Letters to the editor about the sale of the ReStore building and the decision to suspend First Friday

Reconsider the decision to close Spike’s ReStore

Editor:

After 28 years of operation, including seven years at the current location, the decision of the Bulloch County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors to close Spike’s ReStore will be felt throughout Bulloch County.

The thrift store’s donors and customers support Habitat’s core mission of providing affordable housing for low-income families.

In addition, Spike’s also supports other charities in Bulloch, including Fostering Bulloch, Safe Haven women’s shelter, and other service organizations such as churches, daycare centers, senior centers, and local schools.

During times of high inflation and following local flooding, Spike’s has helped homeowners and other residents furnish their homes with inexpensive furniture and accessories.

In keeping with Habitat’s motto of putting God’s love into action, we hope the Board will speak with ReStore management and reconsider their decision to close Spike’s ReStore.

As long-time volunteers, we have seen the good ReStore does for the community.

Karen Lavender

Cathy Shriver

Nell Benefield

Statesboro

Don’t blame the victims for the First Friday decision

Editor:

I am increasingly disturbed by the growing trend in our country to blame the victim of a harmful act for the consequences of that act, rather than the perpetrator of that act, so I am saddened to see the same nonsense unfolding here in Bulloch County regarding the Statesboro DSDA’s cancellation of the remaining 2024 First Fridays, which is supposedly the result of the DSDA’s recently reported legal settlement with the Bulloch Action Coalition (BAC).

Simply put, the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits our various federal, state, and local governments from “abridging the freedom of speech.” And while there may be external limits to that freedom, no one disputes that NO U.S. government can restrict speech critical of that government, either directly or through proxies that receive money from that government.

Yet that is exactly what DSDA did! While allowing other non-commercial groups to participate in First Fridays that spread messages that did not offend the government(s) that provided DSDA with funds, DSDA excluded BAC from these events, and did so only because DSDA (and “others” whom DSDA declined to name) did not like BAC’s message (against certain government officials who had voted for tax increases). Restricting free speech, especially political speech, because of the content of this speech is a strict NO-GO, and I think it was very smart of DSDA to come to an agreement with BAC at the time.

Now the DSDA wants to finally create guidelines for the right of non-commercial groups to participate in future First Fridays. I applaud these efforts because at the very least they should protect the DSDA from future pressure from its political sponsors who want to ban speech they dislike. But the idea that creating this policy requires the cancellation of at least three First Fridays is ridiculous.

As a retired attorney, I can assure you that it should not take 3-4 months to draft and pass such a policy. The options are simple. Either DSDA, consistent with its stated mission of promoting economic development in downtown Statesboro, can limit First Fridays participation to commercial vendors only; or DSDA can open First Fridays to any group that wishes to participate, regardless of the (lawful) message that group may wish to spread.

And even if there are still some unknown bureaucratic hurdles to introducing such a policy, there is still no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of canceling First Fridays completely, the DSDA only needs to limit participation in First Fridays to commercial providers until the new policy is introduced. Problem solved and everyone is happy.

BAC is a citizen organization that I believe is beginning to shed some needed light on a county government that seems intent on operating in secret. It saddens me that some of my fellow citizens in Bulloch County are, whether intentionally or inadvertently, spreading the lie that the victim in this case is responsible for the “crime” of suspending First Fridays.

Paul Abel

Stream