Newspaper Page Text
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The ADVANCE, January 27, 2021 /Page 2A
ask *
ife. Magnolia
Letters have been edited for length and clarity.
Dear Ms. Magnolia,
/ am trying to get rid of things that
I have kept around for years but no lon
ger need. Since my children are grown, /
don 7 really need as much housing space
as / used to. / just keep staying in the
same house here in Mt. Vernon because
it contains so many good memories. /
am considering downsizing to a smaller
house, but / am not sure that I really
want to. What is more important - mem
ories or practicality?
Mother
Dear Mother,
Deciding to move out of a home
filled with years of memories can be
difficult, but downsizing is a practi
cal option for many empty nesters.
Having a smaller home can ease your
workload and can be more cost-effi
cient, with money saved on utility and
repair bills. If the real-estate market
in your neighborhood is good, you
could sell your house and make mon
ey by downsizing. You can still enjoy
your good memories in the photos
and the furniture and objects you de
cide to use in your new home.
Put your emotions aside and de
termine if your home is meeting your
current needs. Are you financially
able to pay household bills? Is it dif
ficult for you to do the cleaning and
yardwork? Have old friends and
neighbors gone? Take your time and
weigh your decision carefully. You
would not want to move and be un
happy with your decision, but you
might be happier with a smaller place
and new friends.
If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA
30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yahoo.com.
Your
Mind
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Got a complaint? Got a
compliment? Call Your
Mind On Line at 537-6397
and let us know what's
on your mind. Quotes are
printed exactly as they are
called in and are not nec
essarily factual, but rather,
callers' opinions. Libelous,
slanderous, personal at
tacks, and unfounded ac
cusatory or lengthy com
ments will not be printed.
Two calls per week per
caller, and calls should
not exceed 30 seconds,
please.
“We Vidalians
should all be
ashamed when we
see the trash all
around our town. Ev
ery parking lot is dot
ted with discarded
masks, gloves, and
papers. Our residen
tial streets are lined
with garbage and
even empty grocery
carts just left stand
ing. What a reputa
tion to have!"
“I have been deaf
since birth and use
sign language and lip
reading to communi
cate all my life. This
mandatory mask
thing is discriminatory
and racist. I can't see
a thing anyone is tell
ing me. I'm confident
the great new admin
istration is going to fix
this issue so that we
will all be equal and
unified. On the bright
side not being able to
read lips means I
don't have to put up
with the BS everyone
is "talking" about."
“I’m very proud of
our governor and
secretary of state.
They ordered the
votes for president to
be counted 3 times
and suspicious things
were investigated.
They were honorable
and steadfast in
standing with the
constitution of GA on
truth. Thank you."
“Years ago the
democrats were
pushing hard to get
illegal immigrants on
the voter rolls. People
who pointed this out
were put down, their
plan is paying off. Sta
cey Abrams is grin
ning from ear to ear
because she knows
she will be the next
governor of Geor
gia."
“Has anyone
thought to compare
the census numbers
to the number of vot
ers in these last 3 elec
tions? If there are way
more voters than
there are people,
then something is
wrong."
“People, the speed
limit in front of JD
Dickerson is not 25
miles per hour unless
the sign is blinking. It
blinks twice a day,
otherwise the speed
lime is 35 miles per
hour."
“Why is the DARE
resource officer in
Toombs County al
ways located at the
middle school instead
of the high school
where he is needed
to stop kids from vap-
ing."
“A shout out to
Comrad Lofo from
American Post 313 in
Vidalia for driving me
to the clinic in Dublin.
I remain grateful for
God and country."
“It seems like they
are really throwing
the word 'patriot'
around quite loosely
these days."
“It has done no
good for Meadows to
put the COVI-19 vac
cine phone number
in The Advance. We
have called several
times to set up an ap
pointment and no
one has called us
back. Everyone has
said the same thing.
No response."
“Thank you, Debo
rah Clark and Heather
Davis, for the article in
last week's newspa
per recounting the
events at the U.S.
Capitol on January 6.
Prayers for our coun
try, our former Presi
dent, and the new
administration. God
Bless America."
“Why was informa
tion made available
about vaccines at
MRMC when you
leave a message and
no one returns your
call or provides an
update in any form?
If there's a shortage
of vaccines, please
let us know so we can
quit calling."
Be prepared for a new year, new attitude!!!
We are requiring masks upon entrance into our facilities until seated and
while walking through and out. Our wait staff will be masked and deep
cleaning continues, as we have always held that practice.
Please stay home and give us a call for to go orders if you or loved ones are
sick. We know our men folk especially are haying a hard time refraining from
the hand shake. Please, please and please, DON’T SHAKE HANDS!!!
We want to give love and receive it from y'all for a long time to come. One
day to sit awhile counting the ways we’ve all been blessed.
Fresh Seafood
Steaks
Prime Rib
Sandwiches
Specialty Items
Spirits
Wheeler Halts Plans to Use
Multipurpose Center For Grand
Jury Sessions After Judge’s Order
By Andrea Towns
Contributing Writer
“The grand jury has
been continued (suspend
ed) by order of our Chief
Judge, Sarah Wall, due to
the increase in COVID
cases in Wheeler Coun
ty,” Clerk of Court Carol
Bragg, reports. “Prior to
that, we were going to use
the multi-purpose room
for their deliberations so
that we could practice so
cial distancing.” The use
of the multipurpose room
was officially approved on
January 18; however, Judge
Wall’s directive was deliv
ered on January 19.
With the New Year,
Georgia Chief Justice Har
old Melton extended the
judiciary emergency order,
continuing the suspension
of the traverse jury. How
ever, “The Chief Justice left
the grand jury question up
to each individual circuit
chief judge to make that
call,” Bragg stated. This was
the Justice Melton’s 10th
emergency order, continu
ing to urge all courts “to use
technology, when practica
ble and lawful, to conduct
remote judicial proceed
ings as a safer alternative to
in-person proceedings.”
The Wheeler County
Court House has complied
with public safety guidance
for the sake of employ
ees and the community at
large. The courthouse of
fices are also prepared to
fully function remotely if
COVID-19 case numbers
continue to spike.
Toombs Commission Names
Vice-Chair, Makes Board and
Committee Appointments
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
Toombs County Com
mission Chairman Da
vid Sikes opened the first
meeting of the year with
the annual rotation to a
new vice chairman. Com
missioner Alfred Cason
was appointed and wel
comed to that position.
Sikes commented
about the outgoing vice
chair, “We had Mr. Darriel
Nobles as our vice chair
man under the most tumul
tuous year in our history. I
would like to thank you for
a wonderful job and look
forward to the next time
you do it, sir.”
Sikes also requested
that since last year’s com
mittees were not able to
complete their duties, that
the committee assign
ments remain the same
for 2021. These positions
will be: Roads and Bridges
- Nobles and Cason; Rec
reation - Cason and Wen
dell Dixon; Landfill - No
bles and Tommy Rollins;
Public Safety - Cason and
Dixon; Finance and Ac
counting - Dixon and Rol
lins; Policy and Procedures
- Rollins and Nobles. The
committee assignments
were approved.
Trash on county roads
is a recurring problem and
plans for a clean-up cam
paign were stalled during
the pandemic, as was the
availability of prisoners
to do trash pickup. Sikes
asked County Manager
John Jones to identify key
areas in the county that
need clean up and tempo
rary help will be utilized
until prison help can re
turn.
EMS Director Drew
James gave a recap of a busy
2020: there were 7571 calls
last year. As a comparison,
7152 calls were made in
2019, and James looked
back to 2009, during which
5200 calls were made. Re
cent positive COVID-19
patient contact has been
up to 5 or 6 per day. With
the COVID needs and the
general increase in EMS
needs, James’ goal is to in
crease recruitment in 2021.
The Toombs EMS has
been awarded a grant for a
First Responder Class. All
local firefighters and law
enforcement will be able
to get Emergency Medical
Responder (EMR) certi
fication and will be able
to support the EMTs dur
ing severe calls. This class
is scheduled to begin in
March.
Jones requested ap
proval of an Inter-Gov
ernmental Agreement
that has been entered with
the City of Lyons. In this
agreement, the County has
given the Emergency Man
agement Agency (EMA)
building, located between
the Ross Bowen building
and the Sheriff’s Depart
ment, to the City. The City
will dismantle the building
and reinstall it in the city
limits to be used for the Ly
ons Fire Station.
For receipt of the
EMA building, valued at
$500,000, the City will
agree to house the Tombs
County fire and rescue
truck, which is fitted with
extrication equipment,
at this building. The es
timated cost for the City
to move and rebuild the
building is $390,000. The
agreement is for 25 years.
The City is required to give
the County a 365-day no
tice if they choose to end
the agreement of housing
the County fire truck. The
Commission approved this
agreement.
Civil Works Contract
ing is expected to start
work on the new EMS/
EMA building by the end
of January, with planned
completion by September.
The start of construction
on the Ross Bowen build
ing and the new court
house is running close to
schedule.
In other business,
Commissioners approved
the following appoint
ments: Willis NeSmith,
Reid McArthur and Larry
Threlkeld to the Hospital
Authority; Mike Holland
and Randy Usher to the
Board of Assessors; and
Rebekah Arnold to the Li
brary Board.
The following busi
nesses requesting alcohol
license renewals for 2021,
and found to be in com
pliance with ordinances,
were approved for licenses:
Jani’s Mart, Normantown
Grocery, Big Mas, Frank’s
Country Club, John’s
Country Junction, and
Benton Lee’s Steakhouse.
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