One Man’s Opinion: Water, Water...Everywhere

By Bill Crane

Two of the strongest determinants of whether you are standing in a first-world or third-world country are whether or not you have ready and easy access to potable water and whether or not the nation has some type of sewage removal and possibly treatment system in place. For nearly a century now, across the United States, working water, sewerage, and, more recently, stormwater systems have been a hallmark of our civilization. But a LOT of that water/sewer pipe and infrastructure in many places is also approaching the century mark, folks, and that means trouble, folks, right here in River City and across this great land.

In January of 1994, Atlanta was to host its first Super Bowl, midweek that last week of January. Global media was descending on the city, and downtown hotels and the Georgia World Congress Center, and the players and VIPs would soon follow. Every hotel room for fifty miles in almost every direction was booked, most all at full rack rates.

The Hemphill Pump Station, the main water delivery conduit for the entire city, just over a mile northwest of downtown Atlanta, on the west side of Midtown, failed...and went offline. For a few days, water pressure across the city dropped like a rock, high-rise hotels and the Georgia World Congress Center could not flush their commodes, and there was no water, hot or cold, available in residential or hotel high rises, without a large supply and water tank on their rooftop.

Miracle of miracles, late that Wednesday afternoon, full pressure and service were restored, but not until exposing the fragility and vulnerability of the city’s two reservoirs and the pumping station which distributed that water. Following the 1996 Centennial Olympics Games, the next Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin would champion a $3 billion bond issuance to bring the city’s water and sewer systems up to speed, as well as meet the needs/demands of a truly world-class business center and destination city.

The work took years to complete and includes a new 2 billion gallon reservoir in the former Bellwood Quarry, northwest of the City, inside Atlanta’s largest and newest greenspace, Westside Park, as well as multiple new sewerage treatment facilities, including one underground inside of Piedmont Park. Business and residential water rates nearly trebled and are still among the highest in the southeast, for water, sewer, and stormwater management. But Atlanta paid its own way.

In the case of natural disasters, like Hurricane Ian and the resulting storm surge, which recently devastated Fort Myers, Sanibel, and Captiva Islands along the west coast of Florida, there is an appropriate federal disaster relief role in restoring water and other utilities as well as building back infrastructure, following a nat-

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ing, in his post-coaching years you would constantly see him signing footballs or any memorabilia presented, posing for fan selfies, and fully embracing Bulldog Nation. My own college fraternity has for years held anniversary celebrations at the five-year mark. For the 35th, 40th, 45th, and 50th. I was able to call on the Coach to leave a warm and often humorous voicemail to our circle, later joining voice of the Bulldogs’ Larry Munson, while only once being able to secure “official” representation from the administration of the University of Georgia.

The Dooleys also started a unique trend, quite unusual in college football, of the program’s subsequent retired coaches returning to Athens to call it home. Coaches Ray Goff, Jim Donnan, and Mark Richt all each now have an Athens home, and something tells me that when that day comes, Coach Kirby Smart will do the same.

I was glad to be present on the day the field at Sanford Stadium was dedicated as Dooley Field, and knowing how many will want to say farewell to the Coach, and likely ruling out lying in state at the Georgia Capitol, I think a life celebration would be fitting in Sanford Stadium.

You have left us so much to remember and celebrate, Coach, and we want to really spell out Georgia and send you home with one last hurrah from your closest friends and fans. God bless the Dooley family. RIP Coach.

Bill Crane owns the full-service communications firm, CSI Crane. More at www.CSICrane.com

Endings Continued from page 7 nor did I realize at the time how all the practice of endings would help me later in life.

Ponder this: how do we know when it’s time to end something? At this moment, consider where you are. What is it that drains you? What are the factors that are causing this “drain?” It could be that you’re not engaged or that you’re not experiencing being fulfilled. It might be that you are out of alignment with the core of who you are. Next ask yourself, what is the drain costing? What is preventing you from ending the drain? Many people avoid endings due to personal, self-imposed limitations and/or personal issues that stand in the way of the best-made ideas, plans, and realities. Said another way, we may avoid endings because of what we have talked ourselves into. What are some of your self-talk limitations that keep you from endings that are necessary?

Dr. Henry Cloud writes, “Good cannot begin until bad ends. Without the ability to do endings well, we flounder, stay stuck, and fail to reach our goals and dreams.”

I invite you to use your power life skill of choice and choose to embrace endings as a normal part of life.

As a new year begins, consider pondering these questions: • Why do I avoid endings? • What must be ended to move forward this year? • What incredible result(s) am I missing by not implementing an ending?

As you ponder these questions and more, you will experience the good when you act on your answers, and that will be cause for a celebration! Who knew endings would be celebratory?

Jane Bishop is a Positive Interrupter and Leadership Coach. More information at www.janebishop.live.

cy, and inclusion for all of their swimmers with the hope they can join in a typical swim group class one day, if they have that desire. Prices range from $51 per person (for four 45-minute lessons) in small groups, up to $120 per person (for four 30-minute private sessions).

Minnows and Mommas is a class for the youngest swimmers to help them become strong and capable in water and also to practice water safety. Many of these students have physical delays, and water helps improve their strength and gross motor skills. WWB Play Group is for angelfish working through roadblocks of cerebral palsy and other similar physical impairments, using special equipment in the warm river at Bethesda Park to help them thrive.

Swim lessons are offered eleven months out of the year. June and July are considered summer lessons, with the rest of the months categorized as non-summer. Most of their year-round swimmers opt out for August to prepare to return to school, and no lessons take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Traditional clinics through Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) are also offered. Swimmers must be able to swim one length (25 yards) independently and follow directions. SOGA clinics are offered in four levels of swimming readiness measured by stroke proficiency and racing protocols. If your child is on the ASD spectrum, you are encouraged to connect with the Spectrum Autism Support and Resources organization.

The No Limits TRYathalons (NLT) have returned as well. The fall NLT occurred on Saturday, September 24th at Bogan Park Aquatic Center. Be sure to watch for upcoming news and information via Facebook and Instagram.

More information at https://angelfishga-adaptiveaquatics.com/.

AngelFishGA Continued from page 9

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