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It was the best of times ... Recently we "celebrated" the near completion of the Nopone Community Complex. Nopone will enrich the lives of future generations of young learners, improve the health of an aging population and continue to benefit an economic recovery to an area in dire need.
It was the worst of times ... But the same argument should be made for the Camila Heights Community. Say you never heard of Camila Heights? Let me introduce you to my former neighborhood.
Camila Heights encompasses most of the neighborhood that include Brown Street, Floyd Road and Old Athens Highway. In the past 20 years, this neighborhood has lost access to all recreational activities, has never been afforded the benefit of changing technology and can boast a higher than normal dropout rate.
Best of times ... There has never been a landfill in the Nopone area and I doubt that reality will ever come to pass. Both areas can boast of limited transportation for the community that should be serviced. The only problem Nopone brings is how to staff the complex. That seems a good problem to have.
Worst of times ... I will go one further: Ask any kid you happen upon on these street corners, what is "A Tale of Two Cities" and you most likely will get a response of, "What are you looking to buy? Are you the police?" Or if you are lost. We can drive less than a two miles radius of two landfills, a continued expansion of the Fieldale poultry plant and the constant worry that Cargill may have another chemical leak.
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known."
No truer words were ever spoken than these, especially when this community of Camila Heights has such high rates of most things we, as a society, frown upon. We celebrated the induction of Beulah Rucker into the Hall of Fame this past week and we should also induct our commissioners into the Hall of Shame. All we really ask is for our Hall commissioners (Ashley Bell) to step up and help this declining community.
Raymund L. Bailey
Gainesville