Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Signs from the Signman 10/28/08







Soperton Ice Plant. Antiques - Used Furn. - Tools - Glassware. Shop this Fri - Sun 8-8 p.m. 2 blks ahead on left.

Soperton Ice Plant. Antiques / Collectibles. Reg. Hours Tues - Fri 10-6. Sat. 10-2.

Pumpkin Rolling at Crow-Mart. Halloween. Bring your own pumpkin.

Happy Halloween.

Street Sign




Do you remember the Bee-Bar-Bee Ranch? Nowadays Beasley Hill is a popular attraction during Halloween season for the Haunted Trail. There are other people doing similar trails, but the Beasleys have the original. Bank of Soperton building in background.

Signs from the Signman 10/27/08



30 years ago: Sue Powell was in the Peach Bowl Pageant.

Friday, October 24, 2008

1978 Soperton Manufacturing at 32




78 1025 02
October 25, 1978
Will Peterson and office staff posed for one of the photos celebrating the 32nd anniversary of Soperton Manufacturing Company.

Others that week: Forestry Pageant contestants, stump digging at recreation center, Crow Moxley, GAMA officers, football with Toombs Central, midget football, Nursing Home group, house under construction, Festival Book photos.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

1978 Football



78 1018 04
October 18, 1978
Treutlen defeated Wheeler County, 48-14.

Others that week: House construction, midget football, city employees with yellow jacket nests, TPS program, TPS kid shots, All Star Community 4th star, Lothair UMC 90th anniversary.

MOVING FORWARD TO 1978
For the past couple of months the photos have been from the 1973 files. I temporarily mislaid the July-October 1973 files, but I recently found them, exactly where I left them.

Thanks to those who responded to the Obama question. The answers were posted on my blog this past week. I found the variety of responses quite interesting, and I hope you did, too.

Posted by Bill Ricks of Soperton

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Signs from the Signman 10/15/08






Pumpkin Patch. Lothair Methodist Church. Fri. Oct. 17 12 to 6 p.m. Sat. Oct. 18 9 to 5 p.m. Pick your own pumpkins.

Enjoy Hayrides / Food / Face Painting / Games. Call 478-279-1017. Downtown Lothair.

Happy 80th Birtday, Mrs. Louvenia Cox. 10-15-08.

Got Viking Spirit. Amanda Parker has it. Go Vikings! 2008

Response to Obama Question

I asked e-mail friends to respond to the following:

A fortyish white school teacher in the public schools was asked to vote for Obama and responded "I just can't vote for a black man."

Here are a dozen responses in the order I received them:

1-
You asked for comments on the school teacher and obama....I think people should vote for a candidate based on what they believe in, what they stand for and what they want to make happen when they are elected, not what color or gender they are....The teacher may be more selective in how they respond in the future, our young people are very impressionable. We must teach them to think for themselves, not carry the same close-mindedness and prejudice that many of us in the south were raised with. Youth, Adults and especially voters need to make decisions based on what they believe is right; after they have done research on the topic/decision at hand.


2-
Bill' I have heard that from white WOMEN but not from men.Personally he seems to be to violent and domineering for my blood. He does not have to raise his voice so much. He has the attitude of a tyrant.He does not address his audience with respect,comes across as a rabble rouser. Sorry.
ole tired conservative

3- The fact that Obama is half black is certainly not a reason not to vote for him. However, there are 80,000 really reasons not to vote for him.

4-
I DO NOT THINK RACE SHOULD PLAY A PART IN IT I DO NOT JUDGE A PERSON BY HIS COLOR AND NEVER HAVE.

5-
It's not Skin Color but "Character", "Compentancy"' and "PATRIOTISM" that matter in choosing a Leader.

6-
Black has nothing to do with it. Obama is the biggest proponent of abortion we have ever had running for office. Therefore, he would never have my support under any circumstances.

7-
I would not vote for Obama, but it has nothing to do with his race. I just don't think he has the experience. I'm sure there are plenty of blacks that would make great presidents.

8-
I would vote for a black man, but not Obama. My first choice for president would be Colin Powell.

9-
No doubt this teacher does not believe what she is teaching and not a very clear thinker. There are any number of reasons I can think of why I could not vote for him but being black is not one of them. Through observation of the democratic party I believe this teacher represents their collective sincerely when it comes to skin color. Yes I believe this teacher is a democrat.

10-
America is a free country and you are entitled to vote for the person you choose regardless of race. This teacher did not give up his freedom in exchange for a teaching position with the public education system. Suppose this man had been a "fortyish white man" walking down the street who works at WalMart or a black teacher in the public school system. The person asking the question is the problem.

11-
-IT WOULD BE WISE NOT TO LOOK AT COLOR OF SKIN BUT LOOK AT THE MAN!! HE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND ONE WORD CANNOT SUFFICE BUT THE MAN IS REALLY A SOCIALIST AND YOU THINK AMERICA IS DIFFERENT SINCE 911 YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING. ITS VERY DISTURBING THAT SOME SOUTHERNERS WILL VOTE DEMOCRATE NO MATTER WHAT OR WHO IS RUNNING. ALL WE NEED IS A SOCIALIST PRES. TO TEAM UP WITH THE LIKES OF NANCY PELOSI AND HER CRONIES. SEND ME YOUR PRIVATE EMAIL AS I HAVE AN INTERESTING EMAIL THAT WILL FURTHER ADDRESS THE OBAMA CRISIS.

12-
I hope this is a joke. Teachers know this would be career sucide. People should vote for the most qualified canidate - the one who knows the most about the job not one who just knows how to talk about the job. Experience is a vital requirement.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Signs from the Signman 10/13/08





Happy 7th Birthday, Caitlyn Wilson. Love, Mom - Dad - Holton.

Cynthia Reese's new book, "Not On Her Own," a big hit in Germany and France.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Progress in Soperton





My personal park for 31 years has been sold. The Dolly Hall - Lee Gillis lot has been a great hobby, providing exercise, shade, birds and critters, and a few vegetable gardens.

Life moves on, and I'm glad to see Sammons Funeral Home putting the property to good use. Additional parking space will be an asset for their customers and the entire community.

Here are a few photos of the clearing work Saturday.

A Personal Word - Credit

On a Credit

My parents lived through the depression, but their frugality started earlier. Stories were handed down from their previous generation about family losses when Confederate money became useless. I wonder what my parents would say if they were witnessing the recent financial turmoil.

Many of the financial commentators during the past couple of weeks pointed out that the greatest danger was to the credit system. It seems, nowadays, that is what drives the economy.

My parents didn't believe in credit. They believed in working hard and saving money. If you needed something, you paid cash for it. If you didn't have enough money, you did without until you earned enough to pay cash. They didn't believe in buying anything, as they put it, "on a credit."

In my town, one of the businesses was named Morings Cash Store. Some other stores had "cash" in their policy, but not in their name. Another store was named "Farmers Furniture" as the farmers were the basis of the business. I learned in the '70's that "the times are a-changing" when I offered to pay in cash if the dealer would drop the price. He said "I ought to charge you more for paying cash." Then he told me that they made more money on the charging than they did on the furniture.

There have always been examples of individuals getting over their heads with credit. In the 1970's easy credit caused some farmers to fail, also a few small businesses with SBA loans.

In history, annual loans for farming were traditional. The farmer went to the local bank "to make arrangements," to buy seed and guano.

FHA and the banks made loans to people on their ability to pay. Local bankers were careful to lend only as much an individual could safely manage.

The banks financed cars. There was a hand-me-down system with used cars. A dealer might be involved, but many people went to their neighbor and asked to buy his formerly new automobile as it got older.

Many, if not most families, lived within their means and taught frugality to their children.

Today credit is so much a part of the economy that now we are asked to bail out the credit system, even to protect reckless lenders and overly optimistic borrowers. It's not just the big items, such as house and car, but everything that a credit card can buy. Giving a credit card to some people is like giving liquor to an alcoholic.

I'm a relic of the past, closer to my parents' generation than the spending habits of today's neighbors. I use a credit card regularly, but I pay up every month and never have paid a dime of interest. I've owned only one new car, paid $2,400 cash for it. Over 30 years ago I went to my local banker to finance a small piece of property, just to establish credit if I ever needed it. Other than that, I've never bought anything "on a credit".

I don't expect others to follow my example. Some people can handle credit responsibly, but others cannot.

Easy credit has been a cause of inflation. Easy credit borrowers tend to devalue money. The slower economy of the old days was more understandable to more people.

Economic crashes are not unlike car crashes. Slow, steady driving is more survivable. Those who run 80 mph, like those who over-do credit, are looking for a sudden halt.

When the experts begin to rebuild the economy, they should put in slower credit and plenty of stop signs.

Payday is here. What's next?

Signs from the Signman 10/12/08






Hayrides, Face Painting, Games, Food. See sign on right.

Pumpkin Patch. Oct. 17-18. Lothair Methodist Church. Fri. 12 to 6 p.m. Sat. 9 to 5. Pick your own. 529-6978.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Homecoming 1973




73 1010 02
October 10, 1973

1973 Homecoming Court. Queens were Cathy Phillips and Cynthia Tennison. The Vikings beat Wheeler County.

Others that week: More football and homecoming, Soperton Garden Club - Neva Williamson and Dicy Kate Gillis, new driver ed car - Ethier, Holliday, Higgs, Cancer Chairman Sidney Smith, deer heads, old house on Second Street, bank in Vidalia.

Signs from the Signman 10/11/08








Happy 40th Birthday, Jennifer Claxton. Love, Family - Friends. Hawaii, George, Hint Hint.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Signs from the Signman 10/08/08




Ain't it nifty that Brenda Brantley is turning 50. Oct. 9. Happy B-day. Love, Your Family.

The sign is on-line also.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

THS Class of 1963 Reunion



73 1004 01
October 4, 1973
The THS class of 1963 held its 10-year reunion at the community house.

Others this week: City Hall, Sweat's BBQ, football - lost to S E Bulloch, UFO seen at Beasley Hill, Dr. McNair bird hunt, Korean nurses, a wedding, new sign at Soperton city limit.

Signs from the Signman 10/02/08




Happy 7th Birthday
Kaylee
from
The Signman

5-0 Vikings
Going for History

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

A Personal Word - Treasure

This week the media and media watchers have been focused on the economic bail-out, sell-out, or whatever you want to call it. The moment may be historic, but it's too early to tell.

The hullabaloo gets down to one Biblical word, treasure. According to Bible Gateway, the King James version uses the word almost a hundred times. For example:

Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
Matthew 6:18-20

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
Matthew 6:19-21

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Matthew 6:20-22

What does that say for your 401k or Roth IRA? I saved for the future, too. It always seemed to be the responsible thing to do. But Jesus calls us to build up a heavenly portfolio. How are we doing with that?

To the rich, young ruler who sought self-justification, Jesus said: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."
Matthew 19:20-22

The experts have laid the economic problem at the feet of Greed. The pursuit of happiness has been exchanged to the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Greed drives our economy and goes all the way down to the lowliest investor.