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Dear Editor: It was a beautiful fall day in Savannah Monday, Sept. 27, when dozens of golfers headed to Southbridge Golf Club to play in the 2nd annual charity tournament benefitting the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation in Augusta. The Burn Foundation and the Savannah community forged a unique and solid bond in February 2008 when 20 employees of Imperial Sugar Plant explosion were flown to Augusta for treatment at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital. Within hours, parents, children, siblings, co-workers, pastors and friends arrived in Augusta as part of a great caring force that would stand vigil for weeks, and in some cases months, praying for the recovery of their loved ones.
Like the Phoenix, special relationships often rise from the ashes of a catastrophic fire. The events that followed the Imperial Sugar fire were an amazing display of neighborly love as strangers reached out to each other offering lodging, food, prayers and a listening ear. Recoveries were celebrated and losses were mourned. Together, our communities endured a life-changing event that would leave some members of each community bound together through an unseen tether of compassion.
Sept. 27’s golf tournament was no exception. The Sugar Hill Gang, a group of Imperial Sugar retirees, organized the tournament. Under the leadership of Bill Tumlin, volunteers solicited sponsorships, recruited teams, cooked burgers, tallied score sheets, swapped tales and enjoyed a beautiful fall day in Savannah.
Several business sponsors reached out to the military community by hosting four teams of service men and women from Hunter Air Force Base and Fort Stewart. As an added bit of fun, players arriving at the 11th hole were asked to take a swing wearing the armored vest and helmet worn by service men and women in Iraq today. It was an eye-opening experience for all. Some had trouble bearing the weight of the armor and few could take a swing. Everyone left that tee with a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices made by our military for each of us.
WTOC helped promote the event, and local businesses paid sponsorship fees and  donated door prizes. While many could not relate directly to the mission of the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation (and we hope they never will), some participants still carry the painful memories that tragedy leaves behind. All seemed to enjoy the opportunity to spend time with friends while raising money for the Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation.
On behalf of those patients and families who will arrive in Augusta today and days to come, we thank Savannah and the wonderful volunteers who help us continue to show the same compassionate support that was shown on that cold February day in 2008. Thanks to you, we will continue to provide a home away from home for families of burned patients and help those being discharged with special needs. A special thanks to The Sugar Hill Gang for sweetening the lives of many.

Jo Endres Maypole, president,
Southeastern Firefighters Burn Foundation, Augusta
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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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