Sharing the bounty: I got a call last Friday from my neighbors, Joyce and Jessie Vause, who live six houses down from me on Limerick Road. They wanted to give me some habanera peppers. When I arrived, Joyce had picked four other varieties of hot peppers she and Jessie grew this past summer. Joyce knows I’m a seed collector. Whatever I eat, if it has seeds, I save them. They had a whole ice cream bucket full of habaneras, so I told them my friend Sarge Martin processes hot peppers and shares them with local restaurants. I took the bucket of peppers to Sarge and caught him in his “processing” room with his “cooker” full of habaneras. Our eyes were running water and we were coughing while handling the peppers. You can’t imagine how hot these peppers are. Joyce also gave me a beautiful, two-year-old pineapple plant that should bare a tiny pineapple fruit next year. I love swapping plants and seeds with my neighbors and friends. It’s a good way to get to know your neighbors.
Take caution against germs: We all know to wash our hands after using the restroom in our homes and in public places, but what further precaution do we take to ward off germs? Did you know the number one germ haven is credit and debit card machines? Hundreds of people touch these daily. How do you avoid this? Keep a pen in your purse or pocket and use it to punch in your pin number and other buttons on the machine. Also use your own pen when in restaurants, banks, gas stations and doctors’ offices. Think of all the germs that must be on that public pen. Number two on the list is grocery store and department store carts. Some helpful hints: Take an anti-bacterial hand wash with you when you shop and wipe the handle off before you touch it. If you forget to take some with you and there is none provided by the store, take the store’s plastic bag or their ad paper and cover the handle with it. Number three on the list is are restroom doors. Once you’ve grabbed the door handle to enter the restroom, you’ve contracted bacteria like e-coli and Lord knows what else. When you have to use the restroom, take a napkin with you to cover the handle, then use it once more to open the stall door, then flush it. If everyone would get in this habit, there would be less sick people in the world.
KUDOS: Thanks to our fourth district county commissioner, Pat Bowen, advertisement for bids have been placed for getting Fifth Street paved in Lake George. I drove down the three remaining numbered streets last year and found all three, third, fourth and fifth only amounted to one-half mile. Too bad we couldn’t get all three paved. That would eliminate three more streets the road crew would not have to scrape. But we are grateful for getting this one paved, which is a short cut from Limerick to Jerico.
Abandoned vehicles: I couldn’t help but notice a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee car was found abandoned on Highway 196, 10 miles east of Glennville recently. The notice stated “if not redeemed, the vehicle would be disposed of according to Georgia law.” Well, according to the ad, the vehicle had a Maine tag on it. Surely our sheriff’s department can track down the owner of this obviously stolen vehicle and return it to the owners. I’d be curious to see what happens to this fairly new car and who ends up with it.
Savannah is taking the lead: The city of Savannah was awarded a $955,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to buy trucks and recycling bins to start a curbside recycling program. Five companies have bid on construction of a collection and sorting facility based in Savannah, but serving the region. The facility is expected to be built at no cost to the city. (Are y’all listening commissioners?) The curbside recycling program will cost residents about $1.02. Can you imagine that? We’re expected to pay $105 a year and have to take our own recycles to a convenience center and Savannah is going to pick it up at your house for only $1.02 a month. This information from published in the Oct. 31st edition of the Savannah Morning News. It stated representatives from Chatham, Effingham, Bryan and Liberty counties were at the meeting where all this was discussed. Does anyone reading this know who represented us? Savannah stands to make a lot of money on the sale of these recycles. We on the other hand, give all of ours away to Fort Stewart. This program in Savannah will begin Jan. 1, 2009. By that time we’ll most likely have polycarts shoved down our throats at an additional cost.
We’re being taxed to death: While Garden City, Rincon and Springfield have eliminated property taxes, Liberty County continues to lead the pack in taxing people out of their homes. The grand jury’s suggestion to roll back taxes went unheeded. Not only has the school board increased taxes by almost 9 percent, now the hospital authority aims to increase its millage rate by a whopping 127.01 percent, the development authority is increasing their millage rate by 8.81 percent. and the board of commissioners is increasing its millage rate by 4.30 percent in the county, 4.47 in Hinesville and 4.33 for “combined other” — whatever that means. For those of you in homes worth over $200,000, you’re in for a big shock when you get your tax bill next year. Folks, remember this when election time comes next year.
Please don’t burn: If you live in the fourth district and rake up leaves and/or pine straw this fall, please don’t burn them. I will come get them. These are two valuable resources when it comes to enriching your flowerbeds and gardens.
Take caution against germs: We all know to wash our hands after using the restroom in our homes and in public places, but what further precaution do we take to ward off germs? Did you know the number one germ haven is credit and debit card machines? Hundreds of people touch these daily. How do you avoid this? Keep a pen in your purse or pocket and use it to punch in your pin number and other buttons on the machine. Also use your own pen when in restaurants, banks, gas stations and doctors’ offices. Think of all the germs that must be on that public pen. Number two on the list is grocery store and department store carts. Some helpful hints: Take an anti-bacterial hand wash with you when you shop and wipe the handle off before you touch it. If you forget to take some with you and there is none provided by the store, take the store’s plastic bag or their ad paper and cover the handle with it. Number three on the list is are restroom doors. Once you’ve grabbed the door handle to enter the restroom, you’ve contracted bacteria like e-coli and Lord knows what else. When you have to use the restroom, take a napkin with you to cover the handle, then use it once more to open the stall door, then flush it. If everyone would get in this habit, there would be less sick people in the world.
KUDOS: Thanks to our fourth district county commissioner, Pat Bowen, advertisement for bids have been placed for getting Fifth Street paved in Lake George. I drove down the three remaining numbered streets last year and found all three, third, fourth and fifth only amounted to one-half mile. Too bad we couldn’t get all three paved. That would eliminate three more streets the road crew would not have to scrape. But we are grateful for getting this one paved, which is a short cut from Limerick to Jerico.
Abandoned vehicles: I couldn’t help but notice a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee car was found abandoned on Highway 196, 10 miles east of Glennville recently. The notice stated “if not redeemed, the vehicle would be disposed of according to Georgia law.” Well, according to the ad, the vehicle had a Maine tag on it. Surely our sheriff’s department can track down the owner of this obviously stolen vehicle and return it to the owners. I’d be curious to see what happens to this fairly new car and who ends up with it.
Savannah is taking the lead: The city of Savannah was awarded a $955,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to buy trucks and recycling bins to start a curbside recycling program. Five companies have bid on construction of a collection and sorting facility based in Savannah, but serving the region. The facility is expected to be built at no cost to the city. (Are y’all listening commissioners?) The curbside recycling program will cost residents about $1.02. Can you imagine that? We’re expected to pay $105 a year and have to take our own recycles to a convenience center and Savannah is going to pick it up at your house for only $1.02 a month. This information from published in the Oct. 31st edition of the Savannah Morning News. It stated representatives from Chatham, Effingham, Bryan and Liberty counties were at the meeting where all this was discussed. Does anyone reading this know who represented us? Savannah stands to make a lot of money on the sale of these recycles. We on the other hand, give all of ours away to Fort Stewart. This program in Savannah will begin Jan. 1, 2009. By that time we’ll most likely have polycarts shoved down our throats at an additional cost.
We’re being taxed to death: While Garden City, Rincon and Springfield have eliminated property taxes, Liberty County continues to lead the pack in taxing people out of their homes. The grand jury’s suggestion to roll back taxes went unheeded. Not only has the school board increased taxes by almost 9 percent, now the hospital authority aims to increase its millage rate by a whopping 127.01 percent, the development authority is increasing their millage rate by 8.81 percent. and the board of commissioners is increasing its millage rate by 4.30 percent in the county, 4.47 in Hinesville and 4.33 for “combined other” — whatever that means. For those of you in homes worth over $200,000, you’re in for a big shock when you get your tax bill next year. Folks, remember this when election time comes next year.
Please don’t burn: If you live in the fourth district and rake up leaves and/or pine straw this fall, please don’t burn them. I will come get them. These are two valuable resources when it comes to enriching your flowerbeds and gardens.