It's good Tiger Woods now is making amends for his transgressions though he hasn't said when he's returning to the tour. He may not know himself.

Many analysts, including Jack Nicklaus, earlier had opined that his best shot at breaking Nicklaus' major championship record would be competing in all four majors this year. Three of the courses are among his favorites, and they supplied most of his majors' wins.

First is the Masters in less than two months. He needs tournament competition before then which means he would have to rejoin the tour no later than when it returns to Florida. Doral? Orlando?

First priority though must be trying to save his marriage. Speculating, my guess is it'll be only when wife either files for divorce or says she has no problem with him returning, which of itself doesn't necessarily mean they won't split.

It's not all about Tiger's record chase. The tour needs him competing as virtually all members said. TV ratings and his remaining sponsors need his presence. Golfing fans hunger for his fabled charges. Not least, his children and possibly wife need him. Let's hope they are reconciling and his return is soon.

Bad news: Many retailers, including some Hall County, have not been remitting sales taxes they collected to the state. No wonder the shortfall in special option (SPLOST) taxes we pay. We paid those taxes for specific purpose, not for retailers' extra profits. That's stealing directly from us.

With tax collections down, the state must shear, not trim, budgets forcing vital services to scale back. Call it what it is: common criminality. It's good the state finally is going these common criminals all over the state.

U.S.  Rep. "The Real Deal" Nathan Deal surprised most of us with his immediate resignation from Congresss. Nonetheless, overall it seems a sound political move. He sheds lobbyist ties, can devote more time campaigning for governor and raising money which a number of candidates can't during the session.

Biggest problem I see is in constituent services. When Charlie Norwood died, Speaker Nancy Pelosi took over the office and dismissed Norwood's staff, installed her own choices. How much will she care about the most conservative districts in Georgia?

A longtime good friend had a very special birthday the day this column last appeared. Clark Mecum celebrated the big C: 100 years old!

I first met Clark when he and wife, Gertrude, moved here, following their son, Dick Mecum, who was Hall County sheriff and now is U.S. Marshal for Georgia's Northern District. Clark opened a chocolate shop on Bradford Street (was it named "The Fudgery"?) and that was heaven to this chocolate lover (so long as it has nuts in it).

More impressive was his devotion to Gertrude who was wheelchair bound. A lightweight man of short, slender build, he would lift her in and out of their car and the wheelchair. They seldom missed church.

He and I ushered together before and after her death some years ago, he keeping it up until age 97. After her death, he would drive alone annually somewhere up north to visit a friend until past his mid-90s. I'm honored he's entrusted his tax work to me all these many years.

Would that all of us had the desire and dedication to service that he has. What an example!

Finally, Joan King who shares this space with me on alternating Tuesdays hit the nail squarely on the head with last week's column on telephone menus that keep you on hold without an early option to speak to a human voice. Phooey on all of them. Amen, Joan. You can read it on the Times' Web site.

Ted Oglesby is retired associate and opinion page editor of The Times. You can reach him at P.O. Box 663, Gainesville, GA 30503. His column appears on alternate Tuesdays.