By: Fred Johnson; Columnist

Last weekend about two million people marched on Washington D.C. to protest the direction our leaders are taking the country. It wasn’t just about healthcare; it was about the deficits, the czars, Cap and Trade and above all it was about congress ignoring their constituents and passing pork filled, budget busting legislation (some without even reading the bill). Two million people is an impressive sight.

    It is a sea of people stretching as far as you can see. It is enough to jam and shut down highways for miles. It is one person for every 100 adults in the United States. One bus load of people left from Madison with passengers from Madison, Lake Oconee, Sandersville and as far away as Vidalia and Wrightsville.

    Other Madisonians caravanned up to D.C., all paying their own way. Georgia led the March up
Pennsylvania Avenue, marching behind a fife and bugle corps of a Revolutionary War reenactment group from Savannah. The marchers filled the 17 blocks from the starting point to the capital building.

    In addition to making friends on the bus during the 12 hours on the road, we met people from Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, Ohio, Pennsylvania and many from Washington D.C.

By: Dick Hodgetts: Columnist

“I bought my first car from Ted Wallace”.  I have heard that proudly announced by scores of folks who obviously enjoyed the memory and the dealing with one of Morgan County’s living legends.  The young man from Rutledge found himself working for the US Agriculture Department during the 1940’s.  He was tired of riding the Atlanta street cars, and with $100 in his pocket he bought a used 1930 Model A Ford Convertible.  Next day an older man saw Ted and his convertible  and wanted to trade his 1937 Packard for it.  “Glad to do it, you give me your Packard and $100 and this beauty is yours.” 

    It did not take this personable young man long to determine that trading and selling cars was more fun and far more profitable than working for the Agriculture Department.  So, he opened a used car lot in Rutledge where the Caboose now sits.  Ted kept six-seven used cars there and did a brisk business. It could be said he was a natural salesman.

    Ted had come from a family that had a history of entrepreneurship.

Germs and viruses lurk everywhere. Most wash hands before eating, but what about the hundreds of places one touches before washing? Light switches, kitchen cabinet knobs, faucets. Don’t even think about the toilet handle. Gross. I told you not to think about it. Is this how Howard Hughes started his descent into Kleenex box sneakers?

Years ago, an Atlanta news personality conducting a survey on antibacterial soaps asked if I used the product. “No,” I scoffed, “That’s the problem! We created super antibiotic-resistant germs because of this “Boy in the Bubble” groupie mentality. We’ve mutated our hardy Irish, African, Mediterranean survival-of-the-fittest genetics into inbred Hapsburg monarchs of the 1600s mush.”

 Flash forward a few years. In my car I keep a liter-sized pump of Germ-x which I immediately use upon entering vehicle. Then I grab a wipe from oil drum-sized dispenser to towel off every door handle, radio knob and steering wheel.

What changed? CHILDREN.  I never want my children to needlessly suffer. That said, there is a well-hidden, teensy demonic part of me that panics at the whiff of a two week lock-down because my children are playing catch with a nasty cold or (I shouldn’t risk typing this)…the flu.

How do you eradicate viruses that stick around longer than the quashed armadillo in front of my house? That carcass lasted a full two weeks. No, I just checked and after a month I still see an oil-slick outline and rattle tail. Germs lurking on our refrigerator door handle are older than that decaying armored spot and still frisky as fawns. I feel them. Well, maybe it’s just crusty icing remains from son’s birthday cake, but if I could feel germs on a refrigerator door handle, I bet that is what they feel like.

By: Bobby Smith

In 1914, Congress established the Cooperative Extension Service to deliver information from land-grant colleges and universities to all Americans, particularly those who lacked access to formal education.

Although agriculture and society have changed dramatically during the past 90 years, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension continues to fulfill its basic mission.

The mission of UGA Cooperative Extension is to extend lifelong learning to the people of Georgia through unbiased, research-based education in agriculture, the environment, communities, youth and families.
County Extension agents keep farmers abreast of the latest agricultural technology, research and marketing strategies. Some agents help parents cope with the pressures of balancing home, work and children; others help keep families healthy with information on nutrition and food safety.

Through the cooperative funding of federal, state and county governments, Extension agents are in almost every county in Georgia.

Most counties have a combination of agents who specialize in agriculture and natural resources, youth development and family and consumer sciences. Agents complete specialized training to help them meet the needs of the communities they serve. Some specialize in horticulture; others, in row crop or livestock production. Some agents work to help families deal with rural development issues or raise healthy children in urban settings.
If you'd like to learn about building a safer environment for your children or protecting the environment we all share, avoiding chronic diseases like diabetes with healthy food or training food handlers in your cafeteria, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is the place to start.

Just call 1-800-ASK-UGA1 (275-8421) from anywhere in Georgia. You'll be automatically connected to the UGA Extension office in that county.