Newspaper Page Text
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2006
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Journal Kristy Warren
Students, Jailen Wall and Sebastian Carson use the computer lab to work on homework
at Hodac’s Teen Headquarters.
TEEN
From page iA
research-based classes for
the kids throughout the
school year. The first class
“Choosing the Best” begins
Monday and focuses on
abstinence.
As far as the recreation
al aspect of the program,
the students participate in
organized sports, using the
park’s baseball/softball field
and basketball court.
According to Willie
Thorpe, educational special
ist at Teen Headquarters,
they use the sports as
“therapeutic games,” teach
ing the participants how to
work together as a team,
manage anger and to resolve
problems both verbally and
nonverbally. *
During school holidays
such as summer and spring
and winter breaks, students
are taken on field trips that
are also free.
Over the summer, the
students had the opportu
nity to go to the Fernbank
Museum of Natural History
in Atlanta and Spring Break
of last year they went to the
Georgia Aquarium.
ARMS
From page iA
the Partnership “learned of
a tightly guarded reorgani
zation plan that would have
completely eliminated the
entire command structure
at Robins and the other Air
Logistics Centers.
In other words, “the indi
vidual units in the ALC,
would have reported to gen
eral officers located at anoth
er base, hundreds of miles
away.”
Smith compared such a
move to “taking the head
football coach away, hav
ing no one in charge on the
ground! This proposal would
have severely hampered the
ALC’s viability and ability to
sustain our fielded weapon
systems.”
The Partnership quick
ly reacted, Smith said, “by
engaging our sister commu
nities in Oklahoma and Utah,
and then we each engaged
our Congressional delega
tion, to include face-to-face
meetings in Washington by
the Partnership.”
Tebbe said Smith jumped
on a plane to Washington to
explain that to Sen. Saxby
Chambliss and Congressman
Jim Marshall. “That’s not
part of our budget,” she
said.
“As usual,” Smith said,
“our Congressional delega
tions were responsive and
effective - the initiative has
been nixed.”
However, Smith noted,
there will be personnel reduc
tions coming to Robins. “The
Air Force must reduce its
end strength by some 37,000
active duty and some 20,000
civilian personnel. So Robins
will get its fair share of those
reductions.”
The Partnership will be
'1 think it's one of
the best programs
in the Middle
Georgia area.”
- Educational Specialist Willie Thorpe,
on Hodac’s Teen Headquarters
“I think it’s one of the
best programs in the Middle
Georgia area,” said Thorpe
of the program.
“Rarely do you find qual
ity programs that are total
ly free. The field trips are
free and a snack is provided
for the students everyday
after school and on holidays,
lunch and a snack are pro
vided.”
When Educational
Specialists Thorpe, Jess
Wagaman, Anthony Sears
and Kuwana Johnson are
not at Teen Headquarters,
they are visiting schools in
Houston, Bibb and Crawford
counties, teaching the
research-based curriculum,
focusing on kids in kinder
garten and third and eighth
grades, discussing “life skill
components,” such as com
munication, decision mak
ing, feelings, self esteem,
and peer pressure involving
working to keep the reduc
tions to a minimum. Tebbe
said “it is day to day issues
that lead to missions in for
the future. We are preparing
for BRAC every day.”
The capital campaign will
continue through Labor Day
weekend.
The $300,000 budget is set
by Robins Air Force Base
and the community leaders,
Tebbe said, “we don’t set the
budget.”
She explained the econom
ic impact of the base and the
military to the state. There’s
about $4.2 billion of mili
tary spending for the state
of Georgia and “about $1
billion of that is right here
in Houston County,” Tebbe
said. “$300,000 a year to pro
tect $1 billion is a no-brainer
to me.”
Tebbe said the Partnership
gets support from the local
governments in Houston
County, and was soliciting
all of the municipalities in
Middle Georgia. But, she
said, that government money
can’t be used for some of the
things they do. For instance,
“We can’t pay lobbyists out
of that account,” Tebbe
said.
“Most of what we do has to
be done with private dona
tions,” she said. “That’s the
account we use the most and
it has the least amount of
money in it.”
Tebbe said Middle
Georgians have always
answered the call. “I have
faith, but right now that’s all
I got.”
For those who would like
for the Partnership to con
tinue its efforts regarding
Robins AFB and Middle
Georgia they can help ensure
that, Tebbe said, by making
a commitment. Contact them
at 322-3368 or visit their web
site at www.robins2l.org.
alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
According to Thorpe, they
perform statistical analyses
on the students before and
after the classes so that they
can make sure their lessons
are affective and they can
continue to receive money
from grantors.
If anything, transpor
tation is the biggest prob
lem faced by those of Teen
Headquarters.
“We could really use dona
tions - a van to transport
students,” Thorpe said, add
ing they would like to be
able to get “a wide, diverse
population ... to the center
to increase enrollment for
the after school program.”
A van would be helpful in
picking up and dropping off
students, he said.
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LOCAL
LOWE’S
From page iA
t
The store is similar to most
Lowe’s but a little differ
ent than the one in Warner
Robins, Clark said, “with
brighter, open lighting,
clean wide isles. It’s most
like our store on Zebulon
Road.”
The cabinetry area,
unique to this store is a
prototype for Lowe’s. As
stores are re-merchan
dised, this will go in, Clark
said, “it’s one of the areas
we’re very proud of.”
Lowe’s of South Warner
Robins, store number 2478,
will be the company’s sec
ond in Houston County
and 54th in the state. The
original Houston store is on
Watson Boulevard where
Clark previously worked.
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Journal/Ray Lightner
Zone Manager Benjamin Singletary shows one of the many cabinetry displays in the
new Lowe’s store. Singletary came over from the Milledgeville store.
125 Plantation Centre Dr., Ste. 250 • Macon
“I started with Lowe’s
three and a half years ago
in Warner Robins, went
to Atlanta for a while and
am glad to be back,” Clark
said.
Clark said with the new
location, “we want to make
it convenient as possible,
make it easy for our cus
tomers. I’m excited to be
here on this side of town.”
The Lake Joy store has
117,000 square feet of
retail space with an addi
tional 31,000 square feet
for the adjacent garden
center. According the com
pany, a Lowe’s store of this
size costs approximately
$18.5 million.
Clark said they will
employ about 150 to start,
with about 70 percent of
those being full time posi
tions.
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
Eventually the store will
have about 175, mostly
full-time employees.
“Employees are the num
ber one part of the store,”
Clark said, “we’ve got a
great staff.”
The store is also taking
applications online at www.
lowes.com.
Lowe’s offers approxi
mately 40,000 products,
from appliances and hard
ware to do-it-yourself home
improvement supplies,
tools .flowers and garden
supplies.
Lowe’s is a community
partner with groups such
as the American Red Cross,
United Way and Habitat
for Humanity.
Store hours will be 6 a.m.
to 10 p.m. Monday though
Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. on Sundays.
jp