Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 - Wednesday, December 6, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
jenkinscountytimes.com
John Paul Hearn, Superintendant
Jenkins County School System
I reviewed some notes from conferences I have been to over the last couple of years and
came across the following statement, “The days are slow, but the years are fast.” When
you stop and think, the statement is very true. Only 19 days left until Christmas. It seems
like yesterday was January 1, 2000, and we all thought the world was going to stop and all
computers were going to crash. It is crazy how time flies.
I came across another statement from Aaron Davis, a motivational speaker who focuses
on having a champion's attitude. His quote reminded me of Habit 7, Sharpen the Saw. He
said, “It’s hard to pour from an empty vessel.” That is a loaded statement for sure. We are
not really any good to others unless we first take care of ourselves. Now this is not one of
those things we should use to shirk our responsibilities and say I can't do that because I'm
busy taking care of myself. Rather it is a reminder that we need to “budget” in some self-
care and inspiration time for ourselves so that we can pour that into others.
I’ve said it before, when I don’t feel like I have anything in the tank, whether from an
energy standpoint or an emotional/inspirational standpoint, it is always because I have not
taken the time to Sharpen the Saw. Many times, we think we don’t have time to sharpen the
saw because we must get busy cutting wood. Abe Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to
cut down a tree and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.” He knew the importance
of being prepared.
It is no different for us. Over the last several weeks, I have discussed being Thankful and
Giving back. If we are going to be effective at that, we must first invest in ourselves. Part of
investing in ourselves is remembering why we do what we do. Regardless of one's chosen
profession, we all started in that profession for a reason. Maybe we enjoyed it, or maybe
it was just because we wanted to make a difference and felt that was the best profession to
give us that opportunity. Whatever your reason, remember your why.
Aaron Davis gave us an acronym to remember, EAR. “E” stands for effort. Focus where
you put your time and attention. So, stay focused not only on your job but also on yourself.
“A” stands for attitude. What is your attitude TODAY? If we aren’t careful, we will allow
yesterday and tomorrow to keep us from being our greatest selves today. “R” stands for
response. We must remember that the only thing we can control in situations is our response.
We cannot control others' actions or responses. If we are going to be successful at EAR, we
must invest in ourselves first.
I recently started reading a book entitled “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. He is a great
thought leader. Sinek stated that he had fallen out of love with his work. He said his work
was still high quality, but he had just lost his passion. He said his passion was restored
when he discovered his WHY. Why do you do what you do? Finding your why starts with
investing in yourself. Being the greatest you starts with investing in yourself. If we are
going to bless others, we must have a full vessel.
Monday is always hectic. Both papers have to go to the printer, and we are all running
around like chickens with our heads cut off. All you hear is rapid typing as our fingers strike
the keyboards on our desks.
I try not to schedule interviews on Mondays, because I know I will be busy writing
articles. This past Monday was different, however. I had a meeting Monday morning that
lasted longer than I had planned and so I was playing “catchup” all day. We have all had
those days. It’s no one’s fault, it just happens.
When I arrived at the office, someone was there to see me. We talked for a while, despite
the fact Debbie was standing outside my door, tapping her watch. Yeah, you need an official
timekeeper, she’s your girl!
I threatened anyone with bodily harm if they entered my office. Well, that is except for
our law enforcement. Chief Shane Burke comes and flops down on the couch in front of my
desk. Now, if you have ever talked with Shane, it can sometimes be difficult to understand
him, he mumbles a lot. Sorry Shane, you do! But this time, he was trying to keep his voice
down and I had to almost lean across my desk to hear him, which I was trying to avoid
because I have a cold, and well, you know how folks can be.
I didn’t have a mask on, I hated those things during the pandemic, and I swore I would
never don one again. Hats off to those people who still wear them faithfully. Especially
those who walk down the street and drive around town.
So anyway, as Shane and I are talking, remember, I ain’t understanding nothing he’s
saying, Lori walks by and closes my office door. Now, these doors are glass, double doors.
For some reason, they are very hard to open. In fact, I usually beat at the top of them and yell,
“open up, LAPD!” that usually does the trick. I explain this because when Shane gets up to
leave, he can’t get out! Y’all, that door wasn’t budging. Now, I know he has busted many a
door down during his career and I thank him for not busting mine.
We both pulled on it, we were trapped. I began yelling, “let us out!” Finally, Sam came to
the door and yelled, “open up, LAPD!” Y’all, that door opened so easily. One of us didn’t
have our Wheaties that morning. That’s all for now, take care!
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
A WORD FROM JON BURNS,
Ga Speaker of the House of Representatives
Friends,
This week, we will pause
to celebrate the life and
legacy of Mrs. Rosalynn
Carter. Her passing is a
tremendous loss - for her
family, for our state, and
for our nation.
The Plains-native was the
devoted wife of former
Governor and President
Jimmy Carter for more
than 77 years and served
alongside him as both
First Lady of the State of
Georgia and First Lady
of the United States of
America.
Mrs. Carter was a tireless
champion for those
struggling with mental
health issues - both while
in the White House and
later through her decades
of work with the Carter
Center. She cared deeply
about those who needed
help.
May God bless her beloved
husband. President Carter,
as well as their family
and friends in this time of
sorrow.
Special Session Beginning
Wednesday...
On Wednesday, November
29, we will convene a
Special Session of the
Georgia General Assembly
as called by the Governor
to deal with a federal court
ruling on redistricting.
In October, a U.S.
District Court Judge
ruled that the legislative
and congressional maps
adopted by the General
Assembly in 2021 violated
portions of the federal
Voting Rights Act. We
respectfully disagree with
the judge’s opinion and
have appealed the mling
through the judicial system.
That appeal is still pending.
Interestingly, last week,
a federal appeals court
overturned a similar lawsuit
over the state’s Public
Service Commission
maps. In that decision, the
appeals court held that
“We must remain mindful
of state authority, which
is a hallmark of American
government.”
So as to comply with
the judge’s ruling on
our legislative and
congressional maps, the
General Assembly must
meet and adopt new maps
prior to December 8 th or
the judge will enact maps
of his own design and
choosing.
Georgia is not alone in
this fight as several other
states have had their maps
overturned in court under
similar circumstances.
Regardless of how maps
are drawn this time, I
am sure litigation will
continue for many years
to come. This is just the
reality of our redistricting
process these days.
Saving on gas prices...
Since October, Governor
Kemp has, with support
of the General Assembly,
suspended the state taxes
on motor fuels - gas and
diesel - purchased in the
State of Georgia. This
suspension has helped
Georgia families and
businesses in a time when
the Biden Administration
is doing nothing to lower
prices or curtail inflation.
I’m proud that through
responsible, conservative
budgeting, Georgia has
been able to pass this
savings along to our
citizens. As a result,
Georgians enjoy some
of the lowest average
fuel prices in the nation
according to AAA.
During this special session
of the General Assembly,
we will ratify Governor
Kemp’s actions as required
by state law.
When the General
Assembly convenes for our
normal 2024 legislative
session in January, we will
continue to see how we
can lower the tax burden
on businesses and families
while keeping Georgia
competitive in economic
development and job
creation
Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are wel
comed and encouraged. These are pages ofopinion, 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
537 East Winthrope Aye.
Millon, Georgia
(479)982-2390
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Wreath competition ends Friday
By Sharon Blank, Special Contributor
for
The Times
Jolly old St. Nicholas will be heading our way soon - did you know that you can bring your favorite readers hours of
joy by stopping in the library? We have lots of books on our sales shelves waiting for you to take them home and give
them to those you care for, and they only cost $0.50 per bag! Many of them are in like-new condition, plus we have
some classics for those who enjoy books with a bit of history to them.
The wreath competition will be coming to a close this Friday, December 8, so make sure to bring your completed
wreath to the library forjudging before 6 pm! Wreaths must be created using our wreath forms, and can’t be made from
anything perishable like food, but beyond that the only limitation is your imagination! Winners will be announced on
Friday, December 15, and will receive gift cards.
The library will be closed on Monday, December 11 for our annual staff training day. We will be back on Tuesday
December 12 at our normal hours.
If you’re worried about coming up with some tasty treats for those holiday parties coming up, don’t be! We have a
ton of cookbooks full of recipes for everything from a classic holiday meal to casual finger-food for potluck parties.
We’ve even got recipes for healthier variations on classic Christmas treats!
The library’s Christmas break will begin on Friday, December 22 and we will not reopen until Wednesday, December
27. Make sure that you’ve got plenty to read before then! Better yet, download the Libby app to download ebooks and
audiobooks (especially handy for long holiday drives) or the Kanopy app to stream everything from Sesame Street to BBC mystery series to documentaries and classes to
help you learn about everything from how to draw to American military history.
Want to know more about what’s happening at the library, the services we offer, and more? Head over to www.facebook.com/jenkinscountymemoriallibrary and see
what we have to offer!
Well, that’s all for now - see you at the library!
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Phone: (478) 401-5007
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THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES
issue 39 December 2023 is published weekly by on
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TIMES, 125 N. Main • Sylvania, Ga. 30467.
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