Column
By Chris Bridges
Remembering a candidate of the people
In today’s political world, news is delivered seemingly at the speed of light.
With the internet and 24-hour cable news stations, it doesn’t take long for us to learn the latest news on political figures and candidates. That’s why last week I found it ironic that I learned of the passing of a long-time fixture on the Georgia political scene well after it happened.
The death of Jim Boyd, who ran for statewide office numerous times through the years, admittedly left me a little stunned. I did not realize he had passed away and only learned of it after family members sent me a note after I had written him inquiring about his plans for 2008.
Boyd was termed a “perennial candidate” by some who follow political races, but I refused to call him that because I felt that term had a negative ring to it. Rather, I had respect for the man who wanted to offer something to his fellow citizens of this state.
I’m not sure exactly when Boyd first caught the political bug. A little research shows he ran against Sam Nunn in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate back in 1984. He ran for the Public Service Commission several times and would also try again, more than once, for the U.S. Senate as well as a memorable run for Governor in 1994.
Boyd became known for running practically every two years for some statewide office and for his campaign signs which he would place in practically every town across the state. I remember back in the 1990s, I would start to look for his signs just to see what office he was seeking during the next election.
As his campaigns were mostly self-financed, Boyd had to take make the most of every dollar. His strategy of placing campaign signs all over the place was effective because it made passing motorists remember his name. I remember when he was running for the Public Service Commission in 1996 he parked an old pickup truck in downtown Jefferson and probably had 30 signs displayed on it. He left the truck in the middle of town for several days as countless people drove by seeing his signs declaring “I Will Vote No On All Rate Hikes Or Resign — Jim Boyd for PSC.”
It was during his 1994 run for Governor that he perhaps used one of the best campaign slogans I can remember. His motto was “Jim Boyd as Governor Could Not Be Worse Than Zell Miller.” Absolutely brillant.
The last office Boyd ran for was the U.S Senate in 2004. He was one of eight candidates in the Democratic primary and he stunned people by finishing third. I actually wasn’t surprised because in a field of unknowns and political lightweights, Boyd’s name recognition from years of running for office paid off.
Once again his signs were a highlight of the campaign as they declared “Bush Must Go — Jim Boyd For U.S. Senate.)
He was never elected to an office (that I am aware of), but Boyd was the victor in some Democratic primaries. I know in 2000 he won the Democratic nomination (in a landslide) for a seat on the Public Service Commission although he lost the general election that November.
I finally got a chance to meet him that year and asked him why he continued to run for office.
“I feel I have something to offer the people of Georgia,” Boyd told me. “I want to represent the every day working man and working woman. I want to be a voice for the people.”
I voted for him every time his name was on the ballot. I had hoped to continue doing so. I guess I should have realized something was wrong when he didn’t run for office in 2006. Now I know why. Campaign season in Georgia won’t be the same without Jim Boyd, his signs, his slogans and his approach of running as a candidate of the people.
Chris Bridges is a reporter for The Banks County News. Contact him at 706-367-2745 or e-mail comments to chris@mainstreetnews.com.
Column
By Jana Mitcham
The birds are back
We looked out the window the other morning, and there were robins hopping around everywhere.
It’s not officially spring, not even close, but I take heart when I see those birds with their reddish-orange vests, because I know better weather is on its way. Add the sight of the first blooms of the daffodils (even though they are often dusted with ice or snow at least once), and the day seems brighter.
It seems like the arrival of the robins also heralds a call for bird watchers — even bird “glancers” — everywhere. It’s this time of year that the Great Backyard Bird Count gets under way. In fact, Friday is the first day of that four-day bird count, which continues Feb. 15-18. If you take any note of the birds around you whatsoever, and if you have 15 free minutes to sit and take a tally, it’s worth the time. There is no age limit.
It works like this: Count birds for at least 15 minutes during Feb. 15-18 at as many places and on as many days as you choose. Keep a separate count of the numbers of each species you see for each separate day; take note of the largest number of birds of one species seen together at one time and write that down. When you are done, enter your findings on the GBBC website (www.birdsource.org/gbbc).
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society use the data collected from people all across the country and Canada to update information on the different species, noting how their migratory patterns change, how their numbers change and how the changing world around them — drought and warmer temperatures, for example — affect them. As they compile a database, they will be able compare bird movement and bird life through the years.
I tried the bird count last year for the first time, keeping up with what I thought were the different birds around here. I had a few questions, and this year I will print out the regional tally sheet as a guide. Just what are those little black birds — not crows, not red-winged black birds — that gather en masse in pastures and fields, anyway? I never could figure it out, although I saw them everywhere.
I know quite a few people from this area participated last year and the year before. You can look online and see where the responses originate by county and state. On the whole, there were more than 11 million birds of 629 species reported in 2007, with more than 80,000 checklists submitted — it can all be done online — and that’s a record for the 10-year effort.
There’s a lot more information on the website, such as the top 10 most numerous birds reported in 2007, but one thing I learned — after I noted the hopping brigade of robins outside the window — is that American Robins were the most numerous bird reported in the GBBC in 2007, for the first time ever. There were more than 2 million counted last year, up from a previous count of 333,973 (1.7 million were reported in a mangrove forest of one Florida city).
OK, I’m not looking for millions, but I’m glad to see the “spring” birds are back.
Jana Adams Mitcham is features editor of The Jackson Herald, a sister publication of The Banks County News. E-mail comments about this column to jana@mainstreetnews.com.
