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Letter to Dick Yarbrough:
Thanks again for your piece addressed to Georgia’s public school teachers and perhaps more so to the power brokers in our state. Do you ever feel like the proverbial “voice in the wilderness”? Keep it up, my good man.
Frank Lowrey
Americus

Remembering Mike Cochran
The Sumter County/Americus area was saddened last week (July 24) with the passing of two fine citizens, Mike Cochran and Edd Anthony. I did not know Mr. Anthony, but have heard nothing but positive things about him in the past week.
But I did know Mike Cochran. Mike and I grew up in the same neighborhood, and attended the same church and schools in the early years of our lives. I attended his memorial service on Saturday (July 27) and listened as family, friends, students, and co-workers shared stories of his exemplary life.
I have a story, too. My father, the late Rev. W.B. Windham, pastored Brooklyn Heights Baptist Church for over 25 years. One of the many ministries he began was a kindergarten and Christian school. The highlight of the school year was when my dad, also a pilot, would take the students on, for many of them, their first flight in an airplane. When Mike was about 6 or 7 seven years old, my father took him on his first ride. He loved it. I believe the first sparks of his love for aviation began right then and there.
Years later, Mike would give the same gift of that first airplane flight to many young people.
When my father was 90 years old, I talked with Mike on several occasions about taking my Dad up for a short flight. My dad loved being a pilot and had many fond memories of those years of flying. My daughter-in-law, Kristin Black, got together with Mike and made the arrangements to make this happen. I saw Mike four weeks ago and we reminisced about that day. Mike said he even offered to let Dad take the controls, but (thankfully), Dad was content to just sit and soak it all in. Dad had given Mike his first flight, and Mike took Dad on his last. I will forever be grateful to him for that.
Blue skies and tailwinds, Mike!
Carolyn Black
Alapaha