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Page 4 - The Wiregrass Farmer, December 13,2017
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
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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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Praying courageously
r
What that raise
could fund
After the next election, Ashburn Council members
who take office will get a raise.
The full raise will take 2 election cycles to complete.
That raise, approved on a 3-2 vote, brings the total
Council pay package to more than $60,000 a year.
Two Georgia cities about the size of Ashburn pay
their council member nothing. Serving on those cities'
councils truly is service above self.
What does that money mean in terms of City fi
nances? $60,000 is more than one mil of taxes in the
City.
If the Council pay is either reduced or eliminated, the
council pay could eliminate, yes eliminate, the 911 fee
tacked on to every City of Ashburn utility bill. Ashburn
sends out 2,220 bills a month. The 911 fee, which is on
top of the 911 fee charged to every cell phone and land
line phone in the City, comes to $3,330 a month and
$39,960 a year.
A cut or elimination of Council pay could reduce the
"street fee" that also appears on every utility bill. The
street fee is $19,980 a month for $239,760 a year.
The Council's pay cannot affect the water part of the
utility bill. That amount is set by a formula included in
the loans the City has on the water and sewer systems.
What else could $60,000 or a part of that do per year?
Hire a full time police officer, a full time firefighter
or several part time people in both departments. Hire
two or more people in other City departments.
Pay down City loans.
As Mayor Sandra Lumpkin said, the Council is
charged with being good stewards of the tax dollars.
Raising their own pay while people in the City struggle
to pay their utility bills, fees and taxes does not sound
like being a good steward.
Fortunately, the raise can be eliminated by the Coun
cil. It only takes 3 votes to kill the raise.
' /
Letters
The Gift of Christmas
I left home for college at the age of 17.1 could hardly wait to
be on my own, or so I thought. Just before Christmas one year, I
found myself broke and without bus money to make the trip
home. Too embarrassed to ask my parents for help, I tried to
hawk my record collection. No takers! I was upset and saddened
at the prospect of spending Christmas alone. Fortunately, I found
a last minute ride.
It was also while I was away at college that I learned about
the true meaning of Christmas. As a skeptic, I had a hard time
believing in God. I had heard at various times that Jesus had died
on the Cross to take away the sins of the world and He rose again.
But I did not know what that meant and I really did not care.
Being at a university, however, I was open to listening to other
ideas about God. So it was somewhat new of an idea to me when
I heard that salvation from hell, forgiveness of sin, and spending
eternity with God in Heaven - all is a free gift from God for those
who make a U-turn from self and look to Jesus and put their tmst
in Him for salvation. (Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9)
It almost sounded too good to be tme. Salvation is a gift from
God, and not based on my works or moral goodness? I just wasn’t
sure. So after a few months of careful thought, study and consid
eration, I came to the conclusion that the claims of Jesus were
tme. And I received the Lord Jesus as my Savior.
It has been over 37 years since I made that decision. I have
experienced the peace and joy in my life that can only come from
Christ. Life has not been without problems, but Jesus has been
with me in the struggles. So, what about you? God wishes good
for your life and is for you. Please know God offers you the great
est Christmas blessing of all: “Let the one who wishes take the
free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17) Merry Christmas
to you!
If you have any questions about this or want more information,
please email me at Jerrysamsonl23@gmail.com
Jerry Samson
Have you ever thought
about how courageous we
have to be to pray some of the
prayers that are found in the
Bible? It takes real guts to ask
God to do some of the things
He has called us to ask Him to
do.
Lor example, in Isaiah 6:8,
Isaiah gives us the example to
pray: “Here am I, send me!”
Notice what courage it takes to
pray that and mean it. The at
titude that says: “God, I’m to
tally Yours, I will go where
You want me to go and do
what You want me to do.”
The reason that we are
scared to pray that kind of
prayer is that deep down inside
we know that if we surrender
to God in that way, He will do
what we pray...send us. Plus,
we think He will send us
where we don’t want to go and
call us to do what we don’t
want to do. We think God’s
goal in our lives is to make us
as miserable as He can.
Praying a “Here am I, send
me” prayer is so much easier
when we grow in our faith to
tmst who God is and what He
wants for our lives.
Lirst, in faith, we can know
From Where
I Sit
that God wants the very best
for us. He has the advantage of
looking at every possible path
for our journey of life to travel
and He always chooses the
best path. Notice, He doesn’t
always choose the easiest path.
And, He doesn’t always
choose the path that we would
choose. But, He does always
choose the BEST path.
Second, in faith, we can
know that God will grow us
and change our hearts to ap
preciate the path He chooses.
When God sends us to the
place or people where He
wants us to serve, He will
work on us so that our hearts
will be ready for and will find
Stepping Back In Time
joy in the path God chooses for
us. Even if we don’t think we
will like where we are sent,
one day we will have a better
perspective and grow to a
more mature faith where we
can find deep satisfaction in
being obedient to the Lord’s
call.
Linally, in faith, we can re
alize that sometimes, maybe
even often times, God’s call on
our lives does not mean that
we will change geographical
locations. God is calling us to
serve Him right where we are.
He wants to send us to our
families, to our neighbor
hoods, to our places of work.
He wants to use us where He
already had us planted. He
may change our location
someday, but for now, He is
sending us to the places we go
every day to make a difference
in the lives of people we see
every day.
It is a courageous step of
faith to pray: “Here am I, send
me.” Will you pray that in faith
and watch what God does in
response? Then, listen and
obey.
Above information came
from The Monticello News.
with David Baldwin
1910- Miss Maggie
Barfield of Bay Springs has
died of Typhoid Lever.
1940- Man Slashed To
Death In Light Near Rebecca.
Clay Marchman, a 35 year old
white man of near Rebecca, is
being held in the Turner
County jail at Ashburn, on a
murder charge as the result of
the fatal stabbing Wednesday
night of John Butler, a 50 year
old white man.
The stabbing occurred
Wednesday at about 11:30 o'
clock following an argument
between the two men. Both
Marchman and Butler lived on
the Guy Maddox farm, near
Rebecca, and the cutting oc
curred on a small bridge on a
road between the houses in
which Marchman and Butler
lived.
Butler received a severe
stab wound in the right side
and his head was almost sev
ered from his body. After being
wounded, Butler ran for about
150 yards and fell dead, ac
cording to two witnesses who
were approaching the scene
when the cutting took place.
The wounds were inflicted
with a small pocket-knife.
Marchman went to the home
of Mr. Maddox, immediately
after the cutting, and asked to
be carried to the sheriff. Carter
Maddox, son of Guy Maddox,
accompanied Marchman to
Sheriff Alex Story in Ashburn,
and Marchman gave himself
up to the sheriff, stating he
wanted the protection of the
sheriff.
No weapon was found on
Butler's body. Butler is sur
vived by his wife and eight
children, most of whom reside
at home. Marchman, who for
merly lived at Milan, is the fa
ther of six children. Marchman
made no statement as to what
caused the argument leading to
the fight. Mr. John Butler's fu
neral was held at Pleasant Hill
Church with burial nearby. Mr.
Butler's children are Betty,
Calvin, Willard, Arilee, Annie
Jo, Maudell, Johnnie Lou and
Billy Ray Royal and Grady Ray Sycamore City council.
Not pictured Charles Hardy
Mrs. Lrank Webb.
1950- Mr. W.C. Jarman, Jr.
was elected mayor of Ashburn
by a vote of 338 to 187 over
J.C. Holland. In the city coun
cil election, Hubert Carr got
225 votes and Roy Thompson
got 197 votes to serve with
councilmen H.L. McCard,
C.H. Melton, and W.C. Britt.
Others in the council race were
A1 Bradley, 123 votes, Mr.
Bailey, 92 votes, Kent Robin
son, 141 votes, Mr. Shealy 159
votes, and Mr. Ira Martenn, 99
votes.
Dr. G.C. McKenzie has re
ceived the Silver Beaver
Award, the highest award in
Scouting, given for outstand
ing service over a long period
of years in Scouting.
Mr. N.T. Arnold is the new
Mayor for Sycamore with 67
votes defeating J.K. Nelson, 48
votes, Carol Ray,41 votes, and
Henry Royal, 41 votes. E.E.
Bradley, Walter Woodruff, and
J.H. Zorn were elected city
councilmen for a term of two
years.
1960- An Atlanta stock
broker who forged stock cer
tificates here and sold them to
four local business men has
been freed on a $13,000 bond.
Robert L. Stocks of Atlanta
sold the stocks as he repre
sented Bankers Lidelity Insur
ance Company to W.M.
Lorshee, Grady Sconyers,
Lamar Ray, and H.H. Gorday.
The amount of the forged
stock certificates was
$7,100.00. Stocks will be
brought back to Ashburn for
arraignment.
Alex Story has won the po
sition as mayor for the third
time. He was previously
elected mayor in 1954 and
1956. Mayor Austin Scott did
not offer for re-election. Hu
bert Carr and Roy Jeter are
new council members.
Mrs. J. Brackett Hardy, 80,
passed Sunday morning at the
Turner County Hospital. She
was the former Miss Esma
Cox, daughter of Mr. Starkie
M. Cox and Mrs. Mary
Lrances Williams Cox. She
move here 68 years ago with
her parents. Her first husband
was Mr. J.C. Durham, who
died in 1910. With Mr.
Durham, they had a daughter,
Miss Edna Durham, who is a
teacher in the Sycamore Ele
mentary School. Several years
later, she married Mr. J. Brack
ett Hardy, a well-known
farmer from Sycamore. A son,
Owen Brackett Hardy was
born to them and today serves
as administrator for Phoebe
Putney Memorial Hospital in
Albany. She was born April
25,1880.
1970- TCHS Principal Bill
Hardin has been named to the
executive board of the Georgia
High School Association. (Left
to Right Pictured) Billy Ray
Royal, Grady Ray, and Charles
Hardy (not pictured) have won
seats on the Sycamore city
council.
109 N. Gordon St. - Ashburn, GA - 31714
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
wiregrassfarmer@yahoo.com
f
k
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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
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Baker’s Dozen
Of jellyfish &
dolphins
During the time I lived in
Florida, Apalachicola Bay and
I became good friends. This
was before Apalach and Carra-
belle were "discovered" and
overrun with tourists and de
velopments.
Where I lived, in Eastpoint,
was commercial fishing. The
"beach" was always empty and
the fishing was fairly good.
Living less than 1,000 yards
from the shore (calling it a
beach is accurate, but it ain't
what most people call a beach),
I spent a lot of time physically
in Apalachicola Bay with my
dogs, a cast net and a fishing
gear. Cast nets are fun.
When I was not working
and the weather was good, I’d
wade into the bay with my cast
net to catch fish. Caught mul
let, skipjack (ladyfish), black
drum, reds, trout, croakers and
flounder. I also caught jelly
fish.
The fist time a jelly zapped
me, I thought a bee stung me.
But, how the heck did the bee
get underwater and why was it
under water? I chalked it up to
one that fell during a flight
over the water and it got caught
in my shorts.
Zapped again. WTH?
Then I saw all the jellyfish
around me. Small ball jellyfish
with one tentacle, but that was
enough.
Zappity Zap Zap Zap! I got
out of the water in a hurry.
In all my time in the water,
I only found one Portuguese
Man-O-War. That’s a bad one.
It was tiny, but I gave it a wide
berth.
Fishing on the East Pass in
the state park, I saw jellies the
size of a truck bed laying dry
ing in the sand.
One night on the causeway
casting for fish, I pulled up the
net and noticed it was twin
kling in the fading light. I
thought nothing of it and con
tinued to cast. Then my arms
started burning. In a just a few
seconds I went from burning to
the centerpiece of a Guy
Fawkes celebration. The twin
kling in the net was shredded
jellyfish. I was lit UP by jelly
fish stings.
One day I waded out, not
catching anything but having a
grand time just being on and in
the water. I came on school of
mullet. I cast the net and mullet
went everywhere, including
over the net. I do not remember
how many I caught because the
next thing I saw panicked me.
A fin. A big fin. A BIG
curved fin. (whew) Dolphins.
DOLPHINS!
I was in water not much
over my knee. To see dolphins
meant I was close to the chan
nel in the bay, which also
meant I was - MORE THAN
A MILE FROM SHORE
WITH THE TIDE COMING
IN!
I did not walk on water get
ting back to "the hill" as the
commercial fishermen called
it. But I sure was moving.
• ••
We need Letters to Santa.
We’ve put in a request to the
elementary school and Head-
Start. If you have a little one
not yet in school, send the let
ter to us direct
109 N. Gordon, Ashburn,
31714
WiregrassFarmer@yahoo.com