It seems that since the dig area for the archaeological site on property of the Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery and Aquarium is fenced off and closed to the public, some mistakenly think that Magnolia Springs State Park and Bo Ginn Aquarium are closed also.

I believe most of our local citizens know both are open, but I’ve been asked to help spread the word. So, please, tell all of your out-of-town friends and relatives that Magnolia Springs State Park is open and welcomes them to visit. The aquarium is open, but must be entered through the park.

There are also opportunities to serve at the park through participation in the Friends of Magnolia Springs State Park organization. The group meets 6 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at Group Shelter #2, and you are invited to join them.

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These are exciting times for Millen and Jenkins County.

The archaeological dig at Camp Lawton holds promise for the future with plans for the construction of a museum to house the artifacts and the re-opening of the Bo Ginn National Fish Hatchery, creating the possibility of increased tourism to the area.

We are being asked to remain “patient”, however, as this undertaking will not occur overnight. It is a work in progress right now. As the saying goes, “Anything worth having is worth waiting for.”

There will come a day when we will all look back on this as the turning point for our city and county! In the meantime, let’s just be thankful!

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Happy birthday this week to: Herbert Shackelford, John Parrish, Ashley L. Brown, Jamie Linder, Ginger Herrmann, Wesley Kent, Emma Coney, Christina Buczkowski, Rachel Lynn Griner and Rachael Boynton.

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Military Active Duty List: 1LT Justin G. McBride, U.S. Army, Ft. Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma; PFC E3 Jeremy Johnson, U.S. Army, 59th Quartermaster Company, Ft. Carson, Colorado; Cpl. Adam T. Lanier, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Bt. 6th Marine Regiment, Weapons Co., Scout Sniper Platoon, Afghanistan; E-4 Sr. Airman Roy Davis, U.S. Air Force, RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom; Cpl. Patrick Barnette, U.S. Marines, 29 Palms, California; Sgt. Adam Demshar, 44th Signal Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq; Cpl. Lee Ogden, U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton, CA; E5 Petty Officer 2nd 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, Marine Corps Base Hawaii; Chief Petty 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, 25th Infantry Division, Schafield Barracks, Oahu, Honolulu, Hawaii; 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 Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Baghdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, 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. Army, Louisiana.