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♦ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2006 8A I —■—■ JjBB 3 t|£ M- 4§ jK JHF UmJUr '■v-V?'' ■ > ;" ■ ; •> •{?■'/ jfjy‘ Contributed The Georgia Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America presented the 2006 Outstanding Landfill Operation Award to the Houston County Solid Waste Facility during its Annual Business Meeting at the Sea Palms Golf & Tennis Resort on St. Simons Island. Four county commissioners, the director of operations and landfill supervisors are picture accepting the award. FACILITY From page iA financial position, operat ing procedures and revenue generating capacity - as well as - a source of pride for the county for its future MALKIN From page $A was Blanco’s campaign man ager. Democrats also plan to make hay of no-bid trailer contract awards that have benefited Republican-lean ing businesses, including a joint venture involving Del- Jen Inc., a subsidiary of Fluor, which has reportedly donated more than $930,000 to mostly GOP candidates since 2000. But what will the anti-cro nyism Democrats say about CITY From page iA specifically for bikers. It is off 1-75 Exit 122, and incorporates an Old West theme, RV hook-ups, two saloons and, according to the site $2 beer. A New Year’s Eve Bash is planned to bring in the new year “the biker way.” The Unadilla City Council had the first reading of the ordinance 10 a.m. Wednesday, with no one opposed to it, Brand said. The second reading of the ordinance was held at 10 a.m. Thursday followed by the vote. Oxendine addresses consumer concerns Special to the Journal Below is a question and answer column from Geor gia Insurance and Fire Commissioner John Oxendine: Question: For years I ve carried only basic liabili ty coverage on my car. Do I really need more insur ance than that? Answer: Consumers auto insurance needs are constantly changing. Major events, such as turning 25, getting married or improv ing your credit rating, may make you eligible for lower rates. Here are a few tips to con sider: Young families, who are likely to be carpooling with other people s children, should consider raising their liability coverage. Before purchasing a big ger car, such as an SUM they also should consider how the vehicle will impact their insurance rates. For established families with teen drivers, parents should ask if their insurer offers Donate Your Car to Goodwill! One Car at a Time ... Creates. One Job at a Time k • ■— is fS] miH visit www gooilwMwork&.org f A BuiMrr<9 lives Uo Q „ m ■and communities ONE JOB AT A Time. '/ M I planning, environmental efficiency and community involvement and acceptance, SWANA said. Houston County’s facil ity has scored 100 percent on the last 14 compliance inspections conducted by the Georgia Environmental Bourget’s of the South - which, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, “has become the biggest Louisiana supplier of trail ers to FEMA by far, collect ing nearly $l2O million from no-bid federal contracts?” The company had no license to sell trailers nor any expe rience in the industry when it secured a $6.4 million deal after Katrina hit. It did, however, have con nections. The men who own Bourget’s - brothers Glen and Gary Smith - are sons of Henry Smith, the treasurer of the executive committee Again, Brand said, with no public objections. Georgia is one of 16 states to ban Sunday liquor sales, both package and pouring. The decision to permit sales by the drink in restaurants or bars is made by local jurisdictions. Thirty-four states across the country currently allow Sunday liquor sales, with 12 changes since 2002, accord ing to the Distilled Spirits Council. “In today’s modern soci ety, with Sunday being the second busiest shopping day of the week, it’s unfortunate that Georgia citizens are still inconvenienced by a law so discounts for teens that pass a driver s safety course or maintain a B average or bet ter in school. Parents should ask whether they could receive an accident forgiveness clause that promises not to raise premiums if their teen gets into one minor accident. They also should consider raising the family s deductible and having their teen drive the family s old est, least expensive car. Or, if they can afford it, con sider purchasing an older car for their teen and forego ing comprehensive and colli sion insurance on that car. Consumers who are serving in the military and deployed abroad should consider low ering their liability cover age to the state mandated minimum and dropping collision coverage altogeth er if the vehicle will not be driven for an extended amount of time. However, they may want to consider keeping comprehensive cov erage, which provides cov erage if a car is stolen or Protection Division. It additionally has initi ated an aggressive waste reduction strategy, which has resulted in a 28 per cent reduction of waste land fdled per capita in Houston County. of the Louisiana Democratic Party. The Times-Picayune notes further: “Gary’s son and Glen’s nephew, Gary Smith Jr., is the Democratic state representative from Norco who sits on the House Special Committee on Disaster Planning, Crisis Management, Recovery and Long-Term Revitalization.” Heckuva job, Smithies! Katrina cronyism comes in equally vibrant shades of red and blue. Such are the rotten fruits of bipartisan ship in Washington. outdated,” said Jay Hibbard, Distilled Spirits Council vice president. “These archaic laws hinder consumers’ ability to pur chase spirits for their holi day parties, deny businesses the holiday sales rush and deprive state coffers from additional sales tax revenue that would be gained from Sunday sales.” Hibbard noted that year round Sunday sales of dis tilled spirits in Georgia would lead to an estimated retailer revenue impact range of $29.1 to $40.7 million and between $3.4 to $4.8 million for the state in additional sales tax revenue. damaged, but raising their deductible. Check with your agent or state insurance department regarding cov erage requirements under these special circumstances. Drivers over the age of 50, who historically tend to be more cautious than their younger counterparts, may be eligible for reduced rates. Seniors should consider taking a driver s refresher course, like those offered by the AARP or AAA, which may help them qualify for a discount. It is important to review your auto policy each year. Decide whether your insurance needs have changed and update your coverage accordingly. Send your insurance questions to: Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, 716 West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Atlanta, GA 30334. Or call 404-656-2070 (toll free at 1-800-656-2298), from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, for assistance with an insurance question. LOCAL ADCOCK From page iA he was finally well enough for the physicians to attempt another tracheotomy. This time it was a success. He and his family could now think about beginning his rehabilitation. On Sept. 28, he was trans ferred to Shepherd Center in Atlanta which special izes in spinal injuries and diseases. He stayed in the ICU for a week during eval uation by a new team of physicians. His mom was unable to stay with him in the room and this was hard on them both. Things were hard for Austin as well. With her brother’s care so far from home, Austin had to leave her school and transfer to one near the hospital. The move to Shepherd was a good one, though, as just five days later Alex was sit ting up and using a “sip and puff” wheelchair. On Oct. 4, Alex was moved to a private room and he wheeled himself there by “sipping and puffing” - a huge accomplishment! His progress continued and by early November he was sitting in the chair for five hours a day and began weaning off of the ventilator. Just before Thanksgiving he was com pletely off the ventilator and working toward com ing home. He was finally discharged Nov* 30. Once his extended fam ily learned of his pending discharge, they went into action to make his home as ready as possible. In light of the severity of his disability, many home modifications were needed. This was dif ficult due to the expense and size of the home. PROGRAM From page iA will receive quality servic es.” According to the American Diabetes Association, there are 20.8 million people or seven percent of the popu lation in the United States who have diabetes. Each day approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes. The Georgia Hospital Association, in its December 2006 report, shares that approximately 714,500 peo ple in Georgia have dia betes. Fifteen percent of PATRIOTS From page lA continue to spread the mes sage that each of us may be called upon to be the next hero in our countries war against terrorism.” To that end, they were riding again Dec. 24. On that date, the American Patriots brought assis tance and smiles to two military families, needing a hand up. These families, it was explained, have seen several deployments and found it hard to manage to get through these deploy Come Home To Summerhill! BBm» 4 ||M.. Note from Kristy Adcock: Kristy Adcock would like to publicly thank those who responded in their time of need. “So many people and organizations came forward to help our family during this tragic time. I would like to thank Brenda Munda, Lori Loos, the Bonaire Middle School faculty and staff, my Anchor Glass family, Davidson’s Grocery, the nurses and doctors at the Children’s Hospital of Macon Medical Center, Bonaire Methodist Church, the Ronald McDonald House, Pruett Heating and Air, the Bonaire Fire Department, Houston County Sheriffs Department, Houston Medical EMTs and hospital staff, Eddie Wigginß-Buick Pontiac GMC, Warner Robins Supply, Shepherd’s Spinal Center, and every one else who prayed for and supported our family.” But, a local church group donated the supplies and manpower to create a wheelchair ramp for access to his home. The carpet ing had to be removed so that he could maneuver his wheelchair, so the family was given laminate flooring for a nominal fee, vtfiich they installed themselves. They widened doorways and moved Alex into the master bedroom, as this was the only space large enough for him to sleep. Alex’s mom now sleeps in the same room to help Alex with his daily care. The staff from Alex’s school, Bonaire Middle School, offered assistance and obtained a new heating and air unit for the home. This was imperative as Alex is incapable of regu lating his own body tem perature. Pruett Air Conditioning Association and Eddie Wiggins-Buick Pontiac GMC were respon sible for making this hap pen. Bonaire Middle is also working to get an awning installed over Alex’s ramp. Warner Robins Supply has offered to donate the sup plies needed for this proj ect. Kristy’s parents pur chased a wheelchair-acces sible van for Alex but had all persons hospitalized in Georgia have the diagnosis of diabetes. “Preventive care and educated self-management is the key to saving lives, containing costs as well as preventing or delaying complications,” according to the Georgia Hospital Association report. Persons with diabetes are two to' four times more likely than others to devel op heart disease or have a stroke, and three times more likely to die of compli cations from flu or pneumo nia. The healthcare cost for a person with diabetes is approximately $13,200 per ments. The group of men and woman who belong to this motorcycle club saw it not as a handout but as a thank you to a service fam ily that gives so much to this nation. Meeting with families at the Air Museum at Robins Air Force Base, many gifts were given to assist the families. Members of this group come from Byron and Centerville and even Hawkinsville. Their pro fessions are as diverse as the needs of the communi ties but cover base main tenance, active duty mem- SuMe today! CHI 987-1823 lor more information or a tour ,of Summer lull (.all Carol Baxter at: 9JT 5100 500 Staniet Street • Perry, CA 51000 Security, Service, and Southern Hospitality Offering Independent Living Villas, Assisted Living, Secure Alzheimer’s Care, and Skilled Nursing. Summer Special at Summerhill at Assisted Living • Move in Assistance within 30 mile radius • 7 certificate* for free beauty salon services • 15% discount for first 3 months rent HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL to take out a second mort gage on their home in order to do this. Many more home modifications are needed such as the installation of an air purifier and voice assistive technology. The most pressing need, how ever, is modifications to the master bathroom. The bath and shower area are completely inaccessible to Alex. Because of the carpeting on the floor, Alex cannot enter the bathroom. Kristy, a single parent, is not able to safely lift him in and out of the bathtub on her own, and it is not set up for a handicapped person. The current shower is too small and has a rimmed step-over. An ideal show er would be at floor level, large enough for a bathing chair and have a graded opening to allow the water to flow out. The Adcock family has many needs, but they them selves have not asked any one for help. The entire family has been gracious and appreciative of every thing that has been done for them. The support the community has given, and continues to give, lifts the spirits of this family and helps them to see a light at the end of the tunnel. year compared with $2,600 per year for a person of comparable age without diabetes. In an effort to improve the lives of persons with diabetes in the Houston County area, Houston Healthcare offers a Diabetes Management Program, Kinnas said. The program includes an individual assessment with a Certified Diabetes Educator and diet instruction followed by classes to equip the person with diabetes with skills to better control their diabe tes. For more information, call 923-9771. bers, doctors, attorneys, or Civil Service. Donation sup port too, comes from places like Outback, Cheddars and Cricket. “It is just everyone lend ing a hand,” said member David “Doc” Wilson. “We socialize together, have pic nics or just ride the typical runs. We have been able to raise SIO,OOO, for the Ronald MacDonald house and even the Jerry Lewis kids every year. We are here to help the community and enjoy this wonderful coun try of ours. ” 4020 J