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MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.comRetirement not as easy as it looks
Rick Millians Aug 21, 2019
I get asked this question by my friends who are still actively employed: "What do you do now that you have retired?"
Well, heck, I've been retired for only a little more than a year after spending 43 years in the newspaper business.
And, I spent at least a month of my retirement sitting on my rear end after having hip replacement surgery. I watched World Cup Soccer. Who knew soccer could be so exciting?
Here's my typical day now. Or maybe I should say, "A day I stay within five miles of Lake Sinclair.” Traveling is another story for another day.
7 a.m.: Walk my dog, Lulu, and assist her in chasing off two dozen crazed geese who insist on making a mess in the backyard.
7:30 a.m.: Eat breakfast. I usually eat whatever leftovers happen to be in the refrigerator, although I prefer poultry over beef leftovers. Pulled pork BBQ works. Pizza, too. My wife, Wanda, thinks that's strange. She's probably right.
8 a.m.: Clean up breakfast dishes.
8:15 a.m.: Read the internet. First stop … dawgnation.com. Got to have my Georgia Bulldogs football recruiting news. Did Georgia get any new commitments overnight? (Yes, I'm one of those nutty fans who likes to believe that the so-called experts who assign those 5-star, 4-star, etc. ratings actually know what they are talking about. Here's a news flash: they don't.)
9 a.m.: Plan lunch and supper menus in consultation with Wanda and my Dad, Bill Millians. They are generally agreeable. Just don't buy the cheap bagels.
9:15 a.m.: Make a shopping list.
9:30 a.m.: Go to Kroger. It's mostly me and the shelf stockers. (I finally figured out how to use those self-scanners at checkout.)
10 a.m.: Cut grass, weed-wack, pick up pine cones, rake leaves, trim shrubs, dig up tree roots. If you've got trees, you've always got a job.
11 a.m.: Mail arrives. That means I have to stop my yard work and read The Union-Recorder, The Macon Telegraph and whatever magazines arrive in the mail.
Noon: Eat lunch. One certainty — in the summer, lunch will always include fresh tomatoes. I make a mean BLT.
1 p.m.: Take a nap.
1:30 p.m.: Go to Burger King to buy two plain hamburgers for my dog. Always plain. The lady who takes the order at the drive-thru knows my name. I tell her Lulu likes flame-broiled burgers best.
2 p.m.: Go back to Kroger because I always forget something on the first trip, or we changed the supper menu. At least the Georgia College girls are up and shopping by then.
3 p.m.: Back to yard work. But it's too hot by now to do much. It'll wait.
4 p.m.: Sit in the shade on the back deck and watch activity on the lake.
5 p.m.: Watch the Andy Griffith Show. In college, I had fraternity brothers who did nothing but watch Andy and Barney all day long. They're probably brain surgeons today.
5:30 p.m.: More Andy and Barney. (I went to the real Mayberry — Mt. Airy, N.C., Andy's hometown — and rode in a replica sheriff's car. We turned on the siren. The car was roomy. No wonder Andy, Helen, Barney, Thelma Lou, Gomer and his date could fit in comfortably).
6 p.m.: Switch TV to Family Feud. Steve Harvey's practically part of the family.
6:30 p.m.: Eat supper. Another episode of Family Feud comes on. "Name a kind of SUIT that's not appropriate for the office," Harvey says to a contestant. "Chicken Noodle," the contestant replies. Mmmmm ... some good homemade chicken noodle soup would be good tomorrow night.
7 p.m.: Wash dishes, clean up. That's my job, rain or shine.
7:30 p.m.: Watch Jeopardy. It's must-see TV for me. Now, when will James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings go head-to-head?
8 p.m.: Walk dog again. (She's got Burger King to work off.)
9 p.m.: Watch Braves' bullpen blow another game.
10 p.m.: Read a book. I spent so many years reading non-fiction that now I mostly read fiction. I picked up a book at the library the other day: "Eligible," a contemporary reworking of "Pride and Prejudice." It's set in Cincinnati, where we used to live. I liked the book because they ate out a lot in some of my favorite restaurants there.
11 p.m.: Go to bed.
Whew, I'm tired.
I used to work 10-hour days, six days a week during football season.
Shoot, that's nothing compared to a day being retired.
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
What'll ya have? Dogs, bridge, churches and pecans
Rick Millians Aug 28, 2019
Well, there's nothing like the reaction to my first column ("Retirement not as easy as it looks") to boost an old writer's ego.
Of course, it didn't take long for my bubble to burst.
"I enjoyed your column," someone said to me last Friday, "but I can't remember what you wrote about."
Ouch!
Anyhow, some others were kinder.
Jim Davis emailed to say he wished his retirement was as exciting.
Vickie Swinger said she "loved it" and could I please come to the next planning meeting for the Baldwin High 50th class reunion in 2020.
And my dog Lulu eating hamburgers from Burger King prompted several responses.
Mrs. Hazel Kirkpatrick said her dog, Spuds, also eats a hamburger every day. She cooks it.
"Spuds just has that look on his face," Mrs. Kirkpatrick said. "And I know I'd better start cooking his hamburger." (I get that same look sometimes.)
Franklin and Beverly Council's dog, Hammerin' Hank, weighs only 4 pounds. He couldn't eat much.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Rick Williams, a Baldwin High classmate, said reading about my typical day in retirement made him glad he's NOT retired.
(Why do all politicians think they are comedians?)
Nah, nah. Just kidding.
What he really wrote in his email was: "Please write some more so I can see what I'm missing in retirement."
Okay, Rick, you got it.
Just so you don't think I sit around watching Andy Griffith reruns EVERY DAY, here's what I did last week.
MONDAY
Drove to Columbia, S.C., where I used to live, for dentist and doctor appointments. I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look for new ones here.
TUESDAY
Drove back to Milledgeville to be on time for "Tuesday Afternoon" bridge at 1 p.m. at the Villamar clubhouse.
Yes, my dad (Bill Millians), me and SIX ladies are in this bridge group.
How do you like those odds?
At one point, it was my dad and SEVEN ladies, but I joined the group part-time and later fulltime after Dad's special friend, Helen Fetrow, passed away.
Dad initially was invited when Ann Bertoli, the group's organizer and schedule-maker, once asked Helen, "Who's that little man you are hanging around with? Does he play bridge?"
Rose Smith, Salley Flood, Judy Franson and Helen Waller also play. Allene Merriman broke her hip recently (Get well soon, Allene!), so several other women are subbing for her.
WEDNESDAY
This was a writing, research day. (Got to have some time to keep up with this stuff!)
That night we went to a Bible study at the First Methodist Church.
(I'm a Methodist in South Carolina and a Baptist in Georgia.)
Like I said, you gotta play the odds.
THURSDAY
Dad and I toured a pecan farm in Jasper County.
I thought you planted the trees and waited for the pecans to fall on the ground. Not so. It's way more complicated.
And I also never knew there were so many varieties. Stuart, Cape Fear, Excel, Creek and Moneymakers are among them.
We ate lunch at Martha Jane's in Monticello. (Not to be confused with Miss Jane's in Warrenton.) I'd recommend the pot roast and the peach cobbler.
(If there's a meat and three [sides] place around, we'll find it.)
(Monticello was abuzz with the news that Trisha Yearwood is returning to her hometown over Labor Day weekend to debut some new songs.)
Then it was "Thursday Night" bridge, which includes Beth Rice, Mary Baker and several of the ladies previously listed.
Same song, second verse. Me, Dad and six women. (Is retirement great, or what?) (My wife, Wanda, can play bridge, but she'd prefer not to. She'd rather do her decorative painting -- or watch paint dry -- than to have to bid.)
FRIDAY
I helped Dad with "Meals on Wheels.” We have varying routes throughout the month. At one house I was greeted by two small dogs.
They barked a minute but were soon friendly.
"They sure are nice dogs," I said to the lady.
"Yes they are, until I say K-I-L-L," she said, spelling it out. "Then they go for the throat."
I stepped back.
"Well," she said smiling. "I guess it's a good thing they can't spell."
SATURDAY
Wanda and I left early, so she could attend a "Decorative Painter's" all-day painting seminar in Atlanta.
I spent the morning walking around the Georgia Tech campus, ate lunch at the Varsity ("What'll ya have?" I had a chili dog and onion rings.)
I was planning to attend the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in the afternoon but did not because of the weather forecast. (As it turned out, six spectators were injured when lightning struck a tree. Play in the tournament was suspended until Sunday.)
SUNDAY
Went to church at First Baptist.
Ate lunch.
Cut grass. Tore up the lawnmower (Again!).
Took a nap.
I think I went the whole week without watching “Family Feud.”
I was too busy.
Retirement not as easy as it looks
Rick Millians Aug 21, 2019
I get asked this question by my friends who are still actively employed: "What do you do now that you have retired?"
Well, heck, I've been retired for only a little more than a year after spending 43 years in the newspaper business.
And, I spent at least a month of my retirement sitting on my rear end after having hip replacement surgery. I watched World Cup Soccer. Who knew soccer could be so exciting?
Here's my typical day now. Or maybe I should say, "A day I stay within five miles of Lake Sinclair.” Traveling is another story for another day.
7 a.m.: Walk my dog, Lulu, and assist her in chasing off two dozen crazed geese who insist on making a mess in the backyard.
7:30 a.m.: Eat breakfast. I usually eat whatever leftovers happen to be in the refrigerator, although I prefer poultry over beef leftovers. Pulled pork BBQ works. Pizza, too. My wife, Wanda, thinks that's strange. She's probably right.
8 a.m.: Clean up breakfast dishes.
8:15 a.m.: Read the internet. First stop … dawgnation.com. Got to have my Georgia Bulldogs football recruiting news. Did Georgia get any new commitments overnight? (Yes, I'm one of those nutty fans who likes to believe that the so-called experts who assign those 5-star, 4-star, etc. ratings actually know what they are talking about. Here's a news flash: they don't.)
9 a.m.: Plan lunch and supper menus in consultation with Wanda and my Dad, Bill Millians. They are generally agreeable. Just don't buy the cheap bagels.
9:15 a.m.: Make a shopping list.
9:30 a.m.: Go to Kroger. It's mostly me and the shelf stockers. (I finally figured out how to use those self-scanners at checkout.)
10 a.m.: Cut grass, weed-wack, pick up pine cones, rake leaves, trim shrubs, dig up tree roots. If you've got trees, you've always got a job.
11 a.m.: Mail arrives. That means I have to stop my yard work and read The Union-Recorder, The Macon Telegraph and whatever magazines arrive in the mail.
Noon: Eat lunch. One certainty — in the summer, lunch will always include fresh tomatoes. I make a mean BLT.
1 p.m.: Take a nap.
1:30 p.m.: Go to Burger King to buy two plain hamburgers for my dog. Always plain. The lady who takes the order at the drive-thru knows my name. I tell her Lulu likes flame-broiled burgers best.
2 p.m.: Go back to Kroger because I always forget something on the first trip, or we changed the supper menu. At least the Georgia College girls are up and shopping by then.
3 p.m.: Back to yard work. But it's too hot by now to do much. It'll wait.
4 p.m.: Sit in the shade on the back deck and watch activity on the lake.
5 p.m.: Watch the Andy Griffith Show. In college, I had fraternity brothers who did nothing but watch Andy and Barney all day long. They're probably brain surgeons today.
5:30 p.m.: More Andy and Barney. (I went to the real Mayberry — Mt. Airy, N.C., Andy's hometown — and rode in a replica sheriff's car. We turned on the siren. The car was roomy. No wonder Andy, Helen, Barney, Thelma Lou, Gomer and his date could fit in comfortably).
6 p.m.: Switch TV to Family Feud. Steve Harvey's practically part of the family.
6:30 p.m.: Eat supper. Another episode of Family Feud comes on. "Name a kind of SUIT that's not appropriate for the office," Harvey says to a contestant. "Chicken Noodle," the contestant replies. Mmmmm ... some good homemade chicken noodle soup would be good tomorrow night.
7 p.m.: Wash dishes, clean up. That's my job, rain or shine.
7:30 p.m.: Watch Jeopardy. It's must-see TV for me. Now, when will James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings go head-to-head?
8 p.m.: Walk dog again. (She's got Burger King to work off.)
9 p.m.: Watch Braves' bullpen blow another game.
10 p.m.: Read a book. I spent so many years reading non-fiction that now I mostly read fiction. I picked up a book at the library the other day: "Eligible," a contemporary reworking of "Pride and Prejudice." It's set in Cincinnati, where we used to live. I liked the book because they ate out a lot in some of my favorite restaurants there.
11 p.m.: Go to bed.
Whew, I'm tired.
I used to work 10-hour days, six days a week during football season.
Shoot, that's nothing compared to a day being retired.
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
What'll ya have? Dogs, bridge, churches and pecans
Rick Millians Aug 28, 2019
Well, there's nothing like the reaction to my first column ("Retirement not as easy as it looks") to boost an old writer's ego.
Of course, it didn't take long for my bubble to burst.
"I enjoyed your column," someone said to me last Friday, "but I can't remember what you wrote about."
Ouch!
Anyhow, some others were kinder.
Jim Davis emailed to say he wished his retirement was as exciting.
Vickie Swinger said she "loved it" and could I please come to the next planning meeting for the Baldwin High 50th class reunion in 2020.
And my dog Lulu eating hamburgers from Burger King prompted several responses.
Mrs. Hazel Kirkpatrick said her dog, Spuds, also eats a hamburger every day. She cooks it.
"Spuds just has that look on his face," Mrs. Kirkpatrick said. "And I know I'd better start cooking his hamburger." (I get that same look sometimes.)
Franklin and Beverly Council's dog, Hammerin' Hank, weighs only 4 pounds. He couldn't eat much.
Meanwhile, state Rep. Rick Williams, a Baldwin High classmate, said reading about my typical day in retirement made him glad he's NOT retired.
(Why do all politicians think they are comedians?)
Nah, nah. Just kidding.
What he really wrote in his email was: "Please write some more so I can see what I'm missing in retirement."
Okay, Rick, you got it.
Just so you don't think I sit around watching Andy Griffith reruns EVERY DAY, here's what I did last week.
MONDAY
Drove to Columbia, S.C., where I used to live, for dentist and doctor appointments. I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look for new ones here.
TUESDAY
Drove back to Milledgeville to be on time for "Tuesday Afternoon" bridge at 1 p.m. at the Villamar clubhouse.
Yes, my dad (Bill Millians), me and SIX ladies are in this bridge group.
How do you like those odds?
At one point, it was my dad and SEVEN ladies, but I joined the group part-time and later fulltime after Dad's special friend, Helen Fetrow, passed away.
Dad initially was invited when Ann Bertoli, the group's organizer and schedule-maker, once asked Helen, "Who's that little man you are hanging around with? Does he play bridge?"
Rose Smith, Salley Flood, Judy Franson and Helen Waller also play. Allene Merriman broke her hip recently (Get well soon, Allene!), so several other women are subbing for her.
WEDNESDAY
This was a writing, research day. (Got to have some time to keep up with this stuff!)
That night we went to a Bible study at the First Methodist Church.
(I'm a Methodist in South Carolina and a Baptist in Georgia.)
Like I said, you gotta play the odds.
THURSDAY
Dad and I toured a pecan farm in Jasper County.
I thought you planted the trees and waited for the pecans to fall on the ground. Not so. It's way more complicated.
And I also never knew there were so many varieties. Stuart, Cape Fear, Excel, Creek and Moneymakers are among them.
We ate lunch at Martha Jane's in Monticello. (Not to be confused with Miss Jane's in Warrenton.) I'd recommend the pot roast and the peach cobbler.
(If there's a meat and three [sides] place around, we'll find it.)
(Monticello was abuzz with the news that Trisha Yearwood is returning to her hometown over Labor Day weekend to debut some new songs.)
Then it was "Thursday Night" bridge, which includes Beth Rice, Mary Baker and several of the ladies previously listed.
Same song, second verse. Me, Dad and six women. (Is retirement great, or what?) (My wife, Wanda, can play bridge, but she'd prefer not to. She'd rather do her decorative painting -- or watch paint dry -- than to have to bid.)
FRIDAY
I helped Dad with "Meals on Wheels.” We have varying routes throughout the month. At one house I was greeted by two small dogs.
They barked a minute but were soon friendly.
"They sure are nice dogs," I said to the lady.
"Yes they are, until I say K-I-L-L," she said, spelling it out. "Then they go for the throat."
I stepped back.
"Well," she said smiling. "I guess it's a good thing they can't spell."
SATURDAY
Wanda and I left early, so she could attend a "Decorative Painter's" all-day painting seminar in Atlanta.
I spent the morning walking around the Georgia Tech campus, ate lunch at the Varsity ("What'll ya have?" I had a chili dog and onion rings.)
I was planning to attend the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in the afternoon but did not because of the weather forecast. (As it turned out, six spectators were injured when lightning struck a tree. Play in the tournament was suspended until Sunday.)
SUNDAY
Went to church at First Baptist.
Ate lunch.
Cut grass. Tore up the lawnmower (Again!).
Took a nap.
I think I went the whole week without watching “Family Feud.”
I was too busy.
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
Winner, winner chicken dinner (and breakfast)
Rick Millians Sep 6, 2019
The last time I checked, there's still a ceasefire in the Great American Chicken Sandwich War.
The fans of Chick-fil-A and Popeyes recently staged a knock-down, drag-out fight on Twitter.
In one corner you had the entrenched veteran in Chick-fil-A ("We didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich!")
In the other corner was Popeyes and its new chicken sandwich. ("Love that chicken from Popeyes!")
Tweets were flying left and right, vilifying one and glorifying the other.
Food critics also weighed in on the sandwiches.
Chick-fil-A: "The poultry was juicy, tender and perfectly crisped. The briny pickle chips added juiciness, while the warm buttery bun amalgamates the ingredients seamlessly. One euphoric bite transports your taste buds onto cloud nine."
Popeyes: "The balance of crunchy buttermilk batter, cloud-like sweet brioche buns and crisp, tangy pickles came together like a symphony of fat, salt and zest. . . Popeyes chicken sandwich is born and it's a tiny miracle."
Wow! I didn't know a piece of boneless chicken, a bun and some pickles (mayo or spicy sauce optional) could inspire such hyperbole.
Alas, Popeyes says it sold out.
"You ate them all. We'll be back soon. Pinky swear," the company says on its website, which also features photos of long lines of cars in the drive-thru.
If you want to do your own taste test and try Popeyes, you'll have to drive to Gray when the chicken sandwich returns.
I'm sticking with Chick-fil-A. Many a time I have taken that first bite and belted out, "Man, that's some good chicken!"
Chick-fil-A also remains my undisputed champion for breakfast with its chicken biscuit.
"It's not as crazy as you think," said a CFA ad. Amen!
Anyhow, all this chicken talk got me to thinking about REAL fried chicken.
I like white meat. (My wife likes the dark meat.)
I want my chicken served with savory sides such as mashed potatoes and gravy or french fries. I don't want chicken with waffles and syrup. (My wife likes chicken with honey.)
I like fried chicken for Sunday lunch. (And leftover cold fried chicken for supper — or breakfast.)
My grandmother (Emily Millians), mother (Joyce Millians) and step-mother (Bettye Owens Millians) all cooked great fried chicken.
Of course, my grandmother had to first catch a chicken in the pen before frying it up. You know what happens in between.)
My mother got up early on Saturday mornings in the fall so we could eat fried chicken (and pimento cheese sandwiches) at tailgates before University of Georgia football games.
Wherever I have lived, I've always been on the lookout for good fried chicken.
I know this is sacrilege, but some of the best fried chicken I have eaten was in Indiana.
A place called Wagner's Village Inn in Oldenburg (just into Indiana heading west out of Cincinnati, Ohio, on I-74) was voted "Best Hole-In-the Wall" spot for fried chicken in Indiana by msn.com.
And for a good reason. The chicken, which has a crisp coating and big flecks of black pepper, was fried in a big, black cast-iron skillet.
On the other hand, I give thumbs down to the chicken in Barberton, Ohio, which calls itself "The Chicken Capital of the World."
There are four restaurants in Barberton (not far from Cleveland) that serve Serbian-American style chicken, which is fresh chicken, fried in lard with no seasoning. They serve the chicken with a hot relish for dipping.
It's a traditional way of eating chicken for people in that area, but it's not tasty to my palate.
I prefer fried chicken the way they do it at places such as Mama Dips in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Weaver D's in Athens ("Automatic for the People") and the Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle.
And it's easy to find great fried chicken in Milledgeville and Middle Georgia.
In Macon, Jeneane's has chicken with a light, crunchy crust. One reviewer called it "scrumptious."
Or H&H in downtown Macon offers chicken and nostalgia.
"A place dripping in musical history," it's where the Allman Brothers band used to hang out.
In Milledgeville, I'm hooked on the Shrimp Boat's fried chicken.
For me, it is part nostalgia and part taste — and part fried biscuits that come with the chicken.
During my college years at UGA, the Shrimp Boat at the top of the hill on Baxter Street was a must on weekends when the fraternity kitchen was closed.
That Shrimp Boat closed, as have many others that opened in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
But the Milledgeville Shrimp Boat is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
It opened in 1969 next door to its current location. It was built in the shape of a boat and offered just walk-up service.
Benjamin Waller bought the restaurant from its original owners — John and Faye Leslie, his uncle and aunt — in 2014.
Waller said the Shrimp Boat has been frying its chicken the same way all that time.
"There's a marinating process before we fry the chicken," he said. "Then we add special seasoning after frying."
What's in that seasoning?
"I wish I could tell you," Waller said, smiling.
He said the Shrimp Boat goes through one ton of chicken a week.
(We had a Bill Millians family reunion in August and ordered 100 pieces! Maybe they went through two tons that week.)
One recent Shrimp Boat patron said he'd been eating there for over 20 years.
"It's the best in Milledgeville," he said.
Another diner said he liked Shrimp Boat, but he'd just as soon eat at KFC.
Well, different strokes for different folks.
I'd be interested in your favorite fried chicken places.
I'm always looking for new ones.
But first, I've got to go walk two miles.
LARRY LEGEND: Larry Allen is a treasure for GMC and Milledgeville
Rick Millians Sep 7, 2019
Everybody knows his name.
And they're always glad he came.
Larry Allen might be the most well-known man in Milledgeville.
He's as popular as Santa Claus. In fact, he was Santa Claus at the Culver Kidd drug store in the '60s and '70s, and in the annual Milledgeville Christmas parade for 42 years.
You go out to lunch with Larry. Before he can sit down, he shakes hands or says hello to every man in the restaurant, and he hugs or kisses every woman.
When you are a local legend, it can be hard to eat lunch.
"Larry Allen is one of Milledgeville's treasures," said Georgia Military College Prep basketball coach James Lunsford. "He doesn't do a whole lot just for Larry Allen, but he does do a whole lot for other people."
Allen recently was honored by GMC with its Service Award for the 30 years he has spent volunteering there.
He has been president of GMC's Bulldog Club at least three times, helped with the annual GMC Barbecue, been in charge of the concession stands, and sold ads and wrote the copy for sports programs.
"If he turned in a bill for all the time he has put in volunteering at GMC and was paid minimum wage, we'd have to get a loan," said Randy New, chairman of the GMC Board of Trustees. "It might bankrupt the school."
A Larry Allen scholarship was started by the Bulldog Club in 1987 and over $36,000 has been awarded to GMC high school students who plan to attend GMC junior college. A graduate of Baldwin High, Allen was named an honorary alumnus of GMC in 1998.
Allen said the scholarships awarded in his name give him "a great sense of pride."
"It humbled him greatly," New said.
WORKING MAN
Allen has been a banker, a teacher and a member of the Georgia Army National Guard. He also has been an umpire and a coach for recreation department teams.
"Larry was somebody we looked up to," said Charles Middlebrooks, who spent summers of his teen years helping out at Bonner Park along with Buster Brown, Danny Rogers and others. "He was our role model."
Allen is perhaps best known for his job as sports editor at the Union Recorder for over 10 years in the '60s and '70s.
He covered Baldwin, GMC, John Milledge and recreational sports, and he always tried to be fair to all the teams.
"I put as many names as I could in the paper," he said. "The more names you mention, the happier the grandmothers are. And it gives the students a little pride in themselves. I was able to do that because we were a weekly then. It's harder to do in a daily paper."
Allen wore two other hats at the Union Recorder -- Advertising Director and photographer. He had a rigorous schedule, but he loved it.
His week revolved around Friday night football games. He would cover a game and shoot action photos. He'd call Rev. Doyle Middlebrooks, an accomplished photographer, and get him to take photos at a different game.
"Then I'd call the other coaches and get statistics and quotes in order to write the stories for the next Thursday's paper," Allen said.
On Saturday mornings, Allen would write his stories while sitting at The Varsity in Athens before the Georgia Bulldogs played in the afternoon.
After church on Sunday, he was back at it, finishing up his stories. On Monday, he had to hit the road early, picking up ads and making sure his copy was ready to be set in type.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays were equally busy, but on Thursday he could kick back, go have a cup of coffee at the old Grant's Restaurant and get fired up for another Friday night under the lights.
On some Saturdays, Allen would do freelance work for the Macon Telegraph and sports editor Harley Bowers. He remembers going to the Georgia Tech at Clemson game one Saturday afternoon and driving back to Athens for the South Carolina at Georgia game that night.
The games and the names — players and coaches — from the past come easily for Allen.
He remembers when the Baldwin football team traveled to play Terry Parker High in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1969. Allen, Joe Boone and Garland Overstreet decided to fly down for the game in a four-seat plane. It was his first flight.
"It was the thrill of my life," Allen said. "I remember flying over the Oconee River and thinking it was the most beautiful view I had ever seen."
He rattled off names such as Sid Oakley, Bobby Brown, David Rogers and Jim Harper as memorable Baldwin football players.
He mentioned Ronald "Skunk" Gordon and J.T. Wall at John Milledge Academy.
And there were Ronnie Simpson, Jimmy Hardie and Mike Puckett at GMC, to name a few.
"Ohhhhh, those were the good old days, " Allen said. "I have so many memories. I thank the good Lord."
PERFECT PERSONALITY
Today, Allen is an integral part of the GMC basketball program, Coach Lunsford said.
"He runs the clock, keeps the scorebook and even helps me do a little scouting," Lunsford said. "Larry's been great."
Allen said Lunsford, who coached basketball at Baldwin for more than 30 years and at Twiggs County before coming to GMC, has led a rebirth of the Bulldogs basketball program in his 10 years there.
Lunsford, who won his 800th career game this past season, credits Allen with helping to convince him to take the GMC job.
"I knew Larry when I was at Baldwin and he was writing for The Union-Recorder,” Lunsford said, "so I talked with him about GMC. He was so excited that he made me excited, too."
Allen has been excited about most things for all of his 75 years.
"When I see him, I still call him Santa Claus," said Rusty Kidd, the late Culver Kidd's son. "He's got the perfect personality — smiling, friendly, outgoing, caring — to let kids sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. And, it's the perfect personality for dealing with adults, too.
"He's a big, big advocate for GMC and for the city of Milledgeville. He's just a walking advertisement for all of Milledgeville."
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
Dooley Field and getting ready for the Irish
Rick Millians Sep 17, 2019
College football is back.
All's right with the world — unless you happen to live in Tennessee where coach Jeremy Pruitt was comparing the Vols' program to the Titanic after an 0-2 start.
The Georgia Bulldogs rule the roost in the SEC East. Bulldogs fans' expectations are through the roof. National Championship or bust! And Notre Dame is coming to Athens on Saturday night.
Georgia flags are flying everywhere, including in the middle of a cornfield near the historic Iron Horse north of Greensboro.
Athens churches are getting in the spirit, as they traditionally have. "God does not play favorites," reads a sign outside the Princeton United Methodist Church on South Lumpkin Street, "but sign guys do! Go Dawgs!"
(The only sign outside the Campus View Church of Christ across the street from the Bulldogs' practice fields was: "Parking $40." That ought to help the collection plate on Sunday.)
Justice was served a couple of weeks ago when the field at Sanford Stadium was named for legendary Georgia head football coach Vince Dooley. It was a long-overdue honor for the coach who led the Bulldogs to a national championship and six SEC titles. And it was silly that politics kept it from happening sooner.
Here's a quick Vince Dooley quiz (your answers might be different from mine):
1. What's the best thing Dooley did in his 25 seasons as Georgia head coach?
My answer: Beat Florida like a drum! Dooley had a 17-7-1 career record against the Gators, including beating Florida (and their Heisman-winning quarterback Steve Spurrier) 27-10 in 1966.
2. What's the worst thing Dooley did as athletic director at Georgia from 1979-2004?
My answer: Hire three coaches (Ray Goff, Jim Donnan and Mark Richt) who could not beat Florida. Goff was 1-5 (and famously derided by Spurrier, who called him Ray Goof), Donnan was 1-4 and Richt was 5-10. That's a combined 7-20 against the Gators, almost the complete opposite of Dooley's record.
You've got to admit that "Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium" rolls off the tongue a lot easier than "Steve Spurrier Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium." (Georgia wins by four fewer words!)
Dooley has spent his retirement writing books and engaging in other worthwhile endeavors. He was signing his book "The Legion's Fighting Bulldog" in the UGA bookstore before the game against Murray State. I believe the book is about a Civil War hero, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's about (General) George Patton, the Bulldogs' own star defensive end.
Spurrier, the one-time Old Ball Coach turned Head Ball Coach when he didn't want people to think that he really was old, has spent his retirement making Dos Equis beer commercials. (Get it, now he's the Head Beer Coach.)
After beating Vanderbilt in the opener, the Bulldogs crushed non-conference foes Murray State and Arkansas State. All three games were just warmups for the big game against Notre Dame on Saturday night.
The crowd will be huge. Tickets are going for as much as $1,295.
Scalpers will have a field day. I asked one before the Murray State game how business was going.
"Slowly," he said, "but we'll make up for it at the Notre Dame game."
When I graduated from Georgia in 1975, Athens had a small downtown with shoe stores, mom-and-pop hardware stores and, of course, The Varsity on the corner across from the UGA Arch.
Now, the downtown area is one big restaurant/bar. Even the old Belk's has been converted into several restaurants, including a Mellow Mushroom and a Taqueria Tsunami!
It'll be packed on Saturday.
I'll be tailgating with my brother Mike's family -- and 100 of their closest friends. The tailgate used to be held near the UGA Law School with Mike and several of his law school classmates. But it moved across Lumpkin Street to a corner near the downtown Holiday Inn.
Nobody seems to know where all the other people came from, but there's always enough food for everybody.
Georgia allows fans to start setting up their tailgate areas at 7 a.m. Tents, TVs, tables, chairs and grills will go up. With the game starting at 8 pm, it'll be close to midnight when it ends. Do the math. Arrive at 7 a.m., leave at 2 a.m. the next morning after taking down all the tailgate stuff. That's one very long day but worth it if the Bulldogs win.
There's a two-first-downs-long-table to hold the massive tailgate spread. Sharp elbows come in handy when the dinner bell rings.
One warning: the music can reach ear-splitting levels.
Bring your earplugs, some deviled eggs and join us.
Saturday will be a wild day in the Classic City.
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
When a community came
Together to help save a neighbor's pig
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A closeup of the Pig Monument carving |
Rick Millians Sep 21, 2019
This is a story about a pig, a boy and a preacher.
It spans almost 90 years. There are as many plot twists as in "Gone Girl," a Gillian Flynn novel. You could call this story "Gone Pig," because the pig, like the missing girl, returns against all odds.
The best thing about the pig story is that it is all true.
THE BOY
Wesley Pittman, 94, grew up on a farm in Washington County. He served in the Merchant Marines in the Pacific in World War II. He came home to a construction job in Sandersville before moving to Milledgeville, where he was head of the grounds at Central State Hospital and later owned a nursery. He is a member of the First United Methodist Church and has been married to Rubye for almost 69 years.
Pittman was 8-years-old in 1933, hard into the Great Depression that started with the Stock Market crash of 1929.
He wanted to be a part of everything his father, Haywood Pittman, was doing on their farm near Oconee, Ga. As Wesley grew older, he stayed home from school when Haywood needed help in the fields. It was expected.
Jobs were scarce. Money was tight. You might sell a little cotton, but you had to raise your own crops if you wanted to eat.
One day, word got out that Bartow Barron, who owned the farm next to the Pittman's, had lost his prized pig, a fine Duroc swine. It was his only pig. It was his "winter meat" pig. Panic set in as Barron's search for his pig dragged on.
He had called the pig (Sooie, Pig, Sooieeee!), and searched his property high and low, including in a 40-foot deep dry well on his property.
Still, no pig.
After two weeks of searching, Barron returned to that dry well and staring up at him were the eyes of a thin, very hungry pig.
He threw turnip tops and other scraps to feed the pig, and he lowered a bucket of water into the well.
The pig was alive, but how could Barron get him out?
There was a man in North Carolina who had the equipment to go down and clean wells. Maybe he could rescue the pig. But it would be a couple of months before the man could travel to Georgia. So it was on to Plan B.
Barron came up with the idea to fill up the well with dirt, shovelful by shovelful. But he would need help.
Word spread like wildfire.
Everybody, including Wesley and Haywood Pittman, wanted to help save the pig.
It was the biggest thing to hit Oconee in years. Some thought the idea was crazy, but they came anyway.
People came from all around with their shovels and their mules pulling scrapers to help gather dirt and put it in the well. The bottom of the well rose inch-by-inch with the pig squealing and dodging the flying dirt.
The well was filled to about 20 feet deep when someone had the idea to lower a man down on a rope to haul the pig out. But there's a Negative Nellie in every group, even back then.
A man sat on a nearby stump with a shot gun on his lap as he watched the proceedings. He said if anybody went down in that well they were going to get shot. He was bitter about the whole thing.
So the people kept scraping up dirt and pitching it in the well.
And on the 12th day, the pig walked out of the well.
The Barrons rejoiced, as did Wesley, his dad and all the other helpers.
It was an amazing day. People were driving by in wagons pulled by mules or in their Model Ts. They all stopped to talk and ask questions.
The pig had been saved. It was big news in Oconee, Ga., in 1933.
THE PREACHER
Move forward almost 60 years.
Harold Lawrence is a retired Methodist minister whose next-to-last assignment was at First Methodist in Milledgeville, where he now lives. He is a prolific author and an accomplished woodworker.
Lawence was looking for Southern stories for his next book of narrative poetry ("Southland and other Poems of the South"), and the story of the pig in the well was a perfect fit. And Pittman, a member of his church, could give him a first-hand account.
So Lawence and Pittman rode down to Washington County to try to find the old well. They walked and walked through the pine thicket. They finally found bricks from the pillars of the old Barron homeplace. And, then, they happened upon the old dry well, which was then three or four feet deep.
Lawrence had what he called the "harebrained" idea to erect a monument to the pig and the people who helped save it.
He went to Galen Mills in Elberton, Ga., to have the monument made. He told them the words he wanted on it and to leave a place for the list of donors to the project.
Lawrence sold his idea to many members of his congregation at First Methodist. The late Randoph Puckett, Goat Helton and Gus Pursley were among those signing up to make donations.
MILLIANS: —Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin High graduate, was an award-winning Sports Editor at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring. He can be reached at rdmillians@aol.com
Somewhere in the sticks: Fried catfish places to savor
Rick Millians Sep 24, 2019
Somehow, when you are looking for some good fried catfish or shrimp, you expect the restaurant to be in the boondocks.
You know, in the sticks. Out in the country.
The place might look a little rundown on the outside, but it is warm (or cool in the summer) and welcoming. Above all, a place that knows how to fry up some good catfish or shrimp. And, a place that has good hushpuppies and coleslaw.
Most of these restaurants have grits, too, but I'm not all that big of a grits fan. (I guess I lived in the North too long before I moved back to the South. That's the reason I drink unsweet tea, too. Well, that and the fact that I don't want to weigh over 200 pounds.)
Now, let's get this out of the way right now. I do eat food that has not been fried — every now and then. I wrote about being loving fried chicken several weeks ago, and here I am writing about fried catfish and shrimp. (For the record: You've heard about the "Freshman 15" pounds that kids gain when they go off to college? Well, I've got the "Retirement 10" pounds from eating too much fried chicken, fish and shrimp.)
You can get good fish and shrimp at plenty of places here in Milledgeville, but when you want to go for a little drive and take in some pine woods or hay-field scenery, here are three places to consider.
DOWN SOUTH
It's on the Sparta Highway east of town in Baldwin County just before you go into Hancock County. If you make it to Devereux, you've gone too far. Turn around at the Dollar General and come back.
(Which reminds me of one of my favorite stories that the late Jake Goldstein used to tell. He was buying for his store from a supplier in New York. The supplier asked Jake: "Where exactly is Milledgeville?" Goldstein said, "Well, it's exactly halfway between Haddock and Devereux." And the supplier replied, "Oh yeah. Sure. Sure.")
Down South's atmosphere was described by one online reviewer as "Southern Georgia hunting lodge." Another reviewer said: "It's family-owned and operated by really good people who love their community."
What I liked best: The hushpuppies and the fried shrimp. There's a little sweetness in the batter. The hushpuppies are served before you order. When the hushpuppies are hot and fresh, they melt in your mouth.
Insider tip: There's a help-yourself grits bar as you wait for your meal. Also, FYI about the tea pitchers on your table: The blue one is unsweet and the clear one is sweet.
Hours: They are open on Friday and Saturday nights.
THOMPSON'S COVE
Swampland Opera House in downtown Toomsboro is boarded up, but Thompson's has been going strong for over 30 years. It's on Highway 112, just about a mile south of Toomsboro in Wilkinson County.
The address is 2227 Camp Creek Road. Watch for the Thompson's Cove sign. You can barely see the restaurant from the highway. Follow a gravel road along the edge of a field. It's located beside a beautiful lake, with the back deck hanging over.
An online review described it as "a cute little family restaurant with one of the best views around. . . They truly know how to fry some good seafood."
Karen Smith, who has been a waitress at Thompson's for over 20 years, says the food is "really, really good. The shrimp are better than what you get in Florida."
Smith said she has so many loyal, regular customers that she already knows what they are going to order.
What I liked best: The catfish and the service. The catfish were hot and crispy and just the right size. We had hardly poured our tea after ordering when our food was served.
Insider tip: Save some hushpuppies to feed the turtles in the lake from the back deck.
Hours: It is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
HERB'S FISH PLACE
Go east on the Fall Line Freeway toward Sandersville and take a right on Highway 272 in Washington County. You'll pass through the town of Oconee, which used to be a stop for the Nancy Hanks passenger train which went from Atlanta to Savannah.
Herb's will be on the right, several miles past Oconee. The sign is kind of faded so keep a sharp eye for the restaurant. The address is 2698 Georgia Highway 272.
One online reviewer said the "food is great, the service is the best and the price is good."
Another said: "It's a family restaurant. You'll feel like you're at home."
Others praised the fried shrimp and catfish.
What I liked best: The hushpuppies were savory instead of sweet. Add a little extra salt and pepper and they were delicious. The waitresses were extremely helpful, bringing out more ice or hushpuppies when requested.
Insider tip: When you head back, stop and take a look at the Pig Monument that honors a "Depression Pig" that was rescued from a well. Watch for the Pig Monument sign on your left between Herb's and Oconee.
Hours: It is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
So there you have it. Grease is the word.
Know other places to get some good fried fish or shrimp?