|
Editorial
The Banks County News
April 19, 2000
Qualifying means
it's time for campaigning
Plenty of candidates have already thrown
their hat in the ring for the positions up for grabs in the elections
coming up this year. Plenty more will most likely join the lists
next week as qualifying officially opens on Monday.
The arrival of qualifying means campaign season has arrived.
A few rules for those seeking office include the following:
·Candidates' announcements - We have already run announcements
from several candidates seeking various offices. These announcements
are edited just like any other news copy. They are printed on
page 2A or 3A, not on the front page.
·Advertising - We have a number of guidelines for political
advertising. Those interested in running for office may pick
up our four-page campaign ad pamphlet at our office in Homer.
·Endorsements - We have no plans to run political endorsements.
In other words, we're not going to tell readers who they should
vote for.
·Coverage of political forums - The Banks County Chamber
of Commerce usually holds political forums for elections, though
no dates have been set for this year. A political forum is one
of the best ways for voters to learn about candidates and we
will prominently publicize any such activity, while offering
in-depth coverage of the events.
·Question-and-answer issues - We plan to offer all candidates
a questionnaire concerning issues and the candidate's views prior
to the election.
Letter
The
Banks County News
April 19, 2000
Concerned about gun control bill
Dear Editor:
I feel your subscribers need to be made aware of a "gun
control" modification.
On Feb. 24, Sen. Jack Reed from Rhode Island introduced a "Handgun
Safety and Registration Act of 2000." The bill number is
S2099 and has been referred to the Senate committee on finance.
This bill would amend the IRS code of 1986 to require the registration
of handguns. Within this bill, there is a requirement that ALL
now unregistered handguns be registered immediately. These requirements
will be incorporated into your tax forms so there will be no
way to avoid them. Everyone who is concerned about this development
should write their representatives and senators demanding their
opposition to this amendment. Do it now if you are concerned
about gun control in the United States. I have read this bill
and I will be contacting my senators.
Sincerely,
Frances Waters
Homer
|
Column
By Angie
Gary
The Banks County News
April 19, 2000
 A week in paradise
They call it paradise.
Palm trees blowing in the breeze as the bright sun shines overhead.
The faint smell of the ocean as a ship passes by. The rest of
the world cut off from this small island by a string of bridges.
It's easy to see why they call Key West, Fla., paradise.
One of my favorite days at paradise came toward the end of the
week when we headed to the beach. It's a small beach compared
to Panama City and Daytona Beach, but it has everything you need-a
stretch of sand with a wonderful view of the ocean and a string
of concession stands offering everything from cool lemonade to
a lounge chair to rent for the day. While some brave souls could
be spotted parasailing, my biggest adventure was rolling over
and reading another chapter in my book. It's a great way to relax
and leave your troubles behind. The only problem is that the
sun was so intense I was afraid my pale skin would burn, which
led us to leave after only a few hours.
The Conchs, or native Key West residents, have dark sun-tanned
skin. With warm weather year-round, it's easy to understand why.
I went to Key West with my pale, white, winter skin and returned
with a light brown tan. You can soak up the sun on the beach
on the south end of the island or at one of the many pools found
in the midst of tropical gardens of palm trees. I went to both
and found the beach, with its gentle breeze and sounds of seagulls
in the background, to be my favorite. It was even worth the sand
which seems to stick all over my arms and legs and stay on until
I take a shower and scrub it off.
We finished up our beach day by renting an electric-powered car
or "beach buggy" and riding around the small island.
I'm sure we went down every road at least one time as we enjoyed
the pretty, intricate architecture of the homes and other island
scenes. It's a windy ride but it's a great way to travel along
the winding streets of Key West. The more adventurous can rent
a scooter to speed around town on or a boat for an afternoon
on the water. The powered car was enough of an adventure for
me.
Another interesting part of the trip came during a brief stop
at novelist Ernest Hemingway's home. As many people know, I love
cats. I can't pass a cat without petting it. My love of cats,
along with my interest in literature, made a stop at the home
Hemingway lived in for some 10 years a must. Hemingway also apparently
loved cats, as descendants of his six-toed cats still roam the
home and grounds today. There are more than 50 cats of all colors
and sizes and they have free rein at the house. They walk through
the rooms, jumping on the furniture that people can't sit on,
and lounging in sunny spots in the gardens and around the pool.
I even got a picture of one of the cats, named Marilyn Monroe,
curled up in one of the beds. She had just jumped off the shoulders
of one of the tour guides where she was while he walked through
the bedrooms telling us of Hemingway's life at Key West. I got
another cute picture of another cat sunning in front of the swimming
pool which was the first built in Key West. Hemingway's second
wife, Pauline, had it installed for $20,000, which was a great
deal more than the $8,000 purchase price of the house.
Hemingway wrote 70 percent of his novels at a small cottage across
from his home in Key West. Visitors can also look inside it to
get an idea of his environment at the time he wrote works such
as "The Old Man and the Sea."
Wherever you go in Key West, you'll most likely end up back on
Duval Street. It is the center of town and has most everything
you are looking for, and some things you aren't looking for.
Want your picture made with an iguana, snake and parrot? How
about a henna tattoo which is put on with ink and lasts two to
three weeks? How about a good meal-Chinese, Italian, Mexican,
Thai or Japanese? You can find it all within walking distance
on Duval Street.
Mallory Square is located just off of Duval Street and this is
where a large crowd gathers each afternoon to see the magnificent
Key West sunsets. These sunset celebrations have a fun, carnival
atmosphere with street entertainers and vendors vying for attention.
My stay in paradise was entertaining and enlightening, but I
was happy to return to my own paradise where my family and cat
were waiting for me.
Angela Gary is associate editor of The Jackson Herald and editor
of The Banks County News.
|
