If you didn’t get to see the newest May-Haw production, you missed a South Georgia treasure.
We gave you fair warning that this was going to be a hit, and a lot of you didn’t get to see it since every performance was a sellout. There were folks calling and begging for tickets last Friday and Saturday. There were none to be had.
One of the folks that helps run the Colquitt/Miller Arts Council said that they thought that this show could run for months or years, but the people who do it, are all volunteers, and they have to work for a living.
If it hadn’t been for my first wife, I would have missed it. My thoughts were that it couldn’t be any better than last year, and they would use some of the same stuff. The original production was a take-off on the late Buck Owen’s and Roy Clark’s “Hee Haw” television production that started back in 1969 and lasted until the late 1990s.
Miller County’s rendition was so good, they had to change the name to May-Haw.
It was meant to be a one-time production, but it was too good and too well accepted.
As one man said when he came out, “If that woman has dry pants on it will be a miracle. She was laughing at that ‘drunk’ so hard she could hardly catch her breath.”
It is no surprise to us locals that we have the most talented “unprofessional” bunch anywhere in the world. I believe that the secret has gotten out. Folks can’t get enough of it.
Some of the productions that have been in Cotton Hall would make you laugh, think and cry all in the same play. May-Haw was different. You didn’t have to think. The new sound system made it so that even us deaf folks could hear. There was still a lot of laughing and crying, but the crying was from laughing so hard.
The talent that this area can come up with is awesome. There is no place in the world that you can be entertained like this.
As one man stated as he was leaving, “If there is anyone who didn’t enjoy that, you can go on and throw some dirt over them before they start stinking.”
I’ve got to admit, there are a few of the performers that cannot be categorized as “nonprofessional.” They are just too good.
There are already plans for May-Haw to be performed at least three more times. It wouldn’t hurt to go ahead and get your tickets. Several sell-out audiences already know how great it is. Watch for the next opening of May-Haw in this newspaper.

Congratulations are in order to Tim Fowler, Miller County Hospital’s emergency room physician assistant (PA).
Tim was presented the coveted Rural PA of the Year by the 2006 Georgia Association of Physician Assistants at the annual Physician Assistants Convention at San Destin Resort in Destin, Florida. The convention took place on July 24-28, 2006.
Each year, one of the nearly 2000 PAs currently practicing in the state of Georgia is nominated and voted by his/her peers as Rural PA of the Year. The award recognizes a PA for providing outstanding health care in Georgia rural communities. Rural is defined as a population of less than 10,000.
Miller County Hospital CEO Harley Smith said, “Tim is a wonderful asset to our hospital. We look for quality staff to provide the best care to our community. Tim exemplifies the type of professionalism that this hospital seeks.”
If you, or one of your loved ones have ever been in the emergency room (ER) of the Miller County Hospital, there is a good chance that you have experienced some of the knowledge and compassion of Tim Fowler, PA.
Anyone who is going to the ER is already in trouble in some way, and the patient and/or their family wants and needs something done. Tim Fowler, PA, can give the patient and those waiting the assurance that everything is being done that can be.
This PA wears many hats. Tim Fowler, MMSC, PA-C, Miller County Emergency Department PA, has been with the Miller County Hospital since May 2002. Tim also serves as the team PA along with physician Kevin Cowan for Miller County High School athletics.
The mission of the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants is to promote high quality, cost effective, accessible health care as part of a physician directed physician assistant/physician team, to provide for personal growth and professional development of PA’s, and to promote and represent the PA profession in Georgia.

ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue and State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox congratulated 98 school principals from all over the state Thursday, July 24, 2006, at a reception at the Governor’s Mansion honoring Georgia’s High Performance Principals.
Kent Richardson of Colquitt was among the honored guests.
“Strong leadership is a critical component of our success to reduce drop-out rates and increase the educational achievement of students in Georgia,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “We’re here tonight to honor and thank the high performance principals who have proven themselves as leaders and change agents in Georgia schools.”
“As a teacher for 15 years, I know the impact a great leader can have on a school,” said State School Superintendent Kathy Cox. “These principals are setting high expectations for all of their students and teachers, and they are getting great results.”
Under the High Performance Principals legislation which was passed and signed into law by Governor Perdue in 2006, these principals, as well as high performing principals from outside the state, are eligible to receive salary supplements if they agree to transfer to middle and high schools classified as Needs Improvement schools.
High Performance Principals will receive a $15,000 supplement if they are hired as a principal in a Needs Improvement school. The supplement may continue for two additional years.
The High Performance Principals were chosen because students in their schools displayed higher than expected scores on state curriculum tests. To qualify, the principals had to have been in those high scoring schools since the 2002-2003 school year.
Kent was chosen for this honor while he was prinipal at Miller County Middle School. He is now the principal at Miller County Elementary School.

Ready or not, the Miller County schools will see the students flock in on Friday, August 4, ready to learn. Some are ready for the summer to end and the new school year to start.
Last week’s 24 page edition of the Liberal, was full of helpful information about who, what, when, where and how to start school at the Miller County schools. This past edition would be one to keep that will help all year long.
The administrators and teachers will see if the parents and guardians have done their homework when the kids show up, If you read what is required of the students from kindergarten to the 12th grade, what type of supplies will be needed, what they can and can’t wear, who will be teaching, who will be administering corporal punishment, how absences can cost if they are not excused, who pays what for breakfast and lunch and a multitude of other needed answers.
We said school will start Friday, but for the new teachers, they started with orientation last Monday, and all the faculty started pre-planning Tuesday morning bright and early to get ready for our little darlings.
According to Miller County Elementary School Principal Kent Richardson, the school will open at 7:45 a.m.; the tardy bell rings at 8:05 p.m. and classes begin at 8:15 a.m. School will dismiss at 2:45 p.m.
Middle School Principal Frank Killingsworth said he will open his doors at 7:50 a.m. The late bell will ring at 8:05 a.m., and classes begin at 8:10 a.m.
Miller County High School Principal Ginger Webster stated that MCHS doors will also open at 7:50 a.m. First period begins at 8:05 a.m. and the late bell will ring at 8:10 a.m. The high school and middle school will dismiss at 3:05 p.m.
Whether you are students, parents, teachers, administrators, workers or residents, please drive with caution. Make this a safe school year.

There will be a run-off primary on Tuesday, August 8, to determine the winners of the Democratic Party and Republican Party primaries.
Those races that will be determined in the Democratic Primary Run-off ballot will be for Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State.
The races that will be on the Republican Primary Run-off ballot will be for Secretary of State and Commissioner of Agriculture. The sample ballots are printed in this edition for voter’s consideration.
If an elector (voter) cast a ballot in the July 18, primary, you must vote in the same primary that you selected before. If a qualified elector did not vote in the July 18, elections, he/she may choose to vote in either of the primaries.
The absentee ballots are at the registrar’s office and can be requested up until August 4. Advanced voting will be from July 31 - August 4.
Your right to vote is being fought for as you read!

If you have a computer and know how to operate it, there is a new source of information about your schools that might be very helpful.
Based on community responses, the Miller County Board of Education has released a new web site. This web site will provide students, parents and community members an easier means to access information about their local schools. It will contain athletic schedules, school calenders, school menus, and will list contact information for all teachers.
The current technology plan included plans to revise the web site during this current school year. After a strong community interest, it was decided to move their release date and make the new site available as soon as possible. According to Technology Director Jeffrey Hatcher, "Our goal should always be to provide information to the public in as many ways as possible. After reviewing other school web sites, it was decided that we should completely revise our site."
In viewing the web site, people should notice a common theme among web pages. This makes the site easier to navigate and should make information accessible to all users. Another goal of the new site is to provide web pages that load quickly, whether on DSL or even low-speed connections. Average load time for web pages is down to approximately 7 seconds on a dial-up connection.
The new web site can be found at http://www.miller.k12.ga.us and can be accessed from any internet connection. If you do not have a computer, but wish to use the site, the local library has public work stations. Persons having comments about the new web site are encouraged to use the comments section on the web site. You may also contact the Board of Education at (229) 758-5592.
If you have any suggestions, please use the web site to give the needs that will help the parents, teachers, and especially the students.

Week of July 30, 2006