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The True Citizen, Wednesday, October 10, 2012 — Page 5
Dixie Divas
Burke Happenings
THE
By Ronda Rich
One evening I was sorting through clothes in the bedroom
while Tink, settled in a comfortable chair, was (as usual) fid
dling with his phone. A message he read triggered a story.
He began to tell me a brief story (men leave out a lot of de
tails) about a guy we know and a woman he
*r-*Y had recently been dating. There was noth-
ing particularly special about the story un-
less you are a woman wise in the ways of
other women.
K - ■ w’. “What?" I asked as I took a dress off the
P hanger. I heard what he said but I couldn't
believe what he said. He repeated it.
I smiled that all-knowing grin of mine,
\ the one I inherited from Mama. "Within six
months, she’ll be pushing for marriage.”
Tink has no respect for my precious inheritance, that of being
a wise and prophesying know-it-all. He rolled his eyes and shook
his head then swirled around in his chair to face me. I knew he
was serious because he put down his phone.
“They just starting seeing each other," he protested. “It’s ca
sual. Just friends.”
“He thinks it is just casual but she is a woman with a plan. Six
months. Trust me.”
Tink set his jaw. It is a very determined jaw when he does that.
“You are wrong,” he said firmly. “That is not going to happen.”
He shook his head again, adamantly. “You are wrong.”
Just an aside here: When one is painting one’s self into a cor
ner, it is best to leave a trail to get out. “Think" makes a good pig
trail for escaping such as in “I think you’re wrong.” Another
good one that I like to employ is, "I may be wrong but I think...”
Usually Tink is reasonable and not one bit arrogant in thought
or manner. That would not been the case on this particular occa
sion.
“No, I’m not.” I was equally firm.
“Let’s bet,” he said. Our bets usually ride on buying me a new
BET
pair of expensive high heels. “I’ll bet you two pairs of high
heels.”
Whoa. He was serious. Two pairs. In less time than it took
Sherman to strike a match, I took the bet.
“You’re on.” I smiled confidently and he nodded with equal
confidence.
A couple of days later, over dinner, Tink, who is honorable
and will always take his dose of medicine, said, "Oh, by the
way, I think I’m going to lose that bet."
I perked up. "Why?"
He repeated a conversation that had happened which brought
additional credibility to my prediction. If only I had been born
during Old Testament times, I could have been the first female
prophet. I’m sure of it.
He shrugged. “So, I guess you’re right.”
Humility in the face of victory is admirable. That would not
be me. A woman who can smile demurely and drop her head
modestly when she is right, is appealing and attractive. That
would not be me. A woman who holds her tongue is a highly
prized woman. That would not be me. In fact, Tink will tell you
that his biggest gripe is the many times that I will declare with
absolute glee, “I told you that was going to happen, didn’t I?”
As usual, I declined to take the high road. “Let me ask you
something,” I began, a teasing smile sliding across my face. “Why
on earth would you bet against me on something like this? I
write books on women like this, on how women can use their
wiles and charms to get the man they want. Why would you
even question me?”
He’s a good sport. He rolls with the punches and, as a result,
most of our disagreements have a comical flair to them.
He shrugged. "I keep thinking that one day I’m going to win
one of these bets.”
I laughed. “Just remember: Two pairs.”
Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of the upcoming There’s
A Better Day A-Comin ’. Visit www. rondarich. com to sign up for
her weekly newsletter.
F. Leslie Jenkins
LIBERTY
Liberty is mankinds most precious gift. From the dawn of
history good men have sought to attain and contain Liberty. This
has been done at enormous cost and devastating hardships. In
some cases the goal has been accomplished only to have to fight
over and over again for this elusive prize. In the world at large,
Liberty is unknown. In many places it is unwanted, because men
there have never tasted freedom. For over two hundred years the
United States of America has been the bastion of Liberty and
Freedom, but, little by little, these wonderful rights have slipped
away from us. So many fortunes, so many lives, so much blood
has been given so that this nation might belong to the people, but
alas, We, the People, are allowing this Liberty to be slowly taken
away.
It is time for us to be a more vigilant nation. Men and women
with great power, or those seeking great power, will promise the
masses anything, while at the same time taking a much dearer
commodity. Once Liberty is lost, it isn’t easily regained. So,
dear Countrymen, be ever alert to the forces that would deprive
you of your Freedom. In 1776, the battle cry was for Liberty-the
words of Patrick Henry echoing through the States, “Give me
Liberty or give me Death”. And on throughout the centuries the
echo remains. War after war has been fought to preserve the
Liberty of this nation. Even a war among ourselves was fought
to hold this nation together in a common bond. The blood of our
own countrymen soaks the soil of this land, so that Liberty might
prevail. Let us not lose it for tidbits offered to us by a govern
ment seeking to destroy our very way of life.
Never let it be said that this was a nation of people who sold
their very souls for a mere morsel. Maybe the time has come for,
"We, the People" to bite the bullet, to toughen up, to give up a
little, to be self-reliant. We need to become a people of produc
tivity and not users. This nation needs to go to work and show
the world again that we are the leader in industry and trade. We
need to learn to depend on one another and not upon a govern
ment. The one purpose of our government should be to defend
us from our enemies-to protect our Liberty. And never should
our government be allowed to apologize for defending our rights
as a free and sovereign nation.
We need to become a nation that sheds our dependence on
foreign oil by seeking relief within our own borders. We need to
again become that nation that leads the world in new products
and inventions. We need to take full advantage of our soil and
supply ourselves and the world with food. We need the citizens
of this nation to do the work, and not illegal aliens. We need to
clear our give-away rolls of all but the truly needy.
Finally, we need to turn our hearts back to the one God who
made the nation great. This same God said.’Tf my people, who
are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear
from heaven and forgive their sins and will HEAL their LAND”,
Chr. 7:14. This, as Abe Lincoln said, is our only way to “a new
birth of Freedom” and the Liberty we hold so dear. Tyranny
could be our alternative, tyranny is terrible, tyranny is treacher
ous, so tyranny has no place in this Land of the Free and the
Home of the Brave.
F. Leslie Jenkins. Jr.. Burke Banter Boy
Emcdlf291@bellsouth.net
Letters to the Editor
A Sad Day for the Animals of Burke County
TO ALL BURKE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
I am appalled at your recent decision not to approve funding
for Old Fella Burke County Animal Rescue to initiate and man
age animal control. The citizens of Burke County deserve a
more detailed explanation as to why this very necessary service
will not be provided. The ludicrous remark suggesting that fund
ing was being denied due to “internal turmoil” within the orga
nization is an unacceptable and inappropriate reason to deny
funding for animal control.
It is not unusual for non-profit organizations to occasionally
experience strife due to the magnitude of their endeavors and the
volunteer basis by which these groups achieve their goals. Some
how I feel that Old Fella is the scapegoat in your decision.
I have been the liaison volunteer for Old Fella for the past four
years and Animal Rescue New Orleans previously. My duties
include receiving and responding to numerous daily calls re
garding community concerns about the animals of Burke County.
I address and struggle to resolve reported issues of animal ne
glect, abandonment, cruelty, spay/neuter needs, homeless (
dumpster cats & dogs), dog fighting, etc. YOU NAME IT! Some
days are just too overwhelming to describe as I listen to Burke
County residents describe and plea for help for the often horren
dous crimes against helpless animals.
Burke County is in dire need of true animal advocates. How
disappointing to learn that not only will Burke County Commis
sioners not support animal control under the guidance of Old
Fella, but apparently have no compassion needed to resolve the
plight of so many stray and starving dogs and cats. I am asked
daily by the residents of Burke County when something will be
done to help these "poor creatures.” What do I tell them now?
Old Fella believed that Burke County leaders wanted to bring
the county to present day by funding a humane solution to the
critical animal situation. Now it seems that all our efforts to
move forward have been stalemated by unexplained and petty
excuses.
My sincere plea to the Burke County Commissioners is to make
their decision about animal control with a humane objective.
Sincerely,
Jimmie B. Jenkins
Conyers
Financing Highways
EDITOR:
There are some 20,000 miles of federal and state highways in
Georgia - the interstate system and major roads that link our
cities one to the other; carry our commuters to and from em
ployment centers and give structure to our thriving logistics in
dustry and interstate commerce.
There are another 100,000 or so miles of city streets and county
roads - streets or rural routes we live on that carry us to the
neighborhood grocery store, to church, dentists and doctors; that
take our children to and from school and become veritable ap
pendages of daily life.
The former are the responsibility of the Georgia Department
of Transportation; the latter of their respective county or city
governments. Both are hugely expensive to grow and maintain.
And while there’s never enough money to go around, the De
partment historically has assisted local governments in funding
their work.
Faced now with new legislative mandates and a stubborn
economy that is stretching resources like never before, Georgia
DOT has developed a streamlined, user-friendly program to get
grant monies to cities and counties faster and simpler than ever
before. The Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG)
program began two years ago as a consolidation of previous
Department local assistance programs. New matching fund re
quirements resulting from the July Transportation Referendum
vote prompted us to retool LMIG - to recast it so it best helps
cities and counties help themselves.
We are in the process of providing the state’s roughly 700
cities and counties information on the “new” LMIG program
and Fiscal 2013 application packets. With approximately $110
million at stake, we expect most cities and counties to apply.
The grants will range from around a thousand dollars to four
million, based on the population and number of miles of road
way in the city or county.
Georgia’s General Assembly, in adopting The Transportation
Investment Act (TLA) and its statewide sales tax referendum held
this past July 31, stipulated that local governments in those dis
tricts of the state where the referendum was approved would
- See Letters, page 6
Lion’s Club
The Waynesboro Lions Club will meet, 5:30 p.m., Thursday,
Oct. 11 at Mobley’s Cafeteria. All members and those interested
in joining are encouraged to attend.
Infant CPR
A free Infant CPR class is offered at the Burke County Health
Department, 4-5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12. Participants will learn
infant first aid for choking, infant CPR, childproofing tips, child
safety information and SIDS risk reduction. Call 706-437-6912
to register.
Flower Show
The Burkeland Garden Club, in cooperation with the City of
Waynesboro’s Department of Community Development, will host
the Colors of Fall standard flower show 2-5 p.m., Oct. 26 and 9
a.m.-noon, Oct. 27. Design entries are invitation only, but horti
culture entries are welcome if entered by Monday, Oct. 22. The
show is free to attend and open to the public. For more informa
tion or to enter the horticulture divisions, contact show Chair
person Sue Edenfield at 706-825-5977.
Trunk or Treat
Rosemont Heights Baptist Church will host a Trank or Treat
on Oct. 31 st , 6-8 p.m., in the parking lot of its campus on West
Sixth Street. Community children are welcome to attend the event,
which will include treats and games. For more information, call
the church office at 706-554-2468.
Public service announcements may be emailed to
truecitizennews@live.com, faxed to 706-526-4779 or dropped off
at our Academy Avenue office. Our deadline is noon Thursday.
In the event of limited space, announcements will be published
on a first-received basis.
Lively
from page 4
Or twice. Okay, let’s not talk about Vegas.
At thirty-thousand feet the storms are miles below you and
look like tempests in a teapots.
Interstate highways look like twin ribbons that wander on for
thousands of miles.
The mighty Mississippi, that I once tried to swim across till it
occurred to me about a hundred yards offshore that if I made it
to the other side I’d have to swim back, looks endless and shiny
if you happen to fly over when there’s a nearly full moon. It
looks like it might stretch from border to border which it dang
near does.
Ten days, six flights, five airports, five different beds and one
couch, all my babies and grandbabies.
A whole passel of new memories.
And a few old ones.
Don Lively is a freelance writer and author of Howlin’At The
Dixie Moon. He lives in Shell Bluff. Email Don at
Livelycolo@aol.com and visit his website, www.DonLively.com.
APARTMENT FOR RENT
78-B Hwy. 56 N.
1 BR, 1 BA, Fully Furnished, Utilities Included.
Call For More Info.
FORESTRY SERVICES • TIMBER SALES • TIMBER MANAGEMENT
FULL REF0RSTATI0N SERVICES - GARF #1738
mikesmithrealty@bellsouth.net
www.landandtimberinga.com
tB
ME 5
Pet Parade
“Pretty Girl & Chloe”
Parents: Amy & Chris Phillips and
Mackenzie Howard
SUBMIT YOUR PET’S PHOTO
LIBERTY
SQUARE
PHARMACY
IlYlUvid.’Uft.l
Bring a clear, loiwd ptttto along wiin Hie
lie's anil owner's name in: TIir line Cliiren,
547 LABi Si., Waynes boro
or email to: bonnieiliifinieritlKinoni
Clint Meeks, Owner, Pnarmacisl
Bonnie Tidwell, Jamie Zittrouer,
Jameii Whitfield ■ Technicians
LIBERTY
SQUARE
PHARMACY
Open: Mon.-Tues., Thurs,, Fri. 9-6 Wed. 9- Moon
LibertySquarePharmacy@gmail.com
706-554-7000