Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, November 17, 2021
Opinions
Dogs will cruise into SEC championship undefeated
BY WALTER GEIGER
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
T he Georgia
Bulldogs (10-
0, 8-0) easily
cast aside the Tennes
see Volunteers with a
41-17 rout in Knoxville
Saturday and, with only
Charleston Southern and
Georgia Tech left on the
regular season schedule,
should cruise into the
SEC Championship Game
December 4 undefeated
and with their #1 ranking
intact.
The Charleston
Southern Buccaneers
are a cupcake opponent,
paid considerable cash
to travel to Athens this
weekend, fill out the UGA
home schedule and take
a beating for its troubles.
On the Saturday after
Thanksgiving, the Dawgs
visit The Flats to take
on Georgia Tech and the
Waffle House/404 Expe
rience they have going
there. Waffle House food
is remarkably consistent
but the Jackets are not.
They are 3-7, having
beaten only Kennesaw
State, Duke and North
Carolina. They lost the
season opener to North
ern Illinois 22-21. For
comparison, Michigan
beat the Huskies 63-10.
One wonders if Tech
coach Geoff Collins and
his staff will be scat
tered, if not smothered
and covered, by firings
at the end of the sea
son. The Jackets travel
to South Bend to battle
Notre Dame this week
before tangling with the
Dawgs and will not be
bowl eligible.
The chances of either
of these teams
blemishing Geor
gia’s record are
about as good as
those of getting
a glass of water
from Milner’s
water tower.
The concept of
elevated water
towers or tanks
goes back to
before the Ro
man aqueducts
and has worked
worldwide for
centuries - just
not in Milner for some
reason.
With its win over
Tennessee, the Dawgs
finished undefeated in
SEC play for the first time
since 1982. That team
went 11-1, falling to Penn
State 27-23 in the Sugar
Bowl. The Nittany Lions
won the national title as
a result.
This year’s
Dawgs have the
best defense in
the country and,
as of Monday,
the NCAA’s #4
ranked offense.
Quarterback
Stetson Bennett,
a walk-on amidst
a host of five
star recruits,
has enjoyed
an amazing
resurgence and
emerged as the
unquestioned leader of
the Bulldog attack.
The stars seem to
have aligned for UGA,
which will likely face
Alabama in the SEC title
match. This year’s Bama
team is just not the pow
erhouse we are accus
tomed to seeing so the
shot at a national title,
which has eluded the
Dawgs for over 40 years,
is there for the taking.
1 remain cautiously
optimistic.
Walter Geiger is a University of
Georgia graduate and he is the editor
and publisher of the Pike County
Journal Reporter and The Herald
Gazette in Barnesville.
GEIGER’S
COUNTER
Walter Geiger
Editor & Publisher
LETTERS T
THE EDITOR
Please protect river access
Despite the misin
formation constantly
being spread through
social media, the land
next to the bridge on
Flat Shoals Road was
acquired by the state
of Georgia when the
bridge was built. The
road was later turned
over to Pike County,
and the land in ques
tion belongs to the
county and state.
This spot has been
used by the public to
access the Flint River
for generations, (put
ting in to float or taking
out after floating). No
one is disputing the
fact that the Flint River
access point on Flat
Shoals Road has been
abused by inconsider
ate people. And no one
is disputing the fact
that this access point
has been appreciated
by considerate and con
scientious river lovers.
It is high time that
Pike County takes real
responsibility for the
right of way This area
needs to be maintained
and enhanced. If it is a
question of funds, why
don’t you put it on the
ballot as a SPLOST proj
ect? Many in Pike feel
very passionate about
this subject. Let us vote
to approve funds being
spent for the creation
and maintenance of a
proper access point at
Flat Shoals bridge. If
Pike had done this years
and years ago, property
owners would not have
felt the need nor would
they have dared to make
such a bold move as the
driveway to nowhere.
The Shoals subdivi
sion property starts
about where the fence
is. The easement that
was granted (for $10) is
for 50 feet of land inside
the fence of this subdivi
sion. A driveway was
built from Flat Shoals
Road to the outside of
the fence that boarders
the easement to make
the easement acces
sible. But why would
anyone want to add a
gate to an already gated
community, and add the
gate 50 feet or so from
the main existing gate?
All that 1 see is a giant
driveway and an extra
stack of rocks at the
water’s entrance.
This impacts all Pike
citizens who enjoy time
on the river and all fu
ture citizens who could
decide one day that
they enjoy the peace
and beauty of the river.
No homeowner is losing
out on the use of their
property by people us
ing that access point. It
is not privately owned. It
is owned by the county
and it is up to the
county to protect it for
the use of their citizens.
It is the only access to
the Flint River in Pike
County. Please help non
river property owning
citizens - but Pike prop
erty owners like myself
- to enjoy God’s beauty
on the Flint River.
SINCERELY,
ALISON STEPHENS
A MESSAGE OF NEW HOPE
Following faithfully like Jada
DEBRA KIBLINGER
litehorse54@gmail.com
“Mom,
there are
two choco
late lab
puppies on
the side of
the road!”
That call
came from my son in the
middle of the day while I
was at work, and he was
on his way to a job. The
five dogs at home flashed
through my mind.
From Brody, the Min-
Pin, up to Boss, the Lab-
Rottie mix, all with their
own version of the side
of the road story. But I
couldn’t say “No.” So, my
son picked the puppies
up and our home became
theirs.
It turned out those
sweet puppies were not
Labs. The closest we
could come to an identifi
cation was Boykin Span
iel. A teacher friend took
one of those girl puppies,
and I kept the other. I
named her Jada. This all
happened in 2008.
Jada is still with us so
there are a lot of Jada
stories to tell, but just
recently Jada set an
example for me that I am
trying to be more con
scious of in my life.
We had been in the
mountains of North
Georgia riding horses,
and Jada had run every
mile with us even though
her feet were sore from
allergies. By the time we
got home her left front
paw was so sore she
would not even walk
on it. The next day I left
her in the house to rest
and recuperate while I
helped my husband with
the cows. Thinking Jada
was inside sleeping I was
surprised to look up and
see her hopping out to
me on three legs. She had
run out when someone
opened the door.
Tears came quickly as
I realized the profound
loyalty she was exhibit
ing. I was humbled in
that moment by my
sweet dog, but even more
I was convicted about
my not as dedicated walk
with my Lord. While Jada
spends every waking mo
ment deliberately staying
close to me, even at great
inconvenience to her, I
many times take the easy
way when it comes to fol
lowing Jesus.
I thanked God for this
reminder from my furry
friend, and it called to
mind God’s own words,
“It is the Lord your God
you must follow (even
on three legs!), and Him
you must revere. Keep
His commands and obey
Him; serve Him and hold
fast to Him.” (Deut. 13:4
NIV)
O, to be more like my
sweet dog, so I can be
come more like my Jesus!
Debra Kiblinger is a grateful
believer in Jesus Christ. Her passions
are God, all things horses and dogs,
her children, grandchildren, great
grandchildren, and her husband, Carl,
with whom she travels with their
horses and rides through God’s amaz
ing creation throughout the Southeast
and beyond. After 23 years in the
classroom and 8 years in the mission
field, Debra is enjoying her retirement
immensely!
Pike County Journal Reporter's letter printing guidelines
The Pike County Jour
nal Reporter welcomes
letters to the editor.
For a letter to be con
sidered for publication,
include the writer’s ac
tual name, address and
telephone number when
submitting it. We publish
name only. Letters from
individual authors will
be published no more
often than every other
week.
Limit letters to 250
words or less. Shorter
letters are appreciated.
All letters are subject to
editing.
Personal attacks on
private citizens, political
endorsements or letters
that are racially divisive
will not be considered.
Drop letters by the
office on the court
house square, mail
them to P.O. Box 789,
Zebulon, 30295, fax
them to 770.567.8814
or email them to
news@pikecounty-
georgia.com.
For additional
information, call
770.567.3446.
Pike County
Journal
Reporter
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
P.O. Box 789
16026 Barnesville St.
Zebulon, Ga. 30295
770.567.3446
The Pike County Journal
Reporter is the official
organ of Pike County, the
cities of Zebulon, Molena,
Meansville, Williamson
and Concord. It is
published weekly by
Hometown Newspapers
Inc. Second class
postage is paid at the
Zebulon, Ga Post Office.
Publishers: Walter and
Laura Geiger; staff:
Jennifer Taylor,
Brenda Sanchez and
Rachel McDaniel.
AT PIKE
BY DWAIN W. PENN
100 YEARS AGO
November 18, 1921: Sunday schools were called
upon to pray on Sunday, Nov. 20 for the Washington
D.C. disarmament conference. The world staggered
under the burden of the most cruel war of all history
75 YEARS AGO
November 21,1946: The Junior Music club held
its November meeting in the auditorium with Jeanette
Green, president. Following roll call, a program of
music selections were presented with a variety of clas
sical, pop and traditional, ending with Auld Lang Syne.
50 YEARS AGO
November 19, 1971: Pike students selected to
compete in the Governor’s Honors Program were
Carol Milby, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. A1 Milby, Peggy
Yearwood, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Ward Yearwood,
Bill Pilkenton, son of Mr. & Mrs. Jack Pilkenton and
Steve Parks, son of Mr. & Mrs. H.A. Parks.
25 YEARS AGO
November 20, 1996: Local resident Terrell
Moody was put behind bars this week as part
of “Cardiac Arrest,” a fundraiser hosted by the
American Heart Association. Citizens were asked
to raise $250 bail or he would go to court for trial.