Newspaper Page Text
4A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, December 7,2022
Parks and Rec.
to host drive-in
Christmas movie
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
On Dec. 9, Dawson County Parks and Recreation will
host its annual Christmas drive-in movie night at Rock
Creek Park.
The event will feature a showing of Disney’s “A
Christmas Carol,” starring Jim Carrey. The movie will
begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 9, and parking for the
movie will begin at 4:45 and end at 5:20. Larger vehicles
will be asked to park in the back and to the sides, and
parking is first come, first served.
Admission to the event is free, and there will be an FM
transmitter and speakers on site. There will be no conces
sions, so attendees are encouraged to bring their own food
and drinks to enjoy. Alcohol will not be permitted.
For more information about the upcoming drive-in
movie event, go to https://www.facebook.com/photo/7fbid
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pb. 100064932904291 .-2207520000.
Give back this Dec.
through ‘Reverse
Advent Calendar’
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
This December, Dawson County Family Connection
is giving community members a way to give back to
those in need through the organization’s annual
“Reverse Advent Calendar”.
According to information provided by Family
Connection, the organization asked several Dawson
County agencies what they could use in the coming
year to help them better serve the Dawson County com
munity. These needs were then compiled into a list and
used to fill a calendar, with one item on every day from
Dec. 1 through 23.
The calendar is called a “Reverse Advent Calendar”
because with typical advent calendars participants get a
treat or a gift each day leading up to Christmas, but
with Family Connection’s calendar participants are
given the opportunity to meet a need for someone else
each day.
The wishes on the calendar include items like socks
and hats, canned soups and meals, laundry detergent
and sleeping bags. Those interested in participating are
encouraged to donate as many or as few of the items as
they are able to. The drive will remain open now
through Dec. 31.
Those wishing to participate can order an item from
Family Connection’s Amazon Wishlist, drop off items
at the organization’s office, start a collection box at an
office or church or make a tax-deductible, monetary
contribution.
For more information, go to https ://www.facebook.
com/DawsonFamilyConnection or contact Dawson
County Family Connection at 706-265-1981.
Reverse Advent Calendar
How does it work? With normal advent
calendars you get a treat for yourself
everyday. But our advent calendar helps
meet a need for someone else everyday. To
participate, you can order an item from our
Amazon Wishlist, start a collection at your
office or church, drop items off at our
office, or make a tax-deductible,
monetary contribution.
Office located at:
45 Medical Center Drive, Suite 101
Delivery Address:
452 Hwy 53E #872
706-265-1981
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Contributions distributed to agencies who serve the DawsonCounty community.
To purchase items off our Amazon Wishlist visit:
https://a.co/eQME7uM
Your Wishlist items will be delivered directly to us! family connection
Photo courtesy of Dawson County Family Connection
Tink saves the day
There are many
compliments that I
can give to my hus
band, Tink.
Firstly, he is a
devoted man of God.
He rises early each
morning to spend two
hours in Bible study.
Daddy would be proud of that. And
that he reads the King James Bible,
albeit the New King James.
He has a work ethic that would
match any Appalachian mountaineer.
He’s a television writer which is much
harder than it seems. Sometimes, he
will sit in his chair, writing, for five or
six hours, without moving. I’ve known
him to work 48 hours straight, without
sleep.
Tink adores me. Occasionally, too
much. Like Mama used to say when I
was child, taking every step she took,
“Get out from under my feet!” He
clucks after me like a duck which has
become an inside joke to us.
When I need for him to stop hover
ing, I say, “Cluck, cluck.”
Let’s put all this aside to tell this
story: John Tinker, a Yankee son of
New England patriots who spent half
of his life in the midst of Hollywood
and who numbers among his kinfolk
and friends some of the most famous
names in entertainment, has become a
hero to the South’s common man.
He is the first to jump into a cause to
defend an underdog who is being bul
lied or choked. When he hears of an
injustice, steel rises in his brown eyes
and he sets his jaw so tightly that it
becomes square.
He has the heart of a warrior. He
will not back down. Recently, it
looked like he was going to be
whipped like General Pickett was at
Gettysburg.
Logically, I listed all the reasons that
he could not win. He listened. He
thought briefly then narrowed his eyes.
“No,” he said firmly. “I will not give
up. With God, anything is possible.
He’s in control so it could happen.”
To my amazement and admiration,
God and Tink won.
I like to think he has unofficially
become the mayor of our little rural
community. Folks, especially widow
women, call when they need help,
advice, or a courageous fighter.
While I cheer Tink on and pray for
him, I stay out of fights because I’m a
journalist who still clings to the les
sons in my college ethics class. I made
an A+ which means that I still remem
ber my professional responsibilities
and the lines that I shouldn’t cross.
Tink doesn’t need me, though. He
does just fine on his own.
Several years ago, a sweet subdivi
sion that borders the back of the
Rondarosa was facing a zoning issue
that threatened to jeopardize property
values and folks’ quiet way of life. We
had only been married a few years so I
had no idea that Tink would take his
time with any such.
“We have to fight this,” he said,
firmly. “We can’t just stand by and let
these people be run over.”
At the time, Tink did not know one
name of any of “these people.” Now,
they are all his friends and cheerlead
ers. If he died today, they would pack
the church for his fiineral.
I’ll never forget the sight from our
front porch. Tink, wearing a Massey
Ferguson hat and carrying a clipboard,
walked down our long, graveled drive.
He turned right onto the black top
country road and spent hours knocking
on the doors of houses that are situated
long distances apart. Then, he walked
to the subdivision.
When all was said and done, he
gathered 132 signatures (out of 148
possibilities) on the petition that asked
mercy for the grocery store clerk, the
bank teller, the teacher, the mechanic,
and many other common folks.
That victory was the beginning of
his legend.
Around these parts, people know
me as the daughter of a “fine man”
and a “wonderful woman.”
These days, they are all thankful for
the man I married and they consider
him “one of us.”
Ronda Rich is a best-selling author.
Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for
her free weekly newsletter
RONDA RICH
Columnist
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Voting Schedule for WEST Precinct Voters ONLY
January 3. 2023 Special Election
to Fill the Vacancy of House District 7
► Call for Election: https://sos.ga.gov/news/call-special-election-state-
house-district-7
Voter Registration Deadline: December 5, 2022 (new and changes)
Advance Voting:
December 12 - December 30, 2022
Mon - Fri 8 am to 5 pm ~ Sat December 17,
2022 9am to 5pm at Board of Elections office -
96 Academy Ave
Holiday Closing: December 23 thru 26, 2022
& January 2, 2023.
** Note: Absentee by mail ballot applications for elderly/disabled/military need to
be requested each election year, in order to receive ballots, by mail, for the remain
der of that year; time frame to request begins 78 days prior and ends 11 days
prior to the election on the application supplied by the Secretary of State’s office.
https://securemyabsenteeballot.sos.ga.gOv/s/
** WEST Precinct absentee voters: December 27, 2022 is the last day to request
an absentee ballot.
WEST Precinct Voters - Election Day, January 3, 2023:
@ Fire Station #6 on Hubbard Rd from 7 am - 7 pm
I lf in question about your voting location, and/or to view a *sample ballot you may
visit “My Voter Page” @ httpsV/mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ or
call the Elections & Registration office at 706-344-3640
*
(No voting on Monday prior to all elections)
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The Dawson County Board of Elections and Registration is scheduled to begin the
Logic & Accuracy testing process on, ICP & ICC tabulators, ICX-BMD, Poll Pads & other
necessary voting equipment for use in the January 3, 2023 Special Election on Friday
December 9, 2022 at 96 Academy Avenue. Testing will continue from 9 am to 4 pm daily
until completion and is open to the public. Any questions can be directed to
gferguson@dawsoncountyga.gov
Glenda Ferguson
Election Supervisor