Trio on peace walk go through Banks County
A drum was beating and a chant could be
heard as a trio of Buddhists walked through Banks County last
week on a pilgrimage for peace.
Brother K. Utsumi, Sister Denise Laffan and Sister Takoko Ichikawa
passed through Banks County last Friday on their peace walk from
Atlanta to Oak Ridge, Tenn., the place where the Hiroshima atomic
bomb was developed. Banks Countian Adele Kushner opened her home
to these peace walkers overnight on Friday. The trio enjoyed
a pot -luck supper and spent some time discussing their efforts.
"This is the way they believe they will achieve peace,"
Kushner said. "Once they get to their destination, they
will stand there all day, beat the drum and hand out flyers.
That is as far as they will go."
Kushner said she was glad to help the group in their effort.
WALKING FOR PEACE
A drum was beating and a chant could be heard as a trio of Buddhists
walked through Banks County last week on a pilgrimage for peace.
Shown are: (L-R) Takoko Ichikawa, Konomu Utsumi and Denise Laffaan.
The three members of the Nipponzan Myohoji-Atlanta Dojo will
complete the walk from Atlanta to Oak Ridge, Tenn., the place
where the Hiroshima atomic bomb was developed. They will be joined
day to day by other members and supporters
Photo
by Travis Hatfield
She is no stranger to peace walks herself. In fact, she met Utsumi
on a vigil for peace at the submarine base on St. Mary's Island.
"I've been there and I agree with what they are trying to
do," she said. "We need to get rid of nuclear weapons
because they could destroy the earth."
She said she also admires their work in Atlanta. They took an
old crack house and transformed it into a beautiful Buddhist
temple, Kushner said.
The two women and one man started their journey on Friday, July
16, in Atlanta and have traveled to Stone Mountain, Lawrenceville,
Winder, Jefferson and Maysville to reach their Alto destination
on Friday. The trio will continue up Hwy. 441 through North Carolina,
Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Knoxville, Tenn., until they reach Oak
Ridge on Friday, August 6.
Those days are significant, Kushner explained. July 16 is the
anniversary of the first atomic bomb test and August 6 is Hiroshima
Day.
"This is a walk that directs heart, mind and feet away from
sickness and madness of nuclear weapons and toward a new millennium
that is nuclear free," said Utsumi.
The group said they hope this will become an annual event.
Jamieson suggests vouchers to solve tuition controversy
BY SHERRY LEWIS
State officials are apparently willing to lend a hand to help
Baldwin citizens with their dilemma concerning the termination
of the school attendance contract between Habersham and Banks
counties.
If an agreement is not reached, approximately 25 children who
live near Baldwin Elementary School will be bused to school in
Banks County unless they can pay the $1,300 annual tuition cost.
Representative Jeanette Jamieson said she is very concerned that
the two boards of education could not work out this issue.
"It's sad when we can put a man on the moon but two groups
of adults can't sit down and work out what is in the best interest
of a child," said Jamieson.
She said in the beginning that money was said to be one of the
issues in the matter, but that is not the case anymore. When
the allotment for each child was calculated, there was a $400
shortfall, but Jamieson said she took care of that.
"I have discussed this with the governor's office, and they
will pick up the $10,000 shortfall," she said. "Still,
the BOEs will not reconsider their position."
Jamieson, as a member of the governor's education review committee
and chairman of the education committee, said this is not good
timing on the part of the BOE's.
"This is the worst possible timing for the school systems
to fail to reach an agreement so obvious with the best interest
of the children involved, " she warned, hinting at the possibility
of using vouchers in this case.
The voucher system is not popular among school systems, she said.
It would allow parents to take those vouchers and enroll their
children in any school that would accept them. While Jamieson
doesn't fully support vouchers in all cases, she believes that
might be the answer in this situation. She said many argue that
the voucher system could undermine the funding of the public
school system and some of those funds could possibly go to private
schools.
"In this situation, both systems are lending a hand to the
credibility of the voucher system," she said. "It can
be addressed by the education review committee. Nothing is sacred.
All issues are on the table and we can discuss anything."
The voucher issue would have to be handled very carefully, she
continued.
"In all fairness, there would have to be a provision that
states if a school system is not educating the child, property
taxes cannot be billed for that child," she said.
Baldwin Mayor Mark Reed asked Jamieson to get involved after
several attempts by citizens and the council to get both boards
to work out some kind of agreement. When Reed received a letter
from Banks County superintendent Dock Sisk last week telling
him that a majority of the board did not wish to revisit the
issue, he contacted the governor's office for further negotiations.
If no decision is reached, those children not paying tuition
will begin school in Banks County in August.
BCMS, BCHS dress
code given for new school year
Officials at Banks County Middle School
and Banks County High School have released the dress code for
the coming school year, which includes many new rules.
The dress code has been enacted in order to "ensure and
promote student safety and to foster school pride." It is
for students in fourth through 12th grade.
The dress code includes the following:
·All shirts and blouses shall be worn tucked inside pants,
shorts or skirts. Overshirt, jackets or sweater sets are permitted
provided they are worn over a tucked-in garment and the bottom
of the garment is not below the fingertips when arm is held at
the side.
·See-through or mesh clothing is not permitted.
·Sleeveless shirts, blouses and dresses, as well as halter
tops and tank tops, are not permitted.
·Garments that expose the midriff when both arms are extended
above the head are not permitted.
·Shorts, skirts and dresses shall be no more than three
inches above the knee when standing upright.
·Clothing which display emblems or advertises alcohol,
drugs, sex, tobacco or other abusive substances; has obscene,
vulgar or suggestive writing, pictures or emblems is prohibited.
·All pants, shorts, skirts must be worn at the waistline
and a belt must be worn if the garment has belt loops.
·Garments that touch the floor while standing upright
are prohibited.
·Hats, caps, scarves, sunglasses, non-prescription glasses,
headbands or other headgear may not be worn on campus during
the regular school day.
·Any object or ornament that is capable of being used
as a weapon, including, but not limited to, heavy chains or jewelry
with spikes, or can be used as drug paraphernalia is not permitted.
·Piercing of any visible body part other than the ears
is prohibited.
·Shoes with cleats are prohibited inside the building.
·Only mesh or clear bookbags will be permitted.
·Topcoats, dusters, trench coats and/or heavy coats shall
not be worn inside the building since the school is climate controlled.
Jackets or sweaters may be worn.
·School uniforms in grades kindergarten through eighth
grade are recommended but not required.
The administration in grades kindergarten through 12th grade
has the authority to determine inappropriate dress or dress that
presents a safety hazard. Penalties may include warning, changing
clothing, detention, parent contact or in-school suspension.
For information concerning the dress code in grades kindergarten
through third grade, call Banks County Primary School at (706)
677-2355 or Banks County Elementary School at (706) 677-2308.
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