The invitation-only hunt will feature some members of the New York City Fire Department who were part of the 9-11 rescue efforts in 2001. “They’re coming down to be part of this event,” said Lt. Col. Dan Hammack of Edison, creator of the event. “It’s almost like coming full circle.”

As part of their visit, the group will speak at several Southwest Georgia schools on Friday, including Deerfield-Windsor School and Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany and Southwest Georgia Academy in Damascus.

Joining the soldiers and firefighters in this weekend’s hunt will be Georgia State Sen. John Douglas, who will make a return trip to the event.

“I’m coming home,” the Albany native said. Douglas, who made his first trip to the hunt last year, said he is looking forward to spending time with soldiers who have been injured in the line of duty. “I’m also looking forward to seeing the 9-11 firefighters,” he said. Although the senator spent most of his childhood fishing at Lake Blackshear instead of hunting, he held his own with the other participants at last year’s hunt.

“I got my share of quail,” Douglas joked.

He’ll be joined by soldiers from such bases as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Hunter Airfield. This weekend’s activities will give participants a full day of quail hunting across the region.

“They’ll be hunting in Dougherty, Calhoun, Clay, Early, Marion and Randolph counties,” Hammack said. That’s once the hunters first register in Edison, though. Then they’ll head to McLendon Barn in Leary for a reception dinner.

“They’ll find out what property they’ll be hunting on and meet the land owner and their host,” Hammack said. From there, the hunters will be dispersed to several area hunting properties, including Pine Ridge Plantation, Dry Creek Plantation, Holly Plantation, Mac Farms, Hammack’s own Southern Wilderness Plantation, Bell Plantation, Lizard Lope Lodge and Quail Country Plantation.

Once the hunting ceases Saturday afternoon, participants will head back into Edison for a banquet that will culminate the weekend’s activities. “At that banquet, we do a drawing for gifts,” Hammack said. That includes gifts provided by actor Michael Talbott, the banquet’s master of ceremonies.

“Everybody’s going to get a cookbook,” said the actor who is best known for his role as Detective Stanley Switeck on “Miami Vice.” The cookbooks, titled “Heroes Favorites — Iowa’s Favorites,” are compilations of soldiers from Talbott’s native Iowa who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Plus, Talbott will give away copies of “First Blood,” the film in which he starred with Sylvester Stallone. While the actor will guide the banquet’s sequence of events, participants will also see him throughout the weekend.

“I’m more of the social director,” said Talbott, who has been part of the annual event since Hammack started developing it in 2007.

According to Hammack, this weekend’s event is sponsored by Purple Heart Outdoors, an organization to provide outdoor opportunities for wounded soldiers, and Operation One Voice.

“Operation One Voice is an organization that helps orphans of slain service members,” he said. “In both cases, it’s for soldiers who served in the Iraqi and Afghanistan war.”

It’s a cause that hits close to home for Hammack.

“I’ve been in Iraq, myself,” he said.

This weekend’s hunt is one of several opportunities for soldiers to get away from it all, including an elk hunt in Colorado and a pheasant hunt in Iowa.

Both Hammack and Talbott agree that these hunts, which are conducted with help from the community are simply a way to express appreciation to American soldiers serving in the Middle East.

“My hat’s off to them,” Talbott said. “It’s just a way to let them forget about their problems for a weekend.”

The Albany Herald, February 3, 2010

Economy and Budget Dominate Legislature's Second Week

Your Georgia House and Senate completed Day 8 of 40 legislative days on January 28 and will convene again on Monday, February 1. The four legislative days we completed this week saw a first in Georgia history, Senators and Representatives leading the way for state employees on furloughs and a continuing effort to ensure taxes levied on our citizens are fair and equitable.

For the first time in the history of Georgia, the Senate invited the Speaker of the Georgia House to be honored and speak in the Senate. Speaker David Ralston, (R-Blue Ridge), a former Georgia State Senator talked about unity of effort, working to lessen economic problems facing our state, (many caused by destructive Washington policies), finding jobs for out of work Georgians and doing the business the people of this state send us to Atlanta to do. We were also joined by many former Senators to celebrate his visit, including our own former Senator A. C. (Bob) Guhl and his wife Shirley, who represented parts of Newton and all of Walton County for many years.

Furloughs for state employees continues to be an issue we are dealing with. Teachers and other state employees are being directed to take three days without pay for the remaining months of Fiscal Year 2010. That will result in a total of six furlough days for the entire FY 10 for those workers. House and Senate members this week agreed to six more days, one per month for the remainder of FY 10 bringing us to a total of 11 days since August 2009. It is very important that we in the legislature take more days without pay than other employees in order to set the example. I am happy that we can make this happen.

Property taxes continue to be a concern of the General Assembly. Home values in Georgia have fallen significantly in the last two years. Unfortunately, in some cases, re-assessments have not kept pace reflecting the change in value. You could be paying too much in property tax because the tax value of your home may not reflect true market value as it should.

Georgia law allows every property owner to file a Taxpayer Return of Real Property. The act of filing this return should result in your property being re-assessed and valued at Fair Market Value. It will also trigger a notice of assessment which guarantees your right to an appeal. Without this notice of assessment you have no right to appeal. I recommend you check into this with your local county tax office if you feel your property value for tax purposes is too high.

It is a great honor to represent the people of the 17th Senate District in your Senate. Please call on me at any time that I may be of service.