Newspaper Page Text
24 Pages 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County Georgia 50« Copy Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Barrow
Briefs
MLK Jr.
celebration
set for
Jan. 15-16
The Barrow County Martin
Luther King Jr. Committee will
hold its annual MLK Celebra
tion on Monday. Jan. 16, as the
nation celebrates the federal
holiday in honor of the revered
civil rights icon.
A march will be held at
10:30 a.m., beginning with a
prayer at the steps of White
Oak Spring Missionary Bap
tist Church, 123 East New St.,
Winder.
The march will go across
Martin Luther King Boulevard
to Wood Avenue, take a right
turn onto Oak Street, continue
onto Capital Avenue, back to
Martin Luther King Boulevard
and then back to the church.
Following the march, a cer
emony, expected to last about
two hours, will be held in the
church sanctuary.
The keynote speaker for the
ceremony will be Tharon L.
Johnson of Atlanta law firm
Greenberg Traurig.
On Sunday, Jan. 15, the
MLK Gospel Concert will be
held at White Oak from 6-8:30
p.m.
All area churches are invited
to participate in the concert
practices.
Practice dates are Tuesday,
Jan. 10, Thursday, Jan. 12, and
Friday, Jan. 13, from 7-9 p.m.
Any church interested in par
ticipating is asked to contact
Dorothy Teasley at 770-868-
6153.
Science
fair project
viewing
The Barrow County School
System’s Professional Devel
opment Center will be open
from 1-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6,
to the public for a viewing of
science fair projects by school
system students.
Index:
Church News
10A
Classifieds
8-9B
Legals
10-11B
Obituaries
11A
Pets of the Week
12A
Public Safety
7-9A
Sports 1
I-6, 12B
Mailing
Label Below
8
7
School system officials pitch
‘center of innovation’ to BOE
By Ron Bridg'eman
News-Journal Reporter
Barrow County’s school board
had a “gee whiz” show and tell for
much of its work session Tuesday
night.
The board first heard about plans
to create a “center for innovation”
that will combine STEAM curric
ulum for students and professional
learning for teachers. Part of the
plan is to work with ArtsNow, an
Atlanta nonprofit that provides
instruction and coaching to educa
tors about integrating the arts into
daily lesson plans, and the Savan
nah College of Art & Design.
The school system would use
the former Russell Middle School
building for the plans.
In the future plans - dreams, per
haps - both ArtsNow and SCAD
would have staff members onsite
to teach and provide professional
learning for teachers.
The immediate plans, phase I to
develop hands-on classes for stu
dents and a professional learning
laboratory school, will cost very
little beyond what the system is
doing now, Chris McMichael, Bar-
row County superintendent, said.
Board member Connie Wehunt
raised the question of costs several
times. She asked about re-painting
the building, about utility costs, and
about supplies.
McMichael said cost would be
minimal until the system starts
phase n, the STEAM Magnet
school. That will require a budget
and money committed, he said, for
See Meeting on Page 3A
The spirit of sharing
HELPING HANDS
Volunteers with local nonprofit Spirit of Sharing, Inc. are pictured during the organization’s
16th annual “Share the Blessing” event on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, at Winder-Barrow High
School. Nearly 200 volunteers worked to provide hot meals, health care services, a food
pantry, clothes closet, Santa toy shop, barber services, face painting and manicures. More
than 665 hot meals were served, and 128 hot meals and food boxes were delivered to the
homebound seniors of the Winder Housing Authority. Photos courtesy of Towanna Johnson
Nonprofit holds annual Christmas Eve community event
Local nonprofit Spirit of Sharing, Inc.’s 16th
annual “Share the Blessing” event was held on
Christmas Eve at Winder-Barrow High School.
Nearly 200 volunteers of all ages served and
greeted community patrons with warm smiles. They
helped provide hot meals, health care services, a
food pantry, clothes closet, Santa toy shop, barber
services, face painting and manicures to those who
attended.
More than 665 hot meals were served, and 128 hot
meals and food boxes were delivered to the home-
bound seniors of the Winder Housing Authority.
The event started with a welcome from James
Albert Johnson, visionary and coordinator of the
Share The Blessing Event, followed by an inspira
tional message from Rev. Calvin Jenkins and prayer
by Minster Sande Bailey Gwinn.
Santa was in the building and made sure that each
child present received at least three gifts. The kids
also had a Christmas party which included snacks,
face painting and lots of hugs.
The nonprofit also received assistance from the
following groups and organizations: Barrow County
Board of Education, Barrow County Health Depart
ment, Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, Barrow
County Fire Department, Winder-Barrow Com
munity Theatre, local businesses, churches, social
organizations and individuals.
Since its inception nearly 16 years ago, Share the
Blessing has served more than 9,000 meals. For
more information about Spirit of Sharing, Inc., go to
www.spiritofsharinginc.org
ALL AGES
Nearly 200 volunteers of all ages like this
young lady helped out at the 16th annual
“Share the Blessing” event at Winder-Barrow
High School on Christmas Eve, which provid
ed meals and other services to those in need.
FEEDING THOSE IN NEED
Spirit of Sharing, Inc. volunteers prepare meals for those in need in the local community.
More than 665 hot meals were served during the “Share the Blessing” event at Winder-
Barrow High School on Christmas Eve, and 128 hot meals and food boxes were delivered
to the homebound seniors of the Winder Housing Authority.
Purchase
of hospital
complete
Northeast Georgia Health
System announced Friday
the completion of its acqui
sition of Barrow Regional
Medical Center in Wind
er and its assets, and the
hospital will officially be
renamed Northeast Geor
gia Medical Center Bar-
row beginning Sunday. The
transfer will be effective as
of 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
The agreement was first
announced in October.
In addition, Barrow
Medical Group will join
Northeast Georgia Physi
cians Group, the multi-spe
cialty provider network of
NGHS.
“We are excited to wel
come BRMC and Bar-
row Medical Group to the
NGHS family,” said Carol
Burrell, president and CEO
of NGHS, in a news release.
“For the last several years,
we have been working to
ensure that patients in our
area can easily access our
extensive healthcare net
work, closer to home, when
they need it. The addition
of NGMC Barrow and the
new NGPG physician offic
es further increases coordi
nation of care for people in
Barrow County.”
“Barrow Regional Med
ical Center has been an
important part of the com
munity for 65 years,” added
Chad Hatfield, CEO of Bar-
row Regional Medical Cen
ter. “We are very excited to
join the NGHS network of
health resources which will
support and expand patient
care at all levels.”
NGMC Barrow will be
NGHS’ third hospital cam
pus. joining its flagship
hospital campus in Gaines
ville and the Braselton
campus.
During the coming
months, transitional teams
from all three campuses will
work to align operational
systems and “increase the
effectiveness of healthcare
delivery in Barrow Coun
ty,” the release said. Both
organizations anticipate no
immediate operational ser
vice changes at the hospi
tal, the release said.
Eight physicians and four
locations currently with
Barrow Medical Group
will join Northeast Georgia
Physicians Group (NGPG):
•Northeast Georgia Phy
sicians Group Bethlehem
(formerly Bethlehem Pri
mary Care). 916 Loganville
Highway, Suite 350, Beth
lehem, 770-791-0167; Cal
vin Terrelonge, MD
•Northeast Georgia Phy
sicians Group Gateway
Exchange (formerly Bar-
row Medical Group), 426
See Hospital on Page 2A
