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Page 4 - Wednesday, January 31, 2024
The Jenkins County Times
jenkinscountytimes.com
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EAGLE NOTES
John Paul Hearn, Superintendant
Jenkins County School System
This week, I had the opportunity to attend Winter GAEL along with four of our assistant
principals. GAEL stands for Georgia Association of Educational Leaders. GAEL offers
several professional learning conferences throughout the year to support leaders in local
school systems. They bring in thought leaders, inspirational speakers, and experts in
teaching and learning. It also gives leaders an opportunity to connect with school leaders
from across the state of Georgia to network and learn from each other. It is an all-around
great opportunity for professional growth.
For me personally, that (personal professional learning) wasn’t always at the top of
my list. Sure, I wanted to be good at what I did, but after a couple of college degrees
in my particular area of work, I thought I knew enough. A lot of times, that means you
know just enough to be dangerous. But that all changed around 2016. That Fall, I went
to a Professional Learning Community workshop with several teachers from our school
system in Jacksonville, Florida. Those three days lit a fire inside of me to work to be the
absolute best version of myself that I could be. It also taught me that personal growth
is not a destination. It is a process. For me, I have committed that that process will not
end until the day the good Lord calls me home. I may not be my best today. But I can
promise you I will be better tomorrow than I was today.
While at Winter GAEL, I was able to connect with a couple of my Doctoral classmates
from UGA, as well as a couple of my professors. Dr. Berry was on my Doctoral
committee. I told her today that my time in the doctoral program at UGA was the best
thing I ever did for myself as a professional. Hands down. I also told her that I tell people
that she hurt my feelings pretty badly on quite a few occasions while I was working
on my dissertation. But I thanked her for that. She saw something in me that I did not
see in myself. I'm not advocating for hurting folks' feelings to make them better. But I
needed that. If you read my articles regularly or know me in general, you know about my
procrastination. And that time when Dr. Berry said I have no idea how you are going to
fix this and graduate on time.... Well, I said there ain’t no other way, but I am graduating
on time. And I did.
On Monday morning at Winter GAEL, we got to hear from Sean Covey. His father,
Stephen Covey, wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Sean has since written
books about the 7 Habits for Teens and elementary-age students. The books are great.
The ideas are great. But he talked about something that is even greater. Belief in the
person. He shared about a school he visited when they were beginning to work on the
Leader In Me program. He said when he walked into that school, it was very evident
that every adult in that school believed that every child in that school had genius in them.
-Tt was so evident that he decided to move his family across the country so his children
could attend that school. That is powerful.
He used an example of flying on an airplane that kind of ties these thoughts up nicely,
I think. If you have ever flown on a commercial plane, you will remember the flight
attendants giving the presentation about what to do in the event of loss of cabin pressure.
Always put your oxygen mask on first; then, you can help your neighbors. It’s the exact
same way in our professional and personal lives. We must take care of ourselves first.
We must invest in ourselves. You can't pour from an empty cup. Investing in ourselves
gives us confidence in what we are doing. It gives us the ability to see greatness in others.
We must be more like Dr. Berry. See in others what they don’t see in themselves so that
they can be the greatest version of themselves.
By Jonathon Powell, Special Contributor
for
The Times
While traveling through town or down an old backroad m the county, it’s tugniy
likely that you’ve passed a member of our Jenkins County Road Department at some
time or another. Since taking over as Road Superintendent in 2021, Jason Oglesby has
led the Jenkins County Road Department with unwavering commitment and vision.
In continuing to carry on the legacy of our very own Grady Lane, Jason has worked
diligently to grow his knowledge, enhance department sustainability, and improve
efficiencies. Whether upgrading vehicles, tractors, equipment, or supporting his team,
he leaves no stone unturned. Thanks to careful planning of both his group and county
commissioners, and with the aid of TSPLOST funding, the department has replaced
four trucks, two tractors with mowers, one skid steer, one side mower, two dump trucks,
and two backhoes since 2021. Our county is fortunate to have Jason and team diligently
maintaining our infrastructures and property. Their tireless work ensures safe, reliable
roads that connect Jenkins County residents to each other and opportunities beyond.
I would like to introduce the members of our road crew, starting with Chuck Richardson,
our Road Superintendent. Chuck oversees day-to-day operations with the field crews as
well as wildlife trapping that can impact our roads and water passages.
We have two backhoe crews that install and replace culverts for driveways and roads,
clean out any obstructed culverts, and move dirt as needed in the county. Matt Bazemore
and Chris Fisher make up one crew, while Ed Bowen and Will Tyler comprise the other.
Continued maintenance of our 241 miles of dirt roads in Jenkins County takes a team
effort. James Bennett and Lamar Edenfield are definitely up to the task. There’s no
GPS on a road machine like there is on a commercial jobsite, so it takes a keen eye and
miles of experience to hone your craft on one of these machines. They both continue to
develop and expand their proficiency and dexterity from exposure within the job at hand.
We recently replaced our old, worn-out side mower with a new machine operated by
Josh Graham. We are playing catch-up after being without a mower for close to a year, as
supply chain issues have extended equipment delivery times even 3 years after COVID.
With over 430 miles of right-of-way in the county, we have plenty of mowing to do.
Lastly, Kirby Dailey handles maintenance and Chucky Fitch, our shop mechanic of 37
years, keeps our equipment running. They tackle an endless list of repairs and upkeep to
help keep us going each day. Their energy and support are invaluable.
Feel free to reach out to me at news@jenkinscountytimes.com on any aspects where I
can be of help to you, or if you have any suggestions for enhancing our community. As
we look forward to the coming week, let's all take pride in being residents of Jenkins
County. I wish you a wonderful week ahead!
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
I have been writing a weekly column for many years. My first article was published
over 15 years ago. That’s a lot of memories I have penned. As I sat with a scrapbook
last Sunday, thumbing through some of them, I didn’t manage to keep them all, I
noticed a gradual progression. Kind of like life in printed form.
I remember several years ago acquiring some journals from a great great grandmother.
The first journal covered her twenties, from 1875 through 1885. The second journal
took place towards the end of her life from 1928-1932. In Icee’s first journal was the
visions and dreams of a 20 something. Newly married, first child on the way. She had
hope. As the yellowed pages continued to turn, Icee had one more child, a little girl.
She continued to do for her family. Cooking, cleaning, daily life at it’s most mundane.
A lady I would like to have known.
But then you read the second journal. Here’s an older woman, beat down by life’s
experiences. The farm is almost bankrupt, her husband has died, her oldest kid has
died, and poor Icee is taking in borders to make ends meet. She’s grown envious of her
boarder’s youth. She has become a bitter old woman. One I wouldn’t care to meet.
Now, I’m not at the age where I am bitter. But I am at the age where nothing much
surprises me. As I was talking with a younger person this past week I was reminded of
that. This younger person was shocked at the cruelty of others, especially those who sit
in church every time the doors are open. The problem with churches? Those people. I
am less shocked by the cruelty of others as I am by the naivete of some.
So, on a lighter note. As I read through my first articles I could see someone who was
either working in the yards or preserving beans, com, and even chicken or cleaning
house. Y’all I had a clean house all the time because I was entertaining most Saturdays
with dinner parties and the like. I haven’t been in my dining room in so long, there’s
probably cobwebs hanging from the light fixture!
I say all this to say, we do change as the years pass. We no longer care about the same
things we once did. We become tired. We become jaded. Instead of looking at youth as
being naive, let’s look on them as unblemished. Just maybe, they can change the world.
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 read
ers. 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
Dear Editor of the Times Newspapers,
On behalf of our legionaries, we would like to thank the citizens of Screven and
Jenkins Counties for their support of our events over the past year. Community
involvement helps us to provide for the needs of local veterans and their families.
We also want to thank the following businesses: The Times Newspapers, Jenkins
County Chamber of Commerce, Screven County Chamber of Commerce, Observer,
Screven County History Buffs, Wreaths Across America, Tractor Supply, and
O’Reilly’s.
Last year we were able to repair, replace, or build structures; host blood drives, file
several veteran’s benefit packages; care for widows and children; as well as educate
the local schools on Americanism and patriotism. All we accomplished was because of
the generosity of Screven and Jenkins County and their businesses. Thank you!
We look forward to continuing to serve our veterans and their family’s needs for 2024
and beyond. Our legionaries are proud to continue to give of their time, energy, and
skills affirming their oath to serve.
Wayne Howard, Sr.
Post 116
G. Alex Mincey American Legion Post
Sylvania, GA.
A word from Jon Burns
This past week was budget week at the Capitol, and while we
weren’t officially in session, we were busy at work for the people of
Georgia. Chairman Hatchett, our House Appropriations Chairman
from Dublin, heard from agency heads and cabinet members each
day of the week about their priorities, funding requests, and issues
pertaining to their department or agency. Their input and expertise
help us craft a budget that meets the needs of all Georgians as
efficiently as possible, being as mindful as possible that the funds we
appropriate are the taxpayers—not ours. I want to thank Chairman
Hatchett and all of our presenters this past week for their hard work
and dedication to helping us finalize a budget we can all be proud of.
On Monday, we celebrated the life of Dr. King by attending the Effingham County MLK
Celebration Breakfast in Springfield. It was such an honor to see so many friends and
constituents out in force to remember Dr. King. My hope is that we will all continue to fight
to make life better for all of our neighbors.
On Tuesday, I was back in Atlanta to make an exciting announcement regarding our Pre-K
education system. As many of you know, last year we passed House Bill 538 the Georgia
Early Literacy Act to strengthen literacy rates across our state and support early learning.
This year, we are going to build on that through historic investments in our Pre-K education
system. Joined by Pro Tern Jan Jones, I was proud to announce that we will be working to
lower class sizes, increase salaries for our assistant and lead teachers, and boost start-up
funds for Pre-K classrooms to get off the ground. We want our students to start fast and
finish strong, and we believe prioritizing early education will pay dividends for our future
leaders of tomorrow.
On Wednesday and Thursday, I had the privilege of meeting with many of our state’s
university presidents. It was great to hear about so many of the success stories happening
in our higher education institutions across the state, as well as the challenges they are
facing. We know that educational success is not a one size fits all solution, but our colleges
and universities continue to be incubators for advanced learning and the workforce of
tomorrow, and I’m grateful for the work they’re continuing to do.
This week, we will resume regular session, and have some exciting announcements
regarding economic development and tax policy for our state. Stay tuned for more—
and as always, if there is anything our office can be helpful with, please don’t hesitate
to reach out.
My best,
Speaker Jon Bums
Phone: (478) 401-5007
Proudly covering Jenkins County’s news, sports, and community events
Sam Eades Publisher
Joe Brady Editor
Sam Eades Advertising Sales
Debbie Hearn Admin/Layout and Design Executive
Sarah Saxon ....Admin/Legals/Reporter/AP Correspondent
BradAsbury Sports Editor
Lori Jones Front Office/Receptionist
THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES
issue 47 January 2024 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
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THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, P.O. Box 1448
Millen GA 30442
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