LETTERS
To the Editor:

The volunteer firefighters from Blairsville Station One would like to thank everyone that attended our recent open house. We would also like to thank those businesses that assisted us. They are: Papa's Pizza, Galaxy Bowling, Griddle Cafe, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Rib Country, J 'n N Cafe, Cookie Jar Restaurant, Nancy's Pizza, Wet N' Wild Car Wash, Muffy's Mountain Burgers, Cook's Country Kitchen, Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant, Curves, Aviator Cafe, Grinds & Glazes, The Big Cheese, Downtown Pizza, Mike's Seafood, Hair Image Salon, Burger King, Cadence Bank, Home Deport, Bank of Blairsville, Early Bird Antiques, United Community Bank, McDonald's, Ingles and Panel Bilt.

Union County Volunteer Firefighters

To the Editor:

On October 24, 2005, Hurricane Wilma pounded the Florida coast, killing six, knocking out power to more than three million people, and raising havoc with numerous boats, including Peter Halmos's 150-foot Perini yacht named The Legacy, which Wilma tossed about like a match stick, finally depositing it, upright, and fairly undamaged, in the shallow waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. That was almost two years ago and Halmos is still trying to get his $30 Million yacht back from the feds who will not let him retrieve it from the Sanctuary until they can determine the "most effective way to remove the vessel with the least damage to natural resources." After almost two years, you would think they would have come up with an answer. The Sanctuary is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , and encompasses 2800 square nautical miles of the waters surrounding the Florida Keys. Now, regardless of your opinion on the matter of the legitimacy of the interest the feds (NOAA) have in "balancing the long-term health of the ecosystem" in general, or protecting "extensive reef building coral formations" in particular; it seems to me that the priority of the federal government should be in protecting the life & property of citizens, before protecting coral formations, especially when the contest is between a few miles out of 2800 square miles of sanctuary vs. a citizen's private property valued at $30 Million. Halmos is the Hungarian émigré who founded SafeCard Services, Inc. in 1969 with $500 and a typewriter, and eventually became a multimillionaire, so $30 Million to him is not the same as $30 Million to you or me (especially me!); nevertheless, it is unthinkable that the feds have tied up this man's property this long. He and the feds are reported to be close to a compromise solution, but if it doesn't come soon, I couldn't blame him a bit if he decides to throw in the towel and move back to Hungary.
Cordially,
Chuck Esposito
Suches, Ga.

To the Editor:

Congratulations to the Georgia legislature on the surplus in the state treasury. There has been some discussion about using the surplus to give tax refunds. But refunds would amount to very little per household. Wouldn't it be great to take that money and invest it in education, health care and alternative sources of energy? To me, it makes far more sense to use it for the good of all Georgians. I hope that those who represent us will maximize the benefit.
Michelle Maloney
Blairsville GA