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Page 4 — Wednesday, September 9, 2009, The Millen News Opinions, yours and ours We Must Not Give Up The announcement last week that Cavalier Home Builders is closing its Millen plant was another hard blow for this commu nity. The mobile home manufacturing plant is the last major in dustry located in Jenkins County and the oldest continually op erated manufactured housing facility in the state. It has been a fixture in Jenkins County since 1967, and its demise will not go unnoticed. Closure of the plant will result in the loss of 104 full time jobs. For a community already dealing with an unemployment rate of 21.7 percent, resulting from the closures of Jockey International and MI Windows and Doors, the prospect of even more unem ployed citizens is devastating. While economic analysts point to signs of recovery across the nation, recovery will not come to Jenkins County until our citi zens have been put back to work. Local leaders have indicated that they are working diligently, following every lead, to bring industry and businesses to this community. The hard fact, how ever, is that we are competing with every other county and city in the state to do so. While the task seems overwhelming at this point, we must not give up. We must all pull together and support any and all efforts to revive and restore our community. The Chatter Box By Deborah Bennett An e-mail buddy sent me the following little story, and I thought it worthy of sharing. The Wicker Basket The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old wom-out Bible, His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him. One day the grandson asked, “Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?” The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, ‘ Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water: ’ The boy did as he was told even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You will have to move a little faster next time.” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See, Papa, its useless!” “So you think it is useless?” The old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket, and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.” Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God’s word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don’t retain a word. Happy birthday this week to: Pearl Myers, Minnie Bell Sherrod, Leigh Ann Seibert, Charles (Jack) Burke, LisaTroisi, John Ellis, Marie Garvin, Shannon Ward, Ann Saxon, Buford Williams, Bobby Q. Cobb, Laurie Fleming, Eddie Williams, Jason Boynton, Paul Godbee and Myrt New ton. Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Waters. Military Active Duty List: PV2Brianna Joiner, U.S. Army National Guard, Ft. Leonardwood, MO; 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, NS A Naples, Italy; Senior Airman Charles F. Woods, Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, GA; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force. Osan AFB, Korea; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, T. Hood, Texas; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, 735th Air Mobil ity Squadron Detachment 1 Commander, Richmond Royal Australian AFB, Richmond. Australia; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard HI, 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 Na tional 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 Hospital, Seoul. Ko rea; 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 Lcjeune. 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. Letters policy Letters to the editor of The Millen News are welcomed and en couraged. 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 opin ions of the writers whose names appear on them and are not to be considered the opinion of this newspaper, its management or own ers. Letters to the editor voice the opinions of the newspaper’s read ers. 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 limited to 400 words. The deadline for letters is Friday at noon. You can email letters to themillennews @ yahoo.com. i=i! — Tms is AMERICA,’HbMS MW)! YOU V#fT VWH CARER,, SET Rich LIKE ME;TAEW YcOCAUIWEAPERSO^L tXtTok CATER Jo YchR EVERY MEEP/ Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: My Jenkins County High School (JCHS) and Millen baseball team lost one of its fin est members. Frank (Stephens) was a team mate of mine on the JCHS 2B champs of ’58 and the Jim Hite Ogeechee League champs of ’59. He was one fine guy and a great team mate. He was not only the best left-handed hitter ever at JCHS, but its best player. With Homer Meyers leading off and Frank batting third, we had the two best hit ters and players ever to play baseball at JCHS, in my opin ion. Frank will be missed. Al though he left Millen many years ago, his team mates will always remember him. I know he will be playing third base up stairs. Sincerely, Butch Joiner Millen Following the debate over the health care reform has been maddening and frustrating, to say the least. Watching scenes of Congressmen and Senators being shouted down before having a chance to say anything, as the shouters were instructed to do by email from various anti-tax, anti-change, anti-whatever organi zations, we understood quickly that there would be no debate, no exchange of ideas to solve the problem of our country’s hav ing some 47 million citizens without health care. Falsehoods abound. Betsy McCaughey of the Hudson Insti tute helped sink the 1993 Clinton administration health care pro gram by claiming the bill made it a crime to buy supplemental insurance or to pay your doctor out-of-pocket. The bill said the opposite! But low-information voters are taken in by her "death panel” claim endlessly repeated by radio talk pundits and even a Vice-Presidential candidate. A talk show host’s website places what he calls “Obamacare” with the swastika, tying it to Na tional Socialism of the Hitler era. This idea is picked up and repeated. What must the spirits of those murdered in the holo caust think of this trivialization of its horrors? A poster in New Hampshire reads, “Obama Lies, Grandma Dies.” Another calls for death to Michelle Obama and her two daughters. A man brings a gun to a town meeting to “water the tree of liberty.” Georgia Representative Paul Broun throws the pages of the bill on the floor saying he cannot understand it. Great theater. But all bills are written in the same language! Does that mean he has never understood any bill passed by Congress? S.C. Senator Jim DeMint states this health care debate can bring down Obama. What has all this got to do health care? And it is not an Obama plan. The difference between now and 1993 is that legislative drafting of the President’s ideas is left to Congressional committees. Very definitely, the fear card is being played well. And this is 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 PO. 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 what can be tied to National Socialism. Josef Goebbels, Propa ganda Minister for the Nazi regime, is credited with saying that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. A final thought. To be consistent, one who believes that gov ernment should stay out of health care must refuse Medicare. JENKINS COUNTY SEPT. 14-18 Monday - Ham or P/B Jelly Sandwich, Macaroni & Cheese, Sweet Potato Pattie, Pineapple Cup, Roll or Salad Bar: Lettuce, Tomato, Celery Sticks, Boiled Egg, Cheese, P/B Jelly Sandwich, Grapes. Tuesday - Sausage Pizza or P/B Jelly Sandwich, Corn on Cob, Carrot Sticks & Dip, Peach Cup, Graham Crackers or Salad Bar: Lettuce, Tomato, Celery Sticks, Boiled Egg, Pimento Cheese, Grapes, Graham Crackers, Saltines. Wednesday - Italian Spaghetti or P/B Jelly Sandwich, Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Fruit Cobbler, Garlic Bread Sticks or Salad Bar: Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle Spears, Boiled Egg, Cheese, Cold Cut Sandwich, Grapes. Thursday - BBQ Chicken or P/B Jelly Sandwich, Creamed Potatoes, Broccoli & Cheese, Orange Slices, Roll or Salad Bar: Lettuce, Tomato, Celery Sticks, Cheese, Tuna or Chicken Salad, Grapes, Graham Crackers, Saltines. Friday - Hot Dog on Bun or P/B Jelly Sandwich, French Fries, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, Juice Bar or Salad Bar: Lettuce, Tomato, Pickle Spears, Boiled Egg, Cheese, Turkey/Cheese Sub, Grapes. f|School Menu# The Millen News Deadlines THURSDAY AT NOON: Wedding Announcements Engagement Announcements Anniversary Announcements Birth Announcements School News Columns Memoriams and Thank You’s General News Items FRIDAY AT NOON: Chatter Box Items, Letters to the Editor, Datebook and Church News Items OBITUARIES Accepted until press time MONDAY-11 AM: Classified & Legal Ads MONDAY-NOON: Retail Display Ads