Editorials

Trees, again

"No," came the reply.

"Well, an unidentified elderly lady phoned irate that the city was cutting down the trees in front of the Denton-Hendrix home on Second Ave. East across from Ace Hardware. I thought it must have been you."

But it was a pretty good guess, as this elderly writer is an inveterate tree hugger. However, the city fathers have to be defended on this. The condition of the trees was so deplorable an Auburn consultant recommended they be removed. The city didn't want to chance limbs - or entire trees - falling on motorists or pedestrians. Personal injury would have been tragic. And then there's the risk of a lawsuit, since in this litigious world anybody can sue anybody for anything.

The timing could have been worse. If Florence Denton Hendrix were still occupying her home, she would have pulled out the trusty shotgun and there could have been personal injury.

Present owner Grace Huie's reaction was of a quieter sort, but she did all she could to save the trees.

One wonders how many more trees Oneonta can lose without also losing its distinction as a Tree City USA. Between those removed because of age, because of power lines, and because developers know skinning bald the ground where they plan to build is much cheaper than preserving them.

In an ideal world, the city would plant a tree somewhere in town every time it removes one, and developers building spec houses would do the same. And every resident who plants a tree would be praised.

- mh

Second chance

of retirement from the Alabama Bureau of Investigation then later take on oversight of Blount County law enforcement?

Maybe it's because he's worn a badge and gun all his life. One pretty well becomes the role he plays if he's at it long enough.

Whatever, the newspaper welcomes him, a welcome all the warmer because he "favors the concept" of a work release program, a program the county commission has been asked to consider establishing here.

Under such a program, suitable work is found outside the jail for inmates deemed eligible to work under supervision in the outside world, returning after hours to their cells. The employers pay wages, a portion going to the county for food, keep, and medical care.

As suggested, inmates taking part in the program are kept separate from the other jail occupants. They can be given opportunity to work toward their GEDs and/or to learn a trade. Ideally when they have completed their sentences, they will have acquired marketable skills, broadened their knowledge, attained better physical and mental health, and, maybe, acquired a different view of the world.

Should commissioners favorably view work release, they and the sheriff will have countless details to work through, not least the matter of security. They will design a system as they see best, not necessarily incorporating ideas given above.

Doubtless some elements of the taxpaying public will take a dim view of work release, believing that offenders should spend every day of their sentences in jail. "He broke the law; he should pay," being the view.

But a work release program could turn a man around from a destructive, empty life to one of accomplishment and fulfillment. Then everybody benefits.

- mh

Thanks for volunteers

No volunteer group in Blount County more tenaciously pursues its goals than does Friends of the Locust Fork River. Its mission: "... we join together to actively preserve the natural integrity of the river in its free-flowing state, and to that end, the lifestyle of the community that surrounds it."

Substitute "Blount County" for "community," for it's a treasure of which the entire county can be proud.

Much of FLFR's work is designed to instill pride in the river, to teach the county of its riches, not least of which is its beauty, and to stave off Birmingham Water Works Board's taking it as a reservoir to serve its thousands of consumers.

FLFR hosts invitational canoe and kayak races, hikes along the river, and lazy tube floats. One of its most successful ventures is the annual A Day on the River, where students and their families attend classes at King's Bend about the river and the watershed ecology.

Listed among its successes is receiving with Black Warrior Riverkeeper the winning settlement of a lawsuit with Metro Recycling/Tire Landfill for violations of the Clean Water Act.

A dream that keeps surfacing among members is a county nature center where activities and displays would be available to students and their families, perhaps from counties other than ours.

***

When one speaks of volunteers, Blount County's firefighters come immediately to mind. Not only do they save homes, other structures, and sometimes lives; they also have to hold fundraisers to make it possible to serve the public.

Blount County-Oneonta Civic Arts Council is another highly successful volunteer group. It brings well known musicians from near and far for recitals and concerts. It brings professionals here that conduct drama workshops for children and present them in remarkable performances.

Friends of Oneonta Public Library presents an annual Authors Conference showcasing published Alabama writers. Money the conferences raise - some $11,000 in 2008 - are directed to children's library programs and books. Blountsville Library sponsors stay busy with their activities that enrich.

Don't forget Lions, who are dedicated to improving or restoring sight to the less privileged, and Civitans, who support a research center addressing children's disorders. And there are always the garden clubs and doubtless other groups not named here.

No doubt all these organizations could use additional dedicated volunteeers. If you aren't in position to work actively, money is always needed.

Think about it.

- mh