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4A %\)t l)pra(& <§a?ette Tuesday, January 12,2021
Opinions
Health Dept, folks are doing the Lord's work
I rolled up my sleeve
and got the first injection
of the Pfizer COVID-19
vaccine Monday. The
second booster shot is
due in three weeks and 1
will get it as well.
Making the decision
on whether or not to get
vaccinated was not an
easy one. 1 admit 1 was
initially a COV1D contrar
ian. I was absolutely op
posed to shutting down
the country and remain
so. Joe Biden best think
long and hard about
instituting a second one.
After nearly half the
country voted against
him, he has no mandate
to begin with and will
face extreme backlash
should he attempt it.
At first, 1 scoffed at
masks and seldom wore
one unless 1 was in a
place that required one
for entry. 1 got the look
so many of us who do
(did) not wear masks
got from those who did.
1 did try to maintain my
distance from others and
1 did sanitize my hands
often. That has become
a habit.
1 started writing about
COV1D in February last
year. In late March, 1
started compiling stats
for the COVID-19 Moni
tor on barnesville.com. 1
thought that chore would
last a month or two and
the virus would die out.
1 was wrong. People, lots
of them, have died out
instead.
In the first detailed
post on the Monitor,
Lamar had three cases
and no deaths
while Pike had
no cases and no
deaths. State
wide there were
1387 cases and
47 deaths. Sun
day afternoon
those numbers
were Lamar
952 cases and
28 deaths and
Pike 744 cases
and 15 deaths.
Statewide the
numbers were
636,373 cases
and 10,282 deaths.
Over the past two
months COV1D has
spread rapidly. On Nov.
10, Lamar had 462 cases
and 21 deaths while Pike
had 408 cases and 12
deaths. So, our area has
recorded 826 new cases
over the past 60
days.
These spik
ing numbers got
my attention. 1
started wearing
my mask more
and started
debating get
ting the vaccine
when it became
available.
On Dec. 15,
District 4 public
health epide
miologist Alex
Wood spoke to
the Barnesville Rotary
Club. For the first time, 1
heard straight talk about
coronavirus and the
vaccine from a trained,
reliable source. Wood
told us that she, too,
was skeptical about the
vaccine until three weeks
earlier. “1 did a lot of re
search on it. That’s what
I have trained in. Now,
1 am confident and will
be vaccinated when it is
available,” Wood added.
Then, on Dec. 21,
1 watched as the fine
folks at the Lamar
County Health Depart
ment thawed the vac
cine (the Pfizer vaccine
is kept at 73 degrees
below zero prior to use),
reconstituted it and
then administered the
first vaccinations done
there. The administrators
and nurses, who have
seen this virus and its
ugly consequences up
close and personal, were
absolutely giddy to fi
nally have a weapon they
could fight back with.
Indeed, the folks at the
health department are
doing the Lord’s work.
That made up my
mind and Monday 1 got
my first shot. It did not
hurt at all. Through these
long months as COV1D
has ravaged the world, 1
managed to not contract
it and now 1 feel better
about my chances of
keeping it that way.
1 will keep you up
dated, especially if my
inoculated arm falls off.
In the meantime, if you
need to find me, call Bill
Gates.
Walter Geiger is editor and publisher
of The Herald-Gazette and Pike
County Journal Reporter. He can
be reached by email at news@
barnesville.com.
'V
7
GEIGER’S
COUNTER
Walter Geiger
Editor & Publisher
Time to have
some fun anyhow;
we persevere
KAY S. PEDR0TTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
Many of my columns
lately have been various
serious, bordering on
gloomy, so now 1 have
decided
it’s time
for a
little fun.
1 will
start by
quoting
some
of the
world’s
best humorists - chil
dren.
First, an episode
involving the son of one
my cousins, said cousin
being the best “absent-
minded professor” model
there could be. His son,
age about 8, had a school
project and sought help
from his mother. “I’m
cooking supper, honey.
Ask your Dad to help
you.” The boy replied,
“But Mom! It has to be a
grownup!”
A long time ago, my
daughter and niece, who
were like sisters, ran out
of things with which to
amuse themselves and
decided the rest of us
could use some laughs.
They took a pinpoint
marker and drew faces
on the bottoms of all
their toes. Then they lay
down behind the otto
man, put their toes up on
the top, and proceeded
with a “toe concert.” It
truly was funny -1 was
reminded of the old
“Laugh In” television
show - their little brain
storm looked a lot like
some of the wacky stunts
on that program.
We all know that
children just love to
embarrass their parents
in public. One day 1 had
my hyperactive youngest
son in the grocery-buggy
seat at the checkout
line. 1 was looking at the
tabloids and getting my
own laughs, when 1 heard
“my voice” coming from
my son, “SIT DOWN!”
1 looked up and the
woman ahead of me had
a little girl in the buggy
seat who had a really
scared look on her face.
Maybe because she had
tried to get out of the
seat, or maybe my son’s
suddenly grown-up voice
did scare her.
Now an adult anec
dote. My cousin and her
husband were having a
heated discussion about
something she did not
want him to do, or buy,
or have anything to do
with. Finally the husband
yelled, “1 am going to
do that, come rain, hell,
water or high shine!” The
laughs ended the argu
ment.
Long years before
either of us grew up
and got married, that
same cousin and 1 used
to “spend the night” at
each other’s homes. She
and 1 each had a blue
bathrobe, so we invented
“The Order of the Blue
Robe.” We then slathered
our faces with petroleum
jelly and baby powder
and used my father’s
graphite copy pencil to
blacken our eyebrows.
We were just about ready
to perform the first of
ficial act of the Order of
the Blue Robe when my
mother called, “Come on,
girls - supper’s ready!”
You never saw two
young’uns move so fast
getting into the bath
room to take all the
stuff off our faces. Some
residue was left, but
all my mom said was,
“Y’all been playing with
makeup again. 1 hope you
didn’t ruin any of Aunt
Dorris’s things.” Dorris
was my mother’s sister
who stayed with us for
a while, and never did
have much of a sense of
humor. She missed a lot
in her life because she
never married or had
children. She did love
her nieces and nephews
very much, but 1 am sure
she stifled her laughs
when we did outrageous
things. Moms, grannies
and aunts still try to
remain calm in the face
of little desperadoes who
(1 think) make life inter
esting.
Kay S. Pedrotti has spent some
50 years writing for newspapers.
She is active in the Lamar County
community and currently serves as
the president of Lamar Arts. She
lives in Milner with her husband Bob
Pedrotti.
Letter printing guidelines
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phone number. Limit letters to 250 words or less.
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Send letters to RO. Box 220, Barnesville, 30204,
email it to news@barnesville.com or drop it by 509
Greenwood Street, Barnesville.
Several criminal sentencings
resulted from long calendar calls
The following cases
were adjudicated in
Lamar superior court
last week with Judge Bill
Fears presiding on Jan. 5
and Judge Tommy Wilson
presiding on Jan. 7.
Aquaria Shanice Ruth
erford, financial transac
tion card fraud: three
years probation, $500
fine plus surcharges, res
titution and search and
specimen clause.
Kechaun Terrell Smith,
criminal damage to prop
erty: five years proba
tion, $7,740 restitution
to Gordon State College,
banished from circuit.
Colline Lynne Albright,
possession of meth, pos
session of drug related
objects and seat belt
violation: three years
probation, credit for time
served, banished from
circuit.
Anaya Imani Jackson,
financial transaction card
fraud: two years proba
tion, $500 fine, restitu
tion, 20 hours community
service.
Vintarius Matthew
Drummond, possession
of cocaine and posses
sion of marijuana: three
years probation, $1000
fine, search and speci
men clause.
William Joel Gamble,
possession of marijuana:
five years probation,
$1000 fine, 80 hours com
munity service, search
and specimen clause,
banished from circuit.
Matthew David Ham
mond, possession of
THC: five years proba
tion, $1000 fine, search
and specimen clause,
banished from circuit.
Akeem Amed Berry,
possession of marijuana:
12 months probation,
$700 fine, 40 hours com
munity service, search
and specimen clause.
Christopher Bailey, hit
and run, expired license,
improper registration
and false report of a
crime: 12 months proba
tion.
Briana Khrystene Nor
ton, criminal trespass: 12
months probation, stay
away from 523 Carleeta
Street.
Thomas Edward
Wood, criminal trespass:
12 months probation,
$500 restitution, stay
away from 323 Carleeta
Street.
COVID-19 vaccines offered at URMC
ff UPSON
Regional Medical Center
Upson Regional
Medical Center will begin
offering COVID-19 vac
cinations on Tuesday,
Jan. 12 to individuals
eligible under the CDC/
DPH Phase la definitions
that includes adults 65
and older, law enforce
ment officers, firefighters
and first responders.
Appointments may be
scheduled by calling
706-647-8111, ext. 1347.
For more information
on the Pfizer COVID-19
vaccine, go to cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2 019ncov/
vaccines/recommenda
tions. html.
“Upson Regional is ex
cited to expand our abil
ity to vaccinate more of
our middle Georgia popu
lation against COVID-19.
We all look forward to
the day when life seems
normal again. Getting
vaccinated is an impor
tant first step in achiev
ing this. I believe the light
at the end of this long
tunnel is beginning to
shine very brightly,” said
Upson Regional Medical
Center CEO Jeff Tarrant.
URMC currently has
supply of only Pfizer
COVID-19 vaccine and
does not anticipate re
ceiving Moderna or other
vaccines. Clinical trials
found the Pfizer vac
cine to be 95% effective
in preventing COVID-19
cases, according to The
New England Journal of
Medicine.
The Pfizer vaccine
must be given in two
doses, with the second
dose administered 21
days following the first
dose. Those eligible and
interested in receiving
the vaccine must be
scheduled for an ap
pointment. Due to the
complexity of preparing
this vaccine for adminis
tration, walk-ins will not
be accommodated. All
individuals desiring vac
cination must review the
FDA Fact Sheet on the
vaccine and complete a
COVID-19 consent form
prior to their appoint
ment time. The docu
ments will be available
on urmc.org and also
on-site upon check in on
the day of the appoint
ment.
Vaccinations will
be given in the Upson
Regional Medical Center
Auditorium at 801 W.
Gordon St., Thomas-
ton, GA. Parking will
be available in the
parking lot below the
auditorium entrance.
Access into the vaccina
tion clinic can only be
through the auditorium
entrance. All other hos
pital entrances remain
restricted at this time.
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
Jan. 10-16
10 years ago
Lamar County was
digging out after a
weekend ice storm.
Snow had been pre
dicted but more ice
than flakes arrived.
The storm shut down
roads, schools and
businesses. Downed
trees were an issue as
were power outages but
things thawed quickly
and repairs were made.
Sledding on makeshift
sleds was a very popu
lar pastime over the
weekend.
25 years ago
Allen Pack, the
16-year-old son of
LCCHS head football
coach and athletic
director Mike Pack, was
shot in the head and
seriously injured at an
unsupervised party at a
home on Burnette Road.
The weapon was a .22
rifle. The GB1 was called
in to aid in the inves
tigation, according to
deputy Jerry Torbert.
50 years ago
Howard Collier died
over the weekend on
board the cruise ship
‘President Wilson’. He
and his wife were on
a trip to Australia. He
was the son of the late
Mr. and Mrs. L. A. Col
lier and involved in the
textile business.
100 years ago
Mr. L. A. Collier last
Friday submitted to a
serious operation at the
Georgia Baptist Hospital
in Atlanta for a trouble
on his neck and throat,
his son, Mr. Clarence
Collier, and Dr. J. M.
Rogers being present
at the time. The opera
tion was a tedious and a
very hazardous one but
it is exceedingly gratify
ing to report that it was
apparently very suc
cessful and the reports
from Mr. Collier’s condi
tion are of the most
encouraging nature.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
770.358.NEWS
P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
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