Page 2 - The Wiregrass Farmer, December 24, 2008
Eastern Star holds annual Christmas Party
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE Gary McCorvey gives the oath of office to Probate
Court Judge Penny Thomas. This swearing-in took place before Judge Thomas gave
the oath of office to local officials.
The Ashburn Chapter # 287
Order of the Eastern Star Past
Worthy Matrons Club had their
last meeting Dec. 14 at
Shoney’s here in Ashburn at 4
PM with a Christmas Party.
The Ashburn Chapter #287
Order of the Eastern Star was
organized in 1941 with Mrs.
Essa Howell Story as the first
worthy matron of the chapter
and the chapter was active in
all the affairs in the community
from 1941 until in October of
1998 when the Ashburn
Chapter #287 consolidated
with Worth Chapter #454 in
Sylvester, Georgia.
The Ashburn, Chapter #287
Order of the Eastern Star Past
Worthy Matrons Club formed
several years after the chapter
was formed and had 21 mem
bers over the years but had
declined to only four members,
who were Mrs. Jewel Watson
Phillips, Mary Ann Nolan,
Hortense Ireland Burdette,
treasurer and Imogene Beard
Wells, president. The past wor-
Supreme Court muddles water on ‘residency’ requirements
Georgia Secretary of State
Karen Handel released the fol
lowing statement regarding the
Supreme Court of Georgia
decision in Handel v. Powell:
“While I certainly respect
the decision by the Georgia
Supreme Court, I am neverthe
less disappointed and very con
cerned about its potential
impact.”
Turner County has seen
challenges to elected official
residency requirements in the
past.
Current County Commis
Angus Steak
Chili
Chunks of Angus steak and black
beans in a spicy chili garnished
with cheddar cheese and topped
with green onions. 99
GIFT CARDS
Easy to get.
Great to give.
Always the
right size.
Community Calendar
GOVERNMENT
Emergency Siren test 1st Wednesday at noon
TCMS School Council, 3rd Monday 4 p.m.
TCDA 2nd & 4th Monday 8:30 a.m. Chamber
County Commission 6:30 p.m. 1st Tues, School
Board Bus Shop
Ashburn Council 6 p.m. 1st Thursday City Hall
Board of Ed. 2nd Monday 7 p.m. Bus Shop
Rebecca Council 1st Monday, 6:30 City Hall
Sycamore Council 2nd Thurs., 6 p.m. City Hall
TCHS Council 1st Monday 4 p.m., TCHS
Community Relations Board, last Thursday,
7 p.m. Ashburn City Hall
SPECIAL
Chamber 3rd Friday noon Chamber
Fire Ant Festival Wednesday noon, Shoney's
CIVIC
Rotary Noon, each Thursday, Shoney's
Exchange 7 p.m., each Monday, Club Building
Kiwanis Noon, each Tuesday, Shoney's
Sycamore Lodge #210 Masons 1st and 3rd
Monday 7:30 p.m, Lodge
American Legion 2nd Tuesday 7 p.m, old
Legion Hall
Child Abuse Prev. 3rd Thurs. 6 p.m. Special
Services School
A.A. Tuesday & Friday 7:30-8:30 Alt. School
Cub Scouts every Mon, 7 pm at First United
Methodist Church. Ages 6-11
Boy Scouts every Tues. 7 pm at American
Legion. Ages 11 & up.
Community Calender Deadline: Noon FRIDAY!
To be listed, call 567-3655
sioner Daryl Hall owns a home
out in the County outside the
district he represents and
claims a homestead deduction
on property within the district
he represents.
“The law says that the
homestead ‘shall be the legal
residence and domicile of the
applicant for all purposes what
ever.’ The Supreme Court held,
today, that ‘all purposes what
ever’ does not include a candi
date’s residency. With this,
‘residency’ will now be deter
mined by a largely subjective
set of criteria, including a can
didate’s self-avowed ‘intent,’
Mrs. Handel said.
“Unfortunately, this ruling
paves the way for an avalanche
of residency claims during
future candidate qualifying
periods and may even affect
residency determinations in
other areas, such as voter regis
tration. This leaves the
Secretary of State’s office with
no clear standard upon which
to evaluate them. While the
Supreme Court had an opportu
nity to bring clarity and consis
tency to the interpretation of
our laws, this ruling unfortu
nately will have a very real -
and negative - impact on the
administration of future elec
tions.”
thy patron, who was present at
the consolidation of the
Ashburn Chapter #287 with
Worth Chapter #454 was with
us at the disbanding of the
club, C. A. Burdette, Jr. this
afternoon.
Before we disbanded we
recognized all the past worthy
matrons club members that had
been a member at one time or
another with OES markers.
The deceased Ashburn
Chapter #287 Past Worthy
Matron club members that
were recognized are listed by
name and years served:
Mrs. Essa Howell Story
1941, 1976-77, Mrs. Louise
McNair Rose 1943-44
Mrs. Cortez Henderson
Sconyers 1945-46, Mrs. Emily
Butler Perry 1946-1947
Mrs. Lilas Wilson Griffith
1952-53, Mrs. Mildred P West
1955-56, 1979-80,
Mrs. Berta Mae
Hobby 1958-1959, Mrs. Julia
Bailey Hill 1959-1960,
Mrs. Annie Maude Nipper
1960-61, 1962-63, 1963-64,
.Mrs. Sarah L. Gay 1967-68
Mrs. Mary Rainey Watson
1968- 69, Mrs. Edna Luke
Holland 1974-75,
Mrs. Ruby S. Seivert 1996-
97, Mrs. Alma W. Braddy
1966-67 was recognized but no
marker given due to the place
of interment.
Those Past Worthy Matron
Club members still living were
recognized with OES markers
by name and year served are:
Mrs. Jewel Watson Phillips
1964- 65,1975-76,1977-
78,1978-79,1985-86,1986-87,
Mrs. Lavene L. Blanchard
1965- 66, 1973-74, Mrs.
Hortense Ireland Burdette
1969- 70, 1994-95,Mrs. Mary
Ann Nolan 1972-73,1983-
84,1984-85, 1990-91, Mrs.
Imogene Beard Wellsl980-
81,1989-90,1997-98, Mrs.
Lucille C. Ponder 1981-82,
Miss Nancy Ponder 1995-96.
There were other Past
Worthy Matrons of Ashburn
Chapter #287 Order of the
Eastern Star that was loved and
appreciated members of our
chapter but were never a mem
ber of the Ashburn Chapter
#287 Past Worthy Matrons
Club by their choice, which we
will cherish knowing them for
their love, work and dedication
to our beautiful Order who are
listed by name and year served:
Mrs. Linda Ewing 1941-42,
Mrs. Bertha Rose 1942-43,
Mrs. Lillian Forshee 1944-45,
Mrs. Irene Reinhardt 1947-48,
Mrs. Elizabeth McCall 1948-
49, Mrs. Rebecca Jones 1949-
50, Mrs. Sybil Bolden 1950-51,
Mrs. Mary Martenn 1951-52,
Mrs. Robbie Butler 1953-54,
Mrs. Bertha Faircloth 1954-55,
Mrs. Elizabeth Nolan 1956-57,
Mrs. Gladys Kennedy 1957-58,
Mrs. Blanche Vance 1961-62,
Mrs. Helen Woodruff 1970-71,
Mrs. Pearl Glaze 1971-72, Mrs.
Wyolene Blue 1982-83, Mrs.
Carol McCard 1987-88, 1988-
89, Mrs. Eleane Denham 1991-
92, 1992-93 and Mrs. Charlotte
Christian 1993-94.
This is the end of the beau
tiful Order of the Eastern Star
Chapter # 287 and Ashburn
Chapter #287 Past Worthy
Matrons Club, Ashburn,
Georgia which was filled with
a lot of precious memories of
love, work, dedication and fel
lowship. This Chapter was
active from 1941 to 1998 and
Ashburn Chapter #287 Past
Matrons Club was active after
1941 to 2008.
Colony Bankcorp announces quarterly dividend
Colony Bankcorp, Inc.
(Nasdaq National Market:
CBAN) announced today that
its Board of Directors declared
a quarterly cash dividend of
$0.0975 per share payable
January 9, 2009 to shareholders
of record on December 31,
2008.
This represents an increase
of 2.63 percent over the cash
dividend paid of $0,095 per
share in the fourth quarter a
year ago and is level with the
dividend payment last quarter.
While earnings have decreased
significantly in 2008 due to
aggressively addressing prob
lem loans during this economic
downturn, Colony’s capital
position remains strong as its
total risk-based capital ratio
approximates 12.11 percent -
well above the regulatory mini
mum requirement of 10 percent
to be categorized as “well-capi
talized”.
Colony Bankcorp, Inc. also
announced that it has received
preliminary approval from U.
S. Treasury for the sale of $28
million in preferred stock and
related warrants to the U. S.
Treasury under the Capital
Purchase Program (“CPP”) of
the Emergency Economic
Stabilization Act of 2008. The
approval is subject to certain
conditions and the execution of
definitive agreements.
In this time of market
uncertainty, the Company has
elected to participate in the
CPP to take advantage of the
likely one-time opportunity to
receive a very low-cost source
of capital. The Company’s par
ticipation in the CPP strength
ens its current well-capitalized
position and increases liquidity.
Colony’s board and manage
ment believe maintenance of
capital at elevated levels during
the current challenging eco
nomic environment is desir
able. However, the Company
does anticipate using some of
the capital to expand its busi
ness through careful lending,
enhanced customer service and
pursuing potential growth
opportunities to increase share
holder value.
Colony Bankcorp, Inc. is a
bank holding company head
quartered in Fitzgerald,
Georgia, with thirty locations
in south and middle Georgia
cities of Fitzgerald, Warner
Robins, Centerville, Ashburn,
Leesburg, Cordele, Albany,
Thomaston, Columbus,
Sylvester, Tifton, Moultrie,
Douglas, Broxton, Savannah,
Eastman, Chester, Soperton,
Rochelle, Pitts, Quitman and
Valdosta, Georgia. Total con
solidated assets of the company
approximate $1.25 billion.
Colony Bankcorp, Inc.
Common Stock is quoted on
the Nasdaq National Market
under the symbol “CBAN.”
CodeRED still taking applications for emergency weather alerts
Turner County and Ashburn
have contracted with
Emergency Communications
Network, Inc., of Ormond
Beach, Florida, for its Weather
Warning, high-speed telephone
emergency notification ser
vices.
The CodeRED system gives
officials the ability to deliver
pre-recorded emergency tele
phone notification/information
messages to targeted areas or
the entire county at a rate of up
to 60,000 calls per hour. This
service is provided at no addi
tional charge to the residents of
Turner County and only Turner
County
Pete Giddens, Turner
County’s Emergency
Management Director, cau
tioned that such systems are
only as good as the telephone
database supporting them. “If
your phone number is not in
our database, you will not be
called”. The Code RED
Weather Warning system not
only offers faster calling rates
and improved message deliv
ery, it gives individuals and
businesses the ability to add
their own phone numbers
directly to the system’s tele
phone database. Giddens
emphasized that this is an
extremely important feature.
To ensure no one is omitted,
Giddens urges all individuals,
institutions and businesses to
log onto the City of Ashbum’s
website, WWW.cityofash-
burn.COM, and follow the link
to the “CodeRED Residential
and Business Data Collection”
page.
Those without Internet
access may call Turner County
Road Department/EMA office
at 567 4057, Brenda Cox or
Pete Giddens Monday -
Thursday (1-5PM only please).
Required information includes
first and last name, street
address (physical address, no
PO. boxes), city, zip code, and
primary phone number, addi
tional phone numbers such as a
cell (optional). Please limit
Cell phone numbers to two (2)
per address.
No one should automatical
ly assume his or her phone
number is automatically
included. They will not be. All
We will close
New Years Day, Jan. 1
Regular hours on
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31
South Georgia
Banking Company
riMiM-t-nic
individuals, institutions and
businesses will have to register.
If you change your address
or phone number, after you
have registered, you will have
to re-register. We have no way
of knowing when citizens
move or change their phone
numbers.
Giddens explained that the
“CodeRED” Weather Warning
system is a geographical based
notification system, which
means street addresses are
needed to select which phone
numbers will receive emergen
cy notification calls in any
given situation. The system
works fine for cell phones too,
but we have to have a street
address”.
Giddens stated,
“CodeRED” gives those who
want to be included, an easy
and secure method for doing
so. The information will only
be used for emergency notifica
tion purposes”. Questions
should be directed to the
Turner County Emergency
Management Office, 567 4057.
In addition to telephone and
online registration, Mayor Jim
Hedges has had placed in vari
ous Ashburn locations, registra
tion booths with forms. They
are located in both Ashburn
banks, Piggly Wiggly, City
Hall, and Phoebe Family
Center.
Locations in Sycamore for
registration are: Sycamore City
Hall and the Sycamore Post
Office.
Registration locations are
located in Rebecca at the
Rebecca City Hall, The
Rebecca Post office and
Cranky’s Resturant.
Additional registration
locations for the county are at
The Turner County Courthouse
annex, and Bethel Baptist
Church off Highway 32.
Any resident of Turner
County may register at any of
the above named locations.
We have approximately one
third of all Turner residences
registered now.
JESUS
(Continued from Page 1)
years old or under, according
to the time that he had ascer
tained from the wise men.
Then was fulfilled what was
spoken by the prophet
Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in
Ramah,
weeping and loud lamenta
tion,
Rachel weeping for her
children;
she refused to be comfort
ed,
because they are no more.”
The Return to Nazareth
But when Herod died,
behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph
in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take
the child and his mother and go
to the land of Israel, for those
who sought the child’s life are
dead.” And he rose and took
the child and his mother and
went to the land of Israel. But
when he heard that Archelaus
was reigning over Judea in
place of his father Herod, he
was afraid to go there, and
being warned in a dream he
withdrew to the district of
Galilee. And he went and lived
in a city called Nazareth, that
what was spoken by the
prophets might be fulfilled:
“He shall be called a
Nazarene.”
