About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 2023)
Page 4 - Friday, April 14, 2023 The Jenkins County Times thej enkinscountytimes .com Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encour aged. These are pages of opinion, yours and ours. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the newspaper’s readers. The Jenkins County Times reserves the right to edit any and all portions of a letter. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters must include the signature, address and phone number of the writer to allow our staff to authenticate its origin. Letters should be limited to 400 words and should be typewritten and double-spaced or neatly printed by hand. Deadline for letters to the editor is noon on Wednesday. Email Letters to the Editor to: thejenkinscountytimes@gmail.com VENDORS NEEDED [fcH l^|g 'IT CD [1 Ai [£i> AL gf [E [A O AAi ff&S AY 'jf' A: - AY TU 4T3 r.Jl @ TT “V, A'' 1 Carmen Bennett Columnist The Times Uncle Ernie Stories This past week I learned via Facebook that Monday was National Siblings Day. Now if you’re my Facebook friend, some of these sibling nursings will sound familiar, however after a hysterically funny “remember when” phone call with my brother, I remembered so many other “episodes” we had together growing up. To my mother's dismay, my brother and I were both slobs growing up. That's why I know it's a hormonal thing that makes me crazy about my house being clean now. I was not bom this way! We used to really trash our bedrooms and my mom would get the shakes when she came upstairs and saw them. Strangely though, she never got on to both of us at the same time. So, when she'd come down on my brother for his terrible room, we'd chunk all his junk into my room. Conversely, when she'd go crazy about my room being a wreck, we'd chunk all my junk into his room. We literally drove my mom crazy growing up. If you think my mom is a nut, she has ample reason to be. Once my brother backed into a huge 6x6 post holding up the shelter part of the bam. We called all over town trying to find a post to replace it before my parents got home. The effort was unsuccessful. Similarly, one of us, I can't remember which, backed into a cherry tree and pulled it down. We set up blocks around the tree to make it stand up. I don't know if Mama or Daddy ever figured that one out. I had just gotten my driver's license. My brother and I were driving home in my '64 Mustang. It was a GREAT car, but unfortunately on the way home the brakes went out. It wasn't a huge deal since it was a straight shot home and after all, I learned my driving skills from watching episodes of the Dukes of Hazzard. The problem was my brother had driven his 4-wheeler to my Aunt Ruby's house and wanted to pick it up and drive it back home. I told him I didn't think I could slow down enough for him to get out, but he insisted that going up the big hill before we got to Aunt Ruby's would slow us down enough. Wrong. You don't think 20mph is fast until you try to jump from a vehicle moving at that speed. I saw him jump out and roll all the way to Aunt Ruby’s Garden. I couldn't stop to check on him but I saw him raise his hand behind a row of turnip greens in an "I’m okay" kinda way, so I kept on heading home. When he got home on the 4-wheeler, I was still doing laps in the yard trying to stop. Once we were washing mom's car and my brother hooked the water hose onto her bumper. She left to go to Otis Skelton's store to get onions for a fish fry and pulled the entire pump out of the pump house. We came home to a small-scale model of ol Faithful. When I was in the 5th grade and my brother was in the 1st grade, I was called to the office of our little country elementary school. Apparently, my brother had shot a bird out the bus window. The principal handed me a letter to my parents regarding my brother's behavior and asked me to deliver the letter. We had a LONG driveway and all the way down the driveway my brother begged me not to tell Daddy. I would not have told my parents except for one little fact. The JERK told our principal that I TAUGHT HIM HOW TO SHOOT A BIRD! For the record, I did not. Once when I was about 20,1 talked my brother into going to pick up an antique dresser I’d bought. He hooked up my dad's cattle trailer and we took off in the rain to pick it up from the antique shop. It was pouring rain and a little Datsun truck was stopped in the road. Ernie went off the side of the road and to avoid turning the trailer over, went straight down in the ravine. We saw squirrels, trees, shrubs, chipmunks, and all sorts of things fly by on our way down to the bottom of that ravine! When we finally crawled out and back up the ravine, an ambulance was waiting for us. The deputy asked Ernie (since he looked older) to call our parents. Ernie said - "uh no. I will call Daddy after you put me in the witness protection and relocation program." Luckily See CARMEN page 5 Daddy was glad we were alive after seeing all that Another Easter is in the history books. I can’t help but think about how drastically my Easters have changed as the years fly by. This Easter I had dinner with other older friends. There were no raised voices of kids hunting eggs. No brightly colored baskets loaded with goodies. Everybody had their own thing to do this year, which left me to my own devices, I know, that can be dangerous. You must be amazed at how ever-changing life is. For instance, Sunday, I catch myself sitting at a dinner table with a woman I have never met. She spoke with a Gemian accent and she’s 86 years old. I don’t think I could even tell you her name, Therail, Therile, something like that. I do know she was funny and had words of wisdom for all of us. Oh, and she could make a lemon charlotte that would put your eyes out! Of course, “you must put the orange marmalade and buttered almonds on top or it won’t taste right.” She advised each of us. She talked of how her love life was probably caput at 86 years old! Naw, you can find someone, I know a 96-year-old man that’s looking! She asked for his number. What is her life story? I wanted to delve so much deeper, the newspaper man in me wanted to know! Why didn’t I? She was a no- nonsense kind of woman. By Joe Brady, Editor for The Times a plain-speaking soul, in short, I was afraid she would hurt my feelings! What we talked about probably wasn’t all that important, we discussed our medications, the side effects, that sort of thing. What is important is that I met her in the first place. Life is wondrous like that. People come in and out of our lives for brief periods of time and either make us feel good or bad, I think the choice is up to us. I do know that when Therail, Therile, whatever her name is told our hostess, “Pam, don’t invite me back unless this gentleman is coming as well,” I felt honored. That’s all for now, take care! Optim Primary Care Millen taking walk in patients Just off the Paved Road This home just By Joe Brady, Editor for The Times It is now easier to seek medical assistance in Jenkins County. Since Jodi Gilmer, PA-C joined the Optim Primary Care Millen Clinic, the practice is now focusing on walk-in patients, same-day appointments, sports physicals, women’s health, and DOT physicals. Jodi is practicing alongside Dr. Prakul Chandra, a long-time physician with the practice. Jodi is no stranger to rural communities, having graduated from Portal High School in Bulloch County. “I grew up in a rural setting, and I chose working in a rural community because that is where I could do the most good.” Jodie and her husband Richard have one son. “When we aren’t working or chasing after Rafe, you may find us living the Jodi Gi | mer PA _ C farm life with our menagerie of animals.” Jodi has been a Physician Assistant since May 2016 and is Board Certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. She is also a honor graduate from Georgia Southern University. “I am so excited about working with Dr. Chandra and getting to know the patients.” Jodi will be in the clinic Monday-Friday and may be contacted by dialing 478-982-0120. Optim Primary Care Millen is located at 961 E. Winthrope Ave. Allstate Building Services, LLC Window Cleaning * Pressure Cleaning * Caulking Specialist Quality Work At Its Best 2 5— years of experience N'aml Ftltis, Oiraer P.O. Boi 112P 813-309-7188 Millen. GA M4J2 Vpetti; 11 a y.ilioc-.; om .Jenkins County Times Proudly covering Jenkins County ’s news, sports, and community events Sam Eades Publisher Joe Brady Editor Sam Eades Advertising Sales Debbie Heam Admin/Layout and Design Executive Sarah Saxon Admin/Legals/AP Correspondent Brad Asbury Sports Editor Jake Gay Reporter Tyler Busch Podcast Director/Reporter THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES issue 5 April 2023 is published weekly by on Friday for $35 per year by THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, 425 Hwy 25 S • Millen, Ga. 30442. Periodical postage pending at Millen, GA and additional mailing offices. 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