E-mail this story Printer-friendly version Web posted Sunday, February 07, 2010 Award couldn't go to a nicer guy Our opinion Whoever coined the phrase, "It couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," probably had Jake Pollard in mind. Rarely has there been a finer statesman among those serving in Columbia County public office, and it's in his genes: Before taking a seat in the state Senate, Pollard was the county's clerk of court for 28 years - succeeding his father, Jake Sr., who held the office for 32 years. When the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce awarded Pollard its highest honor this past week, the Lifetime Achievement Award, it didn't do so just because he managed to win lots of elections. Pollard won for serving his community with honesty and integrity both in elected office and in volunteer service - including, for example, three decades as chairman of the board of deacons at his church. Such an award naturally recognizes the recipient's longevity. Our county is a better place because Jake Pollard's years were spent here. Reader Comments Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Augusta Chronicle. Please read our full comments policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the icon. Your comment will be attributed to YOUR MESSAGE: You have 1200 characters left. E-mail this story Printer-friendly version