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Page 4A - The Lee County Ledger, Thursday, July 5, 2001 Pine Beetles Some Southwest Georgia resi dents are experiencing an out break of pine bark beetles this summer. Pine bark beetles are small insects that kill pines by boring beneath the bark. Blue- stain fungi are often times intro duced when the beetles attack the tree. It is visible in the sapwood and will hasten the death of the trees. The Southern pine beetle, Ips Engraver beetle, and Black Turpentine beetle are the three most common pine bark beetles in Georgia. Southern pine and Ips Engraver beetles are the most de structive while Black Turpentine beetles are the least destructive. These beetles are most active be tween March and September with limited activity on warm winter days. The Ips Engraver beetle is causing the majority of the mor tality in Lee County and sur rounding counties. The first sign to look for is tree foliage discoloration. Needles have a fainter green, yellow or red/brown color when there is something wrong with the tree. In conjunction with foliage discol oration reddish-brown boring dust may be present in the bark crevices. A pine tree stressed by drought or disease is more sus ceptible to bark beetle attack than a healthy tree. Another sign of pine bark beetle attack is the presence of resin pitch tubes on the bark. Pitch tubes vary in size, color and lo cation on the tree depending on which pine bark beetle attacked the tree. Pitch tubes are normally pinkish-white in color. The most definite signs of pine bark beetles will be tunnels made under the bark by the adult beetles. Each beetle species makes a characteristic tunnel. The female beetle bores into the tree and creates a mating chamber in which eggs are laid. After the eggs are laid, the larvae do most of the damage. The larvae feed in the cambium layer. By feeding on this layer, the larvae are cutting off the nutrient and water supply to the whole tree. When signifi cant population of bark beetles is present within the tree, it is likely the tree will die. Trees may be killed singly or in-groups. Control methods depend upon the species of pine bark beetles present. It is important to iden tify beetle specie prior to pre scribing management techniques. Since Black Turpentine beetles usually attack the lower 10 feet of the tree, chemical control is fairly simple. Caution, care should be taken whenever apply ing pesticides. Savage is the most desirable treatment to control bark beetles as long as it is economical. Most Ips' spots die out within 3 to 6 months of onset and are best left as is unless a short-wood opera tor can be located to cut the trees. Landowners should not panic. The use of chemical control is not recommended for Ips control un less you are dealing with high value trees and salvage is imprac tical due to accessibility. The damage in young plantations ap pears to be severe but these beetles are opportunistic and take advantage of crowded trees dur ing droughts. The big 6-spined Ips is the one most often associ ated with these outbreaks. It can develop from egg to adult in By J.M. Rhodes Member of Chehaw Lodge 701 Leesburg, Ga ’’SECRECY” This is continued from last week An old Greek Philosopher, when asked what he regarded as the most valuable quality to win and the most difficult to keep, replied, "To be secret and silent." If secrecy was difficult in the olden times, it is doubly difficult today, in the loud and noisy world in which we live, where privacy is almost unknown. Secrecy is. indeed a priceless but rare virtue, so little is made to teach and practice it. The world of today is a whispering gallery where everything is heard, a hall of mirrors where nothing is hid. If the ancient worshiped a god of silence, we seem about to set up an altar to the god of gossip. No mason needs to be told the value of secrecy. Without it, Masonry would cease to exist, or else be come something so different from what it is as to be unrecognizable. For that reason, if no other, the very first lesson taught a candi date, and impressed upon him at every turn is unforgettable ways, in the duty of secrecy. Masonry is not a secret society, if by that we mean a society whose very existence is hidden. Everybody knows that the Ma sonic Fraternity exists, and no effort is made to hide it. Its orga nization is known, its temples stand in our cities, its members are proud to be known as Masons. Anybody may obtain from the The Lee County Ledger ‘EstabCisfecC August 24,1978 P.O. Box 715 (124 4th Street) Leesburg, Georgia 31763 (912)759-2413 USPS 470-310 Official Organ of Lee County SUBSCRIPTION RATES Lee and surrounding counties Elsewhere $14. 95 year $19. 95 year Publisher Derryl Quinn Editor Jim Quinn Layout and Design Tricia Quinn (USPS 470-310), is published weekly for $14. 95 per year in Lee and surrounding counties, and $19. 95 per year else where by at its offices at the May Office Building, 124 - 4th Street, Leesburg, Georgia 31763. Periodicals postage paid at Leesburg, GA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes on Form 3579 to, P.O. 715, Leesburg, GA 31763. O Printed On Recycled Paper MEMBER OF GEORGIA PRESS ASSOCIATION about 21 days during hot (>90 de gree) weather. But it also declines rapidly just due to its pro grammed nature. Any landowners or home own ers needing assistance in identi fying and controlling pine bark beetles may contact the Georgia Forestry Commission in Lee County at 759-3011 or 759-2622 All this inspires me to rush to the beach and roast a hot dog! The Elder Advocate News For Senior Citizens and Those Who Care About Them Vo. 6 Facts About Masonry records of Grand Lodge, if not from the printed report of lodges, the names of the members of the Craft. What is the secret in Masonry? The method of its teaching, the atmosphere it creates, the spirit it breathes into our hearts, and the tie it spins and weaves between man and man, in other words, the lodge and ceremonies and obli gations. its signs, tokens, and words-its power to evoke what is most secret and hidden in the hearts of man. No one can explain how this is done. We only know that it is done, and guard as a priceless treasure the method by which it is wrought. The secret of Masonry, like the secret of life, can be known only by those who seek it, serve it, live it. It cannot be uttered, it can only be felt and acted. It is, in fact, an open secret, and each man knows it according to his quest and ca pacity. Like all things most worth knowing, no one can know it for another and no one can know it alone. It is known only in fellow ship, by the touch of life upon life and spirit upon spirit. If a man knows God and man to the uttermost, even Masonry has nothing to teach him. As a fact the wisest man knows very little, the way is dim and no one can see very far. We are seekers after truth, and God has so made us that we cannot find the truth alone, but only in the love and service of our fellow men. Here is the real secret, and to learn it is to have the key to the meaning and joy of life. What to do when someone steals your identity. The Social Security Adminis tration suggests that if you sus pect someone is using your So cial Security Number, you need to check your earnings record. Anyone, 25 years old or older and not already receiving Social Se curity benefits, should also be re ceiving a Social Security State ment each year about three months prior to your birth month. If you do not receive a statement, you can request one by submit ting a "Request for Social Secu rity Statement," form 7004. You can call 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local Social Security office for more information. Always check your statement for errors or incorrect earnings. If you suspect that someone is using your Social Security Num ber based on incorrect informa tion on the statement, or from other sources, call the fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271. File a police report. Contact the fraud departments of Equifax and other major credit reporting bureaus. Ask that your file be flagged requiring creditors to contact you before approving additional credit using your name and number. Ask for a credit re port and check for signs of fraudulent activities, i.e,, unau thorized request for credit, in creases in credit limits, unusual requests for credit information from sources unknown to you. etc. Add a statement to your credit report, state your name, the prob lem and provide a telephone num ber where you can be reached. If you have been denied credit, you may be entitled to a free re port, otherwise they may charge you up to $8.00 for a report. Equifax can be contacted at 1- 800-525-6285 To file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission call: 202-FTC-HELP (382-4357). WEB SITES TO CHECK OUT Senior Support Network: www.anglefire.com/fl2/ SeniorSupportNetwork. Want to know what your Sena tor is doing, check out: www.senate.gov. FRAUDS AND SCAMS The National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) was established in 1992 by the National Consumers League. They have a toll free The University of Georgia • Cooperative Extension Service ■j Irrigator Pro Doug Collins. CEA | Putting K nowledge toWork^l Aft ^9 A rain gauge and a minimum/maximum temperature thermometer are the only field equipment needed to run Irrigator Pro. Irrigator Pro I will again be running the Irri gator Pro computer program for farmers who want to use it. The Irrigator Pro program is a com puter irrigation scheduling pro gram for peanuts. Planting date, variety, soil type, growing region, irrigation capac ity , yield goal, and fruiting date are all entered into the computer. The computer will then ask for the minimum and maximum soil temperatures at specified inter vals, as well as the amount of rain or irrigation water received by the crop since the last data entry. The program works on the fol lowing principle. When soil moisture is adequate, the leaves of the peanut plants are main tained at a position perpendicu lar to the rays of the sun. So long as the leaves are perpendicular to the sun's rays, the soil is shaded and there is minimal variance between the minimum and maxi mum soil temperatures. When peanuts are under soil moisture stress, the leaves turn parallel to the sun's rays as a wa ter conservation measure. This allows the sun's rays to reach the soil surface and warm it during the day. This results in a greater variance between the maximum and minimum soil temperature. Irrigator Pro seeks to optimize fruiting, disease control, matura tion time, vine growth, disease control, harvest loss reduction, yield, and profit. All that is needed in the field is a soil ther mometer that records maximum and minimum soil temperatures placed in the peanut canopy and a rain gauge. The farmers who used the pro gram last year have asked to par ticipate in it again this year. For more information, call the Lee County Extension Office at 759- 6025. number that you can call to get advice and report telemarketing fraud. 1-800-876-7060. Trained counselors help you identify dan ger signs of possible fraud and will direct you to the right source for more information. Here are some helpful tips. If you receive a lot of junk mail for contests, free anything, prizes, or sweepstakes this should alert you that "they have your num ber." Contact your Post Office for information on how to stop this junk mail. If you receive frequent calls that promise valuable awards, prizes, money making opportunities write to: Telephone Preference Service / Direct Marketing Association / P.O. Box 9041 /Farmingdale. NY 11735 Or call 1-877-426-6227 and re quest to be placed on the no call list. Georgia Public Service Com- mission/PO. Box 10559/Atlanta, GA 30348 This information is also in your local telephone book. Some other signs that your loved one( s) may have fallen prey to scams are as follows: * Too many cheap things lying around that are obviously not gifts such as rings, watches, knick- knacks, pen sets, you name it. * The types of things he or she has not normally purchased in the past. * Too many checks to unknown companies, or checks to a com pany in increasing amounts, with drawals from savings in increas ing amounts, or secrecy about money use. * He or she suddenly begins to have problems paying house hold bills, buying food. etc. What to do if your loved one(s) is a victim of telemarketing or mail fraud: * Sit down with them and talk about it. * Never blame them or call them names, belittle them or scold them. They are probably embarrassed as it is. * Tell them you want to help them "get this straightened out." * Get information about telemarketing and mail fraud, and share it with them. * Always, always, always, treat your elderly loved one with dig nity. The Drug Bust By Hugh Morris Saturday night, 11:59 o’clock p.m., seven people hang out at Bobby’s house. Bobby is on house arrest. He rents the home and lives with his girlfriend. Bobby was released on bond from jail one-month ago and awaits trial for a pending sell of cocaine charge. Despite the pending charge and a previous drug conviction, Bobby has drugs all through the house. Cocaine residue sits on top of his bedroom dresser. Money is under his mattress. Marijuana and cocaine are hidden in his bathroom. Police receive confidential information from a reliable informant that drugs are being sold from Bobby’s house. The narcotics unit bust through the front door. Most people were watching television and playing PlayStation. The police find everything. Can the police charge all seven people with possession of drugs? Answer: No. Equal Access Rule. “Equal access” is a defense to possession of illegal drugs. Equal access prevents a drug conviction where contraband is found in common areas to which many people have "equal access." Narcotics agents are smart. They are familiar with the defense of “equal access.” Bobby is arrested due to the location of the drugs, money and his ownership of the house. Bobby is charged with posses sion of marijuana and posses sion of cocaine with intent to distribute. This will be Bobby’s third drug conviction. “Three strikes and your out.” Bobby will go to prison for life. Interestingly enough, Bobby’s brother. Chuck yells out “the drugs are mine!” “Everything is mine!” Based on this state ment alone, the narcotics agents arrest Bobby and Chuck. Each are charged with posses sion of marijuana and posses sion of cocaine with intent to distribute. Chuck is clearly trying to take the fall for his brother. Chuck did not live at the house. Chuck claimed all of the drugs and money, even the small amount of cocaine residue located on his brother’s bedroom dresser. Bobby would be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty because in Georgia; “Three Strikes and Your Out.” On the other hand, Chuck’s has no criminal record. He is confident that he will only spend one or two years in prison. After sitting in jail for five months, Chuck decides his scheme is not worth the effort. Jail is too tough. Chuck wants out. Can Chuck win at trial? Yes. The Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 24- 3-53 states, “ confessions of guilt shall be received with great caution. A confession alone, uncorroborated by any other evidence, shall not justify a conviction.” Chuck could win because a confession alone is not sufficient evidence to convict. A person could not be convicted of mur der simply because he claims he killed another. There must be proof. Hugh Morris is loacted at 506 N. Jefferson St. in Albany. His phone number is (229) 420-4104 or email: hughmorrisattomey@hotmail.com