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The Upson Beacon
Page 3A
The Gordy Files
The Debbie McClain Version
Sponsored by West Central Georgia Bank
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LONGER DAYS, WARMER WEATHER... Day
light Saving Time begins in 2021 on Sunday,
March 14, when clocks will “spring forward” one
hour and we lose an hour of sleep overnight...
Though it’s been staying light out a little later
each day since the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21,
the big change will occur at 2 a.m. on March 14
with the shift to DST. The sun will set at around
6:03 p.m in New Jersey on March 13 and the fol
lowing day sunset is at 7:04 p.m.
PARENTS... don’t forget report cards go home March
24 and students will be out April 1- 9 on spring break...
Easter is April 4.
THE LOVE OF SPRING... although its reported
to be too late to plant spring flowering bulbs...
now is the perfect time to plant summer bloom
ing bulbs... Dahlias, gladiolas, and Cannas.
DON’T FORGET THAT COVID IS NOT OVER... If
you are eligible, please consider getting the vaccine.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS ARE EX
TENDED TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE...
Christy James, Daniel Whitmire, Harlowe Cur
rie, Brenda Dawson, Mike Rucker, Diane
Hamby, Darlene Camp, Christy Allison, March
3... Samantha Harris, Mike Perry, Chris Bur
nette, Jaimesue Michael, Kacie Lechtenherg,
Jessica Rowell, Katie Passmore, Sean Gallop,
March 4... Windy Wilder, Kathy H. Phillips, Mi
chael Land, Deidra Finley, Samantha Pilkenton,
Alexis Price, Kylah Hooks, Corie Barbee, Jona
than Holloway, Lyndsey Webb, March 5... Gray
son Jenkins, Caitlin McClain, Chanda Hardy,
Syndel McKissick Laber, Vicki Coogler King,
Ashley Hansen, Kristen Moore, Jan T. Purvis,
Malan Wilder, Vicki Coogler King, Anna Elling
ton, Jessica Danehower, Harley Portwood, Ans-
ley McClain, Tim Sollenberger, March 6... Angel
Hardeman, Mandy Futrell Gilb, Ben Miller Jr.,
Stanley Moses, Niki Thomas, Denise McLeod
Johnson, Emily Roberts Phillips, Caroline Irvin,
Noah Turner, Jenna Dunaway, Ian shales, De
nise Johnson, Caitlynn Weeks, Desmon Garner,
Courson Seymour March 7... Pat Reece, Racheal
Dean, Melody Faye Thompson, Shelby Rapil-
lard, Jean Hawkins, Julie Bunn, Richard Clay
ton, Jackson Wooten, March 8... Cathy
Trentman, Tiffany Bentley, Precious Hughley,
Jarvis Tigner, Rhonda Grubb March 9... Carolyn
Kirkpatrick Roll, Marcia Callaway-Ingram, Mar
sha Nicholson-Swails, Wayne Coker, Layne
Webb, Brian Rayl, Philip Prato, George High
tower, Steve Pettis Sr., Christi Stephenson,
Kathy King Berryhill, Briana Simkins, Britney
Chatfield, Kathy Berryhill, Donna Joiner, Ann
Margaret Irvin, Rachelle Richmond March 10...
we wish for all celebrating birthdays many more
happy and healthy ones.
CONGRATULATIONS MR. LEWIS... our very own
hardworking and good-looking over-achiever Antavious
Lewis recently won an essay contest that landed his face
on a billboard in downtown Atlanta in honor of Black
History Month... Lewis works at Walmart in Thomaston
and attends school at Clark-Atlanta and will graduate
this year with a degree in studio art.
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(706) 647-8951
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(706) 647-1924, ext. 3 (706) 647-1924, ext. 4
Thursday, March 4, 2021
County Considers
Options for Andrews
Chapel School
Litter Problem Continues in Upson
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
Upson County Commis
sioners agreed last week to
visit Andrews Chapel
School, a property donated
to the county by a private
citizen, to determine the
fate of the historical struc
ture.
“I think we need to get
together as a group and go
out there and visit this site,”
Commissioner James El
lington said. “Let’s lay eyes
on it. It will tell its own story
when we get there.”
The school building sits
on approximately one acre
of land in the eastern por
tion of the county, accord
ing to County Manager
Jason Tinsley, who said,
“We’ve never really had a
plan for its use.” Tinsley
said the structure is in ex
treme disrepair.
“We’ll know what we’re
looking at. Among this
group, there’s enough of us
that understand what prob
ably will have to be done,”
Ellington commented. “But
I’d like for us to see it as a
group and discuss it.
“We need to go in, go
upstairs, and walk around
it,” Ellington continued,
“then determine, with staff,
exactly what needs to be
done. Let’s start the pro
cess.”
Commissioners said
Thomaston-Upson Archives
Director Jamesan Gramme
has indicated the property
may qualify for inclusion on
the National Register of
Historical Places.
“If it’s eligible for the
[National Register], I think
that’s a good start,” Com
missioner Benjamin Wat
son said. “I questioned
whether it’s worth putting
that much money into it,
but that changes things.”
County officials recently
received a bid of $25,000 to
re-roof the building in a
manner which would “pre
serve its historical inte
grity.”
Ellington continued to
voice his opinion on the
litter problem throughout
Upson, following a second
community cleanup effort.
“You pick it up on Sat
urday, and the next day
there’s more trash. It’s al
most a slap in the face,” El
lington said. “The bottom
line is, people don’t care.
There’s no doubt that some
trash blows off the trash
trucks, but the biggest issue
is the trash [thrown out] by
window roll-down.”
Ellington cited Daniel
Road and Delray Road as
examples.
“Believe me, if I see you
doing it, you’re going to get
a visit from the sheriff or
law enforcement in the
city,” he warned. “It’s ridi
culous.”
Ellington praised Jen
nifer Rogers for her efforts
toward organizing a com
munity cleanup program.
“Jennifer has done an
outstanding job. She’s tak
ing time from her family,
like the rest of us who are
picking up trash, and she
doesn’t get paid to do it,” El
lington said. “She really
cares about her community,
and I’d like to recognize her
in some way.”
Commissioner Paul
Jones added that taxpayer
dollars are being spent on
the cleanup effort. The
county recently retained an
out-of-state company to pe
riodically clean Upson’s
roadways.
“We’ve got to get people
more concerned about their
neighborhoods,” Commis
sioner Lorenzo Wilder said.
“We all need to take some
pride [in our community].”
In other business, the
board voted unanimously to
abandon a portion of
Johnson Road.
Chastain Reminds
Upson Taxpayers of
Exemptions for 6 2i
Upson County Tax Com
missioner Andy Chastain has
released a list of the most
common homestead exemp
tions which may benefit area
residents on their property
taxes for 2021:
•Regular Homestead Ex
emption: Anyone who pur
chased a home prior to Jan. 1,
2021 in which they reside
should apply.
•L3 Exemption: Any
homeowner who turned 62
years of age prior to Jan. 1,
2021 should apply.
•L4 Exemption: Any
homeowner who turned 65
years of age prior to Jan. 1,
2021 should apply.
All applicants should con
tact the Upson County Tax
Assessor’s Office to file for
homestead exemptions.
Important Qualification
Notes:
•Applicants must file be
fore April 1, 2021.
•Applicants must reside at
the property.
•L3 and L4 exemptions
are subject to income limits
for approval.
Other Exemptions are
available for veterans and dis
abled homeowners.
Patsy’s Grooming
Thank you so much for voting
Patsy's Grooming the 2021 Favorite
Groomer for the third year in a row.
I am humbled and so very thankful to
each and everyone of you.
68 Atwater Road • Thomaston
(706) 648-6033
See you at the Pig! God Bless you.
Audra Bridges
Voted Favorite Cashier
Upson Beacon Reader’s Choice Awards 2021
By: Rev. Dean Hemphill
Clarks Chapel
Baptist Church
176 Mathis Lake Rd.
Thomaston, GA 30286
I look at some of the minis
ters that continually proclaim
the prosperity message. I see that the individuals
who are piling up the money are not their followers,
but it’s the ministers and their families. Compare
how many jets the ministers have to those that fol
low them.
I notice that the majority of those ministers say
they are reaching the world, but if people knew that
their main focus is their own little world...
Some may think I’m off my rocker, but the more
I see that the 21st Century so-called church is doing,
the more I’m convinced that God has no part in it.
The sermons across this nation by a great major
ity are to please the followers more than they please
God. When the followers of any minister put the
minister on a pedestal, it is a dangerous thing. Go
back and read what happened to over 900 followers
of Jim Jones.
One more thing while I’m on this subject: Why
do more and more preachers have to have props all
around them when they preach?
Clarkschapelchurch.com
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