Town hall meeting excellent – open, transparent To the editor: Thank you for your excellent coverage of Northeast Georgia news. I attended the county commissioners’ Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, June 11, at North Georgia Technical College. It was an excellent meeting, open and transparent with a spirit of mutual respect, with citizens of all ages speaking. After the meeting, county personnel directed me to the website where I could find the proposed budget. Library and Recreation budgets appear in departmental areas 686 and 696. These two items are optional for the county to fund. In looking at these budgets, one can see that the library requested a smaller amount of operational dollars – $267,886 – be funded this year. So far, the county commissioners have listed it be funded at that full amount. The library was funded at $273,332 this year. The recreation budget of $165,964 next year, is an increase over last year’s budget. In light of these figures, the pool should not be drained; no lifeguards should be laid off, and the pool should operate as usual. I do not understand why county commissioners did not tell the people these facts in the beginning? That could have avoided much rhetoric. The county commissioners are doing a commendable job. Thanks for proposing to keep the libraries open as usual. God bless your paper and our county commissioners in your work. Sherrie McAllister Clarkesville What are county commissioners thinking? To the editor: I live in Sautee, but I spend about as much time and money in Clarkesville as I do in Cleveland. My son has a house in Clarkesville on Water Street and a business on Washington Street. I care what happens to the township, so the recent move to reduce library hours and close the county pool is of grave concern. The library is the heart of any town or city. Recreation facilities are important for children and adults alike. Surely someone has made an awful mistake. What are the county commissioners thinking? What can we who care about Clarkesville do about it? Joan King Sautee-Nacoochee Public invited to African-American Heritage Exhibition To the editor: The public is invited to attend the first African-American Heritage Exhibition to be held in the historic school building, located at 595 Elrod St., Cornelia. The Regional African American Museum (RAAM) of Northeast Georgia Inc. is sponsoring a five-day summer extravaganza beginning Monday, June 17, and running through Friday, June 21. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, there will be opportunities for the public to view the exhibit, share personal stories and artifacts from black history, and remember some important contributions to the Northeast Georgia landscape. The purpose of this event is to reinforce the importance of preserving history for every resident in our regional community. A special focus for children 17-under includes activities designed to inspire them to know and preserve historical information that may not be readily available on the Internet. These include a geography art lesson, stories, singing coded spirituals and viewing a movie, “The Great Debaters.” Each day, a pack of notebook paper will be given to the first 25 students who attend to encourage them to write their own stories. To claim the useful gift, students need only bring a copy of their final report card from their 2012-13 school term. For reservations for groups of five or more, or other information, please call 706-766-0312. This is my personal experience concerning historical significance: Every yesterday is a moment in time that has become history; examining that history today, provides a glimpse into the possibilities of tomorrow. Dr. Audrey Rosser Milo Athens