YOUR SAY: Give Middle Georgia another look
When I read Bob Vaughn's letter from March 15 complaining that Macon is not the same city he remembers growing up back in the 1960s I couldn't help but sing a line from the old folk song, "The old gray mare she ain't what she used to be many long years ago." Likewise, I'm sure that Vaughn is not what he used to be many long years ago, but 50 years will do that to a person or a city. The gist of Vaughn's complaints were mostly that property taxes are high and Maconites are not getting their tax dollars' worth as there is traffic and trash in the city. As a non-native Maconite, let me give him a perspective from a 14-year resident of Middle Georgia.
First off, Middle Georgia, to include Macon, is one of the most economical places in the country to live. The cost of housing, utilities, transportation, entertainment and local property taxes are much cheaper than almost anywhere in the country. There are places in this country where taxes are $7,500 for a $250,000 house. That same house is taxed about $2,000 here. As for traffic, except for rush hour in Warner Robins and a bad accident on the interstate, there are very few traffic problems anywhere in the area.
Macon is a beautiful city with as much to offer as any similar size city in the country. This week, take a drive through the city and surrounding counties and you'll see beauty on display with blooming Bradford pears giving way to the dogwoods and Yoshino cherry trees, azalea bushes and loropetalum. On any given night you can find great entertainment whether you're looking for sports, the performing arts or music. Each month, First Friday brings a vibe to downtown. The Grand Opera House and Cox Capitol Theater bring world-class entertainment for half of what you'd pay in Atlanta. Joe Cullison of Acoustic Productions brings great bluegrass to the Douglass Theater and to his house concerts. Also, the Douglass has live opera in HD every month. Every spring you can take in the home garden tours put on by Hay House or the Rose Hill Cemetery Ramble put on by Historic Macon. Every week there are small farmers markets and throughout the year there are festivals in just about every community in central Georgia. Then in the fall go to the high school football games and love the passion that each community has for their kids.
Macon has crown jewels. The first crown jewel is the hundreds of old buildings, churches and houses along with their unique architecture. Visit any of the dozen historic districts and neighborhoods and you cannot help but love these old structures. Join Historic Macon to help preserve these buildings and learn more about local history. The second crown jewel would have to be Mercer University, where you can attend great sporting events, fantastic free music and educational forums. Not to be outdone, sign up for continuing adult education at Wesleyan College through the Wesleyan Academy of Lifelong Learning. Or you can take free college classes (free to those over 62 years old, pay for the books) at Middle George State University.
Yes, Macon has its problems. Read The Telegraph for a few weeks and you will realize that. By doing so and reading the crime addresses you know what part of city to avoid for housing or entertainment. The problems that confront Macon run much deeper than money. Charles Richardson, I and others write often about those problems. The community needs good people to participate to help solve them. I would encourage Vaughn to give Macon another look. I would encourage him to get involved with some of the youth mentoring programs, volunteer at any of the dozens of organizations that need them, sign up for continuing education classes, and become an active member of the community. Perhaps Vaughn can help restore some of the vigor of the old mare.
Sloan Oliver is a resident of Juliette.
This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 10:09 PM with the headline "YOUR SAY: Give Middle Georgia another look ."