Other brave men, women to thank

Want yet another reason to be thankful today? We can give you 30,000 of them.

That's the approximate number of job cuts announced recently by General Motors.

If you are grateful to have a job today, don't forget to give thanks to those who make it possible: the brave men and women who are this country's entrepreneurs. They put their money, their livelihoods and their reputations on the line every day to create and grow the jobs and businesses that make this and every other community go.

Recently, Augusta gave thanks to four such entrepreneurs, and we'd like to add our thanks.

Jeff Annis, owner of Advanced Services Inc. pest control, was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce. And for good reason: He not only has grown the company he co-founded in 1986 to 26 employees and sales of $2.5 million a year, he has lifted up his people in the process. "He shares credit, he motivates, he provides opportunities," said his nominator, Advanced Services' Pat VanHooser.

Meanwhile, Junior Achievement of Georgia's Augusta district inducted three into the CSRA Business Hall of Fame at its annual gala earlier this month:

- Joseph M. Still, founder of the burn center at Doctor's Hospital that bears his name, as well as the Southeastern Firefighters' Burn Foundation;

- Kenneth G. Walz, longtime community volunteer and former manager of Augusta's Coca-Cola plant;

- and, posthumously, Clayton "Red" Boardman Jr., founder of Smile Gas service stations and a business and philanthropic legend in these parts.

The lives and livelihoods of all these men are cause for giving thanks. It is the courage, vision and sweat and tears of such men that create the jobs that make holiday feasts possible, and that build great cities on the banks of great rivers.

As you toast your good fortune today, please hold up a glass for these CSRA business giants - and all the men and women who have planted and grown businesses with the mere seeds of dreams.

We enjoy the fruits of their labors today.