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4A ®jje Heraltr <§a?£tt£ Tuesday, September 21,2021
Opinions
Geiger's Counter: Rich Corinthian leather
Several weeks back,
1 learned that Georgia
Tech was offering single
game tickets for the
Georgia-Georgia Tech
game Nov. 27 at Grant
Field in Atlanta. This is
nothing new. Tech counts
on UGA and Clemson for
a couple of sellouts every
other year.
In the past, however,
Tech required Georgia
fans to buy three-game
ticket packages to get the
Tech tickets. Georgia fans
gobbled up the ducats
for the Thanksgiving
weekend treat, giving the
other tickets to the UPS
man or garbage collector.
The single game deal
was a shrewd move by
the Tech marketing office
and sales boomed. As it
happens, our youngest
daughter Livia, now a
senior at UGA, commuted
to Tech over the summer
to work an internship at
the Tech sports market
ing office. She enjoyed
it and came away im
pressed but remains a
Bulldog through and
through.
The Dogs have not lost
at Georgia Tech since the
infamous Jasper Sanks
fumble game in 1999.
Had there been replay
officials back then, UGA
would have won. In
stead, Tech won 51-48 in
overtime, the
highest scor
ing game in the
history of the
series which is
known as Clean
Old Fashioned
Hate.
Georgia
leads the all-
time series
67-39-5.
It remains
to be seen just
how competi
tive this year’s
game will be. The Dawgs
opened the season with
a 10-3 win over then #2
Clemson in Charlotte
followed by a 56-7 blow
out of UAB. This past
weekend, UGA
throttled South
Carolina 40-13
and is ranked
#2.
The Jackets,
meanwhile,
opened their
season with
a heartbreak
ing 22-21 loss
to a powerful
Northern Illinois
squad then
walloped peren
nial powerhouse
Kennesaw State 45-17.
This past weekend Tech
lost a narrow decision
to Clemson in the ACC
opener 14-8.
1 am excited about
going back to North Av
enue. 1 enjoy the historic
stadium with the glorious
view of the Atlanta sky
line. It is always a good
day even though they no
longer offer the three hot
dogs, three Cokes deal.
As 1 was working my
way through the online
ticket purchase trans
action, I was warned
several times that 1
would get no printed
tickets and had to save
the digital version on my
iPhone’s Apple wallet. 1
was unaware that 1 had
an Apple wallet but with
the help of the young,
tech-sawy folks at the of
fice 1 managed to struggle
through.
1 have a very fine
wallet that Livia brought
home to me from a trip
to Greece. It is smooth,
supple and is made of
rich Corinthian leather.
Ricardo Montalban and
the Chrysler Cordoba
have nothing on my wal
let.
1 much prefer it to the
digital version.
Walter Geiger is editor and publisher
of The Herald-Gazette and Pike
County Journal Reporter. He can
be reached at 770-358-NEWS or
news@bamesville.com.
1
GEIGER’S
COUNTER
Walter Geiger
Editor & Publisher
Patti Gunter: a friend
to be honored
and remembered
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
Numerous kinds of
comments have been
made in and through The
Herald Gazette about the
COV1D virus and variant
situ
ation
here in
Lamar
Coun
ty.
None
of
them
-not
a one - can match the
feeling of losing some
one dear to you to the
pandemic.
That happened to me,
and many, many other
people in Barnesville
and Griffin, this week:
we lost our beloved Patti
Cochran Gunter after a
struggle with the virus.
School superintendent
Dr. Jute Wilson described
her passing as “awful,
tragic news ... truly
heartbreaking.” Patti’s
job as a paraprofessional
at the Primary School
was dear to her heart;
she loved those little
ones and they knew it.
So did everyone who
worked with her, and
those of us who knew
her.
She is the only Lamar
County school system
employee who has died
from COV1D.
Patti had a heart
bigger than 1 could ever
imagine. Her husband
Marty and their adopted
child Chloe Gunter will
feel her absence more
keenly than anyone. I
first met the Gunter fami
ly after the 2011 tornado,
when Marty’s parents,
Paul and Ellen Gunter,
were Lamar County’s
only two fatalities. The
whole clan suffered; Dan
Gunter and his grandson
Gabe were badly injured;
Marty, Patti and Chloe
wound up in the hospital
together.
Later, in the book she
wrote about the ordeal,
Patti said she asked her
own mother to stay with
Chloe while the child’s
facial cuts were sutured.
Thereafter the family
and friends insured that
Chloe would not be alone
during the hospital stay.
Chloe had been adopted
as an infant by Paul and
Ellen, who had made
arrangements for Marty
and Patti to be her guard
ians in the event of their
deaths.
Patti said in the book
(“God Is Good All the
Time ... Even in the
Storm”) that she and
Marty survived because
“It was God working
things out so that Chloe
would not be alone. We
think we are making the
decisions, but it’s really
God’s intervention.”
Marty, Patti, Chloe and
I did several Herald Ga
zette stories together as
the years went by. There
was the time their throw-
blanket with their dogs’
pictures on it was found
miles from their home,
stuck in a pine tree. The
HG published a photo of
it, and Patti and Marty
came to claim it. That’s
when one of the stories
was done; 1 went to see
them at their former
home on Bush Road and
met the “celebrity dog.”
The last story we did
together was in April of
this year, when they gra
ciously agreed to remem
ber the 10th anniversary
of the tornado for us.
Chloe was then about to
be an honor graduate of
LCHS; she remains one of
the sweetest young peo
ple 1 have ever known.
Now she is in Missouri
at College of the Ozarks
and plans a career in law
enforcement.
What 1 remember and
treasure most about Patti
are those things that
made her a wonderful
wife, mother, teacher’s
helper and friend: loving
spirit, great sense of
humor, generous nature
and ability to embrace
“all God’s children.” My
heart is with Marty and
Chloe and all the Gunter
and Cochran families.
In one of the stories,
she talked about the
generosity and care after
the tornado of Lamar
County’s citizens and
those of her church in
Griffin, First Church of
the Nazarene:
“That’s how 1 want to
live the rest of my life:
grateful and thankful and
helping others.” Thank
you, Patti. You did a
great job.
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. All
letters are subject to editing.
Send letters to P.O. Box 220, Barnesville, 30204,
email it to news@barnesville.com or drop it by 509
Greenwood Street, Barnesville.
Upson Regional Medical Center offers
REGEN-COV infusions for COVID patients
Like much of the state
of Georgia, Upson and
surrounding counties
have been hit hard by the
current COVID Delta vari
ant surge. Vaccination
against COVID continues
to be the most effective
way that spread of this
disease can be reduced.
In an effort to decrease
the incidence of severe
COVID disease requiring
hospitalization, Upson
Regional Medical Cen
ter now offers REGEN-
COV infusion therapy
(monoclonal antibodies)
at Upson Family Medi
cal Center Northside,
Upson Family Physicians
Barnesville and Upson
Family Physicians Ze-
bulon. These new clinic
locations are in addition
to the existing monoclo
nal antibody infusion
resource at URMC.
If administered within
10 days of onset of
COVID-19 symptoms, the
one-time therapy, made
up of synthetic proteins
designed to mimic the
body’s own immune
response, is highly ef
fective in neutralizing
the virus and preventing
symptoms from worsen
ing. The treatment is
administered through
intravenous (IV) infusion,
and takes approximately
30 minutes followed by
w
I'— I
REGEN-COV
a one hour observation
period.
REGEN-COV has been
approved for emergency
use by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration.
Eligible patients are 12
years or older and have
a positive COVID-19 diag
nosis with risk of severe
disease. A physician or
advanced practice pro
fessional (PA or NP) must
make the referral. Due to
the preparation neces
sary to prepare for infu
sion, appointments must
be scheduled—walk-ins
cannot be accommo
dated.
“Studies have shown
this therapy to reduce
the need for COVID
hospitalization by up to
two thirds, and shorten
the duration of symp
toms by up to four days.
While REGEN-COV will
not prevent COVID from
spreading, it can quickly
have impact in reduc
ing the number of CO
VID patients who need
hospitalization,” said
Upson Regional CEO Jeff
Tarrant. “We are thrilled
to offer this treatment in
three counties within our
service area” he added.
“The dedication of
URMC and our medical
professionals is heroic
and inspiring. I appreci
ate the collaborative re
lationship with Upson
Regional CEO Jeff Tarrant
as we actively advocated
for Upson, Pike, and
Lamar with the Gover
nor’s Office and Georgia
Department of Public
Health to get life-saving
REGEN-COV infusion
clinics here locally. This
proactive approach will
save lives as this treat
ment has been shown to
lessen the severity of the
virus if given early,” said
Beth Camp, District 131
State Representative.
To schedule a COVID
patient for REGEN-COV
treatment, a healthcare
provider may contact
any of the following loca
tions:
•Upson Family Physi
cians Barnesville, 770-
358-3284
•Upson Family Physi
cians Zebulon, 770-872-
5030
•URMC Infusion Clinic,
706-647-8111 ext. 1310.
• Sufficient Grace
Ministry, 226 Main St.,
Barnesville offers Bible
study, testimony sharing,
fellowship and refresh
ments, Thursdays at 7
p.m. for more informa
tion call 770-358-6238
• Barnesville First
United Methodist Church
invites you to worship
at 10 a.m. in the Fellow
ship Hall with overflow in
the Adult Sunday School
classroom, while the
sanctuary is being reno
vated. Services are still
offered online Sunday
mornings streamed on
YouTube and on Zoom.
Come early or tune in
early for the pre-service
music at 9:45 a.m. At 11
a.m. the worship service
is rebroadcast on Face-
book.
• Rock Springs
Church: log on to rock-
springsonline.com and
watch live services
Sundays at 8 a.m., 9:30
a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednes
day evening activities at
7 p.m.
• Compassion Car
Ministry offers trans
portation to medical
appointments for Lamar
County residents who
have been diagnosed
with cancer. Drivers will
pick up the patient and
take them to physicians
offices, treatment centers
and the airport for out
of town treatment. Call
Barnesville First Baptist
Church at 770.358.2353 to
schedule a trip.
• New Life Anointed
Ministries: Morning
worship at 11 a.m., Bible
studies on Wednesday
nights at 7:30, all are
invited; food pantry is
open the third Wednes
day each month, food
baskets are given out
at 5 p.m., first come
first serve 770.358.9102,
FLASHBACK
In honor of
Elizabeth Sellers
Sept. 19-25
10 years ago
Freshman Sydney
Tenney paced the LC
cross-country teams at
huge meets in Perry and
Atlanta. Twelve schools
competed in Perry and
over 1000 runners were
on hand in Atlanta. Ten
ney ran a personal best
23:05.83 at the Atlanta
meet which was held at
Nash Farms.
25 years ago
Narcotics Task Force
agents raided a home at
273 Aldora Street, mak
ing three arrests and
seizing a large quan
tity of marijuana and
methamphetamine. The
house had been under
surveillance for some
time. Arrested were
William Lee Thrasher,
Pamela C. Thrasher and
Johnny Earl Coulon.
50 years ago
The Board of Regents
of the University System
of Georgia agreed to
accept Gordon into the
system. The agreement
was contingent on the
state legislature taking
on or voiding Gordon’s
bonded indebtedness.
The Regents were also
looking at additional
land for future expan
sion of the campus.
100 years ago
Mrs. Enoch M.
Brown, a noble woman,
died at the family
home on Forsyth Street
Monday night after
an illness of several
months, her death not
being unexpected to her
loved ones and friends
who had kept informed
as to her condition. She
was 76 years old and a
member of First Baptist
Church.
Zi)t Heraltr #a^tte
barnesville.com
770.358.NEWS
P.0. Box 220
Publishers
Staff
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