About The Lee County ledger. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1978-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2019)
Page 8A,The Lee County Ledger, Wednesday, June 26,2019 Based on the picture of the graduating hygienists, it may be time for me to start getting my teeth cleaned again. Harbor Freight is open, now I can get the whatever it was I wanted. A special thank you to Tom Lambert for your years of faithful service to Lee and sur rounding counties working with the Georgia Forestry Commission. We always enjoyed your weekly articles in the Ledger. Thanks for all the tips on planting and caring for our trees. A note of sincere appreciation to Robby and Dotty Davis for your dedication to the stu dents of Lee County. You developed incred ibly talented students who loved the theatre. Their passion continued after high school finding success in singing and acting. Recent concert with Gucci Mane was of unknown success but if it was fronted by a local promoter, no harm to the Albany taxpay ers they hope. Throwing out a few crepe myrtles on sides of roadways to beautify DoCo is like throw ing a dead skunk on a pig carcass and hoping to change the aroma. Budget time and I sure miss Bill Williams. To me it's like an orchestra losing its conductor but I know you guys will rise to the occasion and make us proud!. Last Dec, the wife 'clicked wrong' and un knowingly got Prime, $12.99/month billed to her card. Billing continued until April when her card was canceled due to fraud. So, Ama zon's computer flipped the monthly charge to my card still on file under her account for a July 2018 purchase. Watch 'em! Watch 'em closely! Coming of ragweed season announced in Doug Collins' article goes in the 'sad' category. Already a bad allergy season and to become worse isn't good news. BLTs on the menu at home these days. A case of eat 'em while you got 'em and don't forget the slice of Vidalia onion. Bought item on Etsy to help out seller with 'handmade' item, American of course. It ar rives in the original packaging from China with all the usual markings. Integrity out the window with the internet—if not well before. The Walmart guy said 'We didn't take the price scanners down, the customers stole them to get the batteries. They even steal the food for our fish that isn't for sale'. 'Sad' I say, 'Albany' Bojack says. He's right you know. Really have hopes for The Flint in Albany to make a successf ul go. But if the menu seen on Facebook remains, it too will have a quick death.. When a new Denver city council member plans to usher in communism "by any means", it shows the dire state our country is in. Prayers for its survival are needed. The wife, a master of multi-tasking, can think up many projects for me to do all at the same time. Have to tell her to slow down so I can get the list written. US getting a new version of Air Force 1 and the President eschewed the present colors for a red,white, blue scheme. The Democrats of course want to vote on it so don't be sur prised at colors of a rainbow. Rainbow 1 we will call it. It's disturbing how much hate liberals have for the president. Most is pushed through the media taking instruction from those wanting one world government and the elec torate is wanting more free. Note to tag office. Since most calls these days are from scammers, why not start the conversation by giving your name and where you work rather than asking for a person by name with no explanation? Will get a better reception. If 'you are what you eat' is true, some peo ple have been eating a lot of really bad stuff. Short Insurance Group CHad Little Account Executive 229-395-4900 Business, Home, Auto, Farm All major companies, excellent coverage, great rates Email: clittle@shortinsurancegroup.com 2020 drums starting to beat for repara tions, let the pandering for votes begin. With over 20 Democrats in the race, who can promise the most? To the person who wrote in about tomatoes and how they lost "good taste". I appreciate your attempt to explain it, however, you kind of argued out of both sides of your mouth. Plant selection is actually exactly what plant breeding is. Classic plant breeders select plants (varieties) for attributes such as size, shape and shelf-life. Not to mention they also select for disease resistance, texture, skin thickness and more. Georgia's Presidential Primary will be March 24 2020. Super Tuesday, the national primary day, will be the first week of March when many states hold simultaneous elections. Jim Thurman is right, it is great to live in a famous little community called Leesburg and yes thank you Luke Bryan for promoting Leesburg. Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become action. Watch your action; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your des tiny. Nearly a third of the roughly 2.3 million people who exit probation or parole annually fail to successfully complete their supervi sion. Reasons range from committing new crimes to violating the rules and absconding, according to research from the Pew Chari table Trusts. South Georgia’s Only Full Service Concrete Provider Concrete • Sand Gravel • Septic Tanks Call Bryan Bridget 229-759-6300 cell 229-886-9991 leeredimix@gmail. com Whole SMOKED BUTT *24.99 SLAB SMOKED SPARE 216 Walnut Ave. US 19 N. Leesburg 759-6286 HOMETOWN PRtijD Will Her Holographic Will Get R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Special to the Ledger by Gail Drake The Queen of Soul, whose career spanned four decades and whose recordings included 112 singles, passed away in August 2018 leaving a fortune of $80 million. But despite several years of declining health, Aretha Franklin did not leave a formal Last Will and Testament. Within days of her death, the four sons of Ms. Franklin, through their lawyers, filed pleadings at the Oakland County Probate Court in Michigan agreeing to equally divide their mother’s estate and appoint their cousin, experienced business manager Garrett Owens, as Personal Representa tive. Then in May 2019, after discovering a key to a locked cabinet, Ms. Garrett found two handwritten documents, both dated 2010, that indicated Aretha Frank lin’s wishes to transfer her assets. A few days later another handwrit ten paper, dated March 31, 2014, was found in a spiral notebook under the cushions of a couch in her house. All three purported Wills were tendered to the probate court. The question is, will these handwritten Wills get “R-e-s-p-e- c-t”? The answer is: it depends. Called “holographic wills,” fully handwritten wills are signed by the testator (person making the will) but usually not by a witness. Depending on the laws in particular states, they are often recognized as valid if: 1) there is evidence the document was written by the testator, 2) the testator had intellectual capacity to write the Will and understood generally the nature of the estate, and 3) the testator expressed a wish to transfer assets to a beneficiary. The three alleged Franklin holographic wills present challenges. While they begin with “being of sound mind I make my last testimony,” these writings are hard to read and confusing. While they exhibit a desire to leave specified property to specific sons, they include granddaugh ters and are somewhat duplicative as to what is granted. They include disparaging comments. In one document she states her music hold ings are valued at only $1.3 million. Sadly, the four sons are no longer in agreement as the holographic wills do not equally divide the prop erty. Fortunately, as the Oakland County Probate Judge is an experienced probate attorney, deci sions will be made with knowledge well beyond the minimal week-long probate court training. Was there a better way to handle her estate planning? The simplest form of estate plan ning is a Last Will and Testament that specifies an Executor (who man ages the estate), names beneficiaries (who get the loot), sometimes names specific bequests (“Jim my gets the Winchester shotgun, Bubba gets the truck”). Sometimes Wills make arrangements for minor children by nam ing a future guardian and setting up a trust for their financial care. Wills must be signed before two witnesses, who also sign before a Notary Public, and all sign an Affidavit. Another common tool is the Revocable Living Trust. This instrument takes an inventory of as sets, transfers the assets to a trust made during the grantor’s lifetime and designates the benefi ciaries and trustees. The trust can be changed at any time - hence the name “revocable.” Some include more complex provisions such as a Pour-Over Will. While Wills are filed at the pro bate court and become public documents, living trusts remain private. Living trust are the favored estate planning devices in California, Florida, and other expen sive probate states where the aver age cost to probate a modest estate runs into the thousands. Fortunately, the cost to probate a will in Georgia is a few hundred dollars plus at torneys fees if needed. How much better it is to give your family the gift of clarity and cer tainty by clearly writing your estate plans through a Last Will and Testa ment or other instrument. The minimal cost of estate planning will protect your family from unnecessary expenses and friction. “A good man leaves an inheri tance to his children’s children.” Proverbs 13:22 Gail Drake practices probate, adoption, me diation and children’s law in Lee County Gail Drake Robert West Watzlowick and Thomas Collins join SGTC staff as custodians. Robert Watzlowick and Thomas Collins Named Custodians at SGTC Special to the Ledger Robert Watzlowick of Leesburg and Thomas Collins of Americus have been hired as a Custo dians at South Georgia Technical College, an nounced SGTC President Dr. John Watford re cently. They will report to SGTC Maintenance director Jeff Wiseman and Special Assistant to the President Don Smith. Watzlowick has been head chef at Aramark, food service worker at Americus Head Start program as well as a Food Director for Baker Co School System caf eteria. He will serve as a full time custodian at South Georgia Technical College. He will perform general custodial duties in the James S. Peters Gymnasium, Griffin Building and Morgan Diesel and Automotive building. Watzlowick earned his GED from Bainbridge Learning Center and received his Diploma in Culinary Arts from South Georgia Technical College. Thomas Collins worked for South Geor gia Technical College as a custodian several years ago and is now returning to the college. He will serve as a full time cus todian at South Georgia Technical College. He will also perform general custodial duties as as signed. Collins earned his high school diploma from Schley County High School.
