Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 - Wednesday, June 14, 2023
The Millen News
themillennews.com
Reality show to be filmed at Garfield restaurant
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
Reality shows are a favorite
with television viewers, and
Jacqueleen (Jackie) Boatwright
Daus, a Jenkins County na
tive, is hoping her restaurant
in Garfield will be the next
big thing to hit the television
screen. A him crew will be at
Jacqueleen’s Southern Porch
June 23rd and 24th to him the
pilot episode for a reality show.
“After my mother died, we
came home to Garfield, where
I was raised, to look after my
mother’s property and decided
to turn it into a cabin com
munity, an Air B&B. When
we would come to stay on the
weekends, we wanted some
where to eat. So, the idea for
a restaurant was bom,” Jackie
said.
She and her husband, Kevin,
bought the restaurant property
in 2021 and began the process
of renovation. The restaurant
opened in February 12, 2022
with over 300 customers show
ing up.
“It was amazing and over
whelming,” Jackie said.
From the moment customers
step into the restaurant, they
know they are about to engage
in a unique dining experience.
The dining rooms are named
after family members, “Cora’s
Tea Room” and “The Hamish”,
after her husband’s family, for
example. There is also a Grand
Tea Room which seats 45.
And, the menu items bear the
names of family and friends,
“Pa Pa Ira’s Black-eyed peas”,
“Ms. Ola Mae’s Omelet”, and
“Maggie Belle’s Skillet Mac.”
Cocktails are also on the menu.
The meals are cooked as
customers place orders and
are delivered to tables by Bella
(a robot) who is one of the
front-of-house employees. She
navigates the rooms with ease
and instructs customers as to
which tray to remove from her
shelves. She also sings “Happy
Birthday” when the occasion
arises.
Another special treat are
the demonstrations that Jackie
gives with the meals.
“My mother taught us how to
eat collard greens with our fin
gers. It’s a southern dish that’s
served with cornbread, and
when eating it with the fingers
you are able to embellish the
collards, pot likker, and corn-
bread in one bite,” she said.
A favorite of customers on
the menu is oxtails, and Jackie
has a story concerning the item
that she believes will be reen
acted during the filming of the
pilot show.
“I had ordered the oxtails,
and when they arrived, they
were not cut up. It was just
this long slab of meat that got
smaller toward the end. I sawed
at the thing and still couldn’t
cut it up.
After listening to me fuss for
a while, my husband reminds
me that he is a surgeon, takes
Customers should be pre
pared to have their meals
delivered to their tables by
“Bella”, a robotic front end
employee who also sings
“Happy Birthday” for the oc
casion.
the knife, and begins to feel the
bones and starts cutting away,”
she said.
Kevin has a medical practice
in Decatur where he is an OB-
GYN/surgeon.
“He thought when we opened
the restaurant that he was go
ing to be someone working
in a suit and tie, and he is in
the kitchen washing dishes,”
Jackie laughs.
Jackie believes, “If you are
going to give back, give back
to where you come from.”
And give back, she has!
“My goal for the restaurant
is to get people sitting down
and eating together again. I
tell them that it’s going to be
my pleasure to cook for them
today.”
Jackie is looking forward
to the filming of the pilot for
the reality show and says that
after it is filmed, the idea will
be pitched to several studios
that have already expressed an
interest. Customers may make
reservations to dine at the res
taurant during the filming.
Jacqueleen’s Southern Porch
is open Friday-Sunday for
dine-in or curbside take-out.
Reservations are highly rec
ommended, but walk-ins are
welcome.
City holds public hearing on 2023-2024 budget
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
Prior to the regular meeting
scheduled for June 5th, Millen
City Council convened for a
public hearing on the city’s fis
cal year 2023-2024’s proposed
budget.
City Manager Jeff Brantley
presented copies of the budget
to council members and noted
that it was also available online
for inspection at www.jenkin-
scountygeorgia.com. The bud
get is located at the bottom of
the City Administrator’s page.
The main topic of discussion
at the hearing was gas prices
and usage. Brantley said gas
prices increased in October
and November last year and
that had been taken into con
sideration when preparing the
budget for 2023-2024 with
$950,000 included for gas
funds.
“We just never know about
gas prices, and U.S. Silica
increased gas usage. That was
the biggest factor last year. It
(the budget) got out of line.
We probably won’t need it this
year, but it’s there if we do,”
he said.
Councilman Darrel Clifton
remarked, “The budget has
increased 47% since 2021.
We need to try and live within
guidelines and not go over
without a good reason for do
ing so.
Brantley responded, “It’s
doubled since 2022 on the gas
budget, but it’s still an in/out
when we collect on the revenue
side. It’s not a bad thing. The
more we sell, the more we
make.”
A called meeting will be held
6 p.m. on June 20th to approve
the budget.
City Council hears CDBG updates
DEBORAH BENNETT
Millen News Editor
The City of Millen’s Com
munity Development Block
Grant (CDBG) projects are
nearing completion. Updates
on the three projects were
presented to council members
during the June 5th meeting.
City Manager Jeff Brantley
noted that the 2008 CDBG
project on Johnson and Wash
ington streets is in the pro
cess of being closed out. The
project benefits 64 persons,
78% being low income. Five
houses included in the project
have been renovated with 12
persons benehtting.
The 2020 CDBG project is
almost finished, Brantley said.
The last house will be finished
by the end of the month. The
project area is Lincoln, Warren
and Tarver streets. .
The 2021 CDBG project is in
the area of Winthrope Avenue
and Palmer Row.
“We’re waiting for one house
to be demolished and one
house to be renovated on this
project. There wasn’t much in
this grant for housing. We can
include more for housing in the
next project,” Brantley said.
He noted that the 2023
CDBG application for $1 mil
lion was approved. The project
area for this grant is Waters
Avenue to Buckhead to Drexel
Street.
In other business, a request
for $1,400 from Main Street
Millen to help fund the an
nual Patriotic Celebration was
discussed and approved 4-1
with Councilman Giovonnie
Shumake casting the oppos
ing vote.
“At this cost, I am concerned
that there is a better use of these
funds. Because we have done
things in the past doesn’t mean
we need to continue to do it,”
Shumake said.
It was noted that the county
also contributes $1,400 to the
event.
Brantley pointed out that
Main Street Millen is a city
function. “We fund them,” he
said.
Councilman Darrel Clifton
suggested that the request be
approved, but looked at again
for the in coming year.
Mayor King Rocker agreed,
“It’s too late to pull out now,”
he said.
Brantley presented the issue
of dying trees in the Millen
Cemetery stating that disease
was killing the Dogwood trees
and all of them needed to be
removed. All but three could
be removed with city labor,
he noted. The oak trees have
beetles in them and 14 of them
need to be removed and 10
need trimming.
Of the three bids received
for the project, Coastal Tree
Care LLC had the low bid of
$ 16,000. That bid was accepted
for removal of the trees.
Possible improvements at the
Westside Cemetery were also
discussed.
The scrap tire abatement
reimbursement program is
coming open next month. The
city will apply for $50,000.
This is a residential program
and does not include commer
cial sites. The planned date for
the program is Oct. 30- Nov. 4.
During this time city residents
may place old tires beside their
poly carts for pick-up. County
residents may take their tires
to the county landfill for dis
position.
Jacqueleen Boatwright Daus is ready to cook for customers
of Jacqueleen’s Southern Porch in Garfield.
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