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Page 4 — Wednesday, January 3, 2024, The True Citizen
OPINIONS
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
The Pledge Of Allegiance
1 pledge, allegiance, to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which
*it stands, one Nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
LOOKING BACK
{this week in Burke County history}
20 YEARS AGO-JANUARY 7,2003
Jesse C. Stone was sworn in as Mayor of Waynesboro
by outgoing Mayor Martin Dolin. Pauline Jenkins was
once again unanimously elected vice mayor. Bruce
Anderson assumed the top post in the City of Midville.
Anderson took the oath as mayor from city clerk Denise
Large.
A fire on Jan. 2 caused extensive damage to the Collins
Gin on Herndon Road. The cause appeared to be a short in
an electric motor, according to EMA Chief Rusty Sanders.
After more than 100 years, the Georgia Field Trial
Association was still going strong as the month-long
competitions at Di-Lane Plantation WMA began.
50 YEARS AGO -JANUARY 9,1973
Jimmy Buxton was elected chairman of the Burke
County Commission at the panel’s first meeting of the
year.
Raymond DeLaigle, Clerk of Superior Court of Burke
County for more than 30 years, announced he would retire
in time for a new clerk to be elected in the November
General Election.
The Waynesboro City Council adopted new housing
and building codes. The city would follow the Southern
Building Code supplemented by local electrical plumbing
and gas ordinances.
70 YEARS AGO-JANUARY 7,1954
Outgoing Mayor H. Cliff Hatcher administered the
oath of office to incoming Mayor Roy F. Chalker along
with council members C.E. Johnson, J. Winston Borom
and R.U. Harden.
Freddie McKinney, local dealer for Sylvania Televi
sion, said that color TV was still a few years off and that
the sets would probably sell for $800 - $1,000.
“Winning of the West” starring Gene Autry was playing
at the Grand Theatre.
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92^
Don Lively
A YEAR GONE
Well, that was fast.
But in other ways, not so fast.
At any rate, it’s over.
Fare-thee-well 2023.
Howdy 2024.
2024!?!
How is that possible?
Seems like we just began the
fourth year of the Covid era
and now we’re about to begin
the fifth.
Incidentally, I had almost for
gotten the idiocy of the Covid
era until I recently saw a woman
walking her dog.
In a huge park.
Outside.
On a very clear day.
Wearing a mask.
I couldn't help myself. I let
down the window of my truck
and starting hacking and cough
ing real loud.
I digress.
This is the week of every year
when columnists, humorists,
writers, and wannabe writers,
pen their “year in review”
screeds, so, here we go.
January 2023, Dawg Nation
got the second opportunity in
two years to walk on clouds
for a while when the boys won
another national championship.
This time the outcome was
never in doubt after the kickoff,
but the sweetness was no less
sweet than when the Dawgs
beat Bama a year earlier. Well,
maybe a bit sweeter since that
time we got to see Nick Saban
wince.
In January my worthless
porch dog, Lucy AKA Loose
E, went to Rainbow Ridge af
ter being with me for 17 years.
Since she's been gone, I've
really missed her during full
moon evenings when she and
I would howl together, often to
the point that the coyotes off
toward the river would join in.
I can't remember much about
February except that it was
pretty cold at times.
In March I made a trip to
Texas to see hve-ninths of my
brood. I also got to make a
side trip to Luckenbach which,
if you enjoy the Texas music
scene as much as I do, is almost
like a shrine. I got pictures
of me with the new statue of
the late music icon, Jerry Jeff
Walker.
April was busy. I had a mile
stone birthday where I was
thrown a surprise party where I
was truly surprised. I also made
my hrst attempt at woodcarving
and found out that I have a bit
of a knack for it. On Easter I
got what would turn out to be
my last picture with big brother
Urb.
In May I suited up for the
last time as Boss Hog at the
annual barbecue cook-off that
bears the same name. I'm sad
that I won't be Boss again, but
relieved that I won't be wearing
a three piece suit in the steamy
late spring heat.
May also began a period that
would rock my family to its
core. My cousin Dennis died
in May. He was one of the clan
stalwarts and his loss was felt
immediately.
Six weeks later Urb hew off
through the eastern sky. He
was my first best friend and
was universally loved around
these parts as evidenced by
the four hour visitation and the
overhowing church where we
sent him off.
A few days later Uncle Jim
my passed away just days after
his 96th birthday.
It was a tough spring for the
family but we rejoice knowing
that all three of those men now
reside in Heaven.
In July we had our annual
family reunion at The Pond
with well over 200 souls pres
ent. That month my Missouri
kids and grands came for two
weeks, part of which we spent
lounging on Daufuskie Island.
In August I took a quick trip
Out West and spent a few days
enjoying cooler weather. That
same month my friend and I
saw over 20 meteors during the
annual Perseid shower.
September was road trip time.
4500 miles, ten states, a real
live cattle drive, Grand Canyon,
Monument Valley, a gunhght in
Tombstone, and, I actually won
money in Vegas. The Georgia
Bulldogs won every game.
October was routine, in that
the Dawgs won all their games.
In November I fried two
turkeys for an extended fam
ily get-together that was very
successful. I also celebrated
a dozen years as Downtown
Development Director in my
hometown. And, UGA won
every November game.
December started off ugly.
Georgia lost the SEC Cham
pionship by 3 points to...I hate
typing out the words...sigh...
Alabama. Ah well, it
was quite a fantastic SEE
run. In December LIVELY,
I sold ten carvings 7
Ronda Rich
In 1949, a young North Caro
lina preacher decided to take
his ministry to the streets of
Los Angeles where he and his
staff pitched a tent and waited
for the people to come.
A few did.
Billy Graham had prayed
that the Lord would provide a
larger congregation. They were
scheduled to be there for only
a week but, by the looks of
things, the revival might close
quickly.
Los Angeles’ number one
disc jockey was Stuart Ham
blen. Despite his success, he
couldn’t hnd contentment and
regularly sought relief in large
quantities of alcohol. Because
his father was a Methodist min
ister in his home state of Texas,
he was willing to try a visit to
Graham’s revival. That night,
he experienced a Christian
conversion that would stick
to his soul and ripple across
countless lives.
The next morning, on the
radio, Hamblen told his listen
ers about the revival and his
experience. That night, crowds
lined up for blocks to get in to
hear the Southern preacher. The
revival was so popular that it
ran for six weeks and another
man who was saved was Louis
Zamperini, a former POW in
the South Pacihc, who had been
brutally beaten repeatedly and
who, too, sought comfort in al
cohol. His story later become a
bestselling book and hit movie
named “Unbroken.” His heart
was softened to the extent that
he traveled to Japan, found his
abuser, and gave him complete
forgiveness.
Rev. Graham would long
credit Hamblin for the crowds
that filled the tent.
From Hamblen’s experience
would come two of the most
well-known songs in popular
history. Through conversation
with his best friend and hunting
buddy, actor John Wayne, both
songs would be birthed.
Hamblen, who never touched
a drop of liquor again, lost his
radio show when he refused to
voice beer commercials. Short
ly thereafter, Hamblen was at
Wayne’s house when, hospi-
TELLERS OF SONGS PART 2
STUART HAMBLEN
tably, The Duke offered him a
drink. He refused, explaining
that he had been delivered from
the demon drink and said, “It
is no secret what God can do.”
Wayne responded, “You
should write a song with that
title.” Hamblen did and it
became a hit song and gospel
music standard.
Later, a hunting trip with
John Wayne would inspire one
of my favorite songs. They
were climbing high into the
North California mountains
where they came upon a small
shack. On the porch, a dog lay,
howling mournfully. The two
men knocked on the door and
found that the dog’s master,
an old man, had passed away
naturally, sitting in his chair by
the hreplace.
Hamblen returned home
and wrote “This Ole House.”
It’s the story of a person who
knows that death is coming
so he doesn’t have time to hx
the shingles or the squeaky
hoor. It’s worth a listen and
a look at the full lyrics. Lines
include, “My old hound dog
lies a-sleeping/he don’t know
I’m gonna leave/ else he’d
howl and moan and grieve/I
ain’t gonna need this house
no longer/I’m getting ready to
meet the saints.”
Rosemary Clooney made it
an international number one
hit in 1954. Rosemary, George
Clooney’s aunt, is the mother
of one Tink’s friends, Monsita.
My favorite version is sung
by the Statlers and not just
because Don Reid, who sings
lead on it, is one of our best
friends. He sings it fast-pace
with such uplifting hope.
When I told Don that his
version (it has been recorded
hundreds of times) is my be
loved, he humbly thanked
me then asked, “Did you ever
hear George Younce of The
Cathedrals sing it? That’s hard
to beat.”
Sometimes, during book
signings, a woman will say qui
etly, when I ask what she does,
“I’m just a wife and mother.”
Often, I will squeeze her
hand. Always, I will say, “So
was Billy Graham’s mother.”
Look at a bit of the good that
Mrs. Graham brought forth.
Ronda Rich is the best-sell
ing author of the new novel
“ST. SIMONS ISLAND: A
Stella Bankwell Mystery.”