About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2023)
Page 4 - Wednesday, November 15, 2023 The Jenkins County Times jenkinscountytimes.com Granny was perhaps the wisest woman in all of Jenkins County! I said what I said! Everybody knows the story of how much she loved Amy Carter. How we had to chew twenty times because that’s what Amy did. But now, after all these years, I know why Granny said that! Last week, I made chicken enchilada soup. Y’all, that stuff is great, and I should put it in the paper. So anyway, I carried it up the hill for supper. Now, apparently kids go through this thing called picky eating. I was a fat kid, so I have never refused a meal in my life, but these little boys are rail thin. Their mama told me they had gone to bed with no supper the night before because they refused to eat. Now, their mama had also told them Geepaw was bringing soup, to which the oldest replied, “Oh great, another day without eating!” I made them some biscuits. Now, the youngest, has a habit of cramming as much in his mouth as he can get. Hence, my realization that Granny was a saint and wise! Did we eat like that? I don’t remember it. I thought I was just bom with impeccable table manners! I have always been apprehensive that I would look over one day and he would be choking. If I haven’t told the story about my sister, Tracey, who was bom with a tied tongue. One day she was eating peanut butter and y’all, I kid you not, she almost choked to death because it was stuck on the rough of her mouth! Granny had to get it out! That incident traumatized her to this day. So, quick as a bolt of lightening I asked, “babe, do you know how to count to 20?” At the shake of his blonde head, I asked about 10. Well, something is better than nothing! Now, nobody born after 1990 knows who Amy Carter is so I advised him, “if you chew ten times before you swallow or put more in your mouth you will grow up to be big and strong like your brother.” His brother looked at me and said, “I don’t do that Geepaw!” Hush kid, work with me here! That’s all for now, take care! What are you thankful for? If we are honest, we could fill the pages of this paper with a list of things we are thankful for. One thing I am thankful for is the time I get to spend with my girls. They both like football and everything Georgia Bulldogs. Renee’ on the other hand is not a football fan. She enjoys watching our Eagles play on Friday night but could care less about spending Saturdays in Athens between the hedges being a rowdy fan. Knowing that I get to spend several hours with them at the stadium cneering on the bulldogs makes those drives to Athens on Saturdays worth every minute. Another thing I am thankful for is that I work in the best school system in the state of Georgia. We have some awesome teachers. I want to share about something I learned this week. As you know we have had some great book fairs at school lately. Students can bring in money to purchase books, posters, and other items and they get several opportunities to shop. We have a teacher who kept up with all the students in their grade level who had brought in money to shop. On the last day this teacher got a list of all the students in their grade who had not brought in any money to shop and took their own money and paid for each student to be able to buy one item. That is Thanksgiving. Being thankful for what we have been blessed with and giving back to others. I am also thankful for our Veterans. We live in the greatest country in the world because of the sacrifices of our veterans and we should all be thankful for that. This past Saturday was Veterans Day. It is a day set aside for us as a nation to say thank you to the men and women who serve and have served in the armed forces to protect us and our freedom. We have many veterans in Jenkins County. Some of those veterans also chose to continue serving their country through teaching after they retired from the armed forces. For that I am doubly grateful. This week sounds like I am just rambling on, but it serves a purpose. As I said last week, I encourage you to really spend some time this month reflecting on all that you have to be thankful for. Do this activity as a family. And don’t just talk about it, consider writing it down. If you write it down, one day when you are having a bad day (and we all will have bad days) you can take that journal out and just read it and it will remind you of all that you have to be thankful for, even in the hard times. If you read the bible, this is much like what the Israelites did in the Old Testament when God blessed them in a big way. It was not to serve as an image to worship but to serve as a reminder of how He loved them and took care of them. We all need these reminders. By Joe Brady, Editor for The Times John Paul Hearn, Superintendant Jenkins County School System A WORD FROM JON BURNS, Representatives Ga Speaker of the House of Last Thursday, I visited with students from around the region at the Bulloch County Agricultural Complex for the Skills USA Challenge. Hosted by the Associated General Contractors of Georgia, this competition brought students together to compete in a number of trade-related skill competitions like blueprint reading, carpentry, heavy machinery, masonry, plumbing, and welding. I shared with many of the students the importance of a strong work ethic in any career field. I also told them that Georgia continues to invest in their success - investing half of our $32 billion annual budget in public education through our schools, technical colleges, and the university system. Congratulations to Statesboro High School's Architecture & Construction students for winning first place overall in the competition! Thanks also to all the teachers, parents, and sponsors who made this event possible. As I mentioned, the state takes seriously our investment in the future of our children through education. That’s why I was honored to visit with many of the presidents of our University System of Georgia institutions at Middle Georgia State University in Macon last Monday. This roundtable was a unique opportunity to near updates on the amazing work being done at our research and teaching institutions and hear of the tremendous return we receive on investments like our HOPE Scholarship program. More than 340,000 students are enrolled at one of the 26 institutions of higher learning in the system which grants some 73,000 degrees every year. I appreciate the leadership of Chancellor Sonny Perdue and our University System of Georgia Board of Regents as they work shoulder-to-shoulder with institution presidents to keep our universities among the best in the nation. Last week, I was proud to join state and local officials in Savannah where Gulfstream announced the cGompletion of their new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This 142,000-square-foot expansion will be home to the production of the G400, G500 and G600 aircraft. Part of a comprehensive growth strategy, this facility is part of a more than $150 million investment and the creation of 1,600 jobs throughout our region. Over the last 50 years, Gulfstream has created enormous economic opportunities throughout the Coastal Empire and made Savannah a leader in business aviation design, manufacturing, and maintenance. Thanks to Gulfstream and its parent company General Dynamics, the future looks bright as Savannah continues to capitalize on Georgia’s strategic advantages in transportation, manufacturing, and logistics. Success stories like this one result from a team effort at both the local and state levels to keep Georgia the place that businesses and families want to call home. While serving as Georgia’s 75th Speaker of the House is a tremendous honor - it keeps me on the road and in Atlanta more than I would like. That’s why this past week was such a treat to get to visit with friends and neighbors at the Sylvania Rotary Club and Effingham Farm Bureau last Thursday. Representing the interests of Screven, Bulloch, and Effingham County in the Georgia House of Representatives is a responsibility I never take lightly, and I am always happy to be at home whenever possible. Thank you for the continuing honor of representing you and our values at the State Capitol. Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encouraged. These are pages ofopinion, 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 The Times Printing Services PRINT YOUR ALL AROUND PR NT SHOP .TO 3 BROCHURES LETTERS BUSINESS CARDS ENVELOPES FLYERS BANNERS'?' > CERTIFICATES T-SHIRTS ► INVITATIONS OTHER ACCESSORIES Call Today! (912)451-6397 Bethany announces Transitional Plan of Leadership The Board of Trustees of Bethany Assisted Living, Inc., Bethany Home, Inc., The Foundation at Bethany, Inc., and Bethany LLC announced that after 23 years of dedicated service, Becky D. Livingston has declared her intention to repurpose from the position as the Chief Executive Officer of the organizations known as Bethany. The Board expressed their gratitude for her years of service and Livingston has agreed to remain engaged with Bethany during the period of expected seamless transition. Board Chair Carolyn Phillips said, “Since 1984 when Becky finished at the Walter F. George School of Law, she returned to Statesboro to practice law and began representing the legal interests of Bethany. Then in 2000, when we needed guidance through a full-time CEO, Becky answered the call and the organization benefited from Becky’s wise and compassionate leadership. Her vision and her care and concern for Residents, their Families, and the Staff and Board of Bethany have truly been extraordinary. She is a gift to the Statesboro, Bulloch County Community and we are grateful for her many years of tireless efforts on behalf of the nonprofit, faith-based organization of Bethany, which is owned and operated by the Primitive Baptist denomination.” Livingston said “It has been a blessing for me to share the experience, joys, and sorrows with so many Residents and Families over the years. My own family experienced the consequences of dementia with my Mother’s diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s and her eventual death in 2011 at the age of 78. While this is a significant and bittersweet transition for me, I leave Bethany with an exceptionally talented Staff who cherish their work as a part of the Bethany family, who work around the clock to achieve the highest standards of service. I have never considered Bethany to be a job, but rather a ministry, and I will always love and support the organization.” Under Livingston’s leadership, the Board of Trustees constructed a 45,000 square-foot building that is home to the only certified Assisted Living Community in Statesboro and Bulloch County, as well as the construction of 23 Cottages representing the only independent Living Community in Statesboro and Bulloch County as well. With Livingston leaving at the end of 2023, the Board of Trustees has worked with the Executive Staff of the Bethany organization and has named Regina M. Bell, RN, BSN, LTCA, as the Executive Director of the organization beginning with Livingston’s departure. “Regina is no stranger to the Bethany organization having worked for Bethany Nursing Center of Millen for 19 years prior to the sale of the Community there and returned to Bethany when she joined The Lodge at Bethany in 2021 as the Director of Health Services and then in 2022 became the Administrator of The Lodge. She has more than 31 years in long term care and is a seasoned Registered Nurse as well. In addition, the Executive Team that supports Regina includes individuals with experience and longevity with Bethany and will be the supportive team that the Board needs for the future growth and continued services provided by Bethany” Livingston commented and added her support to Regina and the Executive Staff as well as the Board of Trustees for the bright future of Bethany. Board Chair Carolyn Phillips said, “Bethany has been preparing for the transition and we expect that the future of Bethany will continue to show the provision of exceptional leadership from Regina and her Staff as we move into the Second Century of Bethany. The blessings of God on Bethany are unlimited, and we fully expect that He will continue to bless us with dedicated individuals who are fully and exceptionally equipped to take Bethany into the future to continue the tradition of Serving Others. .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 Lori Jones Front Office/Receptionist THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES issue 36 November 2023 is published weekly by on Wednesday for $24.95 per year by THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, 125 N. Main • Sylvania, Ga. 30467. Periodical postage pending at Sylvania, GA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, P.O. Box 1448 Millen GA 30442 Phone: (478) 401-5007 Subscription Rates (Includes tax): 1 Year in Jenkins County $24.95 1 Year Online Only $18.00 2 Years In Jenkins County $45.00 1 Year Outside of County $29.95 1 Year Outside of Georgia $42.00 1 day online pass $1.99
