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Friday, Sept 11
8:00 pm
Butterflies visited ‘Walk to Remember’
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Byron Buzz
The Compassionate
Friends Middle Georgia
Chapter held their 2nd Annual
Walk to Remember at North
Peach Park, Saturday, Septem
ber 5. Many fam
ilies of lost loved
ones attended the
walk in remem
brance of their
sons, daughters,
brothers, sisters,
grandchildren,
nieces, and neph
ews.
Attendees
walked in memory of their
loved ones, shared their emo
tions with others, had lunch
and launched balloons with
notes to their loved ones to the
heavens with pictures of loved
ones displayed.
Karla Chidester, chapter
leader, spoke of how she had
to endure her own grief when
she lost her first bom child,
Mikhail Anthony “Mickey”
Blair Stewart. Chidester knew
at 16 weeks into her pregnan
cy of the birth defect of her
unborn child. She was given
the option of aborting the
child, but with her beliefs, she
just couldn’t use that option.
Once in labor, Chidester did
not want to enter the doors of
the hospital because she knew
what was to come. She carried
Mickey to 35 weeks
and he lived for two
days.
Grieving over
her loss, she was
told about the
Compassionate
Friends group in
Warner Robins.
Being involved in
the Compassionate
Friends group has helped her
through her grieving process
and brought her to where she
is today. She is now the leader
of the Byron chapter and helps
other families through their
grief.
During an intermission
of inspirational music at the
event, butterflies appeared
on the podium and around
the area. Since early times,
the butterfly has symbolized
renewed life. The Compassion
ate Friends have adopted the
butterfly as one of its symbols
Attendees at the ‘Walk to Remember’ Saturday at North Peach Park.
as a sign of hope and life after
death.
One member noted she had
asked her daughter in heaven
to send butterflies to show she
was there in spirit.
Guest speaker, Doshia
Scarborough, told of her loss
and how she became the chap
ter leader for the group which
was located in Warner Robins.
Scarborough spoke to the
families and encouraged them
to branch out of the area and
attend some of the regional
and national conferences.
Last year, Sully and Melva
Sullivent, parents of Leslie and
Bridgette Sullivent, attended a
conference and were astound
ed by the number of people
who attended and enjoyed the
seminars that were given.
The Compassionate
Friends Worldwide Candle
Lighting unites family and
friends around the globe in
lighting candles for one hour
to honor the memories of the
sons, daughters, brothers,
sisters, and grandchildren who
left too soon. The Compassion
ate Friends Worldwide Candle
Lighting ceremony will be held
Sunday, December 13 at 7 p.m.
Check with your local chapter
for information.
With many people in the
world grieving for the loss
of a loved one, many do not
know about the Compas
sionate Friends organization.
The Compassionate Friends
Middle Georgia Chapter holds
their meetings on the fourth
Thursday of the month (except
for November and December)
at Byron United Methodist
Church at 7 p.m. If you know
of a family who is grieving and
are not located in the Byron/
Middle Georgia area, Com
passionate Friends are all over
the United States of America.
Check out their website, Com-
passionateFriends.org or feel
free to contact TCF’s National
Office at 877-969-0010 for
more information.
Dog bite results in rabies shots
BY LINDA REYNOLDS
The Byron Buzz
On September 1st around
11:00 a.m., David Simmons
walked out to his back yard
to do some work, but little
did he know he would spend
the rest of the day
in the hospital and
several more weeks
adhering to a rabies
prevention protocol.
As he approached his
backyard gazebo he
saw his neighbor’s
three dogs loitering
inside his fence by
his shed almost too
yards from the gate
at his driveway. He raised
his amis to shoo them out of
his yard, but the dogs reacted
menacingly and advanced on
him as a pack. “The brown
one seemed the most aggres
sive, so I faced him trying to
get him to back off. Then the
black one came up behind me
and bit the back of my left leg.
I really think if I’d have fallen
down they would have mauled
me to death.”
Simmons limped back
to his house with the dogs
menacingly following. He
retrieved his
shotgun, but
he just couldn’t
bring himself
to shoot them.
Instead he
fired a warning
shot in the
air, and the
dogs ran back
to their own
property next
door. He knew he’d have to go
to the hospital as the wounds
were bleeding profusely, but
he also knew he’d have to give
the doctors as much infor
mation as possible regarding
the dog. So he reloaded
his shotgun and cautiously
went next door to inform his
neighbor of the attack and ask
for proof of rabies vaccination.
Charles Bonner, adult son of
the homeowner stated that his
sister had those records and
she was unavailable.
Since the Medical Center of
Peach County was only one
half mile away, and the bite
was on his left leg, Simmons
felt he could drive himself to
the hospital. He did, however
call 911 to report the incident
and was informed that an
officer would meet him at the
emergency room. He was in
terviewed by law enforcement
there.
The dog was a black mixed
breed estimated at around
50 pounds and living with
the Havis Bonner family at
1194 Kay Road. When asked
about the dog, Charles Bonner
said, “We are keeping the dog
inside now. I can’t believe it
DOG, See page 4
The dog bite four days
after the bite occurred.
Barton volunteers to
contribute to community
BY LINDA REYNOLDS
The Byron Buzz
Josie Barton has been a vol
unteer at the Medical Center
of Peach County for almost
two years. She just celebrated
42 years of marriage to her
husband, Robert, by going
to a Gladys Knight concert
in Pensacola, FL., where her
daughter lives. “It was a night
to remember. That woman is
71 years old and can still rock
it!” she said enthusiastically.
“And I just want to take time
out to thank God for bring
ing us through the good and
the bad storms in our lives,
because without Him I don’t
know where we would be.”
Josie was bom and raised
in Warner Robins. She be
came aware of Robert in 1971
when both were volunteering
Josie Barton
for the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference, but
he was more interested in
a friend of hers. They later
formally met at the Eagle’s
BARTON, See page 4
Mayor unopposed;
two vye for Post 2
Qualifying ended last week
for Byron City Council Post
2, Post l and mayor.
Mayor Larry Collins is un
opposed for his bid to serve
as mayor another term.
Farrell Bass, who currently
holds the Post 2 seat, did
not seek re-election. Rusty
Adams and Rick Knowles
qualified for that seat.
Knowles qualified just in the
knick of time Friday before
qualifying ended.
Knowles has run for city
council previously, for Post
5 which was won by Alan
Dorsey. He is on the board
of Byron CVB.
Adams, is a former Byron
Fire Department volunteer
who attends Byron City
Council meetings on a regu
lar basis.
James Richardson, Post
1, also does not have any
opposition for his seat.
September Byron Elementary School Soaring Eagles
Kindergarten: Camden Sanders, Bryson Proulx, Alexis Orban,
Jayden Griffin and Nathan Worley.
First grade: Eli Johnson, Jamor Bowens, Abigail Larson,
Jaden Jones and Tyquavion Sullivan.
Second grade: Garrison Cole, Jamie Montero, Kaydin Christo
pher, Dallas Thigpen and Megan Jones.
Third grade: Jordyn Miller-Horne, Milah Helms, Hunter-Marie Fourth grade: Ti’Ajah Harrold, Georgia (Addie) Bailey, Junior Fifth grade: Marissa Prince, Carlton “C.J.” Jones, Montgom-
Simar, Gabriel Brown and Christina Ellsberry. Jimenez and Jazziyah Meadows. ery Glass and Sierra Dawson.
