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Take care with flags
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Staff
Published: May 19, 2010, 5:26 PM
Editor, Recently, while traveling to a meeting at the county courthouse annex, I was ashamed to see the way numerous businesses and residences display the flag of our nation. I saw flags that were torn, faded, dirty or just unserviceable.
If you have a U.S. flag that is in poor condition, please replace it and let all Americans see that you care for and respect this great symbol of a free nation.  
Recently, a friend of mine took a flag etiquette quiz and one of the questions concerned proper disposal of the American flag. The question was, “How should you dispose of a U.S. flag that is beyond repair?”
The options were: 1. Burn it. 2. Shred it. 3. Give it to your local government or American Legion Post to properly dispose of it.
The quiz gave the correct answer as “You should give a flag that is beyond repair to your local government or your American Legion Post to dispose of.
However, with the problems facing our local government, the best solution is to ask a member of a local American Legion Post to take it.
Please remember, Memorial Day is rapidly approaching and it would be a disservice to all who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation to fly unserviceable American flags on this day of remembrance.

— Dennis P. Fitzgerald
American Legion Post 321 commander
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Showing gratitude for service
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Staff
Updated: Dec 8, 2010, 3:56 PM
Published: Dec 8, 2010, 3:57 PM

Dear editor: Another election cycle is finally over and the voters of Bryan County have spoken. We will have three new county commissioners in January 2011.
My congratulations go out to Jimmy Henderson of District 5, Carter Infinger of District 4 and Wade Price of District 2. I look forward to working with them as we continue to take care of the business of the county.
All three races were contested, which gave the voters a choice of who they wanted as their commissioner. Those who did not prevail in this election are to be applauded for offering themselves as candidates.
Our county owes a debt of gratitude to retiring commissioners Rick Gardner with eight years of service, Blondean Newman with eight years of service as a commissioner and 30 years as tax commissioner, and Toby Roberts with 18 years on the county commission.
These three spent many hours establishing policies and procedures for our county government and many meetings with state and local officials to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding our county on numerous issues. Their many years of experience will be sorely missed.
I well remember the first time I ran for public office and lost. Sometimes those who are not elected are the winners because they don’t have to go to all the meetings – that is said with tongue in cheek, of course.
After my loss, someone sent me the following quotation from President Theodore Roosevelt, which I keep on the wall in my office:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
And my wish for all the citizens of Bryan County is to have a truly blessed Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year’s.

Jimmy Burnsed
Chairman
Board of commissioners

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