• Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade needs your help

The City of Hahira will be doing its part to make the holiday season special for residents of the state’s mental health and retardation hospitals.

For 51 years, cities across Georgia have brought the joy of the holiday season to patients at Georgia’s eight regional mental health and retardation hospitals through the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade.

The program, started by the Georgia Municipal Association in cooperation with Governor Ernest Vandiver, relies on citizens’ participation in each city to donate gifts for the patients, many of whom would not receive gifts or be recognized without the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade. According to hospital staff, many of the patients at these hospitals have lived there most of their lives and have little, if any, support or contact with friends and family.

Donated items from the City of Hahira will be delivered to the Southwestern State Hospital on Dec. 10. Civic organizations, businesses, churches, schools, scout troops and individual citizens are encouraged to help with the collection of gifts for the Mayor’s Christmas Motorcade.

For information on how groups can participate, please call Chief Terry Davis at the Hahira Police Department (229) 794-2440 ext. 3 or Chief Dwight Bennett at the Hahira Fire Department at (229) 794-2830.

Chief Terry Davis

Hahira Police Department

Health care bill offers necessary options

Like many American families, mine has been stymied by the inability to obtain affordable health care. For nearly a year, my college-educated, taxpaying daughter attempted to obtain health insurance.  Her options were reduced to zero. Because of a pre-existing condition that has not required treatment in years, she has been denied health insurance. Other companies require high premiums that she cannot afford.  

The passage of HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, this past Saturday, was an historic, bipartisan effort to reform health care.

I urge Rep. Jack Kingston to reconsider his vote. My daughter is seeking affordable health care choices. For her and others like her, give her real options.