Three men made a big difference

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, December 13, 2006

This week isn&8217;t the same as last week in the Miss-Lou.

Last week, we were three people stronger. We had three more friends, three more leaders, three more smiles.

But one week is never the same as the last, and now isn&8217;t the time to dwell on that.

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Instead, it&8217;s time to look back on the good things, the things that happened right.

More than a year ago Jerry Roberts latched on to a project at Vidalia High School. He thought the school should have a new athletic building to replace severely lacking facilities. Bids came in over budget, arguments ensued and the reality of that building sometimes looked slim.

But now, the long awaited building is under construction. It&8217;s going to be a reality and years of athletes to come will benefit from Roberts persistence.

Barr Brown cared about the details. The businessman didn&8217;t want the children at Trinity Episcopal Day School playing on bark or pebbles; those surfaces weren&8217;t good enough.

So Brown invested $60,000 into a state-of-the-art playground surface &8212; shredded rubber. The children played on it today.

Justin Cardneaux developed a love for the skies early on. He learned to fly, got his license, and put it to good use.

Just ask Stewart and Karen Chaffin. In 2004 Cardneaux was literally a lifesaver. He volunteered his services and plane to fly the Chaffin&8217;s newborn son, who was born with a serious heart defect, to the specialized hospital his life depended upon.

Little Casey Chaffin turned a happy, active 2 years old in September.

A plane crash in Waco, Texas, Sunday night robbed the Miss-Lou of three of its own, but nothing can rob us of the good these three men have already done.

Because of Jerry Roberts, Barr Brown and Justin Cardneaux, all the weeks to come will be better ones.