The wiregrass farmer. (Ashburn, Ga.) 1984-current, December 31, 2014, Image 4

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The wiregrass farmer., December 31, 2014, Image 4

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Newspaper Page TextPage 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, December 31,2014 Editorial & Opinion The WIREGRASS FARMER - Established 1902 Official Legal Organ of Turner County 109 Gordon Street • P.O. Box 309 • Ashburn, GA 31714 Telephone 229-567-3655 email wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com THE WIREGRASS FARMER (USPS 687-460) is published every Wednesday by Ashburn Newspapers, Inc., 109 N. Gordon St, Ashburn, Georgia. Periodicals Postage Paid at Ashburn, Geor gia. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wiregrass Farmer, 109 N. Gordon St., Ashburn, GA 31714 STAFF Bob Tribble, President • Ben Baker, General Manager Linda Sellars, Sales Director • Robin Tillman, Office Manager OUR GOAL The Wiregrass Farmer is published proudly for the citizens of Turner County by Cook Publishing Co. Inc. Our goal is to produce quality, profitable, community-oriented newspapers that you, our readers, are proud of. We will reach that goal through hard work, teamwork, loy alty and a strong dedication toward printing the truth. SUBSCRIPTION RATES Senior Citizen discount in county only $20.00 Inside Turner County, $24.00 • Elsewhere in Georgia, $32.00 Outside Georgia, $40.00 • Internet $24 a year. Signed letters to the editor are welcomed. Please limit letters to 500 words and include a name, an address and phone number where the writer may be reached during the day. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. All letters become property of the newspaper. Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of the space occupied by the error. We cannot be responsible for the return of pictures or materials un less a self-addressed stamped envelope is included. The deadline for LEGAL NOTICES is Monday NOON before Wednesday’s publication. Holiday deadlines will be announced at least one week in advance. Life is more than a moment in time Insecurities John McDuffie’s story on page 1 about Internet se curity may need a bit of explaining. Honeypots, the computer servers he set up, are in fact set up to be attacked. Researchers, like McDuffie, then study what happens when people try to break into the servers. Ideally, the researcher sees how the hack is done and then sets up ways to prevent such attacks in the future. Unfortunately, this is an arms race with no end in sight. As the security efforts get better, hackers will also get better. Security experts try to stay one or two steps ahead of the hackers. Making matters even more alarming is the sheer lack of security many companies have. Raj Goel, an Internet security expert based in New York, said “some honeypots are a real challenge, but the real issue is that most firms do NOT have security stan dards that are even minimally effective.” That’s beyond scary. The really disturbing part is the honeypot Mc Duffie created that duplicates utility services. Add to that what Mr. Goel says about the lack of security and it’s even worse. It’s almost like utility companies are handing over the daily operations to hackers. Certainly utility com panies will disagree with that, but it’s probably just a matter of time before hackers get into a utility com pany and wreak havoc. The time to step up security protocols is now. ^ Letters Welcome Your opinion is important! Write: Editor, RO. Box 309, Ash burn GA 31714 or email <wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com> We do not charge to publish letters to the editor. But, your letter must meet our publication requirements. Letters must be signed. We must have a phone number to call to verify the number. (Your phone number will not be published). Letters which do not meet our publishing requirements won’t be printed. Call 567-3655 for more information. Stepping Back In Time In 2012 the attention of the world was on London, Eng land as the best athletes from over 200 countries competed for medals and a chance to be named the best athletes in the world in their respective sport as they heard their country’s national anthem played. The Emmy award winning song “One Moment in Time” that was written by Albert Hammon and John Bettis for the 1988 Summer Olympics that was held in Seoul, South Korea was sung by Whitney Houston at the opening cere mony. Hearing that song sung against the backdrop of the Olympic Games gave it more meaning. It is at the Olympic Games that many athletes hope to find their destiny and have that one moment that could change their lives forever. In the song Houston sang “I want one moment in time, When I am more than I thought I could be, When all of my dreams are a heart beat away, And the answers are all up to me, Give me one mo ment at a time, When I am rac ing with destiny, Then in that one moment of time, I will feel eternity.” Many athletes, many ac tors, many famous and just or dinary people who have enjoyed their moment in time do not agree with the lyrics in the song. A moment in time may have changed their lives but it did not sustain them. A moment never sustains people for a lifetime because it even tually dries up. Some people who have had such a moment often look back for it like a From Where I Sit thirsty man crossing a desert reaches for his canteen more than once only to find it dry each time. Solomon to whom the book of Ecclesiastes is attrib uted wrote that “There is a time for everything and a sea son for every activity under the heavens.” Unfortunately there are many people who do not agree with him because their lives get stuck in a single mo ment. They spend much of their time trying to find their way back to that one moment in time. Not being able to find it many replace that feeling with alcohol and drugs to fill the emptiness. The drugs be come their new moment but when they wear off they will reach for more and the down ward spiral will begin. Whitney sings “You are a winner for a lifetime, If you seize that one moment in time, Make it shine.” The truth is that no one can live off a mo ment. It cannot sustain one for a lifetime. For many the feel ing is like a high that is chased for years never to be found again. If it is found it will only feed the addiction. Many live off of the memory of the mo ment like a bear lives off its fat during hibernation. Eventually that has to stop or there will be serious problems. Houston who was the most awarded female act of all time passed away in February 2012 the night before the Grammy Awards were presented. She had a history of drug use and perhaps was bothered by the thought that she would never have another moment in time like she had earlier in life when her music was all raved. Maybe she was living in the past and was unable to under stand that life is more than a moment in time. Yes, there is a moment for everything under heaven as Solomon wrote. There can be a moment in every year, a mo ment in every month and a mo ment in every week. There can be a moment in every day when we look to the Lord to confirm that He is guiding us and living out His purpose in our lives. When those mo ments happen it is like God winking at us and reminding us that He is still in our midst continuing to work out His purposes in our lives. He can even do this in the time of suf fering and tragic situations. There is no drug that can touch the feeling that God is with us every moment and seeks to use many moments, not just one to define our pur pose and our lives. Have a great New Year and use every moment of your life and the time you have left to serve God better! Y~ rC jr' ' 1 j'aid yf ■fo sochi -fbe LKTt A.*-' *gs* fc • * . toot SM 1 ? U ‘ O0D £AV£ 0IA 1 jj with David Baldwin 1924- Ashburn Lumber Company, a saw milling busi ness in Ashburn, is now ready for logs. It will put consider able money in circulation in and around Ashburn, the pay roll for labor and logs reach ing, it is computed, in the neighborhood of $700 weekly. W.P. Roebuck of Cordele and Eugene Judge of Ashburn are operators. Mr. G.P. Leggett, our Ashburn railroad agent, has passed his test on traffic rules and regu lations with a score of 93.2, on of the highest on the line from between Macon and Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Clinton Shingler was elected mayor of Ashburn. Serving with him on the council will be Mr. W. B. Murray. Mayor R. Paulk, who has served the city as mayor for five terms, had decided to step down. Mr. E.W. Garner will also sever on the council. Mr. J.B. Hobby will become Chief of Police. Mr. Tom Ward was made night chief. The Honor able Clark Howell, the editor of the Atlanta Constitution is writing a history of Georgia. The property of the Peoples Bank of Rebecca is being sold at foreclosure. Rebecca High School is presenting a play Friday night-Masonic Ring. Each grade is to have its Christmas tree up by Friday. Dr. and Mrs. McKenzie enter tained with an enjoyable 6 o’ clock dinner and radio party Thursday night. Mr. C.H. Bishop held a Thanksgiving Day lunch at Crystal Lake feathering poems written by the students. Messrs. Ben and Jim Cravey and R.T. Mauldin have gone hunting deer in Long County and they have brought back three deer for their three day hunt. They were guest of Mr. and Mrs. James Chapman. Mrs. Chap man is a teacher at the Sycamore High School. The Georgia Peanut Growers As sociation is advancing to its members $65 per ton on the member’s deliveries. The market is running between $70 and $100 per ton. The market opened at $120 per ton this year. 1934- Who’s Who in the Ninth Grade: Ruth Gorday is a terrible flirt, Ruth Mann will give you dirt; Mavis Cone is very shy, Jimmy Brown will catch your eye. Emily Garner is very wild, Lucy Baxter is a good little child; Murray Castleberry will knock’em cold, Marguerite Stewart will get’em told. Rosemary Smith is very smart, Jimmy Shingler does his part. Junior Mur phy’s ambition is to play foot ball, while Sam Burgess studies not at all but Mar guerite Stewart. Officers of the Freshmen Class: Presi dent- Julia Raines, Vice Presi dent- Jane North, Secretary- Sydney Dill, Chairman- Simon Shingler. Jokes: Coach-“Suppose it was a fourth down on the fifteen yard line with the score tied and three minutes to go- what would you do?” Junior (Mur phy)- “I’d slide down farther on the bench to get a better look at the next play.” 1944- Cpl. Willie H. Tay lor, of Ashburn, Ga. son of Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Taylor, Rt. 2 along with another soldier, had the honor of bringing in one of the first prisoners of the Battle of Nip Gap. They were riding the beach shore line and noticed the Jap duck into the woods 300 yards ahead. They captured him, had him take his clothes off, sit in the front seat of the jeep, and then took him to their base. After giving him some food, he talked freely. 1954- Mrs. Josie Baldwin, formerly of Ashburn, died in Atlanta, where she had been living with her son, Robert Edward Baldwin, Jr., and her remains have been brought here to be placed beside her deceased husband, Robert Ed ward Baldwin, at Rose Hill. She owned the home where Mrs. Minnie Greer Monroe now lives on College Street. (On October 28,1913, her husband, Robert Edward Baldwin, was murdered by a local by a pistol ball shot to the head three miles west of Daytona, Florida for using convict labor instead of local labor in their turpentine oper ation. A $1000 reward was left when the body was re trieved by J.S. Shingler and the deceased brother, Donald McRackan Baldwin. The mur derer was never caught. Robert Baldwin was in a tur pentine partnership with J.S. Shingler at the time.) This house on College Street was built in the early 1900’s by Robert Edward Baldwin, who was in turpen tine partnership with J. S. Shingler, his brother in law. Baker’s Dozen Resolved Brace yourself. I’m adding another resolution. To refresh your memory, I have made and kept the same New Year’s resolution for more than 20 years. Yes, I agree this is a great achieve ment since most resolutions are made and discarded within five minutes to a few days. To have kept a resolution for two decades is pretty im pressive, especially consider ing the temptations that are thrown my way on a regular basis. That I can remember this resolution is beyond impres sive, until you learn that I write it down (this column) and refer back to it each year. I did come very close to breaking my resolution in early December when the big lottery hit $580 million. I missed win ning by five numbers. Had I won, I fear my resolution could have been kicked to the curb. Each year I resolve to not overthrow the government of any third world country unless I get paid a lot of money. The night of the drawing, TRASH (The Redneck Assault Squadronh) was on standby ready to invade and take over. Larry “Hawgin”’ Fishbreath had his semi packed. Cletus had the crop-duster fleet lined up at the airport. Heavily armed and legged rednecks with giant cooler of cold ones, giant deer-hunting spotlights and enough firepower to make to make even the NRA blink were on high alert. As the supreme allied forces com mander, I was watching the drawing,ready to announce the invasion. Someone is going to ask what country we were gonna invade. I planned to decide that once we started moving, but I had my eye on Atlanta. Some one else is going to try to point out Atlanta is not actually a third world country. These people have never been to At lanta. Which brings me to my ad ditional resolution. In truth, I’ve been doing this for a num ber of years. It took the Judge to point this out to me. I resolve to offend as many people as possible. A number of people tell me my very ex istence offends them. I get their letters every week. Even more are offended by the col umn which I write each week. They call me. Some people come by the office to tell me in person how much I offend them. That’s just my family. I need a greater reach, get to those people who have never met me or counseled someone who has met me. Find people who won’t read or can’t read. I have a plan. Being a reality TV show star would make this a whole lot easier. Negotiations are un derway for a TV show with a network I cannot identify at the moment. I figure if people will watch a bunch of rednecks who shoot ducks, go to chil dren’s pageants, catch wild an imals, make moonshine and drill for oil, then Hawgin’ and myself are network gold. My son Jesse already has his catch phrase ready, “Hug a possum!” I need to get the show going so I can become famous and then say and do things to offend people. Because I will be famous, whatever I say and do will show up all over the planet and dominate Facebook newsfeeds for two straight weeks. Making this even more incredibly offensive, I will only say or do the same things I’ve been doing for years.