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She Aiiuancg The ADVANCE, February 10, 2021/Page 2A INAUGURAL MEETING—Georgia Rep. Robert Pruitt, District 149-Eastman, was guest speaker at the recent organizational meeting of the Wheeler County Republican Par ty. Shown with Pruitt are, from left: Laura Brownley, Party Chairperson; Kelly Pruitt, wife of Rep. Pruitt; Marion Clark, Party Secretary; and Cary Clark, Party Vice-Chairperson. Party Treasurer, Mary Ann Rhodes, was not present. The group met at Little Ocmulgee State Park and will meet again on March 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Park, Lyons City Council Reviews and Looks Ahead During Weekend Retreat By Rebekah Arnold Contributing Writer A January weekend re treat gave the Lyons City Council members, lead ership and city depart ment heads time to review 2020’s accomplishments and hurdles, and to look ahead at projects planned for this new year. “The common thread throughout all the pre sentations was the impact of COVID-19,” said City Manager Jason Hall. De cisions that were neces sary for the safety of citi zens negatively impacted programs and operations. One such area of op eration was at Partin Park and the suspension of the 2020 baseball-softball sea son. Further into the pan demic, it was possible to continue other programs. Rentals with the Lyons Recreation Department (LRD) were down 28%, even with the addition of The Depot as an event space. This year’s baseball- softball registration at Partin Park is going well, with numbers expecting to increase through last weekend’s registration deadline. LRD Program Coordinator Kendall Ben- namon said the depart ment “is hoping for a good season.” Hall added, “The ad dition of a disk golf course to Partin Park was a bright point in the presentation made by LRD James Mc Gowan. By working with a course designer, the pro posed course will have 19 holes and two different play patterns.” Another highlight of 2020 was the completion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant project at Vincent Faison Park. This grant allowed the City of Lyons to reno vate the recreation area bordered by Highway 152 and Hilton Drive where citizens can enjoy leisure activities such as walking trails, a picnic pavilion and basketball. At the Council re treat, Police Chief Wesley Walker presented reasons to increase funding for the Criminal Investiga tions Department (CID) and Code Enforcement Department. The need to keep a positive police presence in the City and to quickly resolve crimes requires a well-prepared CID. Also, consistently enforcing codes that will clean up and eliminate blighted areas of the City is a deterrent to crime. It was noted that the City currently maintains a low level of crime. Also, at the retreat, Georgia Municipal As sociation Economic De velopment Manager and Economic Placemaking Collaborative Program Manager Stephanie Rus sell facilitated discussion and plans with the Coun cil on methods of enhanc ing the economic devel opment of downtown Lyons. Among the topics she discussed were how to battle blight and place making economics, a the ory for enhancing a busi ness-friendly atmosphere that attracts new business. Council members plan to schedule Russell for a fu ture local meeting. At the February Council meeting, a mu tually beneficial agree ment was settled between the City of Lyons and the Toombs County Com mission. The Lyons City Council, at its February meeting, approved the agreement to accept the current Emergency Man agement Agency (EMA) building from the County. The building is located between the Ross Bowen building and the Sheriff’s Office. The Commission ap proved giving the building to the City at its January meeting. The City will dis mantle the building and rebuild a portion of it on the Lanier Street property that serves as the City Fire Department. In this agree ment, the City will house EMA emergency equip ment, including extrica tion equipment, which is vital to public safety. City Manager Hall said, “This move and agreement benefit both the County and the City. The City benefits by hav ing easier access to the equipment. The County benefits by not having to find a location for the equipment.” ask Af * Ms, o Magnolia Letters have been edited for length and clarity. Dear Ms. Magnolia, My grandchildren work as restau rant servers to support themselves in college without loans. Last week / vis ited them and took them out to another restaurant in Statesboro. As we were about to leave, they sug gested that, since the tip is actually part of servers ’ income, / leave it on the table for our server in cash, rather than on the credit card. They explained that when a tip is left on a credit card, the server doesn’t get it immediately because the restaurant waits until the money clears the banks, and then servers get their tips, usually only once or twice a month. There’s no way for the server to keep track of the amount of each individual check, so they don’t know if they are get ting the amount they should. Some servers are only just now get ting back to work, so / tip a little more generously than / used to and in cash. / want to make sure they get their money as soon as possible. However, / have heard that tipping is unusual in most European countries because the owners of restaurants there actually pay their workers a living wage. Can’t our res taurants start that here? Tipper Dear Tipper, Any restaurant that changes our system will be very appreciated. Tip ping is confusing to customers and employees. Restaurant staff should be hired and trained well, and paid a regular salary just like other workers in service professions so that they do not have to rely on tips. Our system is unfair to workers and to customers. If you have a question for Ms. Magnolia, please mail it to P.O. Box 669, Vidalia, GA 30475, or e-mail to msmagnoliaadvance@yahoo.com. Narcan continued from page 1A responders are trained on what it is and how it is used. Even fewer have access to this life-saving drug,” said Leigh-Anne White. “Our first responders training covers all of this and our project will also be provid ing all first responders in our county with their own dose of Narcan to keep with them during shifts in the event they encounter someone experiencing an overdose,” she said. The program will also include a recycling platform in which first responders can turn in their spent doses for a new dose at no cost to the departments or the community. Counselor Elizabeth Hickman, who provides the Narcan training, said trainees have included members of the Lyons and Vidalia Police Depart ments, officers from the Toombs County Sheriff’s Department, and para medics and EMTs from the Toombs-Montgomery Emergency Medical Ser vices. In the most recent training session, also at tending was a member of a local rehabilitation pro gram that works toward helping males with Sub stance Use Disorder. Narcan is expensive but worth its weight in gold since no price can be placed on a human life. It can be administered easily and quickly with minimal training, Hickman said. “The benefits of using it outweigh the negative, and, to my knowledge, there are no side effects. That is not to say someone can’t have an allergic reaction, but that is rare.” Naloxone, sold under the brand name of Narcan and others, is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist—mean ing that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids. It can very quickly restore normal res piration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of over dosing with heroin or pre scription opioid pain med ications. The training program offered by White and T.C.- P.T.R. focuses on how to assess a situation where opioid overdose is sus pected, how to administer the drug, and the recovery process. The lawful distri bution and application of Narcan are also discussed, as well as the facts about opioid misuse, including the difference between a substance abuser and a person with Substance Use Disorder. The stigma surround ing opioids is discussed, revealing that persons with Substance Use Disorder do not always fit a familiar profile. “It could be your grandparent who got ad dicted to painkillers fol lowing surgery,” Hickman said. These victims often feel shame and assume the community looks down on them, and they may not seek the help they need, she said. Commenting on the assumptions within the community, she noted, “A lot of people feel like it’s a choice (to misuse drugs). There is a difference be tween a substance user and somebody with Substance Use Disorder. With the disorder, It is not a choice anymore, it becomes a ne cessity. We try and break that feeling,” she said of the center’s approach. “Leigh-Anne and her team at T.C.-P.T.R. are a benefit for the community because they fought so hard for this grant. It covers not just the individual who is suffering from Substance Use Disorder, but the indi- Please see Narcan page 4A We have some exciting news! Tabor Computers has moved in with us. We still offer drop off and pick up services with the same great service. And alterations also! Our seamstresses are at our Vidalia location for fittings and other personal ser vices. But you can leave basic jobs with us in Lyons to save a trip to Vidalia. We have been a main fixture in the Toombs County area for 95 years and that’s not changing. So you can drop off your cleaning and get your computer repaired in one single stop!! Now that’s convenience! MAKE TIME TO DO THE THINGS YOU LOVE Hustler's residential family of mowers are built stronger and perform faster, allowing you to quickly Shuman Cleaners I maneuver around obstacles with ease, including life's most difficult obstacle... time. 128 sw Main Street, vidalia • 537-3212 I Vidalia Small Engine Service 138 W Liberty Street, Lyons • 526-9303 <318 mkESsOQ A 25 minute program about the City of Vidalia featuring City Manager Nick Overstreet and special guests. Tune in the second Tuesday of each month at 8:05 AM.