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Page 4 — Wednesday, July 29, 2009, The Millen News Opinions, yours and ours The Chatter Box By Deborah Bennett As I was working on the minimum wage article for this week’s newspaper, I could not help but recall the first full-time job I had. It was in the purchasing department at then Look Products, the window plant. I was paid $1.65 per hour and brought home $53 weekly. My husband was working at then Bellcrest Homes, the trailer plant, and brought home $80 weekly. That was in 1973. The amounts seem minimal today, but back then, gas was 29 cents a gallon, and I could ride all week on $5. Our biggest ex pense was the electric bill which ran between $13-$35 monthly, dependent upon how much we used the air conditioner and heater. We could stock the pantry for $25-$35 weekly, and television was free with three channels from which to choose. And we still had a few dollars leftover. I came to work at The Millen News in 1975 for $2 per hour and soon received a 50 cents raise, which put me making $100 weekly before taxes. That was big money back then! Now, $100 probably won’t pay most monthly electric bills or buy a week’s groceries. And it may take the full $100 to fill up some vehicles with gas. Times have changed, and I am told that is what life is about - change. Sometimes, however, I look back at the “good old days” and can’t help but think that things sure were a lot better back then. Happy birthday this week to: Frank Wilson, Aaron Tanner, Amanda Elizabeth Bragg, Thomas Thompson, Lynn Saxon, Paula Herrington, Darlene Gay, Ashley Burch and Craig Rowland. Celebrating wedding anniversaries are: Dr. and Mrs. Joe Grif fin, Mr. and Mrs. Benny Mims, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Black and Mr. and Mrs. Rew Herrmann. Military Active Duty List: PV2 Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59 th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Ronnie Perryman, Charlie Troop, 108 th Calvary Division, 4 th Platoon, Afghanistan; 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, Baharia, Iraq; 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; Senior Airman 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 Detachment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Richmond, 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 Of ficer 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 Bri gade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, 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, Per sian 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. 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 noon. You can email letters to themillennews@yahoo.com. 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 1985-1998 Roy F. Chalker Jr Publisher Bonnie K. Taylor General Manager Deborah Bennett Editor Lavonna Drawdy Advertising Composition Subscription Rates (Includes tax): In Jenkins County $23.00 Elsewhere in Georgia $26.00 Outside of Georgia $29.50 Letters to the Editor Dear Editor: Last spring I wrote a letter about the Millen and Jenkins County High School baseball teams in 1958-59. Since, I’ve had people asking me more about these teams, especially the Millen team. The success of the 1959 Millen team that won the first Ogeechee League Champion ship led to a high degree of play. When the original mem bers began to go on with their families and jobs, their ranks were filled with equally tal ented players. This really took off when Mr. Harrison Parker began to get involved. He and Rudolph Rabitsch spent money and time to keep up a high level of play. The suc cess of this team lasted for 10 years. I can’t list all that this team won, but it did play for a na tional championship. The original members were the best in this area which led to players from other places to fill their void. These players were ex-pros, future pros, col lege All-Americans, outstand ing college players and etc. To say who was the best at any position would be hard to say for there were so many. A few that would come to mind was that Ed Brown was the best pitcher; Skeeter Griffin was the best player; and Tommy Thomas was the best all-around player. One of these players had three sons drafted by major league teams, two in one year. Another player played in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns as defensive back. The most unusual was that two players were All-Ameri cans in two sports in college. *¥* KtiUm Ub-M-Slude Sadwt /\ r J Walk Ins Welcome mt. ^*£5* Oblate Mo* Owner/Stylist 478-583.1475 Mon., Tue., Thu, ft Fri. 9-6 la^faaoitiiinanB 430 Perkins Road Wed, 9-12 Sat- 8:30-12 - at e jpoi -equest. Millen, Georgia 30822 Augusta Dental Center p c J. Michael Scott DMD Single GniiuHnv Dh- I -.Lu IM 1 *195 Loc !i, rTViiinri - Wr arL-cprt. fin;* Vis.; MS, D*cnUgr, 4nir-r.G£ Si' ll SIlttffcEitEW(l$tt *11-" - Kill! Economy Stifle &S V7 5J*" Scotat Pdrdalj irip-cirlK (Ui Porcetdn truwin ruUMOulh Jf-FUy i as.™ IMMEDIATE DENTURES ■ ’"ae th Extract-sir * Dgntunss-cf Parlisssfi-madiatgly ■ Vou ne-^ r go ivinKit yoLr test n A.1 Suige-y & Extractions Lone in cur off-ne Open Mon-Fri 7:30 AM Wn ApjnrKrrlmranrl ry I i G Hi IK Si. IhMlUnrtli rrrywi 706-721-4268 HAWK & ASSOCIATES, RC. Victor C. Hawk Melissa Detchemendy Need Help? Call: 478-982-4226 (day) or 706-294-4447 (night) American Trial Lawyers Association Southern Trial Lawyers Association Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Office located in The Millen News Building 856 E. Cotton Ave., Millen, GA Some others became very successful in the business world. Pierce Blanchard and E.G. Meybohm to mention a couple. Sincerely, Butch Joiner Millen Dear Editor: My family and I were in volved in a car accident on Friday, July 17, 2009 in Screven County. Our truck ended up rolling over in a ditch with the driver’s side up in the air. After we got her out, we re alized our daughter was hurt. She was lying on the driver’s door while in the air. A very nice and courageous man who is well-known here in Millen drove his truck down into that ditch beside our truck so that it would not turn over with Chelsea on it. That man that our family wants to thank hugely is Mr. James Ellis Saxon. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. God bless you! Sincerely, Keith and Judith Taylor Millen Call Keith or John! We will remove them and clean up where they sat. KEITH EVANS JOHN MILLER Home 478-982-0331 Cell 706-871-9560 East Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic ‘If wc can't help you...wd'll ju$t tell you." Dr. Randall C, Litwiller 403 Shadrack St.Waynesboro 706-554-9237 Hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM-N*on & 2-6 PM