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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 The Herald Gazette welcomes letters to the editor. For a letter to be considered for publication, please include the writer’s actual name, address and tele phone number. Limit letters to 250 words or less. Shorter letters are appreciated. All letters are subject to editing. No personal attacks on private citizens, political endorsements or letters that are racially divisive. 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 SUBSCRIBE DEADLINES 509 Greenwood Street Walter Geiger Nolan George $30 per year in Lamar and sur- The deadline for public notices Barnesville, Ga. 30204 Laura Geiger Rachel McDaniel rounding counties; $40 outside is noon Thursdays; news and 770-358-NEWS Tasha Webster the local area. advertising before noon Fridays. barnesville.com General Manager Includes 24/7 access to Early submission is appreciated. E-mail: news@barnesville.com Missy Ware barnesville.com