Newspaper Page Text
Page 4 — Wednesday, December 2, 2009, The Millen News
Opinions, yours and ours
The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett
Don’t forget that Christmas in Millen is taking place this Satur
day. Due to the construction on Cotton Avenue, some of the usual
activities will not occur.
However, Santa will still put in an appearance. The “jolly old
elf’ will be at Papa’s Pizza from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to hear
Christmas wishes and have his photograph taken with local chil
dren.
The Christmas parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. with line-up at
Jenkins County High School at 9 a.m. The parade will proceed
down Winthrope Avenue rather than Cotton Avenue before head
ing back to the school.
Another annual Christmas activity, the decorations contest, is
set to take place Monday, Dec. 14, from 6-10 p.m. If you plan to
participate, you must leave your Christmas lights on during these
hours.
Yes, the holiday season is here, and I must admit that I am
looking forward to Christmas this year as I will get to share it
with our two grandchildren for the first time. They are a little
young to know what everything is all about, but that won’t stop
Nana and Pa from making a fuss over them.
It also brings back many memories of the Christmases I spent
with my grandparents. One of my most vivid memories is that of
Granddaddy trying to “sneak” a little green rocking chair into his
house on Christmas Eve without my seeing him. He got it stuck
in the doorway and ended up giving it to me earlier than planned.
We are looking forward to making similar Christmas memo
ries with our grandchildren in the years ahead.
Happy birthday this week to: Tammy Troisi, Larry Thompson,
Wanda Rhodes, Fab Black, Justin McBride and Jessica Haley
Godbee.
Military Active Duty List: PV2 Brianna Joiner, U.S. Army
National Guard, Ft. Benning, GA; 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, Osan AFB, Korea; 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, Ma
rine 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 In
fantry 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 Expedi
tionary 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. Amy, 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. Amy, 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
Editor 1946-1985
Frank M. Edenfield
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 $33.00
Outside of Georgia $39.00
Don Lively
THANKS A LOT
Okay, so I’m a week late with my list of things that I’m thankful
for.
I’ve been busy.
Sue me.
But honestly, isn’t that happy Thursday in November every year
just the beginning of the season when we all begin to focus on the
really important things in our lives?
We should remain thankful till at least the week after Christmas.
You know. When we’re all broke. When the gifts have been
stowed away to be re-gifted at somebody’s birthday during the com
ing year. When many of us have gained so much weight from the
Holidays that nothing we bought FOR the Holidays fits on January
1. When our credit cards are screaming for mercy at the thought of
being dragged through one more UPC scanner.
In other words, be thankful before if s too late!
Okay, enough of the cynical palaver. Because the truth is, I’m
one of the few men I know of who actually likes the Holiday Sea
son.
So, without further delay, here is my already slightly delayed list.
For me, thankfulness begins with family. Mine is the best, though
I’m sure that you think yours is.
Thoughts of my huge extended family start with Mama. The Sun
day before Thanksgiving she turned 83. She’ll fuss at me, then for
give me for revealing her age. That same day she sang in the same
church choir where she has for over 60 years. I’m thankful that she
and Daddy found each other and contributed substantially to the
baby boom.
My two brothers have lived around our hometown all of their
lives and, between them, know everybody in the county. I, on the
other hand, was gone for thirty years. So, when I need folks to hang
with or to fill out a party list, I have to borrow friends from them.
Both are also long wed and they let me be the fifth wheel when I
don’t have plans of my own. VTiich is most of the time. The bros
have my back. I have theirs.
My sister, who had the unenviable task of growing up the only
sister to three rowdy boys, is the world’s second best cook, right
behind Mama. Sis was around recently and baked several batches of
cookies for various Holiday functions but she never yelled at me
when she noticed a few, okay, more than a few, missing. I blamed it
on the mice but I think she was on to me. I also came home one day
and found a load of clothes I’d left in the dryer folded and stacked.
Trust me, if you live alone and eat most of your meals out of cans,
fresh baked cookies and folded underwear are things to be thankful
for. Sis has my back too.
My oldest daughter looks like Barbie, like her mother. She’s my
serious-minded child, thoughtful but also playful. And just as butt
headed as me. We’ve had the inevitable father/kid clashes as she
matured and I didn't, but she’s always had me wrapped. Still
does. She’s my heart.
My younger daughter currently has pink and white hair
and indescribable tattoos that I couldn’t talk her out of. Even with
all the added color, she’s gorgeous. My rebel child. She makes me
laugh. She gave me my first grandchild so I forgave her for the
tattoos. She’s my other heart.
My son has been to war with the Marines twice and has come
back both times unhurt. He’ll be out of the Corps in less than a year
and has already charted his course for civilian life. Eons ahead of
HAWK & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
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
where I was at his age. No man has ever been prouder of his boy. He’s
my third heart.
Thrown into that mix are a multi-talented son-in-law who adores
my daughter and granddaughter and who will become a millionaire
by his own device, and a pretty little daughter-in-law who stood by
my son through boot camp and two overseas deployments.
I couldn’t begin to list all of the nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles
and cousins who I also thank God for every day.
As I said, it all begins with family.
And a church that welcomed me home and put me to work.
A soon to be completed new house.
A Southern hometown that has embraced me again.
A country that I love in spite of a government that I don’t bust.
Local football teams that win more than they lose.
Friends, old ones, new ones, even borrowed ones.
A Lord whose good all the time.
And you.
Every time you tell me that you like how I fill this space, I’m more
thankful than I can ever express.
Happy Thanksgiving, a week late, or 51 weeks early.
Don Lively is a retired police officer and freelance writer. He
lives in Shell Bluff. Email Don at Livelycolo@aol.com.
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