Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 106, NO. 17, NOVEMBER 11, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Clock tower looking good
Work on the clock tower of the Jenkins County Courthouse is progressing with noticeable improvement. Workers on the
project are, from left, Troy Jones and Eric Ward, Roofing Professionals, Inc.; Tracy Nesmith, Dabbs, Williams General
Contractors; and Wayne Stafford, Roofing Professionals, Inc. The men will start installing a new metal roof on the struc
ture soon. (Photo contributed)
Zellners’ retirement is short lived
Dan and Sylvia Zellner
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
While many may attribute the
outcome of their major life
events to coincidences or fate,
the Rev. Dan Zellner and wife
Sylvia believe instead that the
path their lives have taken has
a Divine Designer - from their
first meeting years ago to their
recently "interrupted” retire
ment.
“There are no coincidences,”
said Rev. Zellner with a smile.
“We have resided in every
major area of the state - middle,
south, west and east. So, when
we started thinking about retire
ment, I thought the Lord would
lead us to the north. But that
didn’t happen,” he said.
Instead, the Zellners ended up
back in Jenkins County in May
2005. Rev. Zellner had previ
ously served as pastor of Oak
Hill Baptist Church for eight
years, and the couple had a de
sire to return to the community
upon their retirement from the
ministry and renew the friend
ships they had made here. The
Lord, however, had a different
plan in mind.
“I am really glad and thank
ful that He did,” Rev. Zellner
said.
In January of this year, he was
asked to serve as interim pastor
of Clito Baptist Church in
Bulloch County, and in April he
became full time pastor of the
church. Retirement for the
Zellners, it seems, was only a
short “rest stop” before the Lord
called them back to the path of
ministry that led the couple to
each other years ago.
Rev. Zellner was a student at
the University of Georgia, and
Sylvia was enrolled at Tift Col
lege in Lorsyth. Since Tift was
an "all girls” college, the Bap
tist Student Union (BSU) de
cided to invite male students
from the BSU at the UGA and
Georgia Tech to a “social” at
Tift. Rev. Zellner was the only
person to take them up on the
invitation, so the social never
occurred. Sometime later, how
ever, when traveling through
Lorsyth, he decided to drop in
at the school and look up
“Sylvia Wiley”, the young lady
who had signed the invitation
that was sent to UGA.
“I thanked her for the invita
tion and then asked, ‘Are you
doing anything tonight?” Rev.
Zellner recalls. "She was so
pretty!”
She said “yes” to his invita
tion, and the two quickly dis
covered that they shared not
only a love for each other but
also a love for the Lord and a
desire to enter the ministry field.
Rev. Zellner, a science major at
UGA, had plans to seek a divin
ity degree at Southwestern
Seminary in Texas, and Sylvia
had plans to attend Southwest
ern in pursuit of a Christian edu
cation degree. The rest, as they
say, is history.
The couple married and have
served in the ministry field for
47 years, always led by a divine
power, they believe. The great
est blessing of all those years,
Rev. Zellner said, "comes from
being able to minister to
people.”
So, retirement may just have
to wait a little longer. But that
is just fine with the Zellners.
“Whatever the Lord tells us
to do, we ’ll do. I’d love for Him
to keep us busy,” said Rev.
Zellner.
At the library ...
By Sharon Blank
Join us for a cup of coffee between 11 a.m. and noon on Friday, Nov. 13!
Enjoy our Saturday Cinema on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 12 noon as we show the
movie “UP!” This lovely movie will raise your spirits and have you laughing out
loud. Don’t forget our Dial-A-Story! Call 478-982-5898 any time of the day or
night to hear a different story every week for free!
Now, on to the books!
THE SCENT OF SAKE by Joyce Lebra. Rie, daughter of a famous sake
brewing family, is determined to take over the family business after her brother's
death. But how can she manage that when she’s got to deal with a cheating,
drunken husband too?
THE ONLY TRUE GENIUS IN THE FAMILY by Jennie Nash. Her father was
a legendary landscape photographer. Her daughter is a talented painter whose
career is about to take off. But Claire’s photos aren’t anything special, just good
enough to keep food on the table. After her father’s death, can Claire stop
herself from being jealous of her daughter’s genius, and discover her own?
Links to this and other great sites can be found at www.sjrls.org
Honor America’s Veterans at Battlefields and Military Parks Preserved
in the National Park System
This presentation suggests honoring U.S. military veterans on Veteran's Day
by visiting a national park “that commemorates where they fought and served
their country.” Features annotated links to websites for parks that preserve battle
fields and other military themes, listed by wars such as the War of 1812, the
American Civil War, and World War II. Also includes listings for military cemeter
ies and military history websites. From the National Park Service (NPS).
Well, that’s all for now - see you at the library!
Thomas, Johnson
and Ford named
to City Council
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Approximately 29.28 percent of the City of Millen’s regis
tered 823 voters went to the polls in the General Election held
Nov. 3. Election results indicate that 241 ballots were cast in
Ward #1, the only contested race for three seats on Millen City
Council.
Incumbent Walter Thomas was the successful candidate in
Ward #1 polling 165 votes, or 69.33 percent, while his oppo
nent Walter Herrington received 73 votes, or 30.67 percent.
The candidates in Ward #2, Jane Johnson, and Ward #3, in
cumbent James Lord, were unopposed. Therefore it was not
necessary to hold an election in these districts.
The successful candidates will serve 4-year terms beginning
Jan. 1,2010.
Health Department
has H1N1 vaccine
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
The long awaited H1N1 injectable vaccine has arrived at
the Jenkins County Health Department. Unfortunately, the sea
sonal flu vaccine is not available at this time, but additional
vaccine is expected within the next several weeks.
Priority groups for the H1N1 vaccine, as identified by the
Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) are as
follows: pregnant women; people who live with or provide
care for infants younger than six months; healthcare and emer
gency medical services personnel; people six months through
24 years of age; and people 25 years through 64 years of age
who have certain medical conditions that put them at higher
risk for influenza-related complications.
As of Oct. 26, the East Central Health District has had 10
confirmed hospitalized patients for H1N1 and one death since
April. Two confirmed hospitalizations from H1N1 have oc
curred from residents of Jenkins County.
Spread of the 2009 H1N1 virus is thought to occur in the
same way that seasonal flu spreads, from person to person
through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. People
may also become infected by touching something with flu vi
ruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu virus in people include fever,
cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, head
ache, chills and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and
diarrhea. Not everyone infected with the flu and have respira
tory symptoms, however, will have a fever. And most people
who have become ill with this new virus have recovered with
out requiring medical treatment, according to the CDC.
Health department hours are 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Mon
days and Tuesdays and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and
Thursdays. The office is closed to the public on Lridays.
Commissioners
consider fuel
station for airport
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Lueling up aircraft may become a little more convenient
for local pilots. The Jenkins County Commissioners agreed
during the group’s Tuesday, Nov. 3, meeting to look into
the possibility of installing a fuel station at the Millen Air
port.
Commissioner Tommy Lane brought the matter before
the group, stating that he had been approached by several
persons who expressed a desire to have a fuel station at the
airport. The station would service not only local aircraft,
but could also be used as a fueling point by aircraft en route
to other destinations.
After some discussion of the matter, the commissioners
agreed to investigate the matter in regards to costs and re
quirements.
The commissioners approved a motion to leave the offi
cial name of the airport, as
noted on LEA records, as
the "Millen Airport.”
While it was noted that the
county is solely respon
sible for maintaining the
airport, it was determined
that changing the name
with the LEA did not war
rant the expense that
would be incurred.
The commissioners
agreed to develop a list of
tourism projects to be dis
cussed at the next meet
ing. The list would be pre
sented to the Millen-
Jenkins County Chamber
of Commerce as possible
projects for funding with
the county’s share of the
motel/hotel tax that is do
nated to the organization.
Other actions taken by the
commissioners included the
following:
• Approved a motion to re
bid a repair project for the
Jenkins County Library and
FSA offices;
• Approved a contract with
Stantec for up to $6,000 for
monitoring ground water at
the landfill; and
• Tabled a proposed $3,500
contract with Stantec for
submitting documentation
to the EPA on monitoring
methane gas at the landfill
until additional information
could be obtained.