Page 6A the TOWNS COUNTY HERALD February 28, 2018
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Page 6A THE TOWNS COUNTY HERALD February 28, 2018 School Safety...from Page 1A Baseball...from Page 1A safety measures in the schools, these posts that this kid was chasing a ball. Of course, the sheriff especially when the community “We think, for this field posting in Florida, they would said he can’t do anything to is looking at the possibility of want to let someone know.” to be playable, it would have to prevent a problem if he doesn’t an additional school resource be seven to 10 days minimum The sheriff encourages know about it. officer. everyone in the community of pure sunshine, and then it’s “I can’t make a file on “Something we have still going to be wet,” said to report suspicious behavior any of you folks in here unless to look at is, where does the immediately to the sheriff’s Dr. Berrong. “But if it rains I have a reason to,” said Sheriff money come from?” said again, you’re another seven to office tip line at (706) 896- Clinton to those in attendance. Sheriff Clinton. “Something 3697. 10 days before you can play “Now, if somebody says you I always come back to is, how again. So, we’re not certain we Residents can also leave made threats, and you’re much is a life worth, how much a tip by visiting TownsSheriff. will play a single home game stockpiling guns and you’re are our children worth?” this year.” com, clicking on “Contact threating kids, guess what? I’m There are safety measures Us,” entering their tips into the The schools experienced going to have a file with that already in place at the schools, a similar problem two years white text box on the screen person’s name on it, and we’re and administrators are going and hitting submit. ago, in a portion of deep going to document everything to be doing additional training centerfield where water seemed “I understand that not we can find out about you, and planning to prevent any all citizens are comfortable to be saturating the earth from because we have a criminal acts of violence. below. making a report in person,” nexus. We are going to follow “I just want to make said Sheriff Clinton after They solved the problem up on it 100 percent.” sure that you realize that the then by installing a drainpipe the meeting. “I want all our Many people in the Superintendent Dr. Berrong, Photo by Shawn Jarrard citizens to know that if they see that carried the water off The brand new Towns County Baseball scoreboard, installed meeting were concerned about the sheriff – they don’t take this the field, though the current something suspicious, they can the reports from Parkland, lightly,” said Towns County last fall. let us know anonymously. problem is substantially larger Florida, concerning the school Sole Commissioner Cliff and will therefore require a “No one should be resource officer who waited Bradshaw in the meeting. “They afraid to report any crime. much bigger fix. outside the school building are dedicated 100 percent to So far, Dr. Berrong has Whether reporting a bullying for backup. safety for our children.” incident, domestic violence, called in a couple of experts “I truly don’t believe Continued Bradshaw: to look at the problem, and drugs, or something that just that’s the kind of men and “The loyalty and the caring looks suspicious, I want them none of them have ever seen women we have employed,” that Dr. Berrong has for his anything like it, including to know that they can tell said Sheriff Clinton. “I can students and the sheriff has for their sheriff’s office. It will the system’s construction promise you that’s not the kind the kids, you develop a love management company, Charles be looked into without their of man I am.” for these kids. I want to make needing to be involved beyond Black Construction. Budget is a big concern sure we understand this is on “They’re writing up anonymously giving us the when the topic of additional our mind all the time, and they information.” what their feelings are of spending comes up surrounding take it very seriously.” what’s causing this, and they’re going to get us some prices on different options of how to fix ...from Page 1A it,” said Dr. Berrong. “Some of Seckinger those are Band-Aids, some of so much.” those, the cheaper options are, Photo by Shawn Jarrard Others shared comments well, you can do this and see if Groundwater has made the TCHS baseball field unplayable about Seckinger, how he had it works, but it may not work. and has worked its way down to the concrete bleachers in influenced their lives and the “So, we’re just right now Frank McClure Memorial Stadium. lives of others in the county. looking at all of our options, something that is in need here We wouldn’t be able to play a “When you’re elected, just so our kids will have a desperately.” home game unless it dries up you meet a lot of people you facility to play on.” Added Dr. Berrong: “I considerably.” didn’t know, and Ernie was Continued Dr. Berrong: want to get numbers back from Added Coach Floyd: one of the people that I did not “This field is not fixable this our construction management “These guys love playing know,” said Bradshaw. “Miss year – it’s an impossibility. team to see what it would cost baseball, so that part is not Betty and her family, I knew a If you come in and put drain us to patch this.” going to make a difference. lot of them, I didn’t know Ernie. lines, you would have to put Installing artificial turf But you enjoy playing at home, I got to know Ernie pretty quick, them every few feet minimum would be an expensive solution that way you get more of the and it was in a good way.“He through the entire outfield. and would probably cost more student body and more family came in one day, and we had an “You would have to tear than building a new facility besides just mom and dad. Our issue we were working on, and up all of your irrigation system. with a sod field, though it parents travel well, but we do we got off subject. We probably You would have to re-sod the would be a way to completely like playing at home.” talked for an hour in there. He entire outfield. So, just to do The same water problem Photo by Shawn Jarrard solve the water problem and came back another day and we that, you’re in the hundreds keep the field in the same spot impacting the baseball field talked another hour. Barbara Hale of Friends of the Libraries will serve on the of thousands of dollars, just to appears to be affecting a Towns County Library Board of Trustees to fulfil the unexpired it has inhabited for 40 years. “And we were just talking patch it.” “As I see this field, if straight-line path down to the about religion, the county, term of Ernie Seckinger. Pictured here with Towns County Sole Another option would football field, as the bleachers Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw. we do nothing to it, unless different things. And what a be to move the field, though for some reason we have a in Frank McClure Memorial nice, sweet, kind man – he was Dr. Berrong said there’s not a significant drought during a Stadium have shifted over to me, and I won’t forget it.” facility big enough to house a year, I don’t see this field being the years, and the concrete in Towns County Public new field, which would cost playable,” said Dr. Berrong. the lower right corner of the Library Branch Manager Debbie more than $750,000 anyway, For now, the team is stadium bleachers facing the Phillips spoke on Seckinger’s to re-sod and install fences, field is deteriorating. leadership in life, as he helmed looking at the possibility of dugouts, bleachers and more. playing some of their home Currently, the football the library board as chairman. “The other option that field does not appear to be “He had nothing but the games on the Young Harris I’m even reluctant to mention College ball field or in impacted in the same way as library at heart,” said Phillips. is turfing the field,” said Dr. the baseball field, though the “He wanted the best for the neighboring counties. library, he wanted the best for Berrong. “I know a lot of “It’s definitely a big school system will need to its employees, he wanted it to people have a lot of thoughts impact – kids like playing at address the water drainage move forward. He was just a about turf, but we’re not home,” said Coach Floyd. issue there sometime in the very concerned person to have talking about something we “This is beyond anything that foreseeable future. on the board. want, we’re talking about I’ve seen since I’ve coached. “I still miss him. I find myself thinking I need to send that to Ernie or I need to tell Watson...from Page 1A Ernie about this. So, we do miss Photo by Shawn Jarrard him … The first meeting we had J.C. Berrong spoke on the 2018 Clean Sweep Week litter pickup CD that was released Dec.