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Page 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, October 18,2017
Editorial & Opinion
The WIREGRASS FARMER - Established 1902
Official Legal Organ of Turner County
Set your priorities and follow them
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.
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Farmer, 109 N. Gordon St., Ashburn, GA 31714
STAFF
Bob Tribble, President • Ben Baker, General Manager
Chuck Bobo, Sales Director • Robin Tillman, Office Manager
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Letters
Reasons to give thanks
So, the A/C in the house went out on Friday. We have been
without for a few days now.
However, I am thankful.
I am thankful because the power is still on, and I can mn fans.
I am thankful because we have the means to get a new system
installed.
I am thankful because while a modem convenience, we can
manage.
I am thankful because my family remains in good health.
I am thankful because this is a minor inconvenience in the
grand scheme of things.
I am thankful because between myself and my help-meet
(bride) we can afford a replacement.
I am thankful because there are professionals who can install
a new system in a day or so.
I am thankful because it is October and not June - meaning I
have to survive the hottest months of the year.
I am thankful because the rest of the appliances in the house
are mnning well.
I am thankful because I have mnning water for a shower and
can have ice water.
I am thankful because this is teaching me a lesson about how
to appreciate the minor things in life.
I am thankful because I have a job I can go to and work in
comfort.
I am thankful because I recognize this is merely a stumbling
block.
I am thankful because I can be.
Food for thought.
Shag Baker
About Rebecca’s Council
I feel it necessary to enlighten the residents of Rebecca on how
your City Council is not looking out for your needs.
A council member broke a city ordinance knowing this was
unlawful after being advised by our City Clerk who had con
tacted our City Attorney. Is this the type of government you want
for our City? A one way person who thinks he is abuse reproach.
He has no ethics or respect for the other council members.
A council member voted to disapprove a purchase order to
purchase a generator for our city hall because he thought it was
for the City Clerk! How ignorant is this? The City is responsible
to have a location available for (See LETTER Page 5)
Elaine St. James once
wrote that no one can maintain
more than three priorities. If
you have a job you care about,
that’s a priority. If you have a
family, that’s a priority. Which
leaves one more. Maybe it is
staying in shape, maybe it’s
volunteering for a worthy
cause.
Most people understand
this intuitively. But they keep
over committing themselves
and over complicating their
lives. So my advice is simple:
figure out what your priorities
are, and say no to everything
else.
Not bad advice from Ms.
St. James, but let me give you
three things, in order of impor
tance, that should be our top
priorities. Very simply put,
God, family and profession
(job). If we keep these three
things as our top priorities, we
will not often fail.
All of you probably have
heard of the five F’s. I realize
we are talking about five prior
ities here instead of three, but
in order to cover the territory
let’s consider these five top
priorities, in order of impor
tance; Faith, Family, Friends,
Finances and Fun. May I sug
gest we make these five things
as top priorities in the order
they are listed.
Let me tell you about two
people who had strong priori
ties. They are Joe Pesci and
Mary Verdi Fletcher.
From Where
I Sit
He made his stage debut at
age five, and by age ten was
making regular appearance on
television. Then his acting ca
reer stalled, and he worked for
the postal service and even
took jobs in construction. Fi
nally he gave up show biz en
tirely and became manager of
a Manhattan restaurant.
Then Robert DeNiro
called, and he ended up play
ing Jake LaMotta’s brother in
“Raging Bull.” Joe Pesci was
nominated for an Oscar for the
role and later won one for
“Goodfellas.”
? Spina bifida kept Mary
Fletcher from walking, but it
did not keep her from dancing.
The daughter of a professional
dancer, she dreamed of follow
ing in her mother’s footsteps.
She became wheelchair
bound at age twelve, but that
did not stop her. She learned to
dance in her wheelchair, and
co-founded “Dancing
Wheels.” Mary Verdi Fletcher
teamed up with the Cleveland
Ballet and gave lectures and
performances offering oppor
tunities for disabled dancers to
leam to dance.
Most definitely Pesci and
Fletcher were two individuals
with a high priority to excel in
their professions.
In closing let me share with
you some things I believe that
will fit in very nicely with our
topic of discussion today.
• We don’t have to change
friends if we understand that
friends change.
• You should always leave
loved ones with loving words.
It could be the last time you
see them on this earth.
• We are responsible for
what we do, no matter how we
feel.
• You control your attitude
or it will control you.
• Heroes are the people
who do what has to be done,
regardless of the conse
quences.
• Money is a poor way of
keeping score.
• Sometimes, the people
you expect to kick you when
you are down will usually be
the first to help get you back
up.
• No matter how bad your
heart is broken, the world
doesn’t stop for your grief.
If you haven’t set you pri
orities in life, set them soon
and strive to keep them in
proper order with God (Faith)
always being number one.
Your opinion is important!
Write: Editor, P.O. Box 309,
Ashburn GA 31714 or email
wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com
Stepping Back In Time
with David Baldwin
1910- In Sycamore, Mr.
J.W. Henderson has purchased
a lot from V.A. Freeman to
erect another brick building for
an up-to-date Livery stable.
Over some dispute, un
armed Mr. H.F. Steven, from
Ashburn, working as a wood
man four miles west of Hort-
ense at the Ludlam's turpentine
place, was shot by a Negro.
His body will return home on
Monday for interment.
1950- To make room for a
railroad crossing signal light at
the intersection, the present po
lice station will be moved from
the northeast corner of Main
Street-Sylvester Highway to
one block north on Main
Street. The new station will be
made of concrete block. Grady
Williams has purchased the
present station.
Zeddie Evans has been
elected Justice of the Peace for
the Sycamore District with 80
votes. His opponents, Charlie
Hancock, 57 votes, and C.L.
Arnold, 29 votes.
Mr. W.G. Fields, who was
born in Carroll County July 9,
1875 and moved to Turner
County in 1919, has died. He
was a successful farmer. He
married Miss Emma West of
Paulding County in 1889. He
lived in the Newton commu
nity.
1960- W.P. Tyson, a well-
known Ashburn business man
and civil defense director for
Turner County was found dead
early Wednesday morning,
slumped over in the front seat
of his automobile in the
swampland off Rebecca Road
four miles east of Ashburn. He
apparently died of a bullet
wound in the right side of his
head. A .32 Smith and Wesson
pistol was found on the floor of
the car. According to law offi
cials, the car left the highway
at a "very high rate of speed
and plowed over roadside
brash and small trees and came
to a halt about 100 feet off the
road.” The car's ignition had
been turned off and the parking
lights were on when the car
was found. After the Tuesday
night civil defense meeting, he
had told Virgil Jones he was
going to Rebecca to consult
with County Commissioner
Rev. George Emmett
Smith
Archie Hobby. He had been
very active in Civil Defense
work, even holding a state of
fice.
1970- Rev. George Emmett
Smith (pictured), pastor of the
Bethel Baptist Church, died
Friday of injuries sustained in
a fall from a horse. He suffered
massive head and chest in
juries and apparently the horse
balked and fell backward on
him. He has been the pastor at
Bethel for four and one-half
years. He was trying out the
horse to use in the Peanut Fes
tival here Saturday. He and
Mrs. Smith had provided a
home for 51 foster children.
He was a Mason in the
Cartersville lodge.
A successful moonshine
stop was made by Sheriff T.E.
Kennedy, Jr. He pulled over a
1959 Buick driven by Doye
Davis with a companion,
Robert Lee Hall. The car con
tained 17 five-gallon plastic
jugs in the trank and 13 five-
gallon jugs on the back seat.
Part of the jugs were hidden by
a spare tire.
J.R. Brown, Sr. a pioneer
here, has died at 86 years of
age. His health has been de
clining for several years. With
his wife, Mrs. Pocahontas Gar
rison Brown, he came to
Turner County 62 years ago to
establish a successful farming
and business interest in the ear
liest days of the town and
county. He owned a farm,
"Windy Hill," in the Bethel
Community and was well-
known throughout this section
purchasing the Ford dealership
in Ashburn about 1916. Mov
ing his residence into Ashburn,
Mr. Brown became a partner
with M.P. Brogan in the
Brown-Brogan Motor Com
pany. Mr. Brown later became
the sole owner of the business
known as J.R. Brown Motor
Company, which he operated
for 25 years. He served on the
School Board for many years
and on the Board of Commis
sioners. He was a Shriner and
affiliated with the Alee Temple
in Savannah. Mrs. Brown died
in 1955. In 1959, he married
Mrs. Gertrude Shirah who was
loyal in her care and compan
ionship. Surviving are his son,
Jimmy Brown, Jr. of
Sycamore, his two daughters,
Mrs. Mary Brown Armstrong
of Atlanta, and Mrs. Jane
Brown Evans of Belle Glade,
Fla. His grandchildren are
Miss Mary Brown of Ashburn,
Sgt. J.R. Brown, III of Ft. Wal
ton Beach, Florida, and John
Brown Evans of Belle Glade.
Check us out - www.TheWiregrassFarmer.com
Baker’s Dozen
Senior
Pranks
In light of the seriously
NOT funny "senior prank" at
the high school last week, I'm
going to share a few legendary
pranks that were funny.
A few years ago someone,
ain't saying who, caught a wild
hog and turned it loose in the
tennis courts. The sheriffs de
partment, police and animal
control were called in. Those
in charge of the situation also
called me to see what I could
do about said wild bacon, this
being a subject I have immense
experience in.
I went home and got a .22
and hauled over to the tennis
court. "Shoot it," I said.
This idea did not cause a
panic, but was turned down be
cause of the risk. One of the
deputy's pulled a taser, shot
and missed the hog. A trap was
brought in, but the porker re
fused to go in.
Eventually, the powers that
be were decided I had the right
idea all along. The hog was
shot with the .22. As best I re
member, Albert hauled it off
and cut it up for the freezer.
Tiny was working security
at ABAC some time back and
some of the students caught
two gophers and turned them
loose in a building. Gopher 1
had "1" painted on the back.
Gopher 2 had "3" on the back.
It took a while for folks to re
alize only two of the the turtles
were loose in the building.
Variations of this happen all
over the place. Sometimes it's
done with pigs. The number of
loose animals also varies, but
one number has to be skipped.
Sandy Cates was our home
room teacher in my senior year
of high school. Miz Cates, now
a grandma, lives in N. Car
olina. She taught science
classes and we set up a fake
Christmas tree in the lab. One
day during lunch I snuck in
and hung empty beer cans on
the plain tree.
Athletic Director and dude
in charge of the paddle Ed
Creech called me into his of
fice and asked what I was
thinking.
"I thought the tree should
reflect the class," I replied.
Looking back I still don't
know if his head was about to
explode from anger or re
strained laughter. Regardless,
he told me to take the beer cans
off and not do it again.
Looking online, here are
some great ones:
Hiding alarm clocks all over
school and setting them to go
off at 2 minute intervals.
Taking apart a small car and
putting it back together in a
room or on the roof.
Hiring a mariachi band to
follow the principal around all
day.
All the seniors bringing
their dogs to school for one
day.
Turning the parking lot into
a mini beach with sand, a kid
die pool, volleyball net and
sound system.
Stacking tires on the flag
pole.
Turning a hallway into a
slip & slide. A variation of this
was done years ago here on the
big hill at the golf course.
Seniors and future seniors.
Make it funny. Do not be de
structive. Send me pictures.