Piedmont professor sheds light on what may have led up to Russian attack

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March 16, 2022

With death tolls increasing in Ukraine and shocking images of the invasion being broadcast worldwide, Americans are grappling to understand why the invasion is happening at all, and what can be done.

Now Habersham sat down with Piedmont University Professor of History, Al Pleysier Ph.D., a Russian history expert, to discuss the politics that led up to the invasion and the American response to the war.

Putin, the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire

Pleysier has an impressive 40-year tenure at Piedmont University, where he teaches a slew of history classes— including Russia’s history. (Photo: Piedmont University)

Pleysier is no stranger to Russian history. He’s been a professor on the subject for 40 years at Piedmont University, and he’s spent his career studying it— from writing books on the Soviet Union to participating in archeological work in Crimea. He says that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine is an attempt to rebuild the Russian empire destroyed by the Soviet Union, and boost the country’s economic prosperity.

He says that after the fall of the Soviet Union, satellite states of the Russian empire, like Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine all gained their independence. To a young Putin, who had grown up under Soviet rule, this was a loss of power.

“Putin will tell you that was one of the worst things that ever happened in his life,” Pleysier said. “Not because the communist party fell, but because the empire fell. And he wants that empire back.”

But why invade now? Pleysier says he believes that because of how the Obama administration reacted to the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, Putin didn’t expect to see an American reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.

“During the time that Barack Obama was president and Joe Biden was his vice president, Barack Obama placed Joe Biden in charge of the relationship between the United States and Crimea,” Pleysier said. “Putin was able to get away with Crimea, and [Biden] has been in office for a year.”

He says that he believes Putin thinks he can get away with more invasions under Biden’s leadership due to how he reacted to the Russian invasion of Crimea 8 years ago, and that now, he wants to take everything back.

“Now he doesn’t just want Crimea, he wants all of Ukraine,” Pleysier said. “Not because he wants to establish the Soviet Union— because he wants to re-establish the Russian Empire as it was.”

Zelensky’s plea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with the US Congress Wednesday morning to bring more aid to Ukraine. Specifically, to help them with a no-fly zone, a response to Russia’s attacks on the country. Recently, one of those attacks included bombing a maternity hospital in Mariupo l.

Zelensky addressed the United States Congress by video call Wednesday morning, asking the United States to “do more” to save the lives of Ukrainians. (President of Ukraine/Flickr)

“Remember Pearl Harbor, [the] terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you,” he said. “Just remember it, remember, September the 11th, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn US cities into battlefields when innocent people were attacked from [the] air, just like nobody else expected it and you could not stop it. Our country experiences the same, every day, right now at this moment.”

However, the US is hesitant to offer assistance for a no-fly zone. Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have refused to enforce a no-fly zone after hearing Zelensky’s impassioned remarks earlier this week, similar to those the United States heard today.

Pleysier says it’s a good thing the US hasn’t moved quickly to help Ukraine enforce a no-fly zone.

“I appreciate what Joe Biden is doing, he’s being very careful of that [no-fly zone],” Pleysier said. “If you do go into Ukraine with air cover, and you do shoot down a Russian plane, then you could have a world war. Then that cold war could become a hot war.”

While the US hasn’t committed to helping with a no-fly zone, US President Joe Biden allocated an additional $800 million to Ukrainian efforts to fight back against Russia’s invasion Wednesday afternoon. Shortly after, Biden told reporters that he thinks Putin is a war criminal.

BREAKING: Pres. Biden calls Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin a ” war criminal.” https://t.co/ORuOYE3lBs pic.twitter.com/9XHbwoCZrq

— ABC News (@ABC) March 16, 2022

Pleysier says he has no doubt that Putin has committed war crimes. He tells Now Habersham he thinks it’s “unbelievable” that anyone would have any hesitation in calling Putin a war criminal.

“This is murder, you’re a murderer,” Pleysier said of Putin. “You’re the one that gives the orders.”

The United Nations Human Rights office reports that since attacks on Ukraine began, at least 1,900 Ukrainian civilians have died and 1,174 have been injured. They estimate that the actual numbers are considerably higher.

W. C. Cawthon

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Now Habersham

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March 16, 2022

W. C. Cawthon, age 91, of Demorest, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, March 15, 2022.

Born on May 11, 1930, in Martin, Georgia, he was a son of the late Jefferson P. Cawthon and Evie Mae Wright Cawthon. Mr. Cawthon was a United States Army Veteran having served during the Korean Conflict. He retired from Habersham Mills after 38 years as a machinist. Mr. Cawthon was a member of Bethel Temple Congregational Holiness Church where he served as a Deacon for multiple terms. He read the entire Bible 114 times and loved to sing gospel music.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Rachel Hendrix Cawthon; brothers, Jeff, John Henry, James, Lynn, Glynn, and Willie Cawthon; sisters, Ruth Smith, Inez Cawthon, Carol Bray, Betty Pierce, Ann, and Naomi Ellard.

He is survived by son, Wesley C. Cawthon of Demorest; daughter, Becky Jean Robinson (Rev. Phillip) of Cleveland; grandchildren, Rev. Casey Robinson, Alicia Robinson, and Megan Robinson; and great-grandchildren, Cameron Robinson and Luke Caudell; sister, Velma Gettys of Toccoa.

Funeral Services will be held at 2 pm, Friday, March 18, 2022, at Bethel Temple Congregational Holiness Church with Rev. Edward Hood, Bishop Ronald Wilson, Rev. Phillip Robinson, and Rev. Casey Robinson officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery with full military honors provided.

The family will receive friends from 3 -5 pm and 7 – 9 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2022, at McGahee – Griffin and Stewart Funeral Home.

Those in attendance are asked to please adhere to the public health and social distancing guidelines regarding COVID-19.

An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.com.

McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706/778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.

In virtual address to Congress Zelensky calls on U.S. to ‘do more’

By

Jennifer Shutt and Jacob Fischler

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March 16, 2022

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Virtually Addresses Congress On Current Russian Invasion Of Ukraine — WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 16: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the U.S. Congress by video to plead for support as his country is besieged by Russian forces at the U.S. Capitol on March 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. Zelenskyy addressed Congress as Ukraine continues to defend itself from an ongoing Russian invasion. (Photo by J. Scott Applewhite-Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday invoked the Pearl Harbor attacks ahead of World War II and the 9/11 terrorist attacks while urging the United States to do more to stop the Russian war against his country.

During the speech, delivered virtually to members of Congress in an auditorium on Capitol Hill, Zelenskyy drew a comparison between attacks on the United States and on his democracy and called on the U.S. to institute a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

He’s made the request several times before, but so far American leaders have been reluctant to grant it, citing concerns that American or NATO military pilots enforcing such a restriction on Russian warplanes would lead to a direct confrontation, significantly broadening the war.

“Today, the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine, we are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future,” he said.

Zelenskyy began the 18-minute speech speaking Ukrainian, with a translator conveying his message in English. But he transitioned to speaking in English toward the end of the address after playing a two-minute video.

The deeply emotional video first showed peaceful scenes of Ukrainians leading their lives ahead of the war. It then transitioned to gruesome scenes of war, including bodies being added to a mass grave, images of people being treated in a hospital and several scenes of children crying as they evacuated. The video ended with the words “close the sky over Ukraine.”

Maine Sen. Angus King told reporters afterward there was a “collective holding of the breath” in the room and “the fact that he concluded his speech in English was a very powerful moment.”

Biden announces more military aid

Several hours after the address, President Joe Biden announced $800 million in additional U.S. military assistance to Ukraine, saying that he listened to Zelenskyy’s “convincing” speech from the White House private residence.

“He speaks for people who have shown remarkable courage and strength in the face of brutal aggression — courage and strength that’s inspired not only Ukrainians, but the entire world,” Biden said.

Despite Democrats and Republicans alike commending Zelenskyy for his speech and his actions in Ukraine, it wasn’t immediately clear if the United States would shift its stance on the no-fly zone.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the administration “continues to believe that a no-fly zone would be escalatory, could prompt a war with Russia.”

“I don’t believe there’s a lot of advocates calling for that at this point in time from Capitol Hill, but we certainly understand and recognize that is still a call from President Zelenskyy,” Psaki continued.

Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that if a no-fly zone was “too much to ask for,” the United States should supply Ukraine with the S-300 missile system, airplanes and other weapons to help Ukrainians defend themselves from Russian attacks.

Using the words of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Zelenskyy said: “I have a dream. These words are known to each of you. Today, I can say I have a need. I need to protect our sky. I need your decision, your help, which means exactly the same, the same you feel when you hear the words ‘I have a dream.’”

Zelenskyy closed out the speech speaking directly to Biden, even though Biden was not present for the virtual address.

“As the leader of my nation, I’m addressing President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. Thank you. Slava Ukraini.”

The words mean, “Glory to Ukraine.”

Biden said during his speech that “at the request of President Zelenskyy” the U.S. has “identified and are helping Ukraine acquire additional longer-range, anti-aircraft systems and munitions for those systems.”

Biden also announced the U.S. would send the Ukrainian military 9,000 anti-armor systems, including “shoulder mounted missiles that Ukrainian forces have been using with great effect to destroy invading tanks and armored vehicles”; 7,000 small arms, including grenade launchers and machine guns; and 800 anti-aircraft systems “to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people and to defend their Ukrainian airspace”; and drones, which demonstrates America’s “commitment to sending our most cutting edge systems to Ukraine for its defense.”

The United States and allied democracies, Biden said, would continue to send Ukraine more weapons and assistance in the future.

“I want to be honest with you, this could be a long and difficult battle. But the American people will be steadfast in our support of the people of Ukraine,” Biden said.

Congress reacts

Zelenskyy’s remarks had barely ended by the time lawmakers began reacting on Twitter. Members of both parties said they were moved by Zelenskyy’s speech and the video, and pledged to help Ukraine fight the war.

Many were nonspecific about how the United States should aid Ukraine.

“I was moved by the remarks of President Zelenskyy this morning,” Virginia Democrat and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner tweeted. “Virginia stands with Ukraine as they navigate the terror of this senseless invasion.”

Others called for more targeted actions, including providing the military tools Zelenskyy requested.

“The Biden administration must respond with more lethal assistance, including the airplanes, anti-air weapons, and tightened sanctions immediately,” Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican who co-chairs the Senate Ukraine Caucus, tweeted. “If they won’t, then Congress must again act in a bipartisan way with more help.”

“We need to do everything possible to #StandWithUkraine,” Arizona’s U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, said. “We can only avoid using troops if we are willing to arm them to the teeth with every conventional weapon available. We need to again be the Arsenal of Democracy.”

“@ZelenskyyUa is David taking on Goliath, but he needs more than slingshots,” Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., posted, using Zelenskyy’s Twitter handle. “The Biden Administration should move immediately to provide him and the Ukrainian people with the necessary equipment to defend their country.”

His fellow Florida Republican, Michael Waltz, was more succinct.

“Send the damn MiGs,” Waltz wrote, referring to a type of fighter jet.

Another Florida Republican, Sen. Rick Scott, called for sending planes and adding economic deterrents.

“We must give @Ukraine the planes they need to fight, stop Russian trade & implement the most severe sanctions on ALL Russian politicians to cut off these tyrants,” Scott said.

Some members also named Russian President Vladimir Putin as the aggressor.

“This morning, President Zelenskyy addressed Congress to update us on Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and evil attack on innocent Ukrainians,” Kansas Republican Rep. Jake LaTurner tweeted. “I appreciate his leadership & willingness to stand up and fight for freedom.”

Noting she was moved by Zelenskyy’s courage, Sen. Debbie Stabenow lauded recent efforts to provide humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine, as well as the administration’s sanctions.

“President Biden and Congress must continue to do everything we can to help them defend their people and their democracy,” the Michigan Democrat said. “That includes the billions in essential aid just passed in the recent appropriations bill for military assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities and critical humanitarian assistance. And it includes continuing to hit Putin and his oligarchs where they feel it most — in their bank accounts.”

Although there was a bipartisan consensus that the U.S. should provide more aid to Ukraine, partisan bickering continued.

Some Republican members blamed Biden for not acting fast enough.

“Russia invading Ukraine shouldn’t surprise the Biden-Harris administration,” Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds said. “Anyone who was paying attention saw this coming. Unfortunately, Biden is leading from behind, which has worsened the situation. We need to accelerate more support for Ukraine, starting with MiGs.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy targeted the wrong world leader in remarks following Zelenskyy’s address.

“Leaving President Zelenskyy’s speech was sickening to hear GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy attacking, not Putin, but” Biden, Van Hollen said on Twitter. “Somebody needs to tell him who the real enemy is & to stop playing politics with the defense of freedom in Ukraine. We’re all in this together.”

McCarthy, of California, told reporters he’d advised Biden to provide weapons to Ukraine and implement economic sanctions earlier.

Baldwin OKs liquor superstore plans

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Hadley Cottingham

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March 16, 2022

The Baldwin City Council unanimously approved an application for a liquor “superstore” off of 365 next to Hayes Chevrolet.

This would be the city’s first liquor store following the overwhelming passage of a liquor referendum by citizens in the November 2021 elections. The council approved the license and location for the store unanimously at their Monday council meeting.

Annesh Patel of Gainesville applied to open the liquor store, named “365 Superstore.” According to Baldwin Mayor Joe Elam, Patel has another store similar to the plans for this one in Gainesville. Patel’s application has been the only completed application the city has received.

Now that the license to open the store has been approved, Patel will move forward with providing specifications for the project to the city. The store would be located off of 365, on the corner of Charlie Davis and BC Grant Road.

Councilwoman Stephanie Almagono voiced her concerns at the city’s work session last week that the liquor store would be in a part of town that could create problems.

“Using that BP station— it gets a little rough there in the evening,” Almagno said. “There are folks that are living behind that BP, [who] shouldn’t be living behind that BP, just hanging out behind that BP . . . now adding the liquor store to it, I’m fine with having them, but I just hope that we have patrols and things. We’re just adding a different element to the area.”

She did not share any further concerns during Monday night’s vote.

According to the city’s liquor ordinance, the city will allow a total of three liquor stores within city limits. That number is dictated by population, according to the proposed amendments. Two would be allowed for the city regardless of population, with an additional store per 5,000 people. If Baldwin’s population grows an additional 5,000 citizens, another store would be permitted to open.

I-85 Northbound near Braselton closed for emergency bridge deck repairs

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Now Habersham

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March 16, 2022

BRASELTON- Georgia Department of Transportation construction partners have closed I-85 northbound at Exit 129 for emergency bridge deck repairs. This closure is required to repair the concrete surface over the CSX Railroad, the state transportation department says.

Contractors working on the I-85 Phase 2 widening project noticed damaged concrete and immediately notified Georgia DOT officials and closed an outside lane earlier today.

Work is underway with crews active around the clock to repair the bridge deck and reopen one lane by Thursday afternoon. Both lanes of I-85 northbound are anticipated to reopen late Friday, March 18, weather permitting.

Detour route near Braselton in Jackson County (Source: Georgia DOT)

“Although this temporary detour will be a short-term inconvenience, Georgia DOT is working to protect motorists traveling this vital corridor,” said Georgia DOT Project Manager Butch Welch. “We’re grateful to the contractor for their quick, proactive actions to inform the Department and get to work repairing the bridge. We look forward to reopening the roadway as soon as possible.”

During the closure, motorists will use the following detour:

Motorists should exit I-85 northbound at Exit 129, turning right onto State Route (SR) 53. Motorists should travel approximately 0.3 miles and turn left onto SR 124/Lewis Braselton Boulevard. Motorists will continue along SR 124 for approximately 9.9 miles. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto SR 11/Winder Hwy.

Motorists will then travel approximately 1.5 miles to US 129/Jefferson Bypass. Motorists should then turn left onto US 129/Jefferson Bypass and continue for approximately five miles. Motorists will then turn right to merge onto I-85 northbound.

Motorists are advised to exercise caution and travel safely through the detour, following posted speed limits on local roads.

Reed reacts to Cornelia commission win, shares hopes for leadership

By

Hadley Cottingham

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March 16, 2022

Cornelia’s Ward 1 Commissioner has been chosen by the voters, and Navy Veteran and Cornelia Native Mark Reed will take up the position for Ward 1 on the City of Cornelia Commission.

Reed came out on top at the polls, defeating Jeff Wilson, who was appointed to the council following the death of Ward 1 Commissioner Wesley Dodd, with 60 percent of the vote.

Wilson says he’s disappointed he lost, but he wishes Reed and the commission the best. He says he enjoyed his time on the commission and getting to see how government operated, and that he enjoyed seeing how committed he felt the commission was to the citizens.

“I really had a great experience, it was just 6 months, but I don’t have any negative experiences from those 6 months,” Wilson said. “It was a positive experience for me, and hopefully, I was able to do my part to serve the community while I was there.”

Reed, who has served on the City of Baldwin’s planning commission, as Baldwin’s Mayor, with the Georgia Municipal Association and the Habersham Relay for Life, among others, says he’s happy to be back in his role as a public servant.

“We all search for balance in our lives,” Reed said. “I feel like for the last few years what’s been missing [in mine] is my … desire for public service.”

He says that being from Cornelia and living in the city today, as well as his friendships in the area, has impacted his calling to serve the city.

“Being from here and … having so many friends in Cornelia, I just felt like [I wanted] to offer myself for service to the city,” Reed said.

Representing Ward 1

This was the second time Reed ran for the Ward 1 council seat, the first time against the late commissioner Wesley Dodd. This election filled the seat on the commission left empty after Dodd lost his battle to cancer in September. Reed says he and Dodd were friends, and that when he ran against him in 2019, it wasn’t because he opposed him. He just wanted to offer himself as a candidate to the city.

Reed printed campaign signs in both red and blue, saying in a Facebook post that “city elections are non-partisan,” and “City government is where the rubber meets the road.” (Mark Reed/Facebook)

“It wasn’t about running against Wes, he was a friend of mine. He was my deacon at church, and he was just an overall great guy,” Reed said. “I was just running to try to do my best for the city and to offer my service.”

Now that he’s moving forward to achieving his goal of finding balance in his life with public service, he says he’s humbled that voters elected him Tuesday.

“It was very rewarding, very humbling to see that I was selected this time,” Reed said. “I’m dedicated to doing the best I can for the city as a whole and for my citizens in Ward 1 in particular.”

Reed says even though he’s grateful for his supporters, he still wants to represent everyone in Ward 1 equally.

“We’re all in this together,” he said. “I’ll represent them just as well, and to the best of my abilities as if they had supported me.”

Much to learn

Reed says even though the campaign trail is over, there’s plenty of work for him to do. While he might not be knocking on doors, he says his next step is to learn everything he can, from getting to know the people who didn’t support him and their needs to learning about city operations.

“I have to reach out to those who didn’t support me,” Reed said. “And to my fellow commissioners to get to know them and find out what’s important to them in their wards so that we can build bridges and work together with a greater understanding of where we stand as commissioners, individually and as a team, collectively for the city.”

He says he doesn’t have an agenda in his new position, and that his goal for the foreseeable future is to learn how to best serve his community.

“I don’t have an agenda, I have a lot to learn about the city and the city’s operations, which I’m very excited to do,” Reed said. “I plan to do more listening than talking, and spend a period of time, like I said, getting to know my fellow commissioners and the mayor, and learning about what our priorities are now and our vision for the future.”

U.S. Senate backs shift to permanent daylight saving time

By

Ariana Figueroa

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March 16, 2022

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — The U.S. Senate with little debate on Tuesday unanimously supported a permanent change to daylight saving time, several days after Americans once again went through the hated “spring forward” ritual of changing their clocks.

If the bill, the Sunshine Protection Act, clears the House, it would mean most states would stay on daylight saving time throughout the year — giving them an extra hour of sunlight in the evening.

“Just this past weekend, we all went through that biannual ritual of changing the clock back and forth and the disruption that comes with it,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the Republican who sponsored the bill, said on the Senate floor. “One has to ask themselves, why do we keep doing this?”

Rubio said that he believed a majority of Americans want to do away with the time switch and would prefer an extra hour of daylight, especially during the winter months. The Senate agreed under a process known as unanimous consent.

The bill, if signed into law, would not go into effect until 2023, to give airlines and other companies time to adjust. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a question about President Joe Biden’s position on daylight saving time.

The House held a hearing last week at which a panel of experts debated the health, energy and economic impacts of changing clocks twice a year. While lawmakers on the panel couldn’t decide which time to switch to permanently, they all agreed that the United States should stick to one or the other.

It turns out daylight saving time is a shared mission among Florida lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican, introduced the House version of the bill, H.R. 69. He wrote on Twitter that he is drafting a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking to bring his bill to the floor for an immediate vote.

States have moved to pass or enact measures in favor of year-round daylight saving time, but without congressional approval, they can’t adopt those changes. Georgia lawmakers have pushed for an end to seasonal clock changes for years, although some worry about getting out of time sync with other parts of the country.

Iowa’s state House recently passed a bill that would put the state on daylight saving time, pending federal action.

Two states have passed measures to stay on standard time — Arizona and Hawaii. Both congressional bills would allow states to stay on standard time if they adopted the time change before the Sunshine Protection Act went into effect.

Daylight saving time was used as an energy-saving measure during various points in U.S. history, such as World War I and World War II, and has become a permanent fixture since the energy crisis of the 1970s.

This is not the first time the U.S. has moved to make daylight saving time permanent. On Dec. 14, 1973, Congress voted to put the U.S. on daylight saving time for two years. While 79% of Americans approved of the change in December of that year, within three months, approval fell to 42%, according to the New York Times.

The biggest concern stemmed from children going to school in the dark, which soon proved to be dangerous as more children were reported to be hit by early-morning drivers.

Shortly after President Richard Nixon resigned, Congress passed a bill that would restore standard time, which was then signed by President Gerald Ford.

Daylight saving time this year ends on Nov. 6.

Habersham elementary students win awards for school bus safety art

By

Hadley Cottingham

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March 16, 2022

School bus art — Students (from left to right) Sabrina Blackburn, Caroline Sutton, Britton Franklin, Glori Tyler and Transportation Director Stephanie Walker share this year's school bus safety poster winners with the community. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

Four Habersham elementary schoolers presented their award-winning school bus safety art to the school board and their community on Monday.

The pieces were entries into the National Association of Pupil Transportation’s annual school bus safety poster contest. Students compete at the school, state and national level for the grand prize: the best poster in each division becomes the promotional poster for the NAPT.

The competition is divided into three divisions: First Division, which covers grades K-2, Second Division, which covers grades 3-5 and Third Division, grades 6-8.

This year’s school-level winners include Clarkesville Elementary second grader Britton Franklin, who won first place in the first division of the competition. In the second division, Sabrina Blackburn, a Clarkesville Elementary fifth grader, won first place, Glori Tyler, a fourth grader from Clarkesville Elementary, took second and Caroline Sutton, a Level Grove Elementary fifth grader, took home third place.

Caroline Sutton’s sunshiney school bus poster won third place in her division. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

Walker was impressed with the creativity and talent with the student submissions this year, and says she loves seeing the student’s ideas and artwork each year.

“My favorite part is just sitting down on the floor going through the different posters we get, and trying to determine— ‘oh my gosh, we’ve got to come up with which ones are going to the finalists,'” says Habersham County Schools Transportation Director Stephanie Walker. “Sometimes that’s hard, we get some really, really cute ones. They do a great job every year.”

Memorials mark anniversary of spa shootings with tributes to victims of ‘hate and fear’

By

Ross Williams

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March 16, 2022

(GA Recorder) — Wednesday marked a somber anniversary for Georgians, especially those with Asian American ancestry.

On March 16, 2021, a gunman attacked three Asian American spas in Atlanta and Cherokee County, killing eight people and injuring another. Six of the people killed were Asian American women.

The nation mourned along with Georgia as the tragedy came amid a spike in anti-Asian violence tied to unfounded blame for the coronavirus pandemic.

Activists, politicians and family members gathered in Atlanta Wednesday to honor the victims and rally for an end to racial violence.

Robert Peterson said he decided to speak out in honor of his mother, Yong Ae Yue, one of the victims of the shooting.

Robert Peterson (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

“My mother was an Asian woman who was targeted for who she was, for occupying a particular space, by someone she didn’t know,” he said. “What would my mother say in this moment? My mother would want you to care. She would want you to be concerned, she would want the community to be supportive and inclusive. As we stand together in this shared responsibility against hate, it sends a message that this is unacceptable, it cannot be tolerated. This type of violence tears at the fabric of who we are.”

Michael Webb recalled a terrifying phone call with his daughter waiting to hear news of his former wife, Xiaojie Tan.

“We stayed on the phone together for five hours,” he said. “Each hour, we learned of more casualties, until we learned there were eight dead, and there was only one shooting victim that had survived. We held onto that small thread of hope, until finally, my daughter was told that her mother was among the dead.”

Michael Webb (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

Webb, who is white, urged the crowd to support stronger gun safety measures and promote friendship and understanding among people with different backgrounds.

“Many of my fellow white Americans have been shaped by similar biases and prejudices, and are either blind to them or unwilling to examine them,” he said. “This is the insidious nature of racism.”

Deep-seated stereotypes about Asian women contribute to the violence they experience, said Democratic state Sen. Michelle Au of Johns Creek, Georgia’s first Asian American woman senator.

“History has shown us that it is easier to hurt others whom we objectify or see as less than human,” Au said. “We also know the hypersexualization and objectification of women and girls leads them to increased risk of violence. Asian women often find themselves — ourselves — at the nexus of this social psychology. And in examining the events of March 16 and its inciting factors, we cannot turn away from the interplay of racism, sexism, and its deadly effect. This is why the importance of education cannot be overstated.”

At a time when lawmakers are passing bills aimed blocking discussions on “divisive concepts” in the classroom, Au stressed the role of education as an “empathy machine.”

Then-21-year-old Robert Long pleaded guilty to the attacks and was sentenced to life in prison in connection with the killings in Cherokee. He still faces prosecution in Fulton County in connection with the Atlanta shootings and could be facing the death penalty. Long reportedly told police he was inspired to commit the shootings because of a sex addiction.

State Rep. Bee Nguyen, an Atlanta Democrat who is also running for secretary of state, compared the victims to her own mother, who immigrated from Vietnam. Nguyen is Georgia’s first Vietnamese-American state representative.

Rep. Bee Nguyen (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

“The tragic shooting and what we have to come to know about the lives of the victims, it unveils to our community a counternarrative that we as a society fail to recognize,” Nguyen said. “Asian people are not the model minority. We are isolated. We are lonely. We are invisible. We are vulnerable. Some of us are poor. Some of us speak English with a heavy accent. Some of us make ourselves small. We are the conditions of the inequalities that propelled us to seek refuge in America in the first place. And tragically, for these women, America did not safely harbor them.”

Nguyen said Asian Americans must stand with other marginalized groups to fight against oppression.

Her message was echoed by Stacey Abrams, Democratic candidate for governor.

“My father grew up the target of racial violence,” she said. “He grew up in the Jim Crow South where being Black was enough to justify harm and hatred, to diminish who he was and to deny his humanity, and what happened a year ago today was an echo and a repeat of what has been too long the history of this nation.”

Abrams sought to connect the racist policies of the Jim Crow era with racist laws targeting Asian Americans like the Chinese Exclusion Act.

“Breaking the silence of hatred against Asian women should have started in the 1800s, but by God, it will happen today,” she said.

Stacey Abrams (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

Gov. Brian Kemp’s office sent a representative to the event to read a statement on the governor’s behalf.

“These terrible crimes have no place in Georgia,” the governor’s statement read. “Equally as important, I want to reiterate that every Georgian deserves to be safe, secure in our state. As friends, coworkers, family, and valued members of the community, these individuals should not live in fear. Our family remains heartbroken by the horrendous actions from one year ago today, and our prayers continue to go out to those affected.”

Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, who represents more Asian Americans than any other Georgia member of Congress, spoke about federal efforts to fight hate crimes, including the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which allocates resources to local hate crimes investigations and directs the Justice Department to expedite review of COVID-19-related hate crimes.

Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

“As we look ahead, it is my hope that these perpetrators of hate crimes are brought to justice and that these measures reduce the number of hate crimes in our community,” Bourdeaux said. “The heinous shootings in Georgia were a wake-up call for the public to the reality of the Asian American community and what they are facing each and every day. When one group of Americans is hurting, we are all hurting.”

Other Georgians representing the state sent messages of support, including Bourdeaux’ primary rival Congresswoman Lucy McBath.

McBath said she continues to grieve for the victims, but she is inspired by the show of courage and strength demonstrated by Georgians in response to the attack.

“I am so encouraged and strengthened by the efforts of leaders in our community who, for the past year, have worked tirelessly to combat this hatred with meaningful and substantial action,” she said. “And as we commemorate those we lost to these hateful acts, we reaffirm our commitment to rid our communities of violence and vitriol, and we uplift the love and peace which has been championed by so many of our friends and neighbors.”

Bourdeaux, McBath and Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams are all sponsors of a bill commemorating the anniversary of the attacks and condemning anti-Asian hate.

“Everyone, no matter their race, ethnicity, or gender, has the right to live without fear of violence in their workplace or public spaces,” Williams said at an event held Wednesday on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.

“We must honor the legacies of these eight victims and stop all forms of racism. Sadly, anti-Asian hatred has continued since the Atlanta spa shootings one year ago,” she said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock read the names of the victims on the Senate floor before calling for a moment of silent prayer.

“One year ago today, a hateful act of violence shook metropolitan Atlanta and reverberated across our state, our country, and indeed, the world. In the span of just a few hours, our sense of safety and sanctuary was pierced by bullets of hate and fear. Eight precious people lost their lives, eight people who were loved by their families, their friends, their children.”

Sen. Jon Ossoff released a video statement mourning the victims.

“We are all of us human beings, and united we grieve alongside the loved ones, colleagues, friends, and neighbors of those who were killed. We must build a state, a nation, and a world where no one lives in fear because of who we are, or where we or our families come from — a state, a nation, and a world built on love for and trust in our fellow human beings,” Ossoff said.

Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Jill Nolin contributed to this report.

School voucher push gets shoved down with muscle from state GOP lawmakers

By

Ross Williams

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March 16, 2022

Sen. Butch Miller’s plan to expand school vouchers was shot down by the Senate on Crossover Day. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

(GA Recorder) — The Georgia Senate delivered a blow to the school choice movement Tuesday, voting down a bill that would have diverted $6,000 from state money for public schools to allow parents to send their children to private school.

Georgia has limited voucher programs, but Senate Pro Temp Butch Miller’s Senate Bill 601plan would extend the option to nearly every child currently enrolled in a public school.

Miller’s bill went down 20-29 after members of both parties spoke against the plan. Miller, a Gainesville Republican, is also running for lieutenant governor.

Miller said the $6,000 figure represents the average amount of state money a public school is allocated per enrolled student. He argued that public schools would benefit from the program because they would still receive the local share of dollars for students who used the voucher.

Democrats challenged that math.

“This legislation provides more money via the voucher to private schools than is allotted for children in general education in 9th through 12th grade, isn’t it true?” asked Atlanta Democratic Sen. Elena Parent using parliamentary framing.

“I don’t believe that’s the case, I believe $6,000 is less than that amount,” Miller said.

“Isn’t it true that the general education amount for 9th through 12th graders, when you’re not including special needs or English as a second language, the general amount is $4,159, isn’t it true?”

“I’m sure the senator knows of what she speaks, $6,000 was an average,” Miller said.

“And isn’t it true that that’s a full $1,800 less than we give the public schools for these children, senator?” Parent asked.

“You do very good math, there, senator,” Miller said.

Atlanta Democratic Sen. Nan Orrock blasted the committee process leading up to the vote, noting that members of the public were not able to speak at multiple hearings.

Miller said there was not enough time for public input on the measures.

“You’re saying, if I understand you correctly, that time ran out right to hear from our state school superintendents association, time ran out to hear from our Georgia School Boards Association, time ran out to hear from voices of teachers, time ran out to hear from local school leaders?” Orrock asked. “Wouldn’t it have been appropriate to get the input from that esteemed leadership across our state that represents all superintendents, represents all the school boards? Would they not have something of value to add to a discussion about a bill that’s going to strip money out of our public school system?

“Senator, I appreciate your passion for your position, and thank you very much,” Miller said.

Republican Sen. Matt Brass of Newnan echoed Democrats’ worries, noting that $6,000 per student is more than what most of the counties he represents receive.

“To me, the $6,000 is too much, and it really does hurt my folks like Heard County and I certainly don’t want to do that,” he said. “I do believe in this legislation in principle, and I want to get it to where I can vote for it, but the only way I can do that is if we’re going to make sure that the state is spending the same amount in that voucher as it does if that kid stays in school.”

Brass offered an amendment changing the amount from a fixed $6,000 to the amount the local district receives. The amendment passed without debate, but that was not enough to save the bill.

Brass voted for the amended bill, but other Republicans including Sens. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas, Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, Majority Leader Mike Dugan of Carrollton, Russ Goodman of Cogdell, Tyler Harper of Ocilla and Lindsey Tippins of Marietta, voted against it.

Tuesday is the final day for a bill to pass from one chamber to another, so the vote likely means the end for this year’s voucher push. Lawmakers could revive the effort by attaching the bill’s language to another bill, but even if they did, it could have a hard time passing the House. Speaker David Ralston announced that a similar bill there will not receive a vote this year after a group of supporters sought to intimidate conservative lawmakers into supporting it by sending out intimidating mailers linking several Republican lawmakers to Stacey Abrams and other political foils on the Democrat’s side of the aisle.

Reed beats out Wilson in Cornelia Ward 1 election

By

Hadley Cottingham

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March 16, 2022

Cornelia election day — Poll worker Izac Martin sits in an empty Cornelia Community House, awaiting voters. (Hadley Cottingham/Now Habersham)

Cornelia Ward 1 voters have chosen the commissioner to succeed the late Wesley Dodd on the Cornelia City Commission: Mark Reed.

Reed will replace Jeff Wilson, who was appointed to the Ward 1 seat a bout a month after former Commissioner Wesley Dodd’s passing in September of 2021.

Mark Reed, who previously ran for the Ward 1 seat and sought to be appointed following Dodd’s death, will now take a seat on the commission.

Poll workers say it was a slow day at the Habersham Community House, where voters cast their ballots. Just three hours before the polls closed, poll worker Izac Martin says 73 people had voted in the election. By the end of the day, 127 people had cast their ballots. But he says that’s a decent number for a single-ward municipal election.

A total of 151 people voted in the election, with 17 voting early, 7 voting by absentee ballots and 127 people voting at the polls. Just 22 percent of the ward’s registered voters cast ballots in the election.

“We’ve seen a lot of people showing up to do their civic duty,” Cornelia Poll Manager Derick LaPerriere said. “Locals … are trying to make sure the citizenry’s voice is heard.”

Weiland promoted to deputy police chief

By

Dean Dyer

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March 16, 2022

Deputy Police Chief Aaron Weiland — Chief Shoemaker watches as Sgt. Wesley Addis and Cpl. Brandon Wood placed new pins on Chief Deputy Weiland. (wrwh.com)

Cleveland Police Chief Jeff Shoemaker has promoted a long-time dedicated officer who briefly held the job he now has. During Monday’s Cleveland City Council meeting, Chief Shoemaker announced the promotion of Major Aaron Weiland to the position of Deputy Police Chief.

Shoemaker told the council that this has been the making for a while.

“Since I’ve been here, a little over a year, I have relied on Major Weiland’s assistance in some leadership with the department,” he said. “I hope it’s recognized we are a different department than we were a year ago and that wouldn’t be possible without his help. “

Following the announcement, two of Weiland’s fellow officers Sgt. Wesley Addis and Cpl. Brandon Wood took part in a pinning ceremony for the new deputy chief.

Weiland has been with the Cleveland Police Department for over 23 years and served as interim police chief prior to Chief Shoemaker being named to that position.