About The Jenkins County times. (Millen, Ga.) 2023-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 2023)
Page 4 - Wednesday, November 22, 2023 The Jenkins County Times jenkinscountytimes.com wmbowp John Paul Hearn, Superintendant Jenkins County School System This week, we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I have been talking this month about things I am thankful for and encouraging you to do the same. For my last article on what I am thankful for, I want to share with you about my family and why I am thankful for them. There is no doubt that I am blessed with a great work family, and I am also blessed with a great family at home. First, I am thankful for my parents. Lord knows I put them through the wringer when I was growing up. I am thankful that they pushed me to be the best I could be and that they never gave up on me when I took a wrong turn here or there making life decisions. It’s sad to say, but with the busy schedules of children who have moved out and my work schedule, it's hard to get everyone together. Since I will be gone at Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad asked Renee’ and me over this week for supper. She always says it won't be much. We had fresh venison cubed steak, homemade mashed potatoes, gravy made from the fried deer steak, roasted sweet potatoes, and peas and milk (a favorite of Renee’s). It was “much.” For this reason and a million more, I am blessed and thankful for my parents. I am also thankful for my children. Being a parent is hard. Really hard. Not because I have difficult children but because it’s just hard trying to raise them and prepare them for the world we live in today. I am thankful that Taylor has graduated college and is doing something she really likes. She is maturing into a young woman and is doing an awesome job. Anna Kate has moved to Augusta and is pursuing a degree in nursing. She is a much better student than I ever was and is tackling those first-year college challenges head-on. It is great for me as a parent to see them both responsible and successful in their endeavors. I love both dearly and I am a very proud dad. I am most thankful for the woman I am blessed to call my wife. Renee’ is the most selfless person I know. She is also one of the hardest-working people I know. I have heard people say before that many times, men marry someone like their mother. I can attest to that. My mom is an extremely hard worker, and I never remember her being idle. Renee’ is the same way. She is the glue for our family and keeps us all straight and on track. We sometimes joke with her because she stays on us, but to be honest, it is exactly what we need. I enjoy living life with her. I am thankful for the adventures that we have together and there is no one in this world I would rather go on adventures with than her. As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week. Take time to reflect. Take time to tell your family and loved ones how much you appreciate them. Tell them specifically what you are thankful for. When we sit down at mom and dads for Thanksgiving, we take time to go around the table, and every person in attendance talks and tells what they are thankful for. That is a special time. So, take some time to reflect on this week. Make sure that you let those you care about most know how thankful you are for what they do for you in your life. And let's look forward to the most magical time of year, Christmas. I remember as a child. Granny had an old cedar chest that sat like a sentinel at the end of her bed. This chest sat there undisturbed for years it seems, before I ever came along because Mama remembers the chest as being in the same spot when she was a little girl. We were always intimidated by that old bulk of a chest. The wood kept glistening by Granny’s loving hands throughout the decades. The only rule was that you never, ever, touched that chest. It was hers, full of priceless treasures that could never be replaced. One summer afternoon I worked up the nerve to ask her her what was in that chest and she very nicely invited me to come sit in the floor of her bedroom and take a peek at it’s contents. With excitement building in my chest, I followed her into the bedroom and sat down before the chest like it was the Ark of the Covenant. As far as my memory could serve, this old thing had been revered in our family and now, I was getting the chance that no one before me had been given. As she lifted the top, it’s hinges kept oiled lovingly by Granny, what I spied in the dark depths was pictures and mementos from a time long gone. She reached in and grabbed the first thing she saw and as I spied the old handkerchief in her hand I knew just a few moments of disappointment. I had thought there would be a pirate’s treasure in this old trunk and I almost couldn’t contain my disappointment as By Joe Brady, Editor for The Times Granny untied the white handkerchief to reveal a dull, worn dime. With a soft voice, she began telling me the story of the dime and how she had given this to her oldest son, Hugh Dorsey, when he left for a stay at the state hospital for epilepsy. With tears in her eyes, she recounted the day the authorities called her to inform her of his death. Apparently the dime was found clutched in his hand. There were other treasures not as depressing in that chest. There were pictures of Granddaddy’s father, Lewis Womack, who died when Granddaddy was only six months old. A century or more of memories were tucked neatly into that cedar chest. I never asked Granny again for a sneak peek into her life, something I have always regretted. When she died many years later, the chest was lost to me. Many more years later, the photos from that old chest were revealed to me once again. During the holidays I take down the photo album I keep full of those cedar chest photos and stare intently at images of a time long gone. I am reminded of my earlier impression of that old trunk and how I thought it contained a treasure! My first impression was correct, it does hold a treasure, one more priceless than gold. It holds memories of one of the most important people of my life! That’s all for now, take care. Happy Thanksgiving dear readers! Dooley County Accused of Harrassing Eagles Letters To The EDITOR Dear Editor, Something needs to be done about the Dooly vs. Jenkins game that happened last Friday. Several incidents occurred during that game and it needs to be looked into. One of the incidents started before the game even happened whenever Dooly county players were trying to start a fight as the teams were warming up. Jenkins County coaches were trying to get Dooly County players to back away and the Dooly County coaches were sitting back watching it all happen and not controlling their players. That was just the start of it. The second incident occurred whenever Dooly County and Jenkins County players were both told before the game that if either team's players left the sideline to argue or if anything happened that would be suspended from the game. After one of the plays that ended close to Dooly County's sideline, several of their players left the sideline arguing and trying to start something which resulted in our coaches and police officers to separate it but nothing happened to the players from Dooly County whenever it was specifically stated before the game that something would happen. The next incident occurred whenever Jenkins County players went into the locker room during halftime and were welcomed to the smart board reading #f***the mea gle S which indicated that someone from the other side had been into the "locker room" which was their agriculture classroom. Next was the incident in the stands. One of Dooly County's police officers wrongfully tackled one of our fans in the stands. This happened after Jenkins County's principal was told to leave by the police officer for ’harassing" one of Dooly County's students who were sitting in our press box. He did not harass them, he asked them to leave our side since they were not supposed to be over there, which is stated in the GHSA rules that are read before every game. The students from Dooly County were spitting on fans below them and were taunting our fans. Not to mention whenever our principal talked to the other school he was told they did not have to leave and "that's just football". Whenever the counselor was then asked to leave she was sitting beside a paralegal from Jenkins County who told her she did not legally have to leave because she did not do anything, the police officer then told the paralegal to leave to which she said no she did not have to. The police officer from Dooly County then tackled the woman to the ground using unnecessary force. The students were then asked to leave as well as the Athletic Director only after the whole incident occurred. The last incident was when the Jenkins County cheerleaders were leaving the school on the bus and the Dooly County cheerleaders were walking by making guns with their hands and pointing them at the windows of the bus. I hope this letter can find someone who can make something happen. Not to mention the countless missed calls made during the game by the referees including multiple holding calls and blocks from the back which can be seen in 13 WMAZ's video of the game on YouTube. Thank you, Loghan Walker Millen, GA 30442 Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are wel comed and encouraged. These are pages of opinion, yours and ours. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the newspa per ’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 COUNTY Continued from page 2 of the recreation department for the current year only, with a decision to discontinue refunds moving forward. The Tax Assessors Board, currently with four members, will soon welcome a new appointment to reach its full complement of five members. The commission approved a probation service agreement extending until 2028. Updates on ongoing projects included the near completion of new hangar slabs at the airport, pending installation of four lights. The BB Lane Project encountered easement challenges but is back on track after renegotiations with a property owner. Studio 3 secured the contract for the Recreation Grant Project, which has received approval. In a positive development, the county successfully secured a $40,000 grant for the repair of the Mulkey Road Bridge at the bypass. The commission also decided to continue the tradition of hosting a County Employee Christmas meal at the AG Center. As the county remains committed to addressing resident concerns and advancing community projects, these updates mark significant steps toward a more vibrant and well- functioning local environment. A WORD FROM JON BURNS, Ga Speaker of the House of Representatives Last week, we had the annual observance of Veterans Day across our country - recognizing the service and sacrifice of those who have worn our nation’s uniform and defended our freedoms. The United States of America is blessed with the best-trained, most fonnidable fighting force the world has ever known. Thanks to the generations of Americans who have come before us, America’s military might is unmatched and sets the global standard. With that supremacy, there can come a temptation to rest on our laurels - to take for granted that America is destined to always be a global superpower. It is a temptation that can spell disaster if we are not careful. As we have seen recently with Israel battling Hamas terrorists, some enemies can only be stopped by the sword. As awful as that situation is, it is a powerful reminder that but for the brave men and women of our armed forces, America would be targeted by similar foes. While I served in the Georgia Anny National Guard, I’m also blessed to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives with a large number of distinguished veterans - from both sides of the political aisle. We stand united in our belief- our conviction - that America must never become complacent. That’s why, in Georgia, we support our servicemen and women. The House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs, headed by Chainnan Josh Bonner, leads our efforts to examine how the State of Georgia can continually contribute to America’s overall readiness. Further, they see how we can support currently-serving members of the anned forces and our veterans. In recent years, working with Governor Brian Kemp, we have passed initiatives to reduce the tax burden on military retirement income. We have also expanded funding for mental health services for veterans as we come to understand more about the strain that service can sometimes cause. Looking forward, those of us in the House of Representatives will work with our colleagues in the Senate and with Governor Kemp to ensure that military spouses have an easier time applying for professional licenses when required for their jobs. We know that taking care of military families is a vital part of ensuring their loved ones can serve our nation to the best of their ability. Georgia is proud to be one of the nation’s most military-friendly states. More than 62,000 active duty personnel are stationed at military installations across our state. When you include the National Guard, Reserves, and civilian employees, the total number of service members in Georgia exceeds 120,000. Further, almost 700,000 veterans call Georgia home. We take seriously our duty - our sacred obligation - to be there for those who have answered the nation’s call to serve and put themselves in hann’s way for their country. Just as we must never grow complacent regarding our security, so too must we never forget what has made America great - the courage of our service members and the blessings of Almighty God. We reaffinn the words of the seldom-used fourth verse of our national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner: “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto - ‘In God is our trust,’ And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” May God continue to bless our United States of America and all of the brave men and women who keep ours the land of the free and the home of the brave. .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 37 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
