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VOL. 108, NO. 11, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS
Fair-on-the-Square Parade
Becton to serve
as Grand Marshall
Beckie Becton will serve as the Grand Marshall of the 38th
Fair on the Square Parade. She is one of the original Millen
Better Hometown (MBHT) members. Since
MBHT’s organization in 2001, she has been
active in every aspect of MBHT work and
projects. She has been especially effective as
treasurer and as Fair-on-the-Square
publicity chair.
Beckie is active in the Green Thumb Garden
Club and is a past president of the Millen Gar
den Council. She is a member of Oak Hill Bap
tist Church where she has served in numerous
positions.
Beckie’s career was in agribusiness and she retired from
USDA. She continues to stay involved through part time work.
The Fair-on-the-Square parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Satur
day, Oct. 1.
County #1 in
unemployment
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Jenkins County captured the number one spot in unemploy
ment for the state for the month of July with a 22.3 percent
rate. This represents a 2.5 percent increase over the month of
June which showed a 19.8 percent unemployment rate.
Statistics released by the Georgia Department of Labor re
veal that 547 of the county’s work force of 2,457 were unem
ployed during the month of July. Initial claims for the month
were listed at 143.
Hancock County with an unemployment rate of 18.9 per-
:ent was ranked second and Chattahoochee at 17.1 percent
was third.
The unemployment rates of surrounding counties were:
Burke, 13.2; Bulloch, 11.5; Candler, 11.3; Emanuel, 12.0; and
Screven, 16.1.
The state’s unemployment rate also rose from 9.9 in June to
10.1 in July while the national rate of 9.3 remained unchanged
from June.
The county has consistently ranked at the top of the state’s
unemployment charts for the past several years due to the clos
ing of Jockey International, M.I. Home Products and Cavalier
Home Builders. Signs of improvement are on the horizon,
however.
The Jenkins Correctional Center, currently under construc
tion by Corrections Corporation of America, is scheduled to
open in March 2012 and is expected to provide employment
for approximately 200 local persons. Also, CARBO Ceramics
recently announced its intention to construct and operate a
facility in Jenkins County, pending environmental approval,
which would employ 75 persons with the capability to ex
pand. And Oldcastle Southern Group, Inc. has purchased 21
acres in the industrial park on Magnolia Street for planned
expansion of its services in the area.
Local leaders are optimistic that many of the unemployed
will soon find jobs.
Work began last week on the clean-up of the old SOC Station property on Winthrope Avenue. (Staff photo by
Deborah Bennett)
Work begins on SOC Station clean-up
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Clean-up of the Old SOC
station property on Winthrope
Avenue began last week. The
property has been fenced off
and demolition of the build
ing is underway.
The project is being funded
through a $200,000 Environ
mental Protection Agency
Brownfield Grant awarded the
city. The city’s share of the
cost, which may be labor, ma
terials and services, is 20 per
cent or $40,000.
The SOC Station was pre
viously operated as a gas sta
tion and automobile repair
shop. The city assumed own
ership of the property from
the estate of the previous
owner in February 2009 and
entered the property into the
Georgia Brownfield program.
Two site assessments were
performed and a corrective
action plan completed.
The major environmental
concerns at the site come from
lead and petroleum leaks from
three underground storage
tanks into the soil. The build
ing also contains asbestos and
lead paint. However, it has
been determined that the stor
age tanks are now empty and
pose no threat of new re
leases.
The master plan for reno
vation of the site includes pub
lic outdoor seating and
greenspace landscaping with
trees, sidewalks and benches.
The city also plans to con
struct a building on the site
that may be used as a visitor’s
center and rental space for a
sandwich shop or restaurant.
City Manager Lamar
Faircloth said that once the
property has been cleaned up,
it will be fenced off and grass
planted for the time being.
The city will then pursue an
other grant to complete the
project’s plans.
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Architectural drawing of proposed plans for renovation of the SOC Station site.
Bethel AME Church dedicates new windows
By Deborah Bennett
Millen News Editor
Bethel AME Church is letting
its light shine inside and out
with the help of new stained
glass windows! Ten beautiful
windows were commissioned
from artist Robin Schweitzer,
owner of Schweitzer Art Glass
Studio Inc. in Augusta and have
been installed.
Church member JoAnn
Shumake spearheaded the effort
which began August, 2009 and
will culminate with a dedication
service 3 p.m. this Sunday,
Sept. 25, at the church.
“Each window is hand
painted and each section indi
vidually cut. It took 8-12 weeks
to complete each one. We did
everything from the lay-out to
the installation, and Ms.
Shumake was absolutely won
derful to work with,’’ said Ms.
Schweitzer.
Each window features a cen
tral medallion with a different
theme at a cost of $1,905 each.
Four of the windows which fea
ture the life of Christ scenery
cost an additional $85. The
project was funded with dona
tions from individuals and
groups made “in memory or in
honor” of loved ones. A plaque
noting those remembered is fea
tured on each window.
Those honored with the win
dows, were: #1 - In memory of
Rev. Arnest and Carrie Foster,
Nick Foster; #2 - In memory
of Beauty Brady and Family,
Frank Roberson and Frank
Shumake, Mamie and K.B.
Davis, Essie L. Roberson; #3 -
Akins-Grier Family, In memory
of Hattie Mary Grier, Henry
Grier Jr.; #4 - Boles-Miller Fam
ily by Thomas Boles Jr.; #5 -
Shirley, Pamelia and Wanda
Dwight, In memory of Dea.
W.S. Dwight Jr.; #6 - Lambert-
Edwards Family, Bible Study,
Sunday School and Choir; #7 -
Minnie E. Moses, In memory
of Octavia and John R. Roberts,
Melinda R. Sapp; #8 - In
memory of George Dewey
Hart, Fannie Hart, Anice Hart,
Lucy J. McNair; #9 - In
memory of Katherine Jackson,
J. Marion Sr., G.C. Murray and
R.B. Murray; and #10 - Savan
nah District, Presiding Elder
Nathaniel Neal, June 2011. Do
nors to the transom in the foyer
were Zelda Plair Carter, Crys
tal Plair Craig and Sheila B.
Dunnum.
The cost of the windows did
not include repair work that was
needed to some of the window
sill, said Ms. Shumake. Those
who sponsored fundraisers to
cover those costs were Barbara
M. Ford, Jacinda Ford-Dixon,
Viola Baldwin, Daisy Smith,
Jamie Ford, Unity Community
Choir-directed by Macarthur
Haynesworth and Lessie H.
Johnson. Member John Davis,
who visits when he is Millen,
also provided assistance.
So, what became of the old
windows? They will be put to
good use.
“We made angels from the old
windows, and these will be pre
sented to each purchaser of the
new windows as a souvenir,”
said Ms. Shumake.
The project will be completed
in November or earlier with the
installation of a light box be
hind the choir seating. Donors
to the light box project were
Presiding Elder Nathaniel Neal,
Mr. and Mrs. Arnold R. Mosley,
Lessie H. Johnson, Martha H.
Harris, Laurita M. Burley, Tony
A. Holmes, Lillie M. Boyd,
Thomas S. Boles Jr., the Rev.
and Mrs. James C. Jones and
Richard F. Williams.
The project was initiated and
completed under the pastorship
of the Rev. James C. Jones.
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Above, left, JoAnn Shumake is shown admiring one of
the new stained glass windows at Bethel AME Church.
Above, right, The old windows at Bethel have been made
into angels that will be presented to purchasers of the
new windows. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett)
We were here Yesterday, We are here today
& We will be here Tomorrow!
We Are Jenkins County Dealer
\ CHEVROLET ■ BLHCK ■ CMC TRUCKS I
