Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 — Wednesday, February 18, 2009, The Millen News
Opinions, yours and ours
The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett
Attention! Attention!
Deadlines for submitting news items to The Millen News
will change effective this week. All news items for inclusion
in the Feb. 25 and subsequent editions should be submitted
according to the following schedule.
Due Thursdays noon - wedding/engagement/birth announce
ments. anniversaries, school news, columns, memoriams, thank
you’s and general news items.
Due Fridays noon - letters to editor, Chatter Box items,
datebook and church news.
Obituaries will be accepted up until presstime.
No news items of any kind will be accepted on Mondays
for inclusion in that week’s edition. Also, news articles may
be edited and condensed to accommodate space limitations.
The deadlines for classified, legal and display ads will re
main the same - 11 a.m. Mondays for classifieds and legals
and noon Mondays for display ads.
As always, we appreciate your cooperation in helping us
meet our deadlines.
I received this bit of information and thought it worthy of
passing along.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development and the
Georgia Tourism Foundation have announced the launch of a
new website highlighting Georgia-made products. Listings on
the website are free, so artists, producers and retailers selling
authentic Georgia-made Georgia-grown products are eligible
to be part of this marketing tool. This is a web registry with a
searchable data base. To list a product, or to shop for prod
ucts, go to: www.GaMadeGaGrownProducts.org.
The poll question on our website last week was, “Do you
support Millen City Council’s efforts to revise and enforce a
stricter Dog Ordinance?”
Responses, as of Monday morning, were: Yes - 24; No - 0;
Undecided - 2; and Who Cares - 5.
Comments were: “What about cats? I can’t even have a bird
feeder because of cats killing the birds.”
To participate in this week’s poll go to http://
www.themillennews.com.
Happy birthday this week to: Keith Lattimore, Elizabeth
Mosley, Bob Fields, Edna Grace Royal, Viola Davis, Brandy
Thompson, Lori Pickett, Eddie Bolton, Gena Boynton, Jesse
Williams, Morgan Sharpe, Sandy Lanier, Jan Griffin, Lois
Godbee Wilson,Vaughna Roberts, Gloria Becton, Clint Davis
Jr., Susan Welch, Tykeise Oliver, Zachary Keller, Janasia
Brady, Charles Burke, Blake Lane, Dee Dee Goodwin, Brooks
Brinson, Abbi Ridings, Matt Thompson and Adam Oglesby.
Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Mr. and Mrs. Johnny
Fleming, Mr. and Mrs. Hud McTeer, Mr. and Mrs. Chris
Chance, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Wiggins and Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Burke.
Military Active Duty List: Lance Cpl. Adam Lanier, U.S.
Marines, 8 th & I Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.; E-4 Sr.
Airman Roy Davis, U.S. Air Force, RAF Molesworth, United
Kingdom; Lance Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, Twenty
Nine Palms, CA; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion,
Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp
Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2 nd Class Eric B. Kelsey,
U.S. Navy, NSA Naples, Italy; Airman First Class Charles
F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart
Burrus, U.S. Air Force, Barksdale AFB, Bossier, LA; SPC 4
Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt.
Donald Slade Burke, 735th Air Mobility Squadron Detach
ment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Rich
mond, Australia; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th
Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Iraq; Petty Officer 3rd Class
Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Petty
Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer,
Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette
Destroyer; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th
Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R.
Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division,
Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hos
pital, Seoul, Korea; Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman,
MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry
Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary
Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S.
Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr.,
E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait;
Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB,
Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force,
Randolph AFB, Texas; and SPC Charles “C.J.” Amerson,
U.S. Army, Camp Adder, Iraq.
Chartered 1903
The Millen News is published weekly by Chalker
Publishing Company, 601 E. 6th St., Waynesboro, Ga.
The Millen News
856 East Cotton Ave. • Millen, Ga. 30442
Phone: (478) 982-5460 • FAX: (478) 982-1785
Periodical postage paid at Millen, Georgia.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
The Millen News
P.O. Box 909
Millen, GA 30442
USPS No. 349-660
Walter Harrison Frank M. Edenfield
Editor 1946-1985 Editor/Emeritus
1985-1998
Roy F. Chalker Jr.
Bonnie K. Taylor.
Deborah Bennett
Lavonna Drawdy
Melodye Williams
Publisher
General Manager
Editor
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Office Assistant
Subscription Rates (Includes tax):
In Jenkins County $23.00
Elsewhere in Georgia $26.00
Outside of Georgia $29.50
"Can you believe it? ... I just got a text message that
lawmakers want to clamp down on cell phone use in cars!"
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Your front page story in last
week’s edition, (Feb. 04,2009,)
about the donation of the old
Edenfield’s store was some of
the worst reporting that you
have done in a long time. The
item wasn’t completely wrong,
but it still gets an F.
First, you were wrong about
to whom the building was do
nated. You said Millen Fire De
partment. The correct answer
was that it was donated to the
North Jenkins County Fire De
partment, with the proceeds to
benefit the Oak Hill Fire Depart
ment.
Second, all of the history of
the building was totally irrel
evant. The subject was dona
tion. If I donate a car to the Sal
vation Army, the past history of
owners is irrelevant.
Third, you misspelled the
name of the donors. The correct
answer is Mr. and Mrs. Robert
(Bob) and LaDonna Gest.
Fourth, you failed to inter
view Mr. and Mrs. Gest.
Well, I did your work for you,
(no thanks necessary.) I inter
viewed Mr. and Mrs. Gest, and
they told me this: “We have
been advocates of trying to bet
ter Millen and Jenkins County
ever since we were on the Bet
ter Home Town Committee. I
guess that is what really got us
interested in trying to help make
improvements. We have heard
for years, people saying ‘I sure
wish someone could make this
or that change.’ We decided to
not only work on it through Bet
ter Home Town, soliciting ideas
and the like. We decided to be
come more active in it by get
ting the community together to
push ordinances through the
City Council that would benefit
the businesses of Millen, but
also the community as a whole.
We have always wanted to be a
blessing to the people of Jenkins
County and Millen through our
business. We not only try to
reach people for Christ, but also
to enlighten people to the fact
that this is a good place to live.
If the people and the powers that
be would have a mindset to be
upright and start looking out for
the other guy rather than their
own selfish interests, things
could change.”
Wayne Salter
Suburbs of Perkins
Jon Burns
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Like the majority of states across our nation, Georgia is expe
riencing an economic crisis and the House continues to struggle
with budget decisions. We may have to take drastic steps in or
der to balance the budget including the difficult task of deciding
what cuts will be made.
A balanced budget means that the amount of money spent dur
ing the fiscal year cannot exceed the amount of money collected.
This makes the budget process very complex, but ensures that
the state of Georgia does not operate with a deficit. Budget cuts
of 10 % or more have already been enforced and additional cuts
are expected. The state revenue for January of this year dropped
over 14%, a decline of around $260 million compared to Janu
ary of last year. But it is evident that further budget cuts will
have to be made. The state of Georgia is now looking at close to
$3 billion in cuts which will undoubtedly affect everyone in our
state.
This week, several important pieces of legislation were voted
on in the House. HR1 failed to obtain a constitutional majority
by a vote of 105-67. This Resolution would have allowed the
citizens to vote on limiting the Property Tax Reassessment Caps
on residential and commercial property. This legislation may be
reconsidered this week. Most legislators realize that it is impor
tant to have greater accountability of taxing authorities and trans
parency for the citizens in Georgia.
Another bill relating to property tax reform, HB 233, passed
the House on Friday by a vote of 110-63. This Bill creates a two-
year moratorium on property reassessment increases and requires
that each parcel of property be reassessed at least once during
that time. The property reassessment can be decreased during
this time, but not increased. Legislators are working together on
- See Burns, page 8
J.B. Powell
SENATE APPROVES NUCLEAR FINANCING PROPOSAL
The Senate voted Feb. 11 to approve the Georgia Nuclear En
ergy Financing Act, legislation I co-sponsored that would allow
Georgia Power to implement rate increases beginning in 2011 to
cover $1.6 billion in construction costs for two nuclear reactors
at Plant Vogtle. Building these nuclear units will generate about
3,000 jobs here in the 23rd Senate District and ultimately result
in less expensive electricity for Georgia consumers. An amend
ment to the bill authorizes the Georgia Public Service Commis
sion to consider the funds raised for the new units in future
ratemaking cases. SB 31 now goes to the House of Representa
tives for its consideration.
Letters policy
Letters to the editor of The Millen News are welcomed and
encouraged. These are pages of opinions, yours and ours.
The unsigned editorials generally appearing on the left side of
the editorial page represent the opinion of the newspaper and not
that of any one person on our staff. Personal columns represent
the opinions of the writers whose names appear on them and are
not to be considered the opinion of this newspaper, its manage
ment or owners. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the
newspaper’s readers.
The Millen News reserves the right to edit any and all portions
of a letter. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters must
include the signature, address and phone number of the writer to
allow our staff to authenticate its origin. Letters should be lim
ited to 400 words.
The deadline for letters is Friday at 5 p.m. You can email let
ters to themillennews@yahoo.com.
In an effort to step up awareness of the state’s new “Made in
Georgia” campaign, I have introduced legislation that would di
rect the Department of Economic Development to create and
maintain a web site informing the public of Georgia manufac
turers and the goods they produce. Under SB 117, all govern
mental entities that maintain web sites would cooperate with the
department to include a link to the “Made in Georgia “ site. Also,
companies would be required to manufacture a minimum of 50
percent of their products in Georgia in order to qualify to par
ticipate in the campaign. Remember, manufacturing is the life
blood of Georgia’s economy. Be sure to look for the “Made in
Georgia” label. SB 117 was referred to the Senate Economic
Development Committee for its consideration.
Feb. 10 was Augusta Day at the State Capitol. Along with Sens.
Ed Tarver and Bill Jackson and our House of Representatives
delegation, I was pleased to host a large contingent of local offi
cials and other community leaders from the greater Augusta area
who came to Atlanta to visit with legislators and other state offi
cials and discuss issues facing our part of the state.
I was also honored to host former Atlanta Braves baseball star
Ryan Klesko for the day at the Capitol. Now retired from his
stellar career with the Braves, San Francisco Giants and San Di
ego Padres, Klesko has settled with his family in Georgia and is
very active in community involvement and service to others. He
is founder of the Blue Ryno Foundation, which helps children
affected by cancer and their families and very involved with the
Make-A-Wish Foundation. Klesko is also committed to promot
ing land stewardship and conservation across the state. The Sen
ate unanimously adopted SR 167, which I introduced, recogniz
- See Powell, page 8