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Page 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, December 6,2017
Editorial & Opinion
The WIREGRASS FARMER - Established 1902
Official Legal Organ of Turner County
Are you a “Fair Weather Friend”?
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
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St, Ashburn, Georgia. Periodicals Postage Paid at Ashburn, Geor
gia.
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Farmer, 109 N. Gordon St., Ashburn, GA 31714
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r A mil of taxes? ^
The Ashburn City Council will vote Thursday
night on a pay raise for the Council.
As Councilman James Burks will point out,
only the Council can decide how much the Council
gets paid.
As we point out, if this raise passes, it is more
than a mil of taxes. $60,000 a year for the Council.
That will put the Council as the second highest
paid council for similarly sized cities in Georgia.
Just for the record, two cities of the same size pay
Council members nothing.
The correct vote on this Thursday evening is
No.
Serving on the Council is service, as Council
member Andrea Pierce points out. She voted no
the first time.
We suggest if Mr. Burks, who is behind this and
two other raises for the City Council, needs money
that bad he should run for an office that pays more
or get a job that pays what he believes he is worth.
/
Letters
Please Slow Down
I have lived on Whatley Dr. since 1983, raising 5 children,
now grown and have their own family. Our grandchildren have
had some close calls from getting run over by speeding cars on
Whatley Dr. that are going way over the posted 30 MPH Children
At Play signs.
Just this morning (12/4) at 7:15 a.m. a white SUV up the street
came by here like a bat out of hell, going approximately 40-45
maybe 50 mph. Just when our 4 year old grandson was crossing
the street. My daughter lives across the street and he comes over
every morning because his mother has to be at work at 7am. The
only times it really concerns me is morning, after 3:30 in the af
ternoon, weekends and holidays.
I am at home most of the time and see these flying cars all day
long. I can understand if you are going the speed limit or below
and a child darts out in front of you and hit the child, it would be
the child's fault, but if you are speeding, on a cellphone, or be
distracted and don't see them, well that's another story, and I'm
sure you would not want this on (See LETTER Page 5)
The late Dale Carnegie
founder of the internationally
famous course on public
speaking and human relations
once said, “You can make
more friends in two months by
becoming interested in other
people than you can in two
years by trying to get other
people interested in you.”
It has been said that we all
need friends and even more
importantly friends need us.
How many friends do you
have? Stop and think about
this question. Do you have
even one true friend that you
can count on if you really need
help and someone you know
for certain would not let you
down? I have several true
friends I believe I can count
on. However we don’t really
know until that time comes.
It has been my experience
over the past several years
when I have needed help I
have had many people who I
thought were friends desert
me. On the other hand I have
had other people who I did not
know were my friends right
there when I needed them
most. Have you found this to
be true in your life?
A conversation I had some
time back brought these
From Where
I Sit
thoughts to mind. One day I
was having lunch and I met a
woman named Mildred Ward.
Somehow we were talking
about friends and she told me
about a woman she knows
who complained about not
having any friends. Mildred
went on to tell me why this
was true.
One morning about two
A.M. the woman’s telephone
rang and on the other end was
an elderly woman who had
fallen in her home and couldn’t
get up. She had at least some
one she thought was her friend
and asked her to come to her
house and help her. Do you
think she went? Well the an
swer was no. It was too far. At
least that’s what she told her.
When the woman com
plained to Mildred about not
having any friends Mildred
said, “I told her to her face the
reason you don’t have any
friends is because you don’t
know how to be a friend. You
are a “fair weather friend.”
When you think about it
this is so true. Most of us can
be a friend as long as the sun
is shining and it doesn’t cost us
anything, but when friendship
begins to cost us something, it
has a way of setting the record
straight. At this point the truth
comes out and we are either a
true friend or a fair weather
friend.
I received a phone call
from a woman a while back
who was not even a close
friend. She said, “Bill and I
have had an accident, can you
come get us?” She told me
where they were.
At this point I am trying to
make it simply this, if you
want to have some true friends,
be there when someone who
calls you their friend and truly
needs you.
He’s the kind of friend you
can depend on, always there
when he needs you. Author
Unknown.
109 N. Gordon St. - Ashburn, GA - 31714
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com
This is the opinion of the newspaper. We’d like to hear your opinion. Letters to the editor
welcome. Letters must be signed and have a phone number so we can contact the writer.
Phone numbers will not be published or released, wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com
The Wiregrass Farmer, 109 N. Gordon St., Ashburn, GA 31714
Stepping Back In Time
with David Baldwin
Coach Joe Wilson (r) Tennis tournament winner
Church. Minnie G. Monroe
had a surprise birthday party at
the Family Grille. Her guest,
who were hid here and there,
surprised her by singing
"Happy Birthday." Her guest
were Wilda, Dianne, and
Brunelle Phillips, Susan Pate,
Susan Marie Pitts, Martha Sue
Willingham, Mary Lou
McKenzie, Donna Morrison,
and Mitzi Akin.
1970- On late free throws
by Mara Moree and Susan
Wheeler, the TCHC girls’ bas
1940- Turner County will
send its first trainees to Ft.
Benning for one year's train
ing. They will leave the court
house at 9 a.m. and go to the
Union Drug Company where
they will leave on a bus at 9:34
a.m. Here is the list of the
white volunteers: No. 80,
Quentin Adollphus Bobo; No.
1196, Hubert Harrison Parten;
No. 799, M.D. Pool; No. 664,
Wilbur Rutherford; No. 96,
Claudius Ruffin Strickland;
No. 394, Sidney Marion
Toney; No. 1266, John
Thomas Sumner; No. 1310,
Herman Udell Watson. Next
Wednesday, four Negroes will
leave; No. 611, Bud Butler;
No. 671, Elzina Holmes; No.
1062, Arthur Smith; No. 1033,
Nathaniel Taylor.
1950- The Hulsey Sumner
Post of the American Legion
98 has honored Mr. Arthur
Gamaras, Sr., a veteran of
World War I, for his important
work in the Legion. He was
given a life time membership
and regret was expressed that
he was a patient in the Dublin
hospital and not there to be
personally recognized.
Mrs. J.C. Doss, Sr., 83,
passed away Lriday morning
December 1 at 8:15 a.m. at her
home in Ashburn following
several weeks of illness. She
was bom Emmer A. Lreeze (a
full blooded Cherokee Indian)
on Sept. 30, 1867 in Cherokee
County (where the Reinhardt
clan is from). She married Mr.
John C. Doss, Sr. on January 1,
1888. Mr. Doss died in 1943.
Mrs. Doss was a charter mem
ber of the Sycamore Baptist
Church and held in high es
teem by a large circle of
friends. She was friendly and
brightened many lives by
many acts of kindness in her
active days. Survivors are five
daughters, Miss Nan Doss and
Miss Kate Doss of Ashburn,
Mrs. Ralph A. Bell of Augusta,
Mrs. G.N. Young of Reynolds,
Miss Ruby Doss of Atlanta;
five sons, Mr. John C. Doss,
Jr., Mr. George Otto Doss, Mr.
Russell Doss of Ashburn, Mr.
Ernest Doss, Mr. Frank Doss,
of Sycamore. (George Otto
Doss, Jr. turned 90 on February
17,2017 and Mrs. Doss turned
87 in May, 2017. Their son,
Van Doss, known now as
Robert Doss, is 62, and grew
up with us at First Baptist
Church in Ashburn. He is a
great grandson of Mrs. Emmer
Doss.)
The new $60,000 Ashburn
Bank building at the comer of
Gordon and College Streets is
open for visitation.
An Early History of the
Methodist Church Sunday
School compiled by Col. John
R. Rogers is published in this
issue and is worth owning by
the First United Methodist
Church of Ashburn. (Decem
ber 7, 1950, Page 8, Column 1)
1960- Guy Pylant is hon
ored at the Massey-Ferguson
dealer’s convention by a vice-
president of marketing for his
work as Part Manager for Ellis
Farm Equipment Company in
Ashburn.
Miss Diane Roberts held a
sweet sixteen party at her
home on November 23.
Miss Faye Shivers will wed
William Roger Wilson Decem
ber 18 at Rebecca Methodist
ketball team won their season
opener against Terrell County
by 30-28. The score was tied at
21 all at the beginning of the
fourth quarter. Miss Moree
scored 14 points, Debbie Ge-
oghagan scored seven points,
Beverly Branch, three, Susan
Wheeler, five, and Susan
Williford, one. Rachel
Etheridge and Beverly
Wheeler advanced the cause.
The boys lost 87-57.
Coach Joe Wilson (pic
tured) was a recent winner of
the tennis tournament at
Wanee Lake Country Club.
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Baker’s Dozen
Sneaky snakey
Some churches in Apalachia
use live snakes as part of
church services. "They will
pick up snakes with their
hands; and when they drink
deadly poison, it will not hurt
them at all; they will place
their hands on sick people, and
they will get well." Mark 16:18
NIV.
I have two problems with
these churches.
1) The Bible is clear. We are
not supposed to test God, ex
cept in our giving. Handling
live venomous snakes as part
of a church service is testing
God.
2) The captured snakes lead
abbreviated lives. In other
words, they die fairly quickly
in church captivity. Infer what
you will, but the truth is the
snakes are not properly cared
for. That irks me. If you intend
to capture a wild animal, either
treat it with respect and proper
care while it is in captivity, or
kill it and eat it quickly after
capture.
People in these churches get
bit. People in these churches
die from the snake bite. That
part I don't have a problem
with. If you are stupid enough
to test God, despite what He
says, then you get what's com
ing to you.
I have handled a snake in
church. Intentionally. But not
to test anyone. My handling
was part of turning said snake
in a meal.
Charles Bobo killed a de
cent canebrake (which is just
an uncommon pattern for a di-
amondback rattler) on his
farm. He called and asked if I
wanted it. Absolutely, I said.
This was on a Wednesday.
My Wednesday afternoons at
that time were spent at church
riding herd over a horde of
teenagers who came over when
school was let out. The church
is across the street from the
high school.
Charles brought the de
ceased snake over. I took it out
of the bucket, Charles wanted
his bucket back. I decided
Susan needed to see how I'd
butcher a snake, so she'd know
what to do in the future. Didn't
think a thing of it. Walked into
the hall adjoining the sanctuary
and social hall. Walking down
the hall I passed Megan and
Buddy. Didn't think anything
of it.
Told Susan to come with me
and I explained why. Turned
around to go back.
Buddy and Megan were in
one of the classrooms behind
an overturned table, peeking
over the edge like Kilroy.
"Brother Ben, do not come
in here," Buddy said quite
firmly.
I looked at him. I was
blocking the only door into the
room. Fake stained glass win
dows were in the far wall.
I resisted the urge to step in
side. I didn't want either of 'em
to get hurt diving through a
window.
On the porch I got a call
from Louie Perry, a high
school classmate. While talk
ing with him, the snake, head
attached, whipped around and
fanged my finger. I told Louie.
"Benji! You better get to a
hospital!" he said.
Nah, I said. S'all right. In
deed it was. A small spot on a
finger went numb.
The snake was delicious.