TO THE EDITOR

Volunteers are urgently needed to perform fire rescue activities through our office. For years, the volunteer division of Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services has provided extrication, search and rescue and fire fighting services. In recent history the numbers of volunteers has declined to a point where these services are nearly impossible to deliver. Rescue has been defunct for many months. Quite frankly, we need your help.

Individuals can receive training in many areas that are both rewarding and exciting. Extrication (cutting victims free from crashed cars), search and rescue (on land and the lake) as well as firefighter and first responder training can be acquired while volunteering. In many cases, when employment opportunities arise individuals who have trained and responded with LCOES are considered first for job. Most importantly your neighbors need your help.

As Director and Chief I feel it is my duty to revive such a valuable division of our service. On February 12, 2010 at 7 p.m. our office will hold an organizational meeting at which we will accept applications for he volunteer service division (Lincoln County Fire Rescue). The meeting will be at our building at 160 School Street here in Lincolnton. Please come and see what you can offer to our community.

The minimum requirements for applicants are: 18 years old and up; valid Georgia drivers license; good driving history; no criminal history; a dependable vehicle; good general health, capable of strenuous work and lifting.

CASEY S. BROOM DIRECTOR AND CHIEF LCOES Help keep flame lit

TO THE EDITOR

As of March 1st the citizens of Lincoln County will be responsible for the gas bill for the eternal flame that is situated in front of the court house.

Some of the business men and citizens in Lincolnton paid for the erection of the flame and one citizen paid for a year of the gas bill. This flame was dedicated to the veterans who gave their life for our country and Linthe coln County to help keep us free.

Any small or large donation will help keep this flame burning. An account has been set up at Farmers State Bank for this purpose. Please stop in or send a donation to the bank. We need to keep this eternal flame burning in honor of the veterans and their families.

BARBARA SUBLET Library Check-Out

By Elizabeth Estes

We are still looking for a few (or many) good minds to join us for the FOL meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month at 4:30. Our next meeting will be February 25 at 4:30 p.m. at the library.

We still have some of our historical calendars for purchase. If you’ve missed getting yours, you can stop by the library and pick one up for $6. These calendars are an interesting reference source for Lincoln County history. We also have a few Leonard Jones pictures left for sale. One that is rather small and ideal for a kitchen is the “Welcome to My Kitchen” picture, and it’s still available. (You know we’re always selling something to raise money for library projects.) Our thanks to Frances Mims and Paula Drew for baking the yummy sour dough bread which is available each week.

Our membership campaign will begin in earnest this month with letters going out by the end of the month. Inflatioin has not increased our fees for membership. Individual memberships are still $5, Family $15; organizatiion $20; business $40; patron $50; sponsor $100; lifetime $150. All of the money garnered from memberships is channeled right back into the library.

At our last meeting, dates for the spring book sale, usually held in April, were discussed. Since we normally hold this at the same time as the Lewis Family’s Blugrass Festival and there won’t be one of those this year, we will finalize the date later. We’re hoping we can schedule it to coincide with some other festival at the park. The influx of out-of-towners always increases the success of the sale. By spring we will again have a gazillion books for your browsing pleasure, and we look forward to those boxes of books that are donated when everyone does spring cleaning. We always have some shelves of hardback and paperback books for sale in the hallway leading to the Dova Partridge Annex. Many of these are recent releases and look brand new, in case you want them for gifts.

Dinner served

Every Friday is steak night at American Legion Post 194. Menu includes a generous portion of steak, baked potato, shrimp cocktail, large variety salad bar, Texas toast, delicious homemade dessert and iced tea beginning at 7 p.m.

Enjoy a delicious home cooked meal every Wednesday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday dining menu changes weekly.

Visit us for delicious meals in a friendly dining atmosphere. For more information call 706-359-3445.