About The Sylvania times. (Sylvania, Ga.) 2022-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2024)
thesy lvaniatimes. com The Sylvania Times Wednesday, February 21, 2024 - Page 7 -Editorials & More- From the Editor’s Desk Bv Joe Brady, Editor The Times news@sylvaniatimes.com A Facebook post reminded me of an incident many years ago at a friend’s house. We were invited to spend the weekend at a friend’s house and so, being much younger than I am now, we decided to go! Now a days I don’t spend the night away from home, but that’s another story for another time. Now these people liked to think they were prim and proper. Doilies on anything that would stand still, matching sheets and comforters done in imperial blue. Don’t even ask what color blue that is, I still haven’t figured it out. I think they may have made it up, to be honest. Their bedrooms were named the blue room, the pink room. I mean, have mercy! Anyway, the next morning as I flush the toilet, the water begins to rise. Thinking, “OMG, surely this thing ain’t about to overflow, I jerked the lid off the tank to grab the bobber thing and stop the water from running. Y’all, I kid you not, I watched as if in slow motion as that lid slid down the wall and broke into a million tiny pieces of white porcelain. I didn’t know whether to cry or run for the car. That commode didn’t overflow, it’s one of those toilets that rises way up to the top before going out. What was I going to do? I’ll buy a new one. Surely they sell lids at Lowe’s. I remember how angry I got one time when a dinner guest broke the back of my dining room chair. These people liable to throw me out on my behind! Slowly I walked to the kitchen where my hosts were busy preparing breakfast. “I have something to confess.” They took it good naturedly. In fact, they laughed about it. When I asked where the broom and dustpan were it was with a light heart that I walked to the closet door to clean up my mess. I turned the knob, first one way and then the next. The door was not opening. I had just seen my host open it so it can’t be that hard. You guessed it, my dear readers, that cute little crystal door knob, came off in my hand! No! This can’t be happening to me. I was so embarrassed! My hosts were gonna think I was some sort of freak bent on destroying their lovely home before I left. They laughed, but you could just tell, they weren’t really pleased with my shenanigans. It was all I could do to sit through breakfast without crying. Y’all know they never invited us back for a weekend. And, I was told Lowe’s doesn’t sell replacement lids. Leave it to me to do something no one has done before, break the toilet lid! That’s all for now, take care! Pastor Bill Kent, Memorial Baptist Church Sylvania, GA IS Tamed Lions Coaches are constantly tested to see if they are intense and challenging their players. If coaches don't seem to push players to maximum performance at every moment, then they may have a short career in coaching or may live out of a suitcase as they move around from job to job without much continuity. However, some coaches do have sustained success with quiet confidence, calm demeanor, and few angry outbursts. On some occasions, people questioned Tony Dungy's coaching ability, but he experienced sustained success in Tampa Bay and Indianapolis as he led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory. Underneath Tony's quiet personality, he has an intense outlook on doing everything in an excellent manner but with self-control and in a way that builds people to be better in every way. As a sports commentator, Tony gives helpful analysis today for NBC. His background as a player and coach gives him a hearing with all kinds of people. He is careful to speak in a gentle and respectful way while giving an accurate picture of what is happening. The Bible speaks a lot about men being courageous but also calls men to use our physical strength and positions of power in a positive way. Sometimes a coach may be celebrated for punching a wall, breaking a chair or scolding a player to the point of tears but the best leaders know how to be brave without being rude and disrespectful. "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city," (Proverbs 16:32). God told Joshua to be brave in military battles. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go," (Joshua 1:9). Joshua was a great warrior, but his most important victories came when he chose to live for God and not give in to sin. It takes more strength to speak helpful words when we are angry than to insult people to the point that they feel worthless and not part of the team. Throughout Joshua's life, he sought to honor God as he learned from Moses to be humble and wise, and he also sought to be an example for others of how to live. He stepped forward with courage and kindness as the Lord directed him. We do well if we walk in his footsteps. BLANK Sharon Blank, Library News Library Lovers Month is almost over - have you come to your library to learn more about all the wonderful reasons that people love libraries? There’s the books, of course, everyone knows about those, and you know about the movies and audiobooks as well. But do you know about our passes? You can check out passes for all of the following at the library: • Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites • Chattahoochee Nature Center • Georgia Aquarium • Computer Museum of America • Harriet Tubman Museum • Georgia Sports Hall of Fame • Shakespeare Tavern • Plus many more! If you’d like to know what else we have available, or more details about any of these, head to www.georgialibraries.org/partnerships and see what passes you can check out here at the library. This is a great time to start planning for spring break and summer vacation, after all! But wait, we’re still not done! There’s also the Library of Things, our collection of useful, fun and/or interesting items that are available for checkout. From pickleball sets to karaoke machines, telescopes to radon detectors, you’ll never believe what we have available to check out. For more information on those items, check out our new Library of Things page at http://www.sjrls.org/library-of-things.html and see what you’d like to borrow. Think that’s all? Think again, because we haven’t even touched our online resources! GALILEO is the oldest and still most useful of them, providing everything from language lessons to access to expensive medical journals, Georgia history to genealogy, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You can find that at https://www.galileo.usg.edu/sciT If you’re more interested in ebooks and downloadable audiobooks, download the Libby app, or visit www.libbyapp.com to check out digital copies of books and audiobooks. For the kids, point them to the eRead Kids site at https://sjrls.boundless.baker-taylor.com/ and read eveiything from comic books to biographies of famous people. We’re still not done! Kanopy is one of our newest services, and it lets you watch streaming videos on your phone, tablet, computer, or even a SmartTV! These aren’t brainless videos either, there’s eveiything from award-winning movies to BBC and PBS series, courses on eveiything from history to cooking to creating art, and more! Plus there’s wonderful kids’ shows, and it’s all free at https://sjiis.kanopy.com/ Well, that’s all for now - see you at the library! A WORD FROM JON BURNS, Ga Speaker of the House of Representatives We are halfway through February, and it has been another busy and productive week at the Capitol. This week, I was proud to name Representative Butch Parrish as the new House Rules Chairman. Chaimian Parrish has done an exceptional job representing his district, fighting for our rural communities, and championing policies that lift up every Georgia family—including most recently with his work to improve healthcare across our state. Through his integrity, hard work, compassion, and dedication to the interests of our state, he will also carry on the indelible legacy of Chairman Richard Smith—and I am confident that Chairman Parrish will serve the Georgia House and the people of our great state extremely well in this new role. On the legislative front, the House was able to pass some significant legislation this week that will improve the lives of Georgians across the state. On Tuesday, I had the privilege of speaking to a packed house at the Georgia Farm Bureau luncheon and thanked them for their hard work and dedication to advocating for our state’s famiers and producers who support our state’s number one industry. I also enjoyed stopping by the Kia reception and thanked them for their continued investment as one of our state’s leading job creators and manufacturers. On Thursday, I had the opportunity to share some of our legislative priorities and updates on the session with Richard Elliott of WSB-TV in Atlanta. From tax cuts to healthcare and holding District Attorneys across our state accountable, we covered a lot of ground. You can view the full interview HERE or check out our social media pages for that and more. BOARD Continued from Page 1 journey continued as he assumed the role of Superintendent in 1999, serving until his full retirement in December 2012. Dr. Myers then took on the position of Executive Director of First District RES A until 2018 before being elected to the Screven County Board of Education in 2014. “Dr. Myers is an invaluable resource and one of the best problem solvers I have ever known. We will undoubtedly miss his expertise and dedication,” expressed Dr. Thompson. Dr. Myers, set to relocate to North Georgia, shared that his decision was motivated by the desire to be closer to his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. The Screven County Board of Education acknowledged the immense contributions of both Mr. Warren and Dr. Myers, thanking them for their unwavering commitment to the betterment of education in the community. As these educators embark on new chapters in their lives, the school system prepares for a transitional period, with confidence in the capable hands that will guide the district forward. In accordance with Board policy, the Board of Education will appoint someone to complete Dr. Myers’ unexpired term. The Screven County Farm Bureau Board would like to take a minute and tell everyone who attended our annual Eggs & Issues meeting this past Saturday morning, THANK YOU! Thank you for coming and sharing your concerns with your representatives, U.S. Representative Rick Allen, Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Bums, Georgia Sen. Max Bums, and Maria Cook with U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s office. It was a great turnout and there were many important issues addressed. Again, we really appreciate all who came out and supported this event, the representatives who took their time to attend and hear your concerns, our local officials, Sarah Saxon with The Sylvania Times for her coverage of the event, and the Screven County Extension Office for use of their building. The Screven County Farm Bureau Board Commissioners Discuss Budget and Community Events By Sarah Saxon. Reporter The Screven County Commissioners convened for their monthly meeting on February 13th at the commissioner’s board meeting room. Despite Edwin Lovett attending remotely via FaceTime and Attorney Aaron Meyer from his office, the session witnessed robust discussions on various agenda items. The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda and minutes from the previous session held on January 9th. Further deliberations saw the approval of the budget calendar for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and the endorsement of a bid by Micro Computer Plus for server replacement and servicing for the Tax Commissioner and Tax Assessor departments. In addressing infrastructure needs, the Roads and Bridges Department proposed the acquisition of a backhoe. After deliberating on the merits of John Deere versus Caterpillar, the board approved the purchase of a John Deere backhoe from Dabbs Equipment, funded by the SPLOST fund. The Recreation Department's request for a new ice maker was also granted, with the board opting for a new purchase over repairs due to the recreation department having the monies in their budget. Safety concerns regarding Cypress Pond Road prompted discussions on its potential closure, with a decision deferred to the next meeting in March. Commissioner Romeo proposed renaming a road or bridge in honor of Roosevelt Culver, acknowledging his impactful contributions as the NAACP President of Screven County. Lastly, Commissioner Willis highlighted an upcoming community event. Spay Day USA, scheduled for February 27th, aimed at assisting Screven County residents with spaying or neutering their pets. Residents can go to the Screven County Animal Shelter and fill out an application that offers residents a chance to win vouchers covering procedure costs. The meeting adjourned with a commitment to address ongoing community needs and uphold transparency in decision-making processes. Optim Medical Center - Screven CEO Lagina Evans gave the commissioners an update on the happenings at the hospital. The courtyard progress has been delayed due to the rain and now it should be completed, baring the weather within 40 to 45 days. The Hometown Cafe has people coming in from the community to eat lunch and it is growing. Some of the things they are looking forward to in 2024 is the lab moving over to where the old emergency room used to be, the pulmonary unit is continuing to grow and hope to soon have a pulmonologist coming each week, working to update their CT scanner, an OBGYN doctor coming the last of May and even starting surgeries in the future. They are hoping to keep the transfer rates down and are working on transition care for patients who have been in swing bed and be able to take of them after they have finished rehab.
