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Page 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, September 20,2017
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
Chuck Bobo, 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.
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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will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published.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.
Do not tell me I am getting old
S N
'How to handle no power
In the wake of Hurrican Irma, the great majority
of people were patient and understanding as linemen
worked to restore electrcity. A few copped attitude.
To those few, we have these five tips for handling
matters the next time the power goes out.
1) Shut up. Crews are working as fast and as hard
as they can.
2) Become a lineman. You learn how to repair the
electrical grid.
3) Shut up. They can't restore power to everyone
at once.
4) Become self-sufficient with your own power
generating capabilities.
5) Shut up. Electricity is a modem convention.
Humans lived without it for millennia. You too can
live without it. If you cannot live without it, you
should have a system in place to generate your own
power.
To our linemen, thank you! Y’all are awesome.
V >
Letters
Meeting the challenge
When it comes to the sub
ject of old age someone once
said, “Old age is a club that
with luck we all will join.”
Many of us are looking for
ward to it and some of you
might respond by saying, “I
am already old.” And this can
be true in many cases.
There is a big difference in
being elderly and being old.
We get old when it comes to
our thinking and our ideas
which is another way of saying
that we are not very progres
sive.
Those of us who have ex
perienced the free gift of eter
nal salvation which is made
possible through the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ knows
that our lives will go on for
eternity. While we all know
that this is a personal decision
between each of us and God all
of us need to know where we
will spend eternity.
We all know that every per
son’s life will someday come
to an end. It would be wrong
for us to pursue our goals in
life and strive to become a sue-
From Where
I Sit
cess and then get to the end of
our time here on earth and to
realize that we had missed the
main point of life. Whether
you are a religious person or
not, physical death is some
thing that sooner or later we all
must face.
Most of you have heard the
country song that says,
“Everyone wants to go to
Heaven we just do not want to
go right now.” Let me tell you
that on September 15, 2017 I
celebrated my eighty-second
birthday. God has blessed me
in so many ways. He allowed
me to accept his son Jesus
Christ as my Lord and Saviour
when I was ten years old. He
has given me sixty-one years
of marriage to the same lady
and He has allowed me to
work in the Newspaper Busi
ness for the past fifty-six years.
It has often been said that
“Age is mind over matter, if
you do not mind it does not
matter.” There is a great deal
of truth in the saying, “You are
only as old as you feel.” To
feel good most of the time is a
blessing that many of us take
for granted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
said, “Linish each day and be
done with it. You have done
what you could. Some blun
ders and absurdities no doubt
crept in, forget them as soon as
you can. Tomorrow is a new
day, begin it well and serenely
and with too high a spirt to be
cumbered with your old non
sense. The day is all that is
good and fair. It is too dear
with its hopes and invitations
to waste a moment on yester
years.”
f I %%£
Editor
As hurricane Irma approached the Llorida coast, weather pre
dictions indicated its path would bring the eyewall close to our
area with winds nearing 100 miles-per-hour. Tift Regional
Health System (TRHS) activated our emergency response system
and began preparations for the storm. Our physicians, staff, vol
unteers and first responders at Tift Regional Medical Center in
Tifton and Cook Medical Center in Adel reported for duty self
lessly leaving their homes and families behind.
Over 600 employees were sheltered inside both campuses dur
ing the storm in case we received an influx of patients. TRHS
was prepared to respond to any event and ensure the hospitals
were ready to serve the health needs of our communities includ
ing those fleeing the storm on the 1-75 corridor. Although the
storm was not as severe as anticipated, many in our area have
been affected. The lack of electricity, water, and homes with
damage caused an increase in our patient volume and we stood
ready to meet their many needs.
I thank these heroic men and women for their dedication to
their professions and their communities. The positive attitudes
of our staff and the teamwork they displayed was exemplary. I
have never been more proud to be part of this great organization
and serve alongside such an exemplary team.
Carol M. Smith, MBA, RNC, NEA-BC
Senior Vice President Tift Regional Health System
Problems solved
Dear Editor,
Thank goodness that Confederate Flag has been removed from
the South Carolina capitol. And now they’re at last removing the
monuments from New Orleans. It’s comforting to know that
“RACISM” will finally be ended by pulling down the Flag & re
moving the Confederate monuments. Blacks will now be free to
live the “AMERICAN DREAM”, free to keep their families to
gether, free to value education, free to support their own children,
free to stop murdering each other, free to graduate high school,
free to get married before having babies & free to stop crime in
their neighborhoods. Now we will all rest easier knowing that
those problems have ceased to exist. About 6 percent of people
in the South owned Slaves. Was the war about slavery Or states’
rights? It appears that 13 percent of our population is in control
of history. Is this a Great Country or What?
Clyde Ellerbee, Jr.
Vietnam Vet
Giant cinnamon rolls
Turner County JROTC program is having a Mrs Vivian’s
cinnamon roll sale. The Cinnamon rolls are $1.50 each or you
can get 12 for $12. If interested in purchasing please leave your
name, quantity, and payment with contact person or email.
JROTC: cmckinstry@turner.kl2.ga.us or
yyoung@turner.kl2.ga.us or call JROTC 229-567-0479
Checks can be made out to TCHS JROTC. The cinnamon rolls
can be picked up at the TCHS Cafeteria Sept. 26th
Stepping Back In Time
1910- After winning the
election, the Senatorial Com
mittee met at Shingler Park
holding a large barbeque to
nominate J.S. Shingler as the
State Senator for this district.
J.V. Burkhalter is the new
editor of the Turner County
Banner.
Tift County is to build a
$54,000 courthouse by direct
taxation. They failed three
times to vote a bond issue so
they have decided to raise it by
taxation. The total rate for all
county purposes will be $20 on
the $1,000.
The tags to be used under
the new automobile law have
arrived at the Secretary of
State’s office. All who have not
done so had better send in their
fee of $2 and register.
The Second District Agri
cultural School at Tifton
opened Wednesday with an at
tendance of 81.
Mr. J.W. Hogan of Rebecca
will run for Sheriff.
1950- Julian Britt, 26, was
an easy winner over Mr. J.A.
Kerce 229 votes to 66 votes, to
capture the Justice of the Peace
position.
H.C. Williams Peanut
Company, the oldest peanut
marketing enterprise in Turner
County, owned by Mr. and
Mrs. S.B. Elliott, have remod
eled the company. Mrs. Elliott,
affectionately called "Bertie,"
is the daughter of the late Mr.
H.C. Williams. Mrs. Delores
Gamaras works in the office.
Irwin Construction Com
pany, which is building the
new Ashburn Bank, will build
the new Harden Funeral
Home.
Mr. Frank Murray will sell
Murray Hardware Company
on East Washington, next to
the old Ashburn Bank build
ing, to Mr. and Mrs. Byron El
liott and Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Barker. Mr. Murray is retiring
Richard Ellis
on account of his health.
Mrs. Arthur Denham and
little son, George Marcus, have
returned home from the Tifton
hospital.
Miss Sara Ann Denham left
Monday for Statesboro where
she entered Georgia Southern
Teacher's College. Her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J.O. Denham, ac
companied her to Statesboro.
Mr. Raymond and Ronald
West, Conrad Story, Rosemary
Johnson, and Miss Nellie Ruth
Smith, have entered the
Teacher's College at States
boro.
Miss Reginald Cox has en
tered Wesleyan College.
1960- Mrs. R.N. Wiggins,
born Miss Willie Lucretia
Hobby on October 21, 1868,
the daughter of James Hobby
and Nancy Hill Hobby in
Worth County, died. On De
cember 24,1893, she was mar
ried to John Lemuel Tomlinson
who died March 31, 1899. To
this union were born Mrs.
Berta T. McNair of Ashburn
and Rupert Ivan Tomlinson of
Pitts who survive her. After his
death, she served as postmaster
of the Dakota, Georgia post of
fice for eight years. In 1912,
with David Baldwin
she married R.N. Wiggins,
who passed away in 1930.
Mrs. Wiggins was in good
health until she suffered a
stroke Monday. She is also sur
vived by 10 grandchildren, 21
great grandchildren, and four
great, great grandchildren.
Patricia Dasher, the daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Dasher, celebrates her sixth
birthday with twenty of her
friends. Sisters Nell and Eliza
beth helped in entertaining the
guests.
Turner County has defeated
Worth County 25-6 in the sec
ond game of the season. Coach
Ken Cooper's infantry did it
the hard way, on the ground
and in the line, sending left
half Richard Ellis (pictured)
and right half Phil Gibbs over
for two scores apiece. One
score, a double reverse with a
perfect block by McKenzie
vaulted Gibbs into the end
zone from the seven yard line.
Three fumbles and the power
of Turner County's line limited
the Rams to a net of three
yards rushing in the second
half. Ellis scooped up a loose
ball at the 13 yard line to pave
the way for Gibbs touchdown
sprint from seven yards away.
Miller County next.
1970- A.V. “Skinny” Akin,
Sr. 79, has died. He was one of
our pioneer citizens and a dea
con of West Side Baptist
church. He was born here to
the late Ira Thomas Akin and
Mrs. Delanie Ethridge Akin.
He married the former Jewel
Dee Rouse, who survives him.
As a youth, he worked for the
"Gulf" line railway in the Ash
burn area. He became one of
Ashburn's first automobile
dealers and owned and oper
ated a service station garage
here for over 35 years. He
served several terms on the
Ashburn city council in the
1930's.
Baker’s Dozen
Getting the
story
Part of disaster journalism is
finding people who survived
and interviewing them.
After Irma rolled through
Georgia, I found a survivor and
tried to interview him. Her. It.
Whatever. Far be it from me to
tell another living being how
that entity should self-identify.
It was the most difficult in
terview I have ever tried to do.
As I was literally chasing
down the interviewee, the
Gravitts rode past. Brenda said
I should catch the evacuee and
take him home.
"You're right. I'm thinking
supper here," I replied and
headed after the subject of my
future Pulitzer prize in report
ing. "HEY! Supper! C'mere," I
yelled at the rapidly waddling
away form. "We need to talk."
"HONK! HONK! HONK!"
Supper replied.
I don't speak goose very
well, so you are own your for
translations.
"Where are you from?" I
asked, snapping picture after
picture.
Supper continued to honk,
running into the middle of
Highway 41, completely ignor
ing the traffic that was headed
north and south.
Fire Chief Jamie Turner
pulled up on the other side of
the road and turned his emer
gency lights on. Supper wad
dled right past the chief,
honking the entire time.
Jamie arranged for an emer
gency services crew to come
render assistance to the errant
fowl. I kept chasing after the
critter, asking questions. Hey.
I'm a reporter. Gotta get that
story. You have the right to
know and be confused and I'm
here to make sure that happens.
"Any idea where the rest of
your posse is?" I asked.
"HONK! HONK!"
I closed the gap between us,
Jamie's SUV partly blocking
an escape route for what I later
learned is a Chinese goose.
Probably here illegally, taking
jobs away from our own hard
working native geese, applying
for government benefits and
being a drain on the agriculture
supply store's stock of chicken
scratch feed.
Do we have native geese? I
know we have Canada geese,
but they are here legally under
the North American Free Trade
Agreement that specifies
Canadians can come into the
US when they get tired of
being buried under snow and
want to instead melt from the
heat.
Supper also got more than a
bit irate right then.
"HISSSSS! HISSSSS!
HISSSSS!"
I do speak that much goose.
Supper said, "FAKE NEWS!
Get outta my face and get that
camera out of here before I
bust it into your face. FAKE
NEWS! Leave me alone!"
Good enough. I don't have
to take that kind of treatment
from anyone, especially an en
tity I'm trying to help. Supper
and I parted ways. Where he,
she, it, whatever, later wound
up is none of my business any
more.
Now, can someone direct
me to the Pulitzer Prize board
and the Nobel Peace Prize for
Literature awards committee?