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Vol. 140, No. 6 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, March 25, 2020 - $1.00
Helen Welch starred in SUPERSTAR — The Songs. The Stories. The Carpenters for the Waynesboro-Burke
Concert Series’ last performance of the season.
Concert series celebrates
40 YEARS
Wayneshoro-Burke
MARSHA PERRY HUGHES
and DIANA ROYAL
What an important year 1978 was
in American culture: “Superman”
the movie ushered in the superhero
era; “Grease” was the word; Van
Halen hit the charts; the Bee Gees
were “Stayin’ Alive”; and the Blues
Brothers debuted on Saturday Night
Live. Burke County maintained a
reasonable cost of living although
“Stagflation” hobbled the U.S.
economy. In Waynesboro, bread
was three for $1, and double-belted
whitewall tires were $116 for a
set. Banks offered percent CDs
and Green Stamps with savings
accounts. In Burke County, a small
group of concerned citizens for the
community concerts met to birth
big ideas that would enrich the
cultural life in their rural town and
serve to boost the local economy.
Waynesboro had a new office park,
a newly organized chamber of
commerce and plans for construction
of a nuclear power plant. Change and
growth were in the air.
The forward-looking, arts-minded
citizens began seeking avenues
to share quality, professional
entertainment in the county. Their
efforts resulted in the Waynesboro-
Burke Community Concert
Association Inc., incorporated
in 1979. The all-volunteer board
of directors aspired to excellent
programming and building a solid
base of patrons. With the support of
the Town and County Woman’s Club,
who donated a Baldwin grand piano
to the county, the new organization
surged forward.
Early minutes reflect consideration
of nationally-known acts: Roger
Wagner Chorale, New Christy
Minstrels, Glen Miller and CC
Ryder. According to a letter written
by Yolanda Kramer to the True
Citizen, enthusiastic patrons
purchased 500 memberships within
three days of learning of the new
community concerts and potential
artists. Clearly, Waynesboro was
ready for live talent.
The first series, 1979-1980,
featured John Raitt, The Eastern
Brass Quintet and the Serendipity
Singers. Over the years, dozens of
exceptional entertainers have graced
the stage. The season of 1985-86
included Guy Lombardo’s Royal
Canadians, the New York Vocal Arts
Ensemble and Manhattan Rhythm
Kings.
Bringing well-known artists to the
community plus rising operational
costs necessitated increasing financial
resources. Season memberships cost
$30 and Louise Fortson, past chair
of the board of directors, recalls the
organization faced difficult financial
challenges and a limited selection of
artists. She remembers that one week
prior to a performance, there was no
money to pay the performer. Louise
and Mary Kay Evans sold homemade
candy door-to-door to raise funding.
When local citizens also expressed
a preference for a wider variety of
music, the organization branched
out, booking artists from more
genres and different agencies to
please more patrons.
In 2003, the board of directors
severed ties from the national
Community Concert Association
and began to independently secure
performances on their own. State
and regional talent included The
Schoolhouse Players (Honky Tonk
Angels, Forever Plaid), Dave and
the Henrys, Savannah River Grass,
Springer Opera House and Hotlanta
Dixieland Band, to name a few.
Moving forward, the concert
association reorganized in 2007
and incorporated under the name of
Waynesboro-Burke Concert Series
Inc. (WBCS). Partnering with Live
on Stage Entertainment in Nashville
(2008-2015) provided a broader
scope of artists from which to select
and the board continued to book
artists independently.
Long standing board
member, Raymond CONCERT,
Davis, is pleased that 13
First local COVID-19
case confirmed Monday
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal @ gmail.com
As the number of COVID-19 cases
continues to rise across Georgia,
a first case for Burke County was
confirmed this week.
The Georgia Department of
Public Health’s 7 p.m. update on
Monday showed the overall cases
in the state had reached 800, and the
single digit next to Burke County
immediately had citizens concerned.
Gina Richardson, County Nurse
Manager at B. Lamar Murray Public
Health Center, said the sole case
is a mild one for the local resident
who is recovering at home after
testing positive at Doctors Hospital
in Augusta. While this person is
a Burke County resident, they are
employed in Richmond County,
not at Plant Vogtle as many rumors
across social media have suggested.
At this time, Plant Vogtle officials
have reported no confirmed cases of
its employees.
On Tuesday afternoon, Georgia
DPH updated numbers to show
confirmed cases at 1,026 with a
total of 32 deaths, attributing the
increase in part to “improvement
in electronic reporting efficiency
from commercial laboratories.” Also
on Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp’s
executive order requiring Georgians
considered at risk of contracting
the virus to stay home took effect.
While local governments in several
counties have required everyone to
stay home, Burke County and its
municipalities have not done so,
rather opting to issue the suggestions
from the state and asking businesses
to proceed with caution.
In a conference call on
Monday afternoon, Burke County
commissioners met with department
heads to discuss the pandemic and
adopted a leave policy for county
employees who may fall ill. The
policy will allow infected employees
to go in the red in sick leave if
required and gives them the option to
make up for it at a later time.
Also during the call, commissioners
heard from Burke Medical Center
CEO Tiffany Varnadoe, who stated
BMC has a very limited supply
of test kits (10) and that they are
advising those with mild symptoms
to call Augusta University and
screen through their process. The
emergency room remains open,
while visitor restrictions are in place.
She also said the hospital currently
has enough personal protection
equipment (PPE) in stock but is
continuing to request supplies each
day with the anticipation that what
is available now will be depleted.
“We remain in contact with other
rural hospitals,” she said, adding
that they plan to help one another if
possible. “The collective concern of
rural hospitals is that if the bigger
hospitals fill up, they’ll be pushed
out to us.” She went on to say that
all BMC patient rooms
are private, which is SEE
good for isolating, but COVID-19,
that the hospital has 13
Chief Magistrate Judge
Wimberly dies at age 72
ROY F. CHALKER JR.
rchalker@bellsouth.net
Sterling Wimberly, Burke County
Chief Magistrate Judge for the past
twelve years, died last week in
Charleston, S.C.
The 1965 graduate of Waynesboro
High and Industrial School went on
to receive his bachelor’s degree in
psychology from Paine College.
As a member of the U.S. Army
Reserve, he was called to active duty
in the Vietnam War in 1968-69. He
was running unopposed for his fourth
term as Chief Magistrate.
Burke County Board of Elections
Director Laveme Sello said this week
that Superior Court Chief Judge Carl
Brown would appoint a successor
to hold the position until the end of
the year.
In the first week of August there
Sterling Wimberly
will be a special qualifying period for
Democratic candidates only because
no Republican had qualified earlier.
The November General Election will
ultimately determine Wimberly’s
successor.
Absentee voting will be easier during pandemic
DAVE WILLIAMS
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
Every Georgia voter will receive
an absentee ballot request form
in the mail ahead of the May 19
primaries, Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger announced Tuesday.
The unprecedented step will
reinforce the social distancing public
health officials are recommending
in the midst of the worldwide
coronavirus pandemic.
“Times of turbulence and upheaval
like the one we Georgians face
require decisive action if the liberties
we hold so dear are to be preserved,”
Raffensperger said. “Georgia
has faced challenges before and
overcome them, and we can do so
again.”
Raffensperger already has
postponed Georgia’s presidential
primary, which was to have been
held Tuesday, until May 19, when
it will take place in conjunction
with primaries for congressional,
legislative and county offices.
Only 5% of Georgia voters cast
their ballots by mail during the
November elections in 2018 and
2016. But with COVID-19 raging, a
much higher
percentage SEE
of voters ABSENTEE BALLOT,
likely will 2
Residents urged to complete census forms
The Burke County Complete Count Committee is urging all residents to
complete their Census forms and to speak up if they haven ’ t received them.
Lea Gerlach, spokesperson for the committee, said Tuesday that “most
households should now have received their first and perhaps second
communications from the Census Bureau. Although April 1st is Census
Day you can respond right away online, by phone or by mail. We certainly
encourage everyone in Burke County to respond!
The plan was for census enumerators to begin canvassing in May those
households who had not responded by the end of April. That plan will
probably be delayed since a number of training sessions
have had to be cancelled due to the pandemic precautions, SEE
Gerlach said. These precautions are also affecting services CENSUS,
that Burke County will be providing for those who wish to o
Financing
For 84 A
Months I
HURRY! ENDS MARCH 31
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