The Grip Aug 18

8/6/2019 The Grip Aug 18

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-grip-aug-18 1/8

SHEILA MARSHALL

In submitting a bid to theGrin-Spalding DevelopmentAuthority or maintaining thegrounds o The Lakes at GreenValley, Clint Britain, owner o Southern Pro Landscaping, saidhe did as he routinely does – heconsidered all cost associatedwith the work and actored in a

reasonable prot. In doing so,his company was selected or atwo-year contract at the 570-acreproperty.

The rst mowing was at a cost

o just over $19,000, with 10assured cuttings over the two-year contract period pricedat $13,500 per month. FromNovember to March o eachyear, services will be providedonly at the request o theowner, or Spalding Countyocials. That need may or maynot arise, depending uponGeorgia's unpredictable weatherconditions, Britain said.

While Britain is accustomed tothe unpredictable nature o hisbusiness, he was not anticipatingthe level o community criticism

that has been expressedwith regard to the monetaryamount o his contract with theDevelopment Authority.

“There was a pre-bid meeting,and you had to attend thatmeeting to bid on this project,”he said. “There were tencompanies that bid on this, soit was a airly lengthy process.In the end, I presented thewinning bid, a bid that wasvery reasonable or the work involved.”

In addition to the process

undertaken prior to hiscompany's selection, Britainsaid he believes many remainunaware o the amount o work involved.

“A lot o olks don't realize thescope o this job. It's not only alarge area at 570 acres, but thereare also a lot o really extremeslopes out here,” Britain said. “It'sthe pond dams and berms thathave 35 degree slopes. Every lotout here has these berms. It isn't

just your regular mowing likeyour lawn. It's very dangerous

JENNA HOWARD

On August 8, Education SecretaryArne Duncan announced thatstates will be oered waiversthat can exempt them rom theederal testing mandate o theNo Child Let Behind Act (NCLB).Georgia Governor Nathan Dealhas announced he will le or thewaiver or Georgia schools.

Deal recently spoke out againstNCLB, saying it “does not giveyou a comprehensive view o progress being made.” Dealsays that ocials will beginlooking at other actors such as

attendance policies, SAT scores,and Advanced Placement scoreswhen measuring student growth.Deal’s administration believesthat these components will showa more realistic view o studentprogress in Georgia schools.

Grin-Spalding CountySchool System ocials are alsoindicating support or the waiver.Superintendent Colonel Jonesagrees with Governor Deal thatthe waiver is the right decisionby saying, “when [NCLB] wasenacted, the idea that studentswould be procient by the year2014 was so ar out that mostpeople thought they wouldn’thave to deal with it. Now thatwe are in the year 2011, we see

that the goal is not realistic.” The Superintendent also agreesthat looking at other measuresis a more sensible approachto measuring progress in ourschools.

Since its inception, NCLB hasbeen a controversial pieceo legislation. It was enactedby President George W. Bushwith the goal o makingadvancements and improvingaccountability in the Americaneducational system. Under NCLB,each school is supposed to have100 percent prociency in mathand reading by the year 2014.

The law mandates that each statemeet this burden by surpassing

AUG 18 - 31, 2011 VOL. 01 NO. 16

PRINTED BI-WEEKLY | WWW.THE-GRIP.NETGET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF

LIFESTYLE TOP STORIES

CONTINUED, FIRE CHIEF, pg 7 »

Wine group invitesnew members

Wilson to name county re chie Aug. 25

Sunday alcohol salesate to be determinedby popular vote

Grin-Spaldingschools expectrelie with

NCLB waiver

Contractor addresses industrial park landscaping cost complaints

The Lady Jags showed their game aces as they arrived or the Ninth Annual Spalding High School Diamond Tournament heldAug. 12, at Volunteer Park. SHS came out on top, 4-2. IMAGE CREDIT: LAURIE TOLAND; FOR MORE PHOTOS SEE PAGE 6.

CONTINUED, NCLB, pg 2 »

CONTINUED, LaNdsCapINg , pg 2 »

SHEILA MARSHALL

The Spalding County FireDepartment will soon have achie, with County ManagerWilliam Wilson announcing hewill on Aug. 25 name Chipper

Gardner's successor.

The SCFD has been without apermanent chie since Gardner'sMarch 12, 2010, retirement.

Wilson said he cannot state whya chie was not named soon a terhis departure; he can only speak or the actions taken since hisown return to oce.

“I just came back in March; March28 was my rst day back,” Wilsonsaid. “And the hiring decision ismine. That was one o the things I

wanted to change and the boardwanted to change.”

Although department heads andcommissioners are aorded anopportunity to meed prospectivecandidates, the ultimate hiringdecision rests with Wilson.

Naming a SCFD chie was a toppriority discussed by Wilson andcounty commissioners during hiscontract negotiations, he said. Assuch, applications were acceptedthrough May 10. In totality, 35resumes were submitted orconsideration, with HumanResources Director Bill Gaynarrowing the list to the top 12.

“I interviewed the top ve andnarrowed it down to the top two,”Wilson said.

The two nalists or the positionare Rick Clemons, who recentlyretired rom Atlanta Fire-Rescue(AF-R), and SCFD Interim Chie Kenny West.

Over his 30-year career with AF-R, Clemons served in a number

JESSICA GREGORY

While some believe Sundayalcohol sales may be a boonto the economy, not all – eventhose within the industry – agree.

“There's a bigger picture. I don'tthink the tax revenue is goingto be any dierent or the cityo Grin, but I support it or thestate o Georgia, because theperipheral states are capturing

our lost revenue and tax dollarson Sundays,” said Jerey Hatch,

CONTINUED, aLCoHoL, pg 2 »

The current referendum

differs from originalproposals, with liquor now included. Initially, only wineand beer could be sold onSundays.

JESSICA GREGORY Local wine group, "VIN," is notthat stereotypical, high-alutingwine group.

"We drink anything rom a two-buck chuck on up to a $20 bottle

o wine," said treasurer SteveGreenburg.

CONTINUED, VIN, pg 3 »

Snow White and her... Stetson?Camelot Theatre presents

"Snow White Goes West"

PG 3Text "Gripper" to55958 to receivecoupons fromlocal businesses

How to plan yourestate when youhave a blendedamily PG 5



mowing in some areas. You reallyhave to slow down and knowwhat you're doing.”

To accomplish the job, Britain acrew dedicates a crew o sevenmen, in addition to himsel, tothe project.

The eight man crew then spendssix days each month at The Lakesat Green Valley, working 10-hour days. Over the course o approximately 500 man hours, abobcat with bush hog, two 61-

inch lawn mowers and a 90-horse

power arm tractor are utilized tocut the grass.

Although Britain maintainsstate-o-the-art landscapingequipment, the nature o thetopography at The Lakes atGreen Valley also mandates theuse o much more basic tools –weed eaters.

He explained that much o the time his employees toil atthe industrial park are spenttraversing the sleep slopes o thesprawling area, cutting grass byhand.

In areas where heavier

equipment can be used, otherhazards also impact the work.

“In this job here at The Lakes o Green Valley alone, I have hadeight fats on my tractor. Thereare prickly pears all over theplace out here,” he said. “That wasalso part o the bidding processor me – taking all the equipmentexpenses into consideration.”

Ater thoughtully looking overthe picturesque Rehobeth Roadproperty, he expressed a wistulthought to those who criticizethe amount o compensation hiscompany receives.

“Anybody who doesn't think this

is worth the price, I want themto come out here and work or

just one month, just to see whatis involved, but they would haveto work the job through rombeginning to end,” he said. “Theycouldn't just cut out ater a daywhen they realize how had thework is. Nobody is going to getrich out here – I'm not gettingrich out here. It's worth it undermy contract, but nobody'sgetting rich here. I won the bid,I come out here and I do my

job. All I want to do is make myemployer happy and make aliving.” Ω

Billy Reeves, owner o ReevesCleaners in Grin, started thegroup in 1974 and taught agroup o mostly women how toorder and taste wines.

Now the group boasts well over70 members, who get togetherto try new wines - cheap wines,or the most part. Averageprices range rom $4 to $10, saidGreenburg. "We drink the wineswe like; we don't drink the price,"he explained.

"We uncork a bottle and talk about the history o the wine,what vineyard it's rom andwhat it's supposed to be," said

Greenburg. "We taste ve to sixwines per evening."

The group is reaching out to allage groups (over 21 o course),that interested in drinking winesand learning about wines. Theytry to have at least one gatheringper month, with the next eventin September at Greenburg'shome. It's an open pot luck supper with no charge, and areworks display at the end o the night.

"Wine is an extremely socialthing," said Greenburg, "sort o like gol."

For more inormation, contactGreenburg at 770-599-8888. Ω

the previous year’s standardizedtest scores in order to meetAdequate Yearly Progress (AYP).I a school ailed to meet AYP, it isplaced on a probationary periodand must redirect percentages o ederal unding to proessionaldevelopment and studenttutoring.

Georgia schools have been

struggling to meet its AYP eachyear. This year, only 31 out o 180Georgia school distric t met AYP. Inthe Grin-Spalding district, ourschools did not meet AYP andothers are still on a probationaryperiod rom ailing to meet itin previous years. The AtlantaPublic Schools System is receivingnationwide criticism and threatso losing its accreditation becauseo standardized test cheatinglinked to the NCLB Act.

With the new ederal educationlegislation, states can apply ora waiver rom the NCLB Act. Theapplications will be reviewed bya panel, but the nal approvalalls to Duncan. Administrationocials have said they will grant

waivers to states that adoptstandards designed to preparehigh school graduates or collegeand careers, use a “fexible andtargeted” accountability systemor educators based on studentgrowth and make “robust use o data,” among other things.

Several states have alreadyled applications because mostschools won’t be able meetthe 100 percent prociencyrequirement by 2014.

Others in academia have signaledtheir approval or the waiver,at least in the short-term. Je Jordan, an economics proessorat the UGA-Grin campus whohas been working on education

issues, believes this is a goodmove because it will orceWashington to move legislationalong.

Jordan agrees that NCLBhas not been successul atmeasuring student growth,but he does believe it has beensuccessul by orcing schoolsto look at disadvantagedgroups like Arican-Americancommunities, Hispanic groups,and those participating in specialeducation. “In order or us tomeasure educational growth,we must answer two questions:what aects student learningand how do we measure it?Looking at other actors besidesstandardized test scores willgive us more insight into theseanswers.”Ω

TOP STORIES2 August18 - 31, 2011

COUNTY: Commissioners heard a pre-sentation by the City o Grin Rede-velopment Services Director FrederickGardiner regarding the CommunityRedevelopment Tax Incentive.

STATE: The State Legislature calleda Special Session which will ocus on

redistricting in Georgia.

STATE: A Fulton County grand juryhit the Atlanta Public Schools with asubpoena to release all documentsassociated with the CRCT scandal.

NATIONAL: The Iowa Ames StrawPoll shows Michele Bachmann andMitt Romney as ront runners in GOPpresidential race. Texas Governor RickPerry also announced his presidencyas Tim Pawlenty drops out.

WORLD: Hundreds o people continueto die each day as the drought wors-ens and as ocials keep humanitarianaid restricted in Somalia.

Grippits

Pinpoint Griffin InformationWhen you need LOCAL information

about Griffin, count onHometownOnlineInfo.com

to deliver EXACTLY

the results you need.

save money whileshopping locally!

visit the website daily to print each deal!

« alcohol, cont.

« landscaping, cont.

Massages by Roniat Star Salon

414 S. Hill Street | 770-228-7738Shimano,Sugoi,PearlIzumi Apparel&Accessories

678-692-8175

Bicycles&RepairsGT,Cannondale,Schwinn,Raleigh,Orbea,Electra

116 E. College St.

Time for a new ‘do?

770-228-7738@ Star Salon

« NCLB, cont.

« VIN, cont.

o Jerey's Bottle Shoppe. “Thereare those who drive across statelines into Alabama, Tennesseeand Florida to buy alcohol onSundays. I this passes, thatwill keep those dollars here inGeorgia.”

City residents will be able to voteon the issue during the Nov 8.election, as Grin commissionerson Aug. 9 agreed to put Sundayalcohol sales on the ballot.

I approved, the law would allowthose who currently sell anytype o alcohol (beer, wine and/or liquor) to sell them betweenthe hours o 12:30 p.m. and 11:30p.m. on Sunday as well.

Hatch says that regardless o thereerendum's outcome, he doesnot intend to make any changesto his store's operating hours.

“Personally, I've always elt that

you should always be able to buybeer and wine in the grocery orconvenience stores on Sundays.I you were going to the lakeor were having a cookout, itdidn't seem right not to be ableto do that,” he said. “With thatbeing said, we will probably optnot to be open. I eel that theconsumption will not change – itwill still be spread over sevendays – so the question or me iswould it justiy the additionaloverhead and labor to work a

seventh day?”

Hatch admits this decision mayresult in a minor sales revenueloss, but in the end, he says it isworth the price to be paid.

“It may cost us a little bit in sales,but that's the tradeo or havingone day a week o,” he said.“We're already here every otherday o the week. To have one dayo is a personal thing.” Ω

Jefrey's Bottle Shoppe owner, Jefrey Hatch

Clint Britain, owner o Southern Pro Landscaping, is seen atop one o the numerous

slopes that comprise The Lakes at Green Valley Industrial Park. Britain spoke outin response to criticism to the unds the Grin-Spalding Development Authority isspending to mow the lawns at the Rehobeth Road location.

770-412-0936 407 Meriwether Street, Grifn



August 18 - 31, 2011 3FOOD, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

J. Michael’s

130 South Hill Street, Griffin

770-467-0025

Expose yourself to art.

Gourmet Ice Cream

(New flavors every week)

Mon - Fri: 12:30 pm -9 pmSat - Sun: 12:30 pm - 10 pm

770-630-96611119 Zebulon Road, Griffin

EL DURANGOMEXICAN RESTAURANT, INC.

770-229-1555

HAPPY HOUR

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

MARGARITASDRAFT BEER &

D r af t Beer on Sat ur day s

Monday - Thursday 11-10Friday & Saturday 11-11

Closed Sunday

Serving Great Steaks and Prime Rib Since 1988

770-228-54421707 N. Expressway

STARTING AT ONLY $5!

COME TRY OUR

NEW MENU!

PRODUCTION:Friday, August 19, 2011 throughSunday, August 21, 2011,Enrichment Center Stage

Note: This is not the Disney versiono Snow White. This show is amusical based upon the GrimmBrother's Snow White in thewestern atmosphere o the Gold Rush days.

TICKETS: $10 adults, $5 studentsand seniors; available at the boxoce or at www.camelottheatre.com

THE PRODUCTION TEAM:Brad D. Fowler -- DirectorJared Sisson -- Junior DirectorAngie Plate -- Music DirectorLori Flanders -- ChoreographerShari Barron -- Orchestration

CHARACTERS & CAST:

SNOW WHITE; Kat Martin: Filledwith beauty, warmth and

honesty,Snow Whitewins thehearts o everyoneshe meets,exceptQueenie.Queenie's

jealousycould mark the end o Snow Whiteunless oneor twoheroes cancome to herrescue.

QUEENIE;Nikki Stone:She is araucous,as well as

a glamorous dance hall queenwho becomes Snow White'sStepmother. She is vain anddomineering, and becomes the

jealous, comedic villainess whenher Magic Mirror proclaims SnowWhite the airest o all. She laterdisguises hersel as a spanishpeddler selling combs, andagain as an indian squaw sellingapples. Like her counterpartSneaky Sam, she tends to be abitmelodramatic at times.

NARRATOR; Caylen Perry: Inaddition to moving the storyalong, the Narrator interactsdirectly with the audiencethroughout the play. When sheis not narrating, she sits to oneside o the stage and watchesthe action and like the audience,reacting to the scenes andapplauding the perormers.

THE DWARF FAMILY: The vertically-challenged, gold-mining amily o seven sing anddance requently. Hank is thekindly leader o the group, and

Shorty is the lovable and not-so-bright black sheep o the amily.Jessi, Bobbie Joe, Charlie, Petuniaand Slim all are unique and keepthe amily organized.

HANK; Nolan WinterSHORTY : Luke Sisson

JESSI: Lindsey FowlerBOBBIE JOE: Steani FranklinCHARLIE: Anna ArgoPETUNIA: Rachel WallaceSLIM: Will Samples

MARSHAL JOE PRINCE; HaydenFlanders: He is the handsomewestern hero with a dazzlingsmile and a bit o a swagger inhis walk. He is the owner o thePrince Mines, and becomes theMarshal o the territory and soonater alls in love.

SNEAKY SAM; David Samples:He is Queenie's henchman tornbetween Snow White's beautyand Queenie's rage.

MAGIC MIRROR; Cady Craword:She is warm, quick witted andquite humorous, and tries to bethe voice o reason to Queenie, tono avail.

MR. WHITE; Jared Sisson: He isa kindly and spry old prospectortype who, with his daughterSnow, comes to the old west tond gold but soon alls prey toQueenie.

BARTENDER; Meloni Franklin:She keeps the Saloon in orderand the patrons in line. Watch outor her let-hook -- and her trustyshotgun.

SALOON GIRL; Kylie Grin:What's a saloon without a lovelysaloon girl? Ω

Snow White dons a Stetson or Camelot production

SUBMITTED

The Haunted Theatre on HillStreet will be holding open try-outs or characters or its annualhaunted house at a new (andghostlier) location in downtownGrin.

Those earless enough to join

Grin’s largest haunted houseare invited to come to StudioD, 111 North Hill Street, onSaturday, September 10th rom

1:00PM to 5:00PM to try out tobecome a “scareactor” in thisrightening, Halloween event. “The Haunted Theatre” needs anassortment o scary creaturesguaranteed to “scare the pantso” the innocents who dareto walk through this deserted,haunted theatre on theweekends o October 21 and 22and October 28 and 29.

The spooky event is also looking

or make-up artists and non-scareactors positions.

The Haunted Theatre on HillStreet is located in historicdowntown Grin in theunderground vaults o StudioD, between Taylor Street andSlayton Alley.

For more inormation on thisyear’s haunted house visit www.thehauntedtheatre.org. Ω

The Haunted Theatre is back and looking or resh blood…



DIRT MCGIRTWhile the last ew winters iNGeorgia have been especiallycold, the conditions are neveras glacial as people make themout to be. The olks in Siberia andBarrow, Alaska have a legitimategripe about the winter conditionsthey endure with temperatureso minus 50 degrees and totaldarkness.

Despite our mild winters, everyJanuary or February people canbe overheard saying how theycan not wait or it to be summer.Well those people have onceagain had their wish ullled asthe muggy days o August areupon us. Despite the unbearable

heat and humidity we currentlysuer, some people will stillargue that summer weather isbetter than winter weather. Letstake a closer look at a severalcommon arguments advanced bythose who avor heat stroke overhypothermia.

We don’t have to bundle up in thesummer just to go outside likewe do in the winter. While thatstatement is true on its ace,we also don’t have to changeshirts ater simply walking to themailbox. Another key point is thatin the winter people can continueto add layers o clothing untila comortable temperature isreached. Continuously sheddinglayers in the summer can result inserious jail time and banishmentrom playgrounds and parks.

Summer is the perect time to go

to the beach. Listening to thewaves and enjoying the breezewith a cold beer and a good book sounds like the perect way tobeat the heat. However, aterlugging six chairs, an umbrella,three coolers and a Frisbee back and orth over searing sand and

through swarms o sand feas andsand spurs, the cool ocean breezeis just not as rereshing.

Summer is a time to enjoy theoutdoors. Summer is when themost horrible creatures thathave ever lived thrive. Withinsix minutes o beginning anyoutdoor activity, mosquitoes thesize o Chihuahuas hone in ontheir victims to take their bloodand leave behind malaria andWest Nile.

Every thing is green and pretty inthe summer. The beauty o greenlawns and thriving fower bedsonly appeals to those who don’thave to endure the mosquitoes,ticks, chiggers, poisonous vines,briars, humidity, sun stroke,broken lawnmowers, hard redclay, and nagging wives thataccompany the back breaking

labor required to maintain them.Everyone else begins yearningor the rst rost or a drought byabout June 1.

When you really think about it, ahigh o 55 degrees and a low o 40 degrees isn’t really that bad. Ω

Merit, Not Popularityin VotingIt seems that many across ournation are dissatised with ourelected ocials at the local, state,and ederal level. Why are we sosurprised? Do people take theirresponsibility as voters seriousenough to truly look at eachcandidate? Do we not recognizethat wonderul right we have to

choose our leadership? There isnot enough print space or meto address this at every level, soI will only address local electionsat this time.

Albert Einstein once said, “Thesignicant problems we acecannot be solved by the samelevel o thinking that createdthem.” Our community is acingthe same old problems becausewe continue to elect ocialsbased on the old paradigm inwhich we are immersed. We

must correct the old problemsbecause there is a storm o newproblems on the horizon. We ailourselves and our communityby not truly researching thequalications needed to ulll theduties o the position and by notinvestigating whether or not theperson we want to vote or hasthose qualications. We have theability to eect change; we haveto be willing to implement it.During our most recent elections,a small amount o change wasimplemented; most or thebetter. We are now acing anunexpected election and mustcontinue this progress.

Einstein also stated, “Politics areusually the executive expressiono human immaturity.” Nowhereis this more evident than withsome o the excuses I have heardlocally as justication or votingor candidates. We do not needto vote or someone just becausewe grew up with them or they area riend o riend. I they are suchas this and also actually havethe qualications, then placea check next to the candidates

name. We do not need to voteor someone because they aremembers o [insert any civicorganization, church, or socialclub here] with us or becauseyour amily knew their amily tyyears ago. My avorite excuse Ihave heard so ar is “I’m voting orhim because he can get my sonout o DUI”. Really? That is whyyou are supporting a candidate?

This implies that the accusedwas actually driving under theinfuence and that someone isconducting themselves in an

unethical and probably illegalmanner in order or the accusedto not ace the responsibility o his actions. An elected ocialwith direct control over anagency or organization mustbe more than just riendly andwilling to cross a bright line bydoing political avors under thetable or those violate the lawand endanger others. JamesAdams had it right when hestated, “Men must be ready, theymust pride themselves and behappy to sacrice their privatepleasures, passions and interests,nay, their private riendships anddearest connections, when theystand in competition with therights o society.”

While it is important to care orchildren and the elderly, mostelected oces require muchmore than just this attribute.Whoever we elect or any politicaloce needs to be progressive,orward thinking, educated,experienced, have the ability tothink in terms o modern andeective concepts, and be ableto develop sound policies and

role-models or our community.Popularity contests are best letin high school. Educate yoursel about the job o the electedoce, examine the abilities andresumes o every candidate, andthen select the best qualiedcandidate. Vote or a candidatethat does more than just meetqualications. Vote or one that isthe most qualied and can directhis or her area o responsibilitytowards a positive uture.

Signed, Bryan Clanton, MPA

VIEWPOINTS4 August 18 - 31, 2011

Unsure of your next step?

CERTIFIED LIFE COACH

Specializing in careers and ministries

HELPING CLIENTS DETERMINE & ACHIEVE GOALS

404-510-4504by appointment only

ATTORNEYS

Timothy N. Shepherd

Patrick M. Shepherd

612 West Taylor Street, Griffin | 770-229-1882

www.shepherdslaw.com

We assist clients with a wide variety of legalneeds including:personal injury, wrong-ful death, criminaldefense, divorce, childcustody and childsupport, collections,local governmentissues, wills andestates, education law,contract disputes andother civil litigation.

NEW LOCATION

ON TAYLOR ST.

»»» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Letters to the editor concerningany subject relevant to Grincitizens are encouraged and

welcomed, as are cheers & jeers.Any comments or letters must besigned and should be emailed to

[email protected] or postedto P.O. Box 2251, Grin, Georgia30224.

109 S. Hill StreetGrin, Georgia

SATIRE: Sweet

SummertimeValid Concerns & Helpul Solutions:A semi-regular column devoted toaddressing issues, tackling problemsand giving all-around good adviceto the leaders and citizenry o thegreater Grin-Spalding County area.

“GET A GRIP”: POLL OF THE WEEKEach week at www.the-grip.net a “Get A Grip” poll willbe posted. The results and any related content will bepublished in the consecutive print edition o The Grip.Visit www.the-grip.net to vote today!

Current Poll:

Letters on this subject areencouraged and should beemailed to [email protected] or posted to PO Box 2251,Grin, GA 30224.

VOTE NOW ATWWW.THE-GRIP.NET

Last Week’s Poll Results:City o Grin residents:Do you plan to utilize the city'snew online utility bill payingeature despite the $4.50 cost?

» YES: 5 votes

» NO : 27 votes

Expires 8/31/11. One coupon percustomer. Coupon cannot be used for

both montly packages and lotion.

NO:84%

YES:16%

Surrounding local governmentsare passing ordinances against

"saggy pants," and GrinMayor Joanne Todd mentionedollowing suit at the lastcommissioners' meeting.Would you be in avor o suchan ordinance?



COMMUNITY 6 August 18 - 31, 2011

National Wild TurkeyFederation will hold'Jakes Day' Aug. 27

Community bries To have your inormation appear in the this section o The Grip, email a press release to [email protected]

Over two years of helping Griffin meet their wellness goals

770-710-6734

Absolute HealthcareWeightloss & Wellness

Natural weightloss

:

:

:

.

.

: :

For your chance to WIN, head to FACEBOOK.COM/MICHELOBULTRA formore info or text ADVENTURE to ULTRA (85872). Promotion begins July 1.

MICHELOB ULTRA® ADVENTURE “BE DARING. BE ULTRA.” SWEEPSTAKES

Message and data rates may apply.

BIKE MOAB WITH LANCE

©2011Anheuser-Busch,Inc.,MichelobUltra®LightBeer,St.Louis,MO[95calories,2.6gcarbs,0.6gproteinand0.0gfat,per12oz.] NoPurchaseNecessary.SweepstakesopentoresidentsoftheUnitedStates(exceptCA),whoare

21yearsofageorolder.Sweepstakesbeginsat3:00p.m.CentralDaylightTime(“CDT”)on7/1/11andendsat3:00p.m.CDTon7/31/11.To enter,text“ADVENTURE” toshortcodeULTRA (85872)orvisit www.facebook.com/michelobultraandfollow

theonlineinstructionstocompleteandsubmitanonlineentry.SeeOfficialRulesforcompletedetails.Voidwhereprohibited.Thispromotionisinnowaysponsored,endorsedoradministeredby,orassociatedwith,Facebook.Youunderstandthat

youareprovidingyourinformationtoSponsorandnottoFacebook.

414 S. Hill Street

770.228.7738

Ask for Staror Chasity

September 24, 1 pmWyomia Tyus Park Pavilion #1

A reunion is to be held for thosewho attended Highland Mill’s

Grammar School before its closurein late 1961. The classmates and

spouses only are invited.

Please bring lawn chairs, snacks,sandwiches and drinks (tea, soda,etc. - no alcohol). Plates, napkins,

ice, etc will be provided.

Great deals on gently-usedpregnancy items, children’s clothing,

toys, books and equipment,and junior-sized clothing.

1/ 2 O F F da y for spe

c ia l l y mar k ed i tems

McDonough First United Methodist Church151 Macon Street, Hwy. 42

just south of the squarewww.secondtimearoundkids.com

WE REMEMBER.

Drop in or book an appointmentfor services September 8-10 and aportion of the proceeds will bedonated to Spalding County FireDepartment.

414 S. Hill Street, Grin(770) 228-7738

Many times, people find they must facea legal problem that they never thought

they would encounter. We work hard tounderstand your problems and developefficient, responsive, and practicalsolutions to your meet your needs.

We understand that good peopleexperience bad situations. Therefore,we invite you to contact us when youneed legal services so that you mayexperience our expertise in legalcounseling.

(770) 227-53001115 Zebulon Road

Griffin, GA 30224

Medical MalpracticePersonal Injury

DUIFamily Law

Criminal Law Mesothelioma

When you need responsibleand caring professionals t o care

for you loved ones,we are the ones to call.

125 D W. Solomon Street, Grin

Meal preparation | Light housekeepingPersonal Care Assistance

Medication Reminders | Mobility Assistance

bridal registry in town! at Ace Hardware of Griffin

126 W. College St.

The only HIS & HERS

The Mid-Georgia Chapter o theNational Wild Turkey Federationwill hold its annual Jakes day onAugust 27, 2011, at the Grin

Gun Club, Amelia Road, Grin,Georgia. The activities will beor children between the ages o 3-17. Registration is 8:15 - 9 a.m.Activities will begin at 9 a.m. andwill nish around 12 p.m. with ahot dog lunch or all participants.Door prizes will be given at theend o the activities or children.A $10 registration ee is requiredby the NWTF unless the Jake is acurrent member o the NWTF. Contact Hoby Davenport ormore inormation at 770-228-3221 or 770-584-1158.

Ninth Annual Spalding High School DiamondTournament held Aug. 12, at Volunteer Park

LEFT: Abby Toland, a SHS reshman, beganher rst game pitching or the Lady Jags in theteams match up against Wakeeld Christian.

BELOW: Haedyn Kilgore was ready or whatever

The Clayton State UniversitySmall Business DevelopmentCenter is holding a ProcurementBasics and Beyond Conerenceon Thursday, September 22,

Procurement Basics

rom 8:30am - 4:00pm at the CSUStudent Activities Center. Lunchwill be provided to attendees.

The cost is $99 per person. Eachadditional person (rom thesame company) who registersat the same time will receive50 percent o. Interestedparties can register at www.

Oak Hill Baptist Church ishosting "Living Proo Live" withBeth Moore and Travis Cottrellon Sept. 10. Join hundreds o ladies rom around Grin or alive simulcast with Bible study,worship, un, and ellowship.

Tickets are $15 and are availableat the church. The cost willinclude continental breakast,Chick-l-a lunch served bylocal Truett's and Dwar House,and the opportunity to shopour Marketplace Venue withvendors throughout Grin andthe surrounding area. For moreinormation visit oakhillbaptist.org.

Living Proo Live at OakHill Baptist Church

Be a part o the inaugural DogDays 100 multi-optional ridethrough Atlanta’s SouthernCrescent region. Ride begins at7:30 a.m. and takes riders throughhistoric Hill Falls State Park andIndian Springs State Park.

Proceeds benet the SalvationArmy Community Center Boysand Girls Ater School Program.Cost is $35 or riders (13 years andolder). The rides include 20, 32,50 and 100 miles. To register goto www.active.com and searchor Dog Days 100. For moreinormation contact 678-972-6993.

Dog Days 100 on Aug. 20

Grin Youth Soccer Sign-ups willbe held this Saturday, August20 rom 10 a.m. until 2 p.m atWyomia Tyus Park. This is the lastSaturday or registration. Teamsare available or children ages3 to 18. For more inormation,email [email protected] call 404-643-0967. Visit thewebsite at www.grinsoccer.org.

This Saturday last day orGrin Youth Soccer reg.



o positions including deputyIT administrator rom 1997through 2005; assistant programcoordinator o the CommunityEmergency Response Teamrom 2005 until his retirement;and deputy training directoro AF-R's Hartseld-JacksonAtlanta International Airportdivision, also rom 2005 until hisretirement.

West also has more thanthree decades o reghtingexperience, having began servingthe Spalding County communityin 1979.

Over his many years o service,he has held such SCFD positionsas reghter rom 1979 through1987; director o HomelandSecurity and emergencymanagement rom 1990 throughthe present; assistant re chie rom 1987 through the present.He also currently serves astraining ocer and pubic resaety educator, as well as havinglled the interim chie's positionthe preceding 17 months.

“I've got two great candidatesand it's going to be a toughchoice.”

He then cited the actorsupon which he based his nal

determination, stating Clemonseducation – he is currentlypursuing his doctorate inorganization and managementrom Capella University – as well

as his abundant experience.As or West, Wilson said,“He's come up through thedepartment. He has all theexperience throughout the yearsand the way he handled therecent tornado disaster and themanner in which he's served asinterim re chie, as well.”

However, questions o West'stness or continued servicewith the SCFD were raised in2010 ollowing an exhaustiveinvestigation conductedby Atlanta-based attorneyChristopher Balch.

County ocials contractedBalch's services ollowing a July

2010 incident in which reghter Terrence Reid videotapedextremely graphic images o Dayna Kempson-Schatt's bodyater she was killed in a Julywreck. The video was publiclydisseminated and eventually ellinto the hands o the victim'sparents.

Ater reviewing not only thisspecic incident, but what wasreerred to as the overall cultureo the SCFD, Balch recommendeddisciplinary action against anumber o personnel, includingWest.

“His ailures in leadershipdevelopment, training andcommunication cannot beoverstated,” Balch reported tomembers o the Spalding CountyCommission and Interim CountyManager Drew Whalen, but headded, "There is no intent to holdChie West responsible solely orthe misconduct o someone else,rather, Chie West should be heldaccountable or his own ailuresand actions.”

For these reasons, Balchrecommended Spalding Countyterminate West's employment.Commissioner Gwen Flowers-

Taylor addressed the 2010incident at a recent orum orboth candidates.

In questioning Clemons, she saidthe issue had tarnished the redepartment's reputation andasked what he could do to help

restore its reputation.

"I have a history o runninga rst-class customer servicetraining that highlights sensitivityand communication," Clemonsresponded, while adding that anynecessary changes could onlybe determined ater a period o assessment.

Flowers-Taylor then addressedWest, stating he was going toget the hard questions beoreasking i he, in hindsight, believeshe should have done anythingdierently.

West responded by reerring tothe videotaping incident as “alapse in judgment o one person.”He also stated, “I was the lastone to know,” and “I don't knowo anything I could have donedierently.”

In light o the act that Westreceived no disciplinaryaction whatsoever ollowingBalch's recommendation o termination, Wilson was asked i he is comortable in naming theacting chie as a nalist or thepermanent position.

“I have read that report,” hesaid. “I have experience withKenny that goes beyond thatreport. My experience withChie West goes back to 1985when I came to work here. The

experience that I have, and themost recent experience with thetornado since I came back, proveotherwise. Leadership begins atthe top.” Ω

GOVERNMENTAugust 18 - 31, 2011 7

VISIT TODAY

CALL AHEAD

For Directions and

Weekly Specials

Wholesalers, Retailers & Landscapers Welcome!

821 Old Woodbury Highway

Woodbury, GA

(706) 553-9000 • 553-3569

We Delivermost bulk items!

CUSTOM

OUTDOOR GRILLS

FIREPITSTOP QUALITY PRODUCTS

AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICING!

QUALITY PAVERS • RETAINING WALLS • COLORED MULCH

RIVER STONES • EDGING MATERIALS & MORE

$21.00PER YD

RED MULCH

ALPHA RETAINING STONEANY COLOR

www.rockbottomscapes.com

[email protected]

EA1$ .45

$25NOW AVAILBLE :

COMPOST .00PER YD

Government Scorecard A roundup o recent public meetings

City o Grin Board o Commissioners6 p.m. August 9, One Grin Center

Action: Commissioners denied a request ora variance rom Section 70.11.4 MonumentSigns o the City o Grin Sign Ordinance, topermit a monument sign that exceeds the sizerequirements or property located at 371 N.Expressway (Auto Care Experts, owned by RickSasser).

Vote: 7-0

Spalding County Board o Commissioners6 p.m. Aug 15, Spalding County Courthouse Annex

This was Sasser's third appearancebeore the board, and he has beenissued over $3,00 in citations orthe signs. Ater being granted avarience in February or one LED

monument sign, Sasser built twomonument signs, each 252 squareeet and 12 eet high, whichexceed the 40 total square eet/10eet height limitations.

Action: Commissioners authorized a contest tosolicit names or the uture Senior Center.

Vote: 4-0 (Gardner not present)

Spalding CountyBoard o Appeals7 p.m. August 11, SpaldingCounty Courthouse Annex

Our $350 “College Student Protection Package” provides:

Health Care Power of Attorney

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Release

DocuBank I.C.E. (college student) Card ($125 value by itself)

General Power of Attorney

Summer is almost over, which means many

children will soon be headed o to colleges allaround the country. This is the perfect time to

ensure your child has the basic legal

protections they need as newly minted adults.

HIPAA horror stories really do

happen. We've even heard

from some of our own clientswho've been kept in the dark

by hospitals about their own

children's statuses.

Scan to learn moreabout Docubank

and the I.C.E.Card

www.goldbergestateplanning.com

goldbergestateplanning goldberglaw

770-229-5729

STEAK SEAFOOD CHICKEN PASTA

Happy Hour 3 - 6

Dinner Weds - Sat

Oyster Bar 9:30 - til

GRILL BARGRILL BAR

Inormation or Sept. 20 nonpartisan special election or sherif

Interim Fire Chie and Fire Chie candidate Kenny West

« fre chie, cont.

The Parks & Rec advisory boardwill administer the contest andorward the top ve submissionsto the Board o Commissioners ornal decision on a name.

Action: The board recommendedapproval a special exception or

place o worship expansion or theThai Buddhist Temple on Steele Roadrom the current ve acres to two otheradjacent tracts or a total o 17.563acres.

The board recommended approval despitenegative eedback about the Templeexpressed at the meeting.

The issue will come beore the SpaldingCounty Board o Commissioners at the nextzoning meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 30.

Fire Chie candidate Rick Clemons

Who's Running:Wendall Beam :[email protected]

Keith Duncan:[email protected]

Tony [email protected]

Joel Jinks [email protected]

Public Forums:August 25; Sun City Peachtree; 7 p.m.

August 30; Grin Regional Welcome Center; 7 p.m.

Email questions to [email protected]

September 8; Macedonia Baptist Church

September 8; WKEU will air a orum at 7:30 p.m.

Look or:A special section in the next issue inwhich candidates will answer thequestions about their qualications,direction or the SCSO, changes, andthoughts on personnel and challenges.

I you have specic questions you'd likeanswered, email them to [email protected]. Answers will be posted to the-grip.net.

TWO MOPEDS FOR SALEBrand-new, 50 cc, streetlegal. Red & Black / Silver& Black. Free luggage rackand ender with sale. $795each, warranty included.

Contact 770-228-0001



Now that your last

excuse just got on

the bus....

It’s time to getback into your high

school jeans!

total tness

770-228-57361447 N. Expressway

Grin, Ga.

JOIN TODAY!

FIRST MONTH FREE CHILDCARE!

The helpful place.

126 W. College St. Grifn 678-692-8670 | 122 S. 13th Street

Hairstylist andNail Tech Needed

FIRST MONTH BOOTH RENT FREE!

*licenses required.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS

IN THIS SPACEFOR ONLY $24!

The Grip Aug 18

Documents

Transcript of The Grip Aug 18