About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 2023)
Page 4 - Wednesday, July 19, 2023 The Jenkins County Times j enkinsc ountytimes .com LANDFILL Continued from page 1 A word from Rep. Rick Allen 2024 National Defense Authorization Act Paul Hearn, Superintendant Jenkins County School System Have you ever known a person who was referred to as “hot-headed” or had a “bad temper?” Have you ever wondered what made a person that way? Maybe the person had a bad day. Maybe they were very passionate about the issue and things weren’t going their way. Could it be that the issue is something that gets on their last nerve? Possibly even an issue where they feel a member of their family has been done wrong. All of these may be something to set off a person’s temper, but they are not what causes the outburst. Before I tell you about that let me tell you a little about me. When I told Renee’ I was thinking about this topic for my column this week she kinda gave me that look and said, “You gonna talk about yourself?” I said, “Yes.” Because if I am honest, my family has told me I can have a temper and sometimes I even “fly off the handle.” For me, the impetus was mostly something that gets on my nerves or relates to something I am passionate about. That’s no excuse, just an honest admission. It’s even something that I have worked through with some of my leadership mentors. I still have some growth that needs to happen in that area, but I am much better than I used to be. One thing that has helped and continues to help me tremendously is that I have a couple of close confidants I can talk to. I have known each of them for a long time and know them to be trustworthy, wise, and honest. When I feel like a situation is calling for me to “fly off the handle”, I will simply pick up the phone and seek advice. This has always generated a better result than if I had lost my temper. Truthfully, a hot-headed response is many times not directed at a specific person but at the situation. For instance, when Anna Kate slid into the ditch on a slick dirt road driving very slowly you guessed it, I “flew off the handle”. My response was directed at Anna Kate, but it was rooted in the fact that I was thinking about how much it was going to cost to fix her car. I am embarrassed at how I responded. But you know what, we got it out without a single scratch. That’s how it usually ends up. A hot-headed response makes you look bad as it did me and makes the situation worse. It hurts people’s feelings and doesn’t help anything. Habit 1 of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “Be Proactive”. When I think about being proactive, I usually think of being motivated and getting things done. However, Dr. Covey says that being proactive involves each of us overseeing ourselves and having the ability to choose. He says that between a stimulus and a response is a space. In that space, each of us can choose. If you are a reactive person, you will ignore that space and generally “fly off the handle”. However, a proactive person pauses and uses that space to think about their response. I will also be the first to say that when it involves your kids, it is hard not to have a passionate response when you feel they have been wronged. I have been there as well. But the same holds true; no matter the situation, we all have that space to choose. So that means it is not the situation that causes the response. It is a choice that each of us makes. King Solomon is known as the wisest man who ever lived. He said, “A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Ok, I don’t mind telling you, I have reached the age where my insurance is calling every other week reminding me to get a colonoscopy. Finally, tired of the harassing phone calls, I make an appointment with the surgeon. Y’all, first of all, when I walk in to the office, there is rap music playing in the waiting room. It took a moment, while I was completing that mountain of paperwork they give you, to realize that I couldn’t concentrate because I had snoop dog, white horse, or whomever, singing in the background. I looked up at the other elderly patients and asked, “are they trying to aggravate us with this music?” The choice of music should have warned me. They call me back and after about 10 minutes in walks Leslie Jordan. Y’all, I kid you not. A short little man, dressed in white pants and a baby blue sport coat. He jumps up on the table, because I’m sitting in the chair, and looks at me. He even sounded like Leslie Jordan when he asked, “so, you need your colonoscopy?” With his hands crossed under his chin, looking at me intently. I thought I was looking at brother boy when I said, “according to new data, I’m like ten years behind.” He then asks, “so why are you on Plavix?” Imagine Leslie Jordan asking that, okay? After I explain why I take blood thinners and the six stents he screws up his face, “oh wow, well, we will get you scheduled.” And jumps down from the table, I’m telling y’all, he’s like 5 foot 4! As he walks out of the room I ask, “so are you taking me off the blood thinners for the procedure?” He looks at me and says, “shoot no, I’d rather you bleed a little from the (you know where) than die on my table with a heart attack.” And he was out of the room. I wonder if he stands on a stool in the operating room. Y’all, should I be scared? Leslie Jordan’s twin brother is doing my colonoscopy. That’s all for now, take care. Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encouraged. 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 ofa 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 By Joe Brady, Editor for The Times revised in 2004. Each speaker was allowed 10 minutes to voice their concerns. Vondesa Lee was the first concerned citizen to speak. “What is the review process of the solid waste management plan,” Lee asked. The draft is available for anyone to access either through the County Commission or the Jenkins County Times website. Currently, Jenkins County household waste is transported to the Screven County transfer station. Demolition trash is transported to the Jenkins County transfer station. The transfer stations sort the trash, and the municipal waste is transported to Chatham County while the demolition waste is transported to the Jenkins County landfill. The proposed landfill site is 1,000 acres adjoining the current landfill. Atlantic Waste has applied for a landfill permit. Lee also stated, “it is our understanding the EPA must approve a potential landfill site and that has not yet been done.” Commissioner Weathersby did not know the status of the approval. Reginald Sapp, a Jenkins County resident, lives approximately 4 miles from the proposed landfill, expressed concerns over water contamination. Leachate from landfills, a liquid containing various pollutants from decomposing waste, may contaminate nearby water sources. The contaminated water may then contain harmful substances such as heavy metals and pathogens which may cause health problems. Robert Jenkins, another county resident expressed concern over potential birth defects and congenital anomalies if contamination occurs. “With Magnolia Springs currently pumping 8-10 million gallons of water per day and Millen permitted to pump 1 million gallons per day, the potential of landfill contamination just 13 miles from these water sources is a concern.” Vice chairperson Hiller Spann explained, “there are currently two unlined landfills in the county that have been monitored for the past 12 years. One of these dump sites has not been used in 50 years. If we move forward with this landfill proposal the county is looking at roughly $60 million in revenue over the next 30 years.” Neither of these landfills show contamination. A public hearing has been scheduled for August 8 at 3 p.m. at the Jenkins County Commissioner building. “The citizens have brought up some valid points and the board will take these concerns under advisement when we revisit the topic at the next meeting,” explained Spann. “House Republicans are delivering on our commitment to a nation that is safe. The American people should have faith that our defense capabilities and servicemembers have the funding and resources necessary to counter global threats to our homeland, and this year’s NDAA accomplishes that goal with great certainty. “I was proud to support H.R. 2670, which among other things, restores the focus of our military, combats aggression from the Chinese Community Party, provides the largest pay raise for servicemembers in over 20 years, and offers a path back to service for military personnel who were wrongfully discharged for failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, the NDAA secures critical funding for the operations and missions being carried out at Fort Gordon and the Savannah River Site—ensuring our area remains a leader in keeping America safe. “Those who make up our nation’s Armed Forces are the bravest among us, and I am proud to support a bill that prioritizes the men and women in uniform and the security of this great nation.” More specifically, the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act: • Authorizes full funding for the design and construction of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence’s Signal School at Fort Gordon and provides funding for the first phase of construction for fiscal year 2024 • Authorizes over $1 billion for missions being carried out at the Savannah River Site • Provides $886.3 billion in total defense discretionary spending • Saves $40 billion in taxpayer dollars by eliminating redundant bureaucracy • Supports a 5.2% increase in servicemember basic pay • Prohibits funding for the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the military • Aids the 8,000 servicemembers discharged for failing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and gives them a path back to service • Authorizes over $240 million to reduce servicemember out-of-pocket housing expenses • Provides capabilities to counter Chinese Communist Party aggression • Increases oversight and demands accountability from the Biden Administration FOR SALE IN MILLEN 4 BED 3 BATH 2200 SOFT REALTOR JESSICA HERRMANN C: 912-536-6149 O: 912-489-0067 jessica@greatgarealty.com 3028 JAXON MASON LANE, MILLEN, GA sss Ha EAGLE NOTES .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/Reporter/AP Correspondent Brad Asbury Sports Editor Jake Gay Reporter Tyler Busch Podcast Director/Reporter THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES issue 20 July 2023 is published weekly by on Wednesday for $35 per year by THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, 425 Hwy 25 S • Millen, Ga. 30442. 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