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VOL. 106, NO. 18, NOVEMBER 18, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS Members of the Jenkins County High School JROTC are, from left, first row: Anthony Sea, Dwayne Snelling, Brittany McKinney, Rubicela Delgado, Yahnchelle Scott, Justin Ellis, Keondra Kelly, Chris Simmons and Keith Heggs; and second row: Ayana Walker, Marquis Moody, Paul Dieteman, Tykierra Bobbit, David Guzman, Rashon Brady, Bernard Thompson, Quentin Williams, Trenton Polk, Tay Taylor, Fernando Gomez, Brittany Singer, Jerome Taylor, Juan Jeronimo, Andres Jeronimo and Natalie Branch. (Photo contributed) JROTC takes two national records Chamber announces holiday events By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor Progress may be a little inconvenient at times, but the show must go on! The annual Christmas in Millen and Christmas Business Open House will still take place despite construc tion work occurring on Cotton Avenue. The Business Open House will be held 3-7 p.m. Saturday. Nov. 21. Participating businesses will be Sister’s Gifts and Col lectibles, The Charm Barn, Eagle Pharmacy, Millen Better Hometown and Millen-Jenkins County Chamber of Com merce. Special discounts and other promotional events will be of fered by those participating during these hours. (See adver tisement elsewhere in this issue.) Christmas in Millen activities will take place Saturday, Dec. 5. Due to the construction, activities have been scaled back and the event has been relocated. The annual Christmas parade will be held at 10 a.m. with lineup at the Jenkins County High School (JCHS) at 9 a.m. The parade will proceed down Gray Street, Winthrope Av enue, Masonic Street, Barney Avenue and back to JCHS. Santa Claus will be at Papa’s Pizza from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to visit with children and have his photograph made with them. Anyone interested in participating in the Christmas parade should contact Cindy Linder at (478) 982-3274 or the Millen- Jenkins County Chamber of Commerce at (478) 982-5595. The Jenkins County High School JROTC Male Mixed Raider Team rolled to two na tional records at the All Ser vices, All Classification Na tional Raider Championships Saturday, Nov. 7, in Molena, Ga. After sweeping past the 3- time State Champion Paulding County Raider Team (Georgia High School Association Class AAAA) to win their first State Championship on Oct. 24, the War Eagles never slowed down. With help from the Jenkins County Department of Trans portation and Planters Electric Membership Corporation, Jenkins County went into over time during practice sessions to perfect techniques in crossing the Flint River spanning a dis tance of 87 feet with a depth of 3 feet to the far side of the rope bridge. Jenkins County broke the standing National Record by eight seconds to win the event and the title of National Cham pion for this event. Jenkins County moved on to the Cross Country Rescue, a one mile cross country course carrying six packs weighing 35 pounds and a stretcher weighing 150 pounds with an eight foot wall at the end that all team mem bers and equipment had to cross before their time was recorded. The War Eagles set the na tional record in this event and again claimed the title of Na tional Champion until next year. The War Eagles placed in all five events with two first place trophies, two-second place tro phies and one-third place tro phy. Jenkins County won the overall Runner-up National tro phy losing by two points to Smith-Cotton High School of Sedalia, Missouri. “What is most spectacular about Jenkins County’s success this year is the fact that we have only existed for two years and four months and have 71 cadets in the program. To put the ac complishment into perspective, consider some of the teams that Jenkins County beat on Nov. 7. Grissom High School from Huntsville, Ala. is a classifica tion 6A school that was the Na tional Champion in the Female Division and National Cham pion runner-up in the Male Di vision; Griffin (Georgia Class 4A) is number one in football with a record of 10 - 0 finished 7th; Hiram is ranked 4th in Class 4A football and finished 8th; Campbell is a Georgia Class 5A school and finished third for the second year in a row,” commented Command Sgt. Major Hayward Thompson and Col. Ken Wade, who coach the team. Members of the Jenkins County High School JROTC Male Mixed Raider Team are James Amerson, Natalie Branch, Ruby Delgado, Fernando Gomez, Andres Jeronimo, Keondra Kelly, Brit tany McKinney, Marquis Moody, Brittany Singer, Jerome Taylor, Tay Taylor and Ayana Walker. Members of the Male Raider Team and support staff are: Rashon Brady, Paul Dieteman, Justin Ellis, Keith Heggs, Juan Jeronimo, Trenton Polk, An thony Sea, Chris Simmons, Dwayne Snelling, Jose Solis, Bernard Thompson, Quentin Williams, Irene Dieteman and Candice Waters. Numerous donations were made by local citizen to last year’s Toys for Tots campaign. The deadline for making a donation this year is Monday, Dec. 14. Donations are also needed for Thanksgiving in Millen. (Photo Contributed) Council of Churches seeks holiday donations By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor As the holidays approach, the Council of Churches is gearing up to spread a little “holiday cheer” with two an nual activities. The group will be furnish ing Thanksgiving meals for 125 families in the commu nity through its Thanksgiving in Millen program. The meals will be available Tuesday, Nov. 24. Items needed are green beans, stuffing, cran berry sauce and yams. The public is being asked to help identify families within the community that would benefit from the Thanksgiving meals. The last date to submit names is Wednesday, Nov. 18, (today). Names may be submitted to the Jenkins County Family Enrichment Center (JCFEC). The Toys for Tots campaign is also underway. Donations are needed for 92 families with 245 children, ages 0-17. The deadline for making do nations is Monday, Dec. 14. The date and time of distribu tion of the toys will be an nounced later. Donations for both pro grams, including monetary contributions, may be dropped off at the JCFEC on Barney Avenue. Local citizens are asked to join together to help those in need in the community have an enjoyable holiday season this year. The success of the programs is directly depen dent upon the generosity of the public, said program sponsors. For additional information, contact Tonya Gearheart at the JCFEC at 982-8004. JCES named Title I Distinguished School By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox recently named Georgia’s Title I Distinguished Schools for 2009-2010. Among those recognized was Jenkins County Elementary School (JCES). "These districts and schools are a prime example of the im pact high expectations, hard work and collaboration can have on student achievement,” Superintendent Cox said. “I am thrilled to recognize the educators, students and parents in these schools and school districts.” Title I schools have a significant population of students who are economically disadvantaged and receive federal monies to assist with the education of these students. Schools recog nized as Title I Distinguished Schools must have made Ad equate Yearly Progress (AYP) for at least three consecutive years. Distinguished Schools that have made AYP for three consecutive years are awarded a certificate while those who have made AYTP for four or more consecutive years receive a monetary award, paid for out of federal funds. JCES has made AYP for the past seven consecutive years and this will be the fifth time the school has earned the distin guished status. "I am once again very proud of the hard work and dedica tion of each of the faculty and staff members at JCES as dem onstrated in the academic performance of our students of the CRCT. Day in and day out, our folks put in countless hours to assist our students in the mastery of skills which are needed to be successful in their future endeavors. In addition, I am ex tremely proud of the efforts our students, each of whom rec ognizes the great importance of these tests each Spring. Once again, thanks to these folks on another job well done!” com mented JCES Principal Jim Jarvis. Jenkins County School Superintendent Melissa Williams states, "This award is an outstanding accolade for the entire elementary school. The staff, students and parents are to be commended for continuing the tradition of academic excel lence established at the elementary school and permeating throughout the Jenkins County School system. It takes all of us, working together and supporting each other like a family, to provide an environment that encourages each of our stu dents to be successful.” Thank you! From left, Adam Oglesby, Buford Williams and Larry Wilson are shown repairing the fountain located at the Olde Freight Depot Museum on Cotton Avenue. The fountain was originally located in the old Hotel Estelle. (Photo con tributed)