays - 7 p.m. Discussion meeting at Union County Annex Building & New Hope Counseling at 71 Hospital St. Wednesdays - 6 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Union County Avita Community Partners. 41 Hospital St., Suite 100, Blairsville.

Fridays - 8 p.m. Open discussion meeting at Union County Annex & New Hope Counseling, 71 Hospital St. All the meetings are open & anyone can attend. For more information regarding any of these meetings, please call 706897-9775, 706-896-6263 or 706-7454066.

Bereavement Support Group Meeting

Welcome to a community bereavement support group. A place to share your thoughts and feelings and grow together with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one. First Thursday of every month at United Community Bank, Small Community Room, Blairsville from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.We will only meet once per month. Facilitator: Suzanne Repp, LCSW. The group is presented by Regency Hospice and is free of charge. Please call 1-800-577-8791 or 706-896-1251 for more information.

Young Harris Al Anon

The Young Harris Al Anon Family Group will meet at 12 Noon every Tuesday in Young Harris, Ga., at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church, Room 105.

For more information, please call 706781-3158.

Your Journey From Mourning to Joy

GriefShare is a Biblically-based weekly support group for people grieving the

death of someone close. It’s a place where you can be around people who understand how you feel and the pain of your loss. At GriefShare, you’ll learn valuable information that will help you through this difficult time in your life.

A GriefShare group meets every Tuesday, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. starting September 1, at All Saints Lutheran Church in Blairsville. Call 706 745-7777 for more information.

ACTIVITIES GWRRA meets

Chapter J of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) meets the fourth Saturday of each month at Daniel’s Steakhouse, Hiawassee, GA. We eat at 11 AM followed by the meeting at 12:00 during which rides and other activities are announced and discussed.

We encourage current members of the GWRRA and anyone interested in becoming a member to join us. All motorcyclists are welcome and we look forward to seeing participants from other chapters.

There are great rides coming up and we hope many of you will join us.

For further information, contact Chapter Director, June Gottlieb, 706-8967403

Tri-State Business Women

Formerly known as Business Women of Blairsville, the Tri-State Business Women is an organization of entrepreneurial women in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee who own and operate their own businesses and are a positive force in the community. Their vision and mission is to support one another in continuing success through networking and marketing.

If you are a woman in business in the area, there is a place for you to receive support, gain leads, and spread the word about your practice or business in the area. Meetings are held every Tuesday of the month at 8 a.m. at Grinds N Glazes in Blairsville. For more information, please contact Susanne Johnson, President, at 706-781-1678 or Cathy Wheeler at 706781-1050.

Ga. Mtn. Writers Club

We meet 10 a.m. to noon the second Wednesday of the month at the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic church on the Young Harris Highway. We have no PHPEHUVKLS GXHV RU HOHFWHG RIÀFHUV DQG meet to share our writings and provide helpful criticism, inspiration, motivation and encouragement to each other. Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be a writer - just visit and enjoy listening to readings and discussion. You will be entertained – and maybe acquire a new interest. Call for information: Larry Casey at 781-6636 or Ellie Dobson at 745-0678. Knights of Columbus, North Georgia Council Knights of Columbus, North Georgia Council, monthly meeting is on the second Thursday of the month and meets 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Blairsville. All active members are invited to attend the meeting and social hour.

Bagpipe Instruction

The Appalachian Saint Andrew’s Pipes and Drums bagpipe band is offering free instruction to all who want to learn how to play the Great Highland Bagpipe or learn Regimental Drumming. The band meets each Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon in the Parish Hall of Saint Clare’s Episcopal Church for instruction and practice. For further information, please call 706-835-9071 or 706-745-3526.

Mountain High Hiker's Schedule

Mountain High Hikers schedule two hikes each Tuesday, occasionally specialty hike, and regular trail maintaining trips- all in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia.

Check the web site: MountainHighHikers. org for schedule and meeting locations or call 828-389-8240 for information.

Kiwanis Club

The Kiwanis Club of Blairsville is dedicated to serving and supporting young people in the immediate area around Blairsville through numerous projects.

The Kiwanis Club meets at the Cobb’s Mill restaurant in Blairsville at 12:00 Noon each Monday. Come join in the fun with us. For more information, contact President Charlie Krick at (706)7816793.

DAV

The Disabled American Veterans meet monthly on the second Monday of each month at noon in the Old Nursing Home, Room 116, in Blairsville. Please join them.

Club 180 for Teens

Join us on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. for fellowship, fun and snacks at Choestoe Baptist Church, 4455 Choestoe Church Rd., located south of Blairsville off Hwy. 129 and Hwy. 180. For more information and directions, please call the church at 706745-6370.

Mountain Sounds

We meet every 2nd & 4th Tuesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30p.m. at the Senior Center in Blairsville. No matter if you just started playing the dulcimer or if you are experienced, come join us for a good time playing your favorite songs and learning new songs. For more information, please contact LaDale at 706-835-1688 or raydale@windstream.net. Hope to see you at our next meeting!

Just 4 Hours

Just 4 hours a week can make a big differ-

ence in caring for abandoned and abused animals. Just 4 hours to walk dogs. Just 4 hours to groom dogs or cats. Just 4 house to clean the cattery. Just 4 hours to transport dogs and/or cats to the vet. If you have just 4 hours a week to volunteer your time and energy, please contact Castaway Critters at 706-781-3992 or call Martha at 706-379-2729.

Trout Unlimited

Trout Unlimited meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at Cadence Bank conference room in Blairsville at 7:00 p.m. For more information, please call Marcus Tuschel at 706-835-9010.

B r a s s t o w n Va l l e y R e s o r t o n A p r i l 9 - 11 .

Wr i t e r s C i r l ce

A new writing program begun

by Glenda Beall, will hold the f i r s t w r i t i n g c l a s s , W h o a r e Yo u a n d W h y D o Yo u Wr i t e ? Tu e s d a y, A p r i l 6 , 1 0 : 0 0 a . m . - 1 : 0 0 p.m. at her studio on Chatuge Lane, Hayesville, NC. Class fee is $35.00 except for those who h a v e d i s c o u n t c o u p o n s . To r e g i s ter or learn more about this class and upcoming classes throughout t h e s p r i n g a n d s u m m e r, c o n t a c t Glenda Beall, writerlady21@yahoo.com or call 828-389-4441. At 1 : 0 0 p . m . Wa y n e D r u m h e l l e r w i l l hold a free class on creating your own digital books with Creative Memories software. Those who come in the morning and wish to stay for the afternoon class should

questions and we will try to find y o u a n a n s w e r. J o i n u s f o r a n i n teresting evening discussing home c o m p u t e r s t u ff . T h e m e e t i n g w i l l b e h e l d i n t h e G o o l s b y C e n t e r, Yo u n g H a r r i s C o l l e g e . A l l t h e Mountain Computer User Group meetings are open to the public the 2nd Monday of each month.

Great door prizes areawarded to m e m b e r s p r e s e n t . F o r m o r e i n f o rm a t i o n p l e a s e g o t o w w w. m c u g . o rg .

Auto Club

The next meeting of the Good Neighbors Auto Club will be on Thursday starting at 7:00 PM. Meeting to be held at Brothers Restaurant in Murphy, NC. All meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Thursday of each month.

Mountain Experimental Aircraft Community Seniors The meeting opened with the Pledge of Association $OOHJLDQFH WR RXU Ă DJ DQG WKH VLQJLQJ RI The Experimental Aircraft Association local tri-state EAA Chapter #1211 meets the third Thursday, 7 p.m. of each month at Blairsville airport. For more information, contact Jim Olson at 828-557-2446.

Shooting Creek Basket Weavers

The Shooting Creek Basket Weavers Guild meets on the 2nd Wed. of each month from 9:45 until 2:00 at the ShootLQJ &UHHN &RPPXQLW\ &HQWHU ÀUH VWDtion) in NC. Refreshments are served and a business meeting is held before a weaving project is presented. For more information, contact Joan (Guild president) at 706-896-1534.

UC Republican Party

The Union County Republican Party holds its monthly meetings on the third Saturday of each month at Victoria’s Sweet Shop. Meetings begin at 9am and have an optional breakfast for $6. More information can be found at www.uniongop.org.

Tri-State Business Women

Women business owners in the tri-state area are welcome to attend and join our weekly meeting every Tuesday at 8am.

Meetings are held at the Blairsville Restaurant with breakfast available to those interested. Come and see how women are making an impact as leaders in our community. For more information visit www. tri-statebusinesswomen.com.

Republican Women Of Union County

The RWUC meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Meetings are held in the Brackett Room at the United Community Bank. For more information visit www.RepublicanWomenOfUnion.org.

Mothers of Preschoolers

0236 ,QWHUQDWLRQDO D QRQ SURĂ€W PRWKering organization, creates communities and resources to help make "better moms who make a better world." A MOPS group is a place where moms can comejust as they are-to build friendships, receive mothering support, practical help and spiritual hope. Join us - because better moms, make a better world! Visit us at www.MOPS.org Mothers of Preschoolers meets on the Third Thursday of each month in the new fellowship hall at First Baptist Church of Blairsville from 6-8pm. Call the church RIĂ€FH DW IRU PRUH LQIRUPDtion or email us at mopsofblairsville@ gmail.com.

Smokie Mountain Melodies

Smokie Mountain Melodies is a ladies barbershop-style chorus whose members FRPH IURP ÀYH FRXQWLHV LQ 1RUWK *HRUJLD and Western North Carolina. As a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, the chorus is committed to a goal of advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances.

Smokie Mountain Melodies meets every Tuesday night at 6:30 at the First United Methodist of Union County in Blairsville, Georgia located at 859 Highway 515.

Any women who have a love of singing are welcome to join. For more information call the Director, Phyllis Baker at 706-379-3836.

Forming Gourmet Dinner Club

6KDUH VXSHUE GLQQHUV ZLWK RWKHU ÀQH dining connoisseurs, must have some gourmet cooking skills and room to host candle light, sit down dinners in your home. Full time and part time residents welcome. Hiawassee and Young Harris.

Limited membership. Call Diane 706835-5007

Amateur Radio

Attention HAMs and anyone interested in Amateur Radio. The North Georgia Tri-State A.R.C. (Amateur Radio Club) PHHWLQJV DUH KHOG RQ WKH ÀUVW 7XHVGD\ RI each month at 7 p.m. at Branan Lodge in Blairsville. All of our meetings are open to the public. Our next meeting is to be held December. For more information about joining the Club or becoming a HAM, call Don Deyton at 706-781-6665.

Amateur license testing will be held on December 7th in Blairsville at 310 Welborn Street, Blairsville, GA. Contact Bob Ochs at 706-838-4728 for more information.

Computer Club On April 12th at 7PM there will be

a presentation of Snagit by MCUG S e c r e t a r y / Tr e a s u r e r G e o rg e D o n e g a n . G e o rg e , a f o u n d i n g m e m b e r s of the club, will present and demo n s t r a t e S n a g i t , a Wi n d o w s b a s e d screen capture program. A Q&A session will begin at 6 PM (prior to the presentation) so bring your

b r i n g a b a g l u n c h . C o ff e e , w a t e r and snacks will be provided.

H i aw a s s e e R i ve r Wa t e r s h e d Co a l i t i o n

The Board of Directors of the H i w a s s e e R i v e r Wa t e r s h e d C o a l i tion will meet at Blue Mountain C o ff e e & G r i l l i n P e a c h t r e e o n T h u r s d a y, A p r i l 8 , a t 7 : 0 0 p m . H RW C i s a n o n p r o f i t o rg a nization that works to facilitate water quality improvements in To w n s a n d U n i o n c o u n t i e s , G A and Cherokee and Clay count i e s , N C . T h e H RW C o ff i c e i s l o c a t e d a t 3 7 11 E U S H i g h w a y 6 4 Alternate, Ste. 4 in the Peachtree C o m m u n i t y o f M u r p h y, N C a n d i s o p e n M o n d a y - T h u r s d a y, 8 : 3 0 4 : 3 0 . C a l l H RW C a t ( 8 2 8 ) 8 3 7 5414, toll-free (877) 863-7388,

or email info@hrwc.net, for more information.

Grief Support

The Board of Directors of the Amedisys Hospice Services will establish a monthly Grief Support Group to provide support, discussion and conversation for those who have lost loved ones.

T h e m e e t i n g w i l l b e h e l d F r i d a y, April 9 from 2 - 3 p.m. at the U n i o n C o u n t y S e n i o r C e n t e r. T h e m e e t i n g w i l l b e l e d b y D r. J o e K e m p e r, C h a p l a i n o f A m e d i s y s Hospice Services. The public is invited to attend this free event and refreshments will be provided. For more information about the Grief Support Group contact D r. J o e K e m p e r, C h a p l a i n , t o l l free at 866-277-9851.

the Old Testament understanding of the Passover. If you would like to join us for the Seder meal, please call the church ofÀFH DW WR UHVHUYH \RXU SODFH at the table.

Following the Seder, we will explore the New Testament understanding of the Passover as we participate in a Communion/Tenebrae Worship Service at 7:30 p.m. The liturgy of Tenebrae is characterized by the gradual extinguishing of candles while gospel scriptures are read which describe the time between the Last Supper and the Passion of Christ.

In the darkness of Easter morning, April 4, we will be gathering for an Easter Dawn Vigil at Meeks Park in Blairsville to remember our Savior in worship and to give thanks for his resurrection. The service will be led by both Mountain Pres-

byterian Church and Mountain of Life Lutheran Church. Following this morning service we will share in a continental breakfast.

Park in the lower parking lot of Meeks Park and follow the luminaries that mark the path to worship. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held under shelter #2 near the parking lot. Bring your lawn chair if you wish to sit.

At 11:00 a.m. in the church sanctuary we will celebrate our Lord’s resurrection with joyous praise and thanksgiving. You’re invited to worship and rejoice with us on WKLV PRVW KRSH ÀOOHG GD\ RI WKH \HDU Mountain Presbyterian Church is located at 3831 Highway. 515 East (Young Harris Highway), Blairsville, GA. For more information or for directions to the church, please call 706.745.8036.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – We all know how ir-

for Life on June 4, 2010. Wig drop off locations

God Bless America, led by Lois Looper and accompanied on the piano by Rachel Caviness. The refreshment tables were decorated using the Easter theme in soft pastel colors of pinks, yellow, blues, and greens. Rachel played back-ground music as we enjoyed the refreshments and visited with friends.

Robin Watts, Care Consultant from Regency Hospice, was our guest speaker and she shared valuable information with us. We thank her!

Robert Brewster, our Towns County extension Agent, will be the guest speaker for our next meeting. Come hear an expert as he enlightens us on Vegetable Gardening, etc.

We meet the 2nd Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. at the Senior Center in Hiawassee. We always welcome our friends and neighbors in Clay and Union Counties!

Do come and join us!

Organizational Meeting

,I \RX DUH D &HUWLĂ€HG 0DVWHU *DUGHQHU interested in supporting projects in Towns and Union counties, please join us at 6PM, March 18th at the Blairsville Civic Center for an organizational meeting. We will discuss potential projects, as well as review possible meeting locations and dates and time for monthly meetings. For additional information, please contact Patti Bransford at 706896-6430, or cell 706-781-4040. email: bransford@brmemc.net The Master Gardener Program in Georgia is a volunteer training program designed to help Extension agents transfer research-based information about gardening and related subjects to the public by training home gardeners.

For more information about the Master Gardener program in your area, contact WKH &RRSHUDWLYH ([WHQVLRQ RIĂ€FH QHDUHVW you.

Mountain Coin Club

meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Early activities begin at 5:30. Meeting follows at 6:30 p.m. The club meets at Cadence Bank in Blairsville. For more information, call YOCS, 706-379-1488.

MOAA

The Blue Ridge Mountains Chapter of the 0LOLWDU\ 2IĂ€FHUV $VVRFLDWLRQ RI $PHULFD (MOAA) meets the third Monday of each month at various area restaurants. All active duty, National Guard, reserve, retired, former military, Public Health Service, NOAA RIĂ€FHUV ZDUUDQW RIĂ€FHUV DQG VXUYLYLQJ spouses are invited to attend. For information please contact one of the following individuals, in North Carolina: Jim Ferrell at 828-335-9203, and in Georgia: John Quinlan at 706-896-2430, or visit www.moaa. org/chapter/blueridgemountains.

CHURCH Cornerstone Community Church

Special Easter Sunday Service 11:00am April 4 at Cornerstone Community Church Andrews 191 Robinson Road. Free gift for DOO ÀUVW WLPH YLVLWRUV DQG FDQG\ IRU DOO RI WKH children. We will be having special music selections by Adults, Teens and Children.

We will also be showing a special 4 minute video called "Sunday's Comin'" Everyone is welcome. For more info call 321-3777 www.cornerstoneandrews.org

Meeks Park

Begin your Celebration of our Lord's Resurrection with an Easter Vigil at Meeks Park in Blairsville. Surrounded by the beauty of Creation, the service will begin in the dark at 7 a.m. As the dawn of light appears, Readings from Scripture and Holy Communion will take place. Imagine hearing the Creation Account in Genesis read as the mist rises off of the Nottely River and the birds begin to chirp. The Service is sponsored by and Mountain Presbyterian (USA) and Mountain of Life, a Mission Development of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In America (ELCA). Questions or more LQIRUPDWLRQ HPDLO DW PRXQWDLQRĂ LIH# gmail.com. The service will take place where Butternut Creek meets the Nottely River. Directions: Park in lower parking lot of Meeks Park, walk path to the right along Butternut Creek until it meets Nottely river. In case of inclement weather the service will be held under shelter #2 near the parking lot. Bring your own lawn chair if you wish to sit. Coffee and fellowship will follow.

Easter Week Mtn. Presbyterian Church

:H FRQWLQXH WKLV WLPH RI UHĂ HFWLRQ ZRUship and praise with a Seder meal on Maundy Thursday, April 1st, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Seder is a Jewish ritual feast held during Passover and is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving as they remember the liberation from Egypt. As we share the meal, we will be exploring

ritating it is when we’re having a bad hair day, but can you imagine how it must feel to be losing your hair, and possibly even your hope?

With the “A Good Hair Day� Wig Drive spon-

include: NGMC Radiation Oncology Department (bottom floor of the Outpatient Building) The Longstreet Cancer Center

sored by The Cancer Center at Northeast Geor-

Oncology Specialists of North Georgia, a

gia Medical Center (NGMC) and The Ameri-

division of Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic

can Cancer Society, you can help restore hope to cancer patients who are battling the emotional and physical effects of chemotherapy.

During the “A Good Hair Day� Wig Drive, The Cancer Center will be collecting donations of pre-loved and newly acquired wigs, wig stands

Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology (office of Dr. Andrew Green) Hall County Relay for Life at Road Atlanta in Braselton on June 4, 2010 Wig donations are tax deductible (name and address needed to send tax form).

and wig hair products. Through a partnership

By donating wigs and associated products,

with Lanier Technical College, students in the

you can help give a good hair day to people in

school’s cosmetology department will clean and

need by rebuilding their self-confidence and give

restyle all donated wigs. These wigs will be given

them a new perspective as they undergo cancer

away free of charge to women who may not have

treatment. For more information, contact Lisa

access to the resources or finances to obtain one

Mahon, NGMC Breast Cancer Patient Naviga-

otherwise.

tor, or Elida Lopez, American Cancer Society

The wig drive will begin April 1 and culminate with the American Cancer Society’s Relay

Patient Resource Navigator, at 770-219-8800.

7KXUVGD\ $SULO ‡ GEORGIA SENTINEL Page 5A

CO M MUN I T Y Tributes Muriel Dufresne Charpentier

Mrs.Muriel Jean Dufresne Charpentier age 75 of Horizon Drive Blairsv ille passed away on Friday March 26,2010 in the Union County Nursing Home follow ing an ex tended illness. Mrs.Charpentier was born on Dec.16,1934 in Attleboro,MA ., the daughter of the late Wilfred Camile Dufresne and the late Annette Yvonne Heroux Dufresne.Muriel was a lov ing sister and aunt. She is gone from our sight. Muriel was of the Catholic faith Sur v iv ing Muriel are one brother and sister in law, Wilfred and K athr yn DuFresne of Blairsv ille, one sister, Constance A .Pla of

Pauline Conley

Mrs. Pauline Conley, age 90, of Blairsv ille, Georgia, passed away Sunday, March 28, 2010 in Union County Nursing Home in Blairsv ille.

Mrs. Conley was born in Toccoa, Georgia, on September 27, 1919, a daughter of the late Virgel Oscar Watkins and the late Julia Alice Stephens Watkins. She was a homemaker and a member of Zebulon Baptist Church in Blairsv ille. Mrs. Conley had been preceded in death by her husband, the late Josiah Eugene "Gene" Conley; a daughter, Doris Kelly; a son, Eugene Conley, III; and a brother, Tommy Watkins.

Sur v iv ing family members include daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and Jerr y Stover, of Oakwood, Georgia; daughter-in-law, Ina Conley, of Blairsv ille; a brother, R aymond Watkins, and a sister, Mabel Rich, both of Blairsv ille; four grandchildren: Jan McGiboney, Melinda Young ,

Teresa Ann Gibson

MrsTeresa Ann Gibson age 52 of Garrett Rd .Blairsv ille passed away on Tuesday March 16,2010 in the Union General Hospital following a brief illness.Mrs.Gibson was born on May 27,1957 in Tow ns Count y,the daughter of Edith Zimmerman Ingram and the late J.M.Ingram Jr.She was a lifelong resident of Union and Tow ns Counties.Teresa was a person who was f ull of life and never met a stranger.She was preceded in death by her father, J.M.Ingram Jr.,step father,Rev.Willis Garrett and a brother, Jef frey R ay Ingram.Mrs.Gibson was a member of Gum Log Baptist Church.

Sur v iv ing Mrs.Gibson are her lov ing husband of t went y f ive years,Donny Gibson of Blairsv ille,one son,Marshall Gibson of Blairsv ille,one daughter,Shaye Gibson of Blairsv ille,mother,Edith Garrett of Young Harris,one brother and sister in law,Tim and Sherr y Ingram of Young Harris,t wo sisters and one brother in law,Shela Owens of Brasstow n,NC.,Shirley and Johnny Smith of

William Herbert Connolly

Mr.William Herbert Connolly age 84 of Meadow Rd. Young Harris passed away on Tuesday March 23,2010 at his home following an extended illness. Mr.Connolly was born on July 11,1925 in Boston,MA ., the son of the late John Connolly and the late Margaret Hiller Connolly. He was a veteran of the US Navy. He retired in 1987 with General Dynamics where he built submarines. He was a member of the VF W. He was preceded in death by his wife, Maureen Jones Connolly in November 2009. Mr.Connolly was of the Catholic faith.

Surviving Mr.Connolly are one daughter, Maureen Pamela Amoda of CA ., three sons, John Jo-

Ethel Everett

Mrs. Ethel D. Everett , age 89, of Blairsv i l le, Georg ia, passed away Thursday, March 25, 2010 at her home.

Mrs. Everett was born in Tow ns Count y, Georg ia, on Wednesday, March 31, 1920, a daughter of the late Dol l Denton and the late My r tle El ler Denton. Mrs. Everett had worked during World War II at the Bel l Bomber plant in Mar ietta. She had lived most of her life in Blairs v i l le, and was a member of Prov idence United Methodist Church. Active w ith the Union Count y Senior Center, Mrs. Everett enjoyed qui lting . Preceding her in death besides her parents: her husband , Glenn Everett ; a son, Phi l lip G. Everett ; f ive sisters: Mae Bel l Denton; Grace Nicholson; Gladys Hooper; Dorsey Worley Fink ; Edith Chambers; and a brother, Earl Denton.

Sur v iv ing fami ly members include son and daughter-in-law, James L . and Patricia Everett , of Blairsv i l le; a brother, George Denton, of Nor th Charleston, South Carolina; a sister, O pal Buchanan, of Pisgah Forest , Nor th Carolina; and a sister-in-law, Carmen Keith, of Blairsv i l le. Two grandchi ldren and their spouses: Dean and Ang ie R . Everett and Donna and Clyde Carrol l ; f ive great grandchi ldren: Dalton Everett , Lane Everett , Clay Carrol l , Maci R . Everett , and Cot y

Sarasota,FL., several nieces, nephews, great nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends also sur v ive.

A memorial ser v ice w ill be held at a later date w ith interment to follow in St.Clare’s Columbarium. In lieu of flowers if you w ish,the family requests that memorials may be made to St.Francis of A ssisi Catholic Church in memor y of Mrs.Charpentier.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv ille in charge of the arrangements.

You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at w w w.mountainv iew f uneralhome.com

Mary Ruth Ingram

Mrs.Mary Ruth Ingram age 81 of Oak Tree Village Park Blairsville.GA. passed away on Thursday March 25,2010 at her home following an extended illness.Mrs.Ingram was born on March 22,1929 in Pine Hill,TN.,the daughter of the late Mack Henry Seals and the late Helen Irene Nelson Seals.Mary enjoyed gardening and going to church.She was a kind and gentle woman who always saw the good in everyone.She was a loving mother,sister,grandmother and great grandmother.She was preceded in death by her husband,Rufus Ray Ingram in 2003,a son,Gary Neal Lynn and two brothers,Russell and Gene Seals..Mrs.Ingram was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Surviving Mrs.Ingram are two sons,William H.Lynn of Boynton Beach,FL.,Stanley Ray Lynn of Blairsville Jerr y Stover II, and Barr y Stover; nine great and fiancĂŠe,Rita Jackson of Canton,GA.,brothers grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews and sisters,Jimmie Seals of Oak Ridge,TN.,Maxie also sur v ive.

Funeral ser v ices have been scheduled for Bobby Plott Mr. Bobby H. Plott, age 76 of Marietta, passed Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at 2 p.m., in the Chapel of Cochran Funeral Home of away Monday March 22.

A funeral service will be held at 12 P.M. Friday Blairsv ille, w ith Rev. Brent Chatham ofMarch 26th at the Mountain View Funeral f iciating. Special music w ill be presentHome in Blairsville with the Rev. Ray Potts ed by The Kelley Trio. The follow ing officiating. Interment will be in Cheatham gentlemen have been selected to ser ve Hill Cemetery in Marietta. Mr. Plott was a as pallbearers: Jerr y Stover, Barr y Sto- bus driver for Southeastern Stages for over ver, Dav id Chatham, Rusty McGibo- 35 years with an unblemished driving reney, Tyler McGiboney, and John Young. cord. He was a member of Nelms Masonic Burial w ill be in Zebulon Baptist Church Lodge #323 for over 40 years. Mr. Plott was Cemeter y. The family w ill meet w ith friends a member of Ebenezer Church in Blairsville. at the f uneral home on Tuesday, March 30, 2010, He was preceded in death by his Brother J.B. Plott, 3 Sisters, Grapelle Powell, Hazel Miller and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.

Arrangements entr usted to Cochran Funeral Inez Underwood. Surviving are: Wife – Louise Plott Home of Blairsv ille. You are inv ited to send of Marietta; Daughter, Angie (Phil) Hulsey of Maricondolences to the family at w w w.cochranf uner- etta, 2 Sons Alan (Donna) Plott of Marietta, Jamie alhomes.com

Blairsv i l le,step brothers and sister in laws, Alv in and Elizabeth Garrett ,Larr y and Bonnie Garrett of Blairsv i l le,three step sisters and one brother in law,Ila Mae and Dorsey Docker y of Blairsv i l le,Rose Garrett of Car tersv i l le, Arlene Garrett of Blairsv i l le,several nieces,nephews,many other relatives and friends also sur v ive.

Funeral ser v ices w i l l be held on Friday March 19,2010 at 2:oopm from the Mountain View Chapel w ith the Rev.Jimmy Rogers of Rev.Ronnie Abernathy of f iciating.Special music w i l l be presented by L .D.and The Happy Pi lgrims.The fol low ing gentleman w i l l ser ve as pal lbearers,Dean,Doug ,Darrel l and Dale Gibson,Terr y Kirby,Mitchel l Ingram,Brandon Smith and Shaw n Owens.Interment w i l l fol low in the Many Fork s Baptist Church Cemeter y.

The fami ly w i l l meet w ith friends at the f uneral home on Thursday evening af ter 6:00pm.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsv i l le in charge of the arrangements.You may sign the fami ly g uest book and send condolences on line at w w w.mountainv iew f uneral home.com seph Connolly of CT., William Carter Connolly of CT. and Sean Patrick Connolly of CT., one brother, James Connolly of MA ., two sisters, Frances Fernald of FL., Ruth Pruett of MA ., several grandchildren, many other relatives and friends also survive.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers if you wish,the family requests that memorials may be made to the Humane Society of your choice in memory of Mr.Connolly.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.

You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com Carrol l . Many f r iends and other relatives also sur v ive.

Funeral ser v ices were held Sunday, March 28, 2010, at 3:00 p.m., in the Chapel of Cochran Funeral Home in Blairsv i l le, w ith Rev. Charles Gi l lespie and Dr. John K ay of f iciating . Special music for the ser v ice was presented by The Kel ley Tr io. The fol low ing gentlemen ser ved as pal l bearers: Dalton Everett , Lane Everett , Kermit Chambers, Larr y Chambers, Way ne Denton, and James Worley. The fol low ing gentlemen ser ved as honorar y escor t : Lamar Buchanan, Woodrow Worley, Gar y Denton, Cot y Carrol l , and Wes Denton. Burial was in Prov idence United Methodist Church Cemeter y. The fami ly met w ith f r iends on Saturday evening , March 27, 2010, at the f uneral home, f rom 6 unti l 9 p.m.

If you w ish, memor ial contr i butions may be sent to the Amer ican Cancer Societ y, Southeast Div ision, Inc. , Union Unit , P.O. Box 2984, Blairsv i l le, Georg ia 30512; or to United Hospice, 5004 A ppalachian Hw y., Clocktower Crossing , Suite 4, Blue R idge, Georgia 30513.

Arrangements entr usted to Cochran Funeral Home and Cremator y of Blairsv i l le. You may v iew Mrs. Everett 's Li fe Tr i bute, and send condolences to the fami ly at w w w.cochranf uneralhomes.com

Seals of Riceville,TN.,Shirley Moore of Ten Mile,TN.,Glen Seals of Cleveland,TN.,Wayne Seals of Riceville,TN.,Hence Seals of Florence,SC.,Lavada Allen of Decatur,TN.,Jerry Seals of Riceville,five grandchildren,nine great grandchildren,many other relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday March28,2010 at 2:00pm from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Hence Seals officiating.Serving as pallbearers will be family and friends.Interment will follow in the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery where she will rest next to her husband.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Saturday evening from 6-9pm.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences online at www. mountainviewfuneralhome.com Plott of Marietta, Brother Harold Plott of Blairsville, 4 Sisters Lois Dyer, Geraldine Spivey, Zelma Henderson & Betty Kelley all of Blairsville, 8 Grandchildren, Spencer Dickson Plott, Kyle, Kason, Brandon, & Brenton Plott, Robby Stiles, Rhonda Emard, & Todd Fuller, 5 Great Grandchildren, Brenley York, Jake, Zander & Caroline Emard, & Hazley Dickerson.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Wednesday at the Carmichael Funeral Home in Smyrna and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Thursday at the Mountain View Funeral Home, 119 Murphy Hwy., Blairsville, GA 30512.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the local arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com

Joseph Edwin Reece

ria Reece,Tisha Riggins,Jennifer Riggins,Nicole Smith and Meredith Pruitt,seven great grandchildr en,Chase,Kaila,Taylor,Devin,Daylynd,Madisyn and Greyson,Madalene,several nieces,nephews,many other relatives and friends also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Sunday March 28,2010 at 4:30pm from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Terry Reece and Rev. James Hughes officiating.Special music will be presented by Ruth Patterson and Peggy Patrick.The following gentleman will serve as pallbearers,James,Ricky,Jerry and Gene Spiva,Ronnie Reece and John Nix.Interment will follow in the Owltown Church of God Cemetery.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home on Saturday evening from 6-9pm.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www. mountainviewfuneralhome.com

Terri Dawn Schwab

Blairsville,step son and daughter in law,David Prunier and April Orr of Blairsville,step son,Daniel Rogers and step daughter,Brook-Lynn Rogers of Hiawassee,two brothers and one sister in law,Tim and Patty Booher of Statesville,NC.,Bob Booher of Tujunga,CA.,many nieces,nephews,other relatives and friends also survive.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday March 27,2010 at 2:00pm from the Mountain View Chapel with the Rev.Glen Eller officiating.The family will meet with friends at the funeral home following the services.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.

You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com

William Tobias Thiem

twenty three years,Betty Churchwell Thiem of Blairsville,two sons,William Thiem Jr. of Tampa,FL.,David Thiem of Cartersville,GA.,step daughter and son in law,Connie Louise and Eric Jupina of Covington,GA.,nephew,Bob Thiem of Palm Coast,FL.,two grandchildren,Sarah Jane Summers and Jessica Catherine Summers,many other relatives and friends also survive.

A memorial service will be held on Friday April 2,2010 at 3:00pm from the Grace Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jon Jacobs officiating.In lieu of flowers if you wish,the family requests that memorials may be made to the M.S.Foundation in memory of Mr.Thiem.The family will meet with friends following the services at the church.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairsville in charge of the arrangements.You may sign the family guest book and send condolences on line at www. mountainviewfuneralhome.com

Judy Farley

and best f r iend , James Farley of Blairs v i l le,t wo chi ldren,Daw n Farley of Wood stock ,G A .,Clint Farley of Mar ietta ,G A .,t wo si sters and one brother in law,Patr icia and A lan Li senby of Atlanta ,Tammi Wi l liams of Atlanta ,many other relatives and f r iend s al so sur v ive.

A memor ial ser v ice w i l l be held at a later date.In lieu of f lowers i f you w i sh,the f ami ly requests that memor ial s may be made to the MS Societ y in memor y of Mrs.Farley.

Mountain View Funeral Home of Blairs v i l le in charge of the ar rangements.You may sig n the f ami ly g uest book and send condolences on line at w w w.mountainv iew f uneral home.com

Mr.Joseph Edwin Reece age 79 of Spiva Way Blairsville passed away on Friday March 26,2010 at his home following an extended illness.Mr.Reece was born on June 14,1930 in Union County,the son of the late John F.Reece and the late Dora Phillips Reece.He was a native and lifelong resident of Union County.He was a loving father,brother,grandfather and great grandfather.He was preceded in death by his wife,Betty Jo Goss Reece in 1985.

Mr.Reece was a member of Owltown Church of God. Surviving Mr.Reece are two sons and daughter in laws,Rev.Terry and Connie Reece of Cornelia,GA.,Joseph E.and Teresa Reece of Hiawassee,one daughter,Betty Riggins of Buford,GA.,one sister,Lawanda Spiva of Blairsville,nine grandchildren,Dana and Shawnetta Reece,Eddie Reece,Terry Lee and Toni Reece Jr., Angela Kristina and Seth Perkins,Tiffany MaMrs.Terri Dawn Schwab age 45 of Sunny Side Hiawassee passed away on Thursday March 25,2010 at her home following a long battle with breast cancer.Mrs.Schwab was born on Feb.17,1965 in Dayton,OH.,the daughter of Donald Terry Schwab and Wilda Lee Hall.Terri was a loving mother,sister and grandmother.She loved camping ,fishing and spending time with her family.Terri was of the Christian faith.

Surviving Terri are her longtime life-mate,Virginia(Ginny)Seppala of Hiawassee,mother,Wilda Ranberger of Hiawassee,father,Donald Schwab and step mother,Bonnie Chant of Blairsville,one daughter and son in law,Cherie Schwab and fiancĂŠ,Jon Wendling of Springboro,OH.,one son,Robert(B.J.)Schwab of

Mr.William Tobias Thiem age 90 of River St.Hiawassee formerly of Wesley Mtn.Drive Blairsville passed away on Friday March 26,2010 in the Chatuge regional Nursing Home following an extended illness.Mr.Thiem was born on Oct.19,1919 in East Orange,NJ.,the son of the late Robert S.Thiem and the late Anna E.Wagner Thiem.He was a veteran of the US Army of WWII.He served as Bailiff of the Union County Court System for several years.He was Captain of the Company Band which played for Eisenhower’s Ticket Tape Parade and also played for Franklin D.Rooservelts’s funeral.William enjoyed reading and listening to music.He was a loving husband,father,uncle and grandfather.He was preceded in death by a brother,Robert S.Thiem Jr.Mr.Thiem was a member of Grace Presbyterian Church.

Surviving Mr.Thiem are his loving wife of

Mrs.Judy Wi l liams Farley age 64 of Pleasant Val ley Lane Blairs v i l le passed away on Wednesday March 24,2010 in the Union General Hospital fol low ing an ex tended i l lness. Mrs.Farley was bor n on A pr i l 25,1945 in Gr i f f in,G A .,the daughter of the late Spr uce Irv in Wi l liams and the late Virg inia Dare Windsor Wi l liams.She worked for several years w ith WSB T V in Atlanta .Judy loved to oi l paint.She was a lov ing w i fe,mother and si ster and was a f r iend to many. Mrs.Farley was of the Bapti st f aith.

Sur v iv ing Mrs.Farley are her lov ing husband

Page 6A

GEORGIA SENTINEL ‡ 7KXUVGD\ $SULO

CO M MUN I T Y Holocaust survivor says...

"Don't take your freedom for granted"

By Lisa Gagnon

A2623. The numbers are indelibly imprinted on Jaap Groen's mind...and on his forearm.

The 85-year-old Groen, a Holocaust survivor, told his story to approximately 200 eighth-graders at Fannin County Middle School March 22. The students have been reading "The Diary of Anne Frank" and studying the Holocaust for about nine weeks, according to teacher Susie Horton.

This wasn't the first time Groen has spoken to Fannin County students. He said he is impressed the students spend so much time on the Holocaust.

"In most schools, they learn a little about the Holocaust. In this school, it's amazing," he said.

Groen told the rapt audience that he was a boy of 15 in Amsterdam, Holland, when Adolf Hitler came to power.

In October of 1940, he had his first experience with the Nazis. " W hen I arrived at school, there were two German Nazi soldiers at school," he said.

The soldiers first asked if he was Jewish, and when he said he was, they told him he could no longer go to school.

"In Holland, we never knew we were Jews and different from the rest," he said.

Groen asked the students who was killed during the Holocaust. "Bisexuals," "Jews," "gypsies," replied various students. Jews, Poles, Communists, Soviet prisoners, dissenters, homosexuals, gypsies, political prisoners, disabled people and others were all interned in concentration camps.

He said it was important to remember that six million Jews were not the only ones killed

by Hitler's regime.

Groen's father, a diamond cutter, assured his son that Hitler disliked only German Jews, so they were safe, Groen reminisced.

"That was not true," he stated.

In 1941, Groen attended a Jewish school. He lived near the Franks and was friendly with Margot, Anne's older sister.

"That's when I made the biggest mistake of my life...I made a poster against the Nazis," he said.

Groen drew a picture of a swastika inside a red circle with a slash, copied it off on a school duplicator and posted flyers around town.

"I thought it was funny," he remarked.

Three hours later, while the family was eating dinner, the Nazis arrested all three Groens.

Groen said he did not know what happened to his parents at that time, but he was imprisoned at Camp Westerbork, a concentration camp in Holland. He was then shipped to Germany and back to Holland.

Back at Westerbork, he, along with other Jews, was shipped to Auschwitz.

"That was really where, for me, the real Holocaust started," he said.

Groen said that during three days in August, he and other prisoners were shipped in freight cars with no food, no water and a bucket for refuse.

Debarking at Auschwitz, they were met by a group of Nazi officers led by Dr. Josef Mengele, called "The Angel of Death."

"He decided if you were killed immediately or later...

If he pointed to the right, you stayed alive for a little while; to the left was the gas chambers," he said. "They didn't tell the people it was a gas chamber. They told them it was the showers."

Prisoners received a ration of soup and, at night, a slice of crumbly bread. The soup, he said, smelled like soup, but didn't taste like it. Sometimes, even the starving prisoners couldn't eat it.

Contributed Photo Holocaust survivor Jaap Groen told eighth-graders about his experiences.

The day started at 5 a.m., and roll call was at 6 a.m. If one person was missing, the rest of the prisoners ran the risk of being abused or killed as punishment.

"Cruelty was not just an occasional sin," Groen remarked.

If someone didn't work fast enough, he would be knocked down or killed.

Groen then asked the students why the guards followed Hitler's instructions. After a few tentative answers, Groen told them, "If the government sanctions cruelty, you have it, every day, going on."

Guards played cruel games with prisoners, he said, throwing them on the floor and kicking them. Anyone who tried to intervene would be punished, too.

In addition to the daily cruelties, inmates who lost too much weight were subject to what was called selection.

Guards chose the inmates who were skinniest, and the inmates then sat down.

"They were put in trucks that went straight to the gas chambers," he said.

Groen's life changed in 1944, when the Russians approached. He said inmates had two choices--stay at the camp at the mercy of the Russians, who had been portrayed as worse than the Nazis, or travel to another camp.

He said up to 30,000 male

prisoners and 400 guards undertook a "Death March" to another camp. They left Auschwitz when it was 38 degrees below zero and traveled for 17 days. The inmates were dressed only in their thin uniforms. Neither the guards nor the prisoners had any food and foraged for grass and bark.

"They (guards) died in the same quantities as the other people--from hunger, from thirst, from cold," he said.

The decimated contingent arrived in Austria at the Mauthausen concentration camp.

At Mauthausen, the prisoners worked in quarries and for even longer periods than at Auschwitz, Groen remarked. " W hen I arrived at Mauthausen, my weight was about 100 pounds...After working in Mauthausen for six months, my weight was...79 pounds," he said.

Groen said he knew how much he weighed because his job at Mauthausen was at the rock scales, and he used them to weigh himself.

At Mauthausen, criminals from German prisons, called kapos, were put in charge of the Jews and other prisoners. Each morning, the guards would ask the kapos how many inmates were going in to work and tell them how many should leave. Groen gave an example: If the kapos reported that 40 were going in and were

told that 20 should leave, 20 of the inmates would be pushed off the mountain. The inmates were killed at random, he said; no one knew who would be killed.

One day, when he arrived at the gate, he was taken to a truck with approximately 3,000 other prisoners and transported to Ebensee concentration camp.

Ebensee provided slave labor for the construction of tunnels to house V-2 rocket development. The V-2 was developed

by Wernher von Braun.

Groen said that many Jews are still bitter about how the U.S. accepted von Braun in spite of his knowledge of the camps and slave labor.

"That didn't sit right with us, but that's the way the world is," Groen said.

He said that Ebensee was the worst of all the concentration camps in which he'd been imprisoned, because the work was exceptionally difficult and the hours seemed longer.

He said that at Auschwitz, inmates worked approximately eight hours a day; at Mauthausen, approximately 10 hours.

"At Ebensee, we had the feeling we never stopped working," he said.

He remembered a "death game" the guards would play with prisoners. They would shoot and try to hit the feet of workers. Groen said he has three holes in his left foot from those deadly games.

Groen said, in spite of his suffering and starvation, he tried to work hard because he was afraid he would be killed.

Eventually, though, his weight decreased to dangerous levels, and he was put in a barracks for those who were unable to work. Because they couldn't work, they received no food.

To conserve his strength, he laid in his upper bunk and watched the guards changing at the camp's watch tower, Groen remembered. W hen, one day, the guard was replaced by an Austrian farmer in lederhosen,

he knew liberation would not be long.

The camp was liberated May 6, 1945 by American troops of the U.S. 80th Infantry Division.

Groen said that he was put on a truck to a hospital in Linz.

"Adolf Hitler was born outside Linz, and he was dead, and I was alive," Groen remembered thinking at the time.

Later transferred to an American hospital in Paris, Groen said it took "months and months" before his weight increased to 89 pounds. W hen the doctors determined he was healthy enough to release, he returned to Amsterdam.

There he discovered that his parents had been hidden by the Underground. However, they initially believed that he'd been killed because his name was on a list of the dead.

"I fooled them. I was not dead," he said.

Groen worked in advertising and promotions for Max Factor and a Netherlands department store, married and had a son, before moving to the U.S. in 1957. In the U.S., he worked for various companies in Atlanta, before retiring in McCaysville.

Groen told the students that the reason he was speaking to them was because some still denied the Holocaust had happened, but he knew if they saw him and heard him speaking, they would know it did occur.

"The Holocaust is not a new thing. It's an old thing," he said. He cited the similarities between the Egyptian slaves who built the pyramids, the genocide in Darfur and the Holocaust.

Groen said that it's easy to believe that it can never happen to you, as he did.

"The moment it is okayed by a government, it can happen to you. This is why I'm here to tell you: Don't take your freedom for granted. Freedom is the most important thing you can have."

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Tri-County Community College is currently accepting applications for the following positions: Part-time Therapeutic Massage Instructor Part-time Human Services Instructor Part-time Computer Instructor for JobsNOW Initiative Part-time EMS Clinical Coordinator Full-time Nursing Instructor Full-time EMS Instructor Full-time Instructor Graham County Campus (Math, English, or Science) Full-time Public Information Officer Complete position announcements can be viewed on the college website: www.tricountycc.edu. For information on the application process and application deadlines contact: Helen Kilpatrick at Tri-County Community College, 21 Campus Circle, Murphy, NC 28906. Phone: (828) 835-4201 or e mail: hkilpatrick@tricountycc.edu.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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Page 8A

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CO M MUN I T Y

Thompsons contribute to scholarship program

Contributed Photo Left to Right: Cathy Cox, President of Young Harris College; Lions Mildred, Elmer and Mildred Thompson and Rick Davenport an advocate for the Scholarship Fund for Young Harris College.

Pictured with Michael, Elmer an Mildred Thompson are Cathy Cox, President of Young Harris College, and Rick Davenport, an advocate of the Scholarship Fund or Young Harris College, when the Thompson family made a personal contribution to the College Scholarship Program after a recent Union County Lions Meeting.

All three of the Thompsons' had careers in public service with Lions

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All three now retired have a combined total of 76 years as members of the Union County Lions Club.

With the Thompsons' recent check to the college scholarship program, they not only continue to serve in the area of education, they truly emulate the Lions Motto: "WE SERVE".

United Community Bank donates to UCMS

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Gale Watkins receives faithful service award

Gale Watkins, Institutional Effectiveness Coordinator at North Georgia Technical College, recently received the Faithful Service Award for 30 years of service. The Faithful Service Award symbolizes the dedication and hard work that employees have performed for the institution. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started here on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Senior Planâ&#x20AC;? through Habersham Central High School,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a great place to learn and a great place to work.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;She is the epitome of professionalism,â&#x20AC;? says Dr. Gail Taylor, Director of Institutional Effectiveness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have worked with her for 17 years, and she is one of the most efficient, conscientious Contributed Photo employees that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the pleasure to work with at NGTC.â&#x20AC;?

Steve Dougherty presents Gale Watkins with a certificate for Faithful Service.

Gale and her husband, Phillip, live in Clarkesville. Phillip is also a graduate of the college in electronics technology.

The American Red Cross urges residents in the Towns and Union Counties area to donate blood.

All blood types are needed at this time.

Because blood can be separated into three componentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;red cells, plasma and plateletsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a single donation can save up to three lives.

In the more than 100 area hospitals served by the American Red Cross, pre-mature babies, accident victims and patients with cancer or recovering from surgery need approximately 1,500 units of blood or blood products each day.

Most healthy people age 17 and older, or 16 with parental consent, who weigh at least 110 pounds, are eligible to donate blood and platelets. Donors must have a form of positive identification in order to donate.

School pride shown on Campus Beautification 1*7& anna Allbritton, Kylene Dupuis, Day Anita English, Amy Poteete, and

Contributed Photo Sharon, right, is shown presenting the donated items to UCMS's Gwen Stone.

After hearing of the need for chewing gum, mints and pencils for upcoming Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), Sharon Arnold of United Community Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marketing

Department sprang into action, rounding up the goods for donation.

United Community Bank wishes all UCMS students the best of luck with their testing.

Thursday, April 1 Chatuge Regional Hospital Blood Drive (110 North Main Street, Hiawassee) 12:00 pm to 4:30 pm Please call 896-7179 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Walk-ins welcome, appointments preferred.

Tuesday, April 6 Blairsville Community Blood Drive at the Haralson Civic Center (School Road, Blairsville) 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Please call 706-745-2335 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Walk-ins welcome, appointments preferred.

Thursday, April 15 Young Harris College Blood Drive at the Myers Student Center (College Street, Young Harris) 11:30 am to 4:00 pm Please call 379-5110 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Walk-ins welcome, appointments preferred.

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Contributed Photo Many provide service in a different way working on NGTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beautification Day.

On Friday, March 19, 2010, students, faculty, and staff joined together for a few hours to lend a hand to the grounds crew. From removing trees from the gutters to picking up heaps of trash to planting and mulch-

ing, about 35 pairs of hands made major improvements to the look of the campus.

"I want to send out a huge thank you to all who helped Friday to make the campus look beautiful," said April

Simmons, NGTC head groundskeeper. "I appreciate everyone who came out and helped.â&#x20AC;?

A full gallery of photos is posted on the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/ngtcnews.

Kelly Rea-Dimick in Health Care Technician; Jessica Highley and Sharyl Vest in Medical Coding; Gay Carr in Entrepreneurship Specialist; Rodney Kelley and Daniel Young in Tool & Die Specialist; Cassandra Stanley in Food Production Assistant; and Chris Conger in Commercial

Truck Driving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Graduating students from North Georgia Technical College have proven they are ready, willing, and able to meet a challenge,â&#x20AC;? said President Steve Dougherty. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From juggling family life to overcoming handicaps to reinventing their careers, the story of each individual is one of courage and faith.â&#x20AC;?

Family and friends were invited for refreshments prior to the award event. Each student received a special gift and will receive their official certificates in the mail after all reporting data has been verified.

For more information on programs of study NGTC, please contact 706-754-7700 or visit the website at www.northgatech.edu.