Dublin, Georgia Herald 31040 • 478-272-5522 Volume 102, No

Friday, May 27, 2016 YOURThe NEWSPAPER [email protected] Courier• www.courier-herald.com Drawer B, Court Square Station, Dublin, Georgia Herald 31040 • 478-272-5522 Volume 102, No. 105, Pub. No 161860 Market on Madison By PAYTON TOWNS III injuries when the holiday peri- protection violations and ag- tal crash." belt violations, speeders and LawMemorial Day enforcement is considered od begins at 6 p.m. Friday. predictsgressive drivers." heavy trafficLast year, Georgia during had 2,469 impaired holiday drivers. by many to be the unofficial "Last year Georgia experi- Troopers and state officers traffic crashes, 1,216 injuries "We want traffic safety,” he start of summer. Law enforce- enced a record number of traffic will be patrolling the interstate and the record setting 32 traffic said. “This is the first major hol- ment officials want people to deaths for the Memorial Day and secondary roads. deaths. The previous record for iday of the summer. Kids are Open Every Saturday enjoy themselves but stay safe. weekend," Col. Bill Hitchens, "Last year, Georgia experi- traffic deaths during Memorial getting out of school and there 7:30 am - 12:30 pm The Georgia Department of GDPS commissioner said in a enced 32 traffic deaths during Day weekend was 27 which oc- will be more people out on the 314 W. Madison St. Public Safety is expecting news release. the holiday period and 22 of curred in 1969, the first year road." MarketonMadison.com heavy traffic throughout the 78- "We will have every avail- those deaths occurred on the stats were kept for the holiday Champion said seat belts hour holiday period. The GDPS able trooper and officer on pa- state highways and county period. save lives. Presented by and Georgia State Patrol have trol during the heaviest travel roads," Hitchens said. "Our goal Cpt. Jim Champion, of the "There is a better chance of predicted 18 traffic deaths, periods of the weekend target- is to intercept dangerous dri- Dublin Police Department, said survival if they wear it," he 2,401 traffic crashes and 1,012 ing impaired drivers, occupant vers before they can cause a fa- they will be focusing on seat said. Erin Go Red, White and Blue - Fresh Watermelons - Chemical - Free Garden Produce, Fresh Homemade Bread & Cookies - Homemade Lotion Bars, Soaps, Sunscreen, Body Butter - Small Wooden Items, Pine Needle Baskets - Tomatoes, Squash, Red Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Cucumbers, Turnips, Mustard Greens, Rutabagas, Onions, Corn, Green Beans, Peas, Butterbean, Photo by Dahlia Allen Blueberries Tommy Butler planted his first sweet onion in - Homemade Baked 1983. He now produces 35,000 pounds of Goods - Plants, Candy onions annually. Apples - Pigskins, Pickles, Relish, Preserves, Peanut Brittle, Assorted Cookies - Turnips, Family enjoys the Potatoes, Squash, Cucumbers, Snap Beans, Pole Beans, Tarts, Pies - Eggs, sweet process of Potatoes, Onions, Leeks, Squash, Chris Wright (on the street) and Greg Sellers (in the bucket), City of Dublin Green Beans, Kale, Cut Flowers Public Works employees, help Dublin officially turn the page from celebra- moving. Finally, Duane - tion of its Irish heritage to celebration of its American heritage Tuesday By DAHLIA ALLEN growingTommy Butler plants Vi- onionsBirch and Jordan Difazio Baked Goods, Canned Goods, morning. The two changed the seasonal banners hung from lampposts dalia onions on 2.5 acres filled three-pound, five- Cook Books downtown, replacing the St. Patrick's themed banners that have decorated near Dexter. He says his pound, 10-pound, 25-pound - Red its streets since March with the patriotic red, white and blue ones that will probably is the smallest of all and 50-pound bags with Potatoes, New Potatoes, Russet certified onion farms and is onions. Bain Collins sat Potatoes, Broccoli, Cabbage, hang all summer. (Photo by Clay Reynolds) the only one in Laurens nearby, busy with the small- Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Kale, County. est ones. Lettuce, Peas, Green Beans, Herbs, “I’m not big enough to Butler grows mostly Squash have a lot of work,” he said. onions now. - Zucchini, Squash, However, he still produces “A long time ago, I grew By PAYTON TOWNS III some 35,000 pounds of cotton and corn. I quit plant- Potatoes, Onions, Corn, Cucumbers, LBALaw enforcement thanks admin- law enforcement istrators and officers were onions annually on each acre ing row crops in the ’80s,” he Fresh Cut Flowers, Herbs, Vegetable from the 70,000 plants that said. However, he does raise Plants thanked by the Laurens Baptist Association in two go into the ground in Novem- beef cattle and grows hay to - Goats Milk Soaps & ber. He tills the fields with a feed them. Lotions, Walnut Scrub, Skin Oils events this past week. On Tuesday, Laurens machine that digs holes. Butler planted his first - Sweet Onions, County law enforcement of- Then he hires workers to sweet onions in 1983. Snap Beans, Broccoli, Corn, ficials met at the LBA for an plant the crop by hand. “I bought my first plants Tomatoes, Yellow Squash, appreciation luncheon. The onions stay in the from Black’s in Dublin and Blueberries, Zucchini, Squash, Kale, Prentice Harden said the field until the tops fall over, planted two rows in the gar- Turnips, Red & Green Onions, opening prayer before lunch he said. A plow lifts the dirt, den. Then I planted four Peaches, Cabbage, Sweet Peas, was served. and the onions lie in the field rows and then eight. I found Carrots Director of Missions Bob- four or five days to dry. Har- out people liked them,” he by Jones said they wanted vest begins around May 1. said. - Cabbage, From that point, the work In 1986, when the state Turnip Greens, Onions, Rutabagas, to do something to tell them that the work they do is ap- is all manual labor. On a re- designated a specific area for Squash, Potatoes, Cucumbers cent afternoon he was in his growing Vidalia onions, he - Pound Cakes, preciated. "You have a difficult job," onion shed as he and six oth- decided to become certified. Bread, BBQ Sauce, Raw Local Honey, Jones said. "It's a stressful ers – four of them after- Only once since then has his Pepper Sauce, Meat Rub job. This is a calling and we school teenagers – sorted and crop failed. About 10 years - Quilts, Memory appreciate all that you do. bagged onions. ago, it was hit with a disease Bears, Pillows & Owls We want to thank you, Two workers picked called “yellow bud” which - Carpenter Bee Traps, brave men and women, for through the onions by hand turned the plants yellow. Local Honey what you do." and tossed unacceptable ones The onions survived that and - Vegetable Plants, Jones called working in over the fence to a half-dozen the uncharacteristic freezing cows that had gathered weather in 2014. Flowers & Succulents, Hanging law enforcement "a heroic Photo by Payton Towns III awaiting their treat. The Onions in five- and 10- Baskets, Various Herbs duty." "We pray for you and good onions go into a hopper pound bags sat stacked on a - Potatoes, Onions, LBA Director of Missions Bobby Jones gives a and onto a conveyor belt. flat waiting for pickup by Squash, Blueberry Jam, Pepper Jelly, your family every day," he said. "You never know what plate of food and his thanks to a deputy. They travel to brushes that Houston county band stu- Sweet Pickles, Hot Pepper Vinegar, you are going to face when For photos of law enforcement administrators knock off the loose skin and dents. “It’s a fund raiser the Chow Chow dump them into a sizer. band has,” Butler said. you pull someone over, what receiving awards, see page 3a. you are going to face when Jones said that law en- are safe." First, the smallest onions “They’ve already picked up Graduation you go to a house or to a forcement has gotten a bad Jones told the officers – those smaller than two one load. They usually sell wreck." rap over the last couple of that Jesus Christ can keep inches – drop into bags. Next about 1,000 pounds every photos 3b, There is evil in society, years. them safe. the mediums and finally the year.” Jones said. "I think that's horrible," "He's the only person jumbos – those over three A UPS truck rolled up, "You have to deal with it he said. "The vast amount who can walk with you inches – fall into their re- and the driver loaded it with every day," he added. "You of you want to serve and every day," he said. "You spective bags. boxed onions. From his web- deal with stuff that no one help people. You are con- have answered a call to do a As the onions traveled the site, Butler ships onions all should have to deal with." stantly working to make conveyor, Joseph Phillips over the nation. “I just sure society and our homes watched them and kept them Man is threatened See LBA page 8a See ONIONS page 8a with hefty fines forAmerican flagdisplay see page 5a DublinSpecial to The HighCourier Herald SchoolThat students single transforma- learn about voting during school council election With a “Georgia Voter” tive moment was all any of sticker on his shirt and a the planners and organizers smile on his face, senior Lar- of the Junior Council could ry McGirt walked up to the have asked for, but they got voter registration table and so much more out of the Dublin High began filling out paperwork small-scale election process. School to extend his reach beyond Eight students were elect- electing classmates to council ed to seven city council seats students seats. and mayor, becoming the select their It was something he ad- first-of-its-kind panel to con- representa- mittedly had never “made nect young voices and per- time” for, but following his spectives with the Dublin tives for the Index first practice in the election City Council.

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