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BARROW JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Fundraiser to help pay for boy’s life flight
By Lorin Sinn-Clark
lorin@ barrowjournal, com
Four-year-old Alex Richards and his fam
ily need your help. On Oct. 1, while he was
getting ready for bed, Alex told his mother he
was feeling sick. Within minutes he stopped
breathing and was life flighted to Egleston
Children's Hospital in Atlanta. There he was
diagnosed with a tumor on his lungs and T-cell
leukemia.
Alex's doctors said the life flight saved
his life, but his family's insurance won’t pay
for it. So now, in addition to leukemia treat
ments, Alex and his family are facing $20,000-
$30,000 in bills —just for the life flight.
"My sister said that flight saved her son’s
life,” said Nicole Patterson, Alex’s aunt, who
is organizing a series of fundraisers to help
her sister’s family pay the medical bills their
insurance won't cover. "She said she doesn’t
care if it takes the rest of her life to pay it off
— saving Alex’s life was more than worth it.
Since he went into the hospital, my sister has
been at Alex's side. He has had chemo and the
tumor has shrunk, but it will be three to three
and a half years before we know if he is cured.
That’s a lot of medical bills and at this point
all we’re trying to do is raise funds for is the
life flight.”
The first event is a BBQ fundraiser on
Saturday, Dec. 10th at the EZ Buy Chevron
on the corner of Hwy. 11 & Rockwell Church
Road.
“We are pre-selling pork butts for $25 and
will be selling $7 BBQ pork plates,” Patterson
said. "Tom Dunahoo is the gentleman who has
volunteered his time to run the smokers. He is
pretty well known for his smoked pork butts.”
Patterson has also set up a fund at Wells
Fargo Bank; donations can be made at any
branch. To designate the funds for Alex, make
checks payable to the Alex Richards Fund and
include the account number: 8405232243.
Alex, his parents, Sherri and Mark Richards,
and his 14-year-old sister, Julia, live in
Bethlehem. Patterson said Alex "loves race
cars, baseball” and is “a very energetic little
boy who has kept his family laughing” even
during the difficult times his cancer has pre
sented.
“Alex ‘plays possum’ when the doctors come
into the room,” Patterson said. “I guess he’s
just tired of being prodded and poked, so he
pretends he’s asleep then peeks around the
room to see if they are gone.. .He's just a really
A.
JOYS OF YOUTH
Four-year-old Alex Richards is shown
before his diagnosis.
FACING A TOUGH BATTLE
Alex Richards is shown clutching a little
Matchbox car. His aunt said, “Alex loves
race cars.”
funny little guy who gives us a lot of hope that
things are going to turn out alright.”
Alex has been in the hospital since the Oct. 1
life flight. He is scheduled to come home soon.
After that, he faces weekly chemo treatments.
For more information, to pre-order a pork butt,
buy BBQ plates or to make a donation, call
Patterson at 404-787-1026.
Leftover Pets offers free cat adoptions
By Lorin Sinn-Clark
lorin@barrowjournal.com
Three out of four adult cats surrendered to
the Barrow County Animal Control Shelter are
euthanized because there are simply not enough
homes for cats in Barrow County. The major
ity of the kittens turned in to the shelter meet
the same fate. Susan Thompson and Amber
Polvere, the owner-operators of Leftover Pets,
Barrow's new low cost spay/neuter clinic, have
decided to do something about that.
They are offering a free "Barn Cat” program
where cats they rescue from the shelter are
neutered or spayed, rabies vaccinated, then
offered for adoption for free.
“Basically, we will provide adult cats that are
spay/neutered and current on rabies for anyone
needing a bam cat, a yard cat or a house cat,”
Thompson said. “The cat can be friendly or
feral/semi-feral depending on what the adopter
desires. We hope that by removing financial
obstacles, our “Barn Cat” program will facili
tate the transfer of at risk shelter cats to new
homes and new careers.”
Leftover Pets also offers kittens rescued
from the shelter, spay/neutered and rabies vac
cinated, for $25.
“If you have unfixed cats call to schedule
an appointment at 800-978-5226, 770-307-
3499 or 706-654-3291,” Thompson said. “If
you can't afford to pay, we do have a financial
assistance program. Go to www.leftoverpets.
HE’S A GOOD BOY
This 8-year-old neutered, declawed male
might not make much of a barn cat,
but he sure needs a home. His owners
recently surrendered him to the animal
shelter and his chances for making it out
of there alive are slim to none.
org/spayneuter, question 14, for the applica
tion.”
For more information, to adopt a kitten
or cat, volunteer or make a donation, e-mail
Leftover Pets at adopt@leftoverpets.org or
call 800-978-5226, 770-307-3499 or 706-654-
3291.
STATE CHAMBER CEO TELLS LOCAL CHAMBER TO PUSH T-SPLOST
Chris Clark (left), president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce,
stands with Tommy Jennings, the president of the Barrow County chamber, follow
ing Clark’s luncheon address Tuesday at the county recreation center. Clark called
on the local chamber to push passage of the 2012 referendum for a 1-percent
regional sales tax for transportation known popularly as the T-SPLOST. He warned
that regions without the new funding stream could fall behind in the development
of transportation infrastructure. Photo by Susan Norman
Tree House buys Highland Drive property
By Katie Cofer
kcofer@barrowjourncd.com
The Barrow County Board of Education
unanimously approved the sale of a prop
erty on Highland Drive in Winder to Barrow
County children's advocacy non-profit The
Tree House on Tuesday.
The board accepted sealed bids for the
property located at 173 Highland Drive on
Wednesday, Oct. 19. The only sealed bid
received was from The Tree House as a cash
offer of $99,000 with no contingencies.
In other action, the BOE unanimously
approved:
•the purchases of $110,518.25 worth of
computer equipment that will be reimbursed
by federal Race to the Top grant funds.
•a policy recommendation to replace the
word “epipen” with the term “auto-inject-
able epinephrine.” The action required board
approval in order to strike the words “by the
principal of each school” from the policy.
•its 2012 meeting dates calendar.
The BOE met with legal counsel in closed
session prior to its regular meeting Tuesday
to discuss pending or potential litigation, but
it took no action.
SUPERINTENDENT’S
RECOGNITIONS
Superintendent Wanda Creel told the board
that Barrow County students sent 4,468 let
ters to U.S. troops overseas as part of the “Big
Thank You” initiative.
In other recognitions, the following stu
dents and school staff members were awarded
at Tuesday's meeting:
•Principal of the Performance Learning
Center and the College and Career Preparatory
Academy Mollie Stiltner recognized IT and
maintenance staff for “excellent support”
and “tireless efforts.” Dennis King and John
St. Claire accepted awards on behalf of staff
members.
•Alternative School principal Jeb Gregory
recognized students Diego Garcia, Larry
Garrison and Raymond Hewlett for each
receiving an Outstanding Achievement
Award for improving their grades and model
ing good behavior/character. Teachers of the
three students spoke to why they received the
recognition — by demonstrating to the fac
ulty and other students what it means to “be
safe, be respectful, and be responsible.”
•Kennedy Elementary School princi
pal Ryan Butcher recognized teachers
Susan Mullis and Christina Bagnasco for
their participation in the nonprofit effort
HealthMpowers, a Norcross initiative to stop
child obesity and encourage healthy habits
for school-aged children.
•Statham Elementary School principal
Robert "Mac” Almond recognized teacher
Tricia Sikes for earning doctorate in educa
tion and school nurse Nancy Luke for her
commitment to SED students. Students Hope
and Faith Bramlett and Jolee Ingram were
recognized for their good character.
RMS STUDENTS OF MONTH
Russell Middle School Students of the Month for October are Alexis Berry, Mariah
Lynn, Deonna Price, Sofia Vela, Azalia Martinez and Kyla Cyphers. Also pictured
is Mitch Churchill of Arby’s. RMS students are recognized by their teachers for
showing outstanding P.R.I.D.E. The RMS Students of the Month program is spon
sored by Arby’s, a Partner in Education.
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