Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, February 22,2023
Fayette County News A3
Smoke-free Environments: For the Love of One Another
Courtesy of Breathe
Easy Georgia/Fayette
February is American
Heart Month and a perfect
time for prioritizing heart
health - for you and the
people around you.
According to the Geor
gia Department of Public
Health, cardiovascular dis
ease is the leading cause of
death in Georgia, account
ing for about one in every
three deaths each year.
Cardiovascular disease
(CVD) includes all diseases
of the heart and blood ves
sels, including heart dis
ease, congestive heart
failure, hypertension, and
stroke.
One of the many ways
to protect heart health and
reduce one’s risk for car
diovascular disease is to
eliminate exposure to sec
ondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke is
more than just a pesky nui
sance that seeps into one’s
hair and clothes. It has se
vere health consequences
for adults and children
who are exposed to the
toxins emitted from smok
ing and vaping products.
The variety of products
that emit secondhand
smoke has evolved
throughout the years and is
no longer limited to tradi
tional tobacco-based, com
bustible cigarettes. New
and emerging smoking-re
lated products include
electronic nicotine delivery
or vaping devices, hookah,
non-combustible ciga
rettes (heated, not
burned), and smoked or
vaped forms of cannabis.
Studies show that there
is no safe level of exposure
to secondhand smoke.
Even low levels of exposure
to secondhand smoke can
be dangerous to the heart
and blood vessels. Breath
ing secondhand smoke
causes blood cells to be
come “sticky,” which can
lead to blood clots, which
can lead to a heart attack
or stroke.
Secondhand smoke is
also a trigger for asthma
attacks in adults and chil
dren.
Now, more than ever,
protecting friends and
neighbors from second
hand smoke exposure can
help to save lives and im
prove overall health.
In Georgia, more than
75 percent of the pop
ulation is at risk for expo
sure to secondhand smoke
as the state’s smoke-free
indoor air law has loop
holes that allow for smok
ing in many public places
and workplaces, including
bars, restaurants, hotels,
and other indoor environ
ments.
Several cities in Georgia
have made a responsible
decision to protect their
citizens and visitors from
the dangers of secondhand
smoke exposure with com
FEBRUARY
American
Heart
Month
—w—
prehensive smoke-free
policies that eliminate sec
ondhand smoke in work
places and public places.
Residents and visitors can
move about the cities’ in
door environments with
out their health being
compromised by second
hand smoke exposure.
As more communities
throughout the state prior
itize health and wellness,
smoke-free indoor air is
becoming the new normal
and a critical component
for a model healthy and vi
brant community. Ameri
can Heart Month is a great
time to show love for one
another and support
smoke-free environments.
To learn more about
local efforts to support
REATHE
EASY
FAYETTE
smoke-free environments,
visit www.drugfreefay-
ette.org/breathe-easy-fay-
ette.html.
PTC Council Debates Process of
Adding Meeting Agenda Items
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
PEACHTREE CITY - In
the Feb. 16 Peachtree City
Council meeting, members
debated the process by
which agenda items are dis
cussed and information is
researched.
The topic was mentioned
by City Manager Robert
“Bob” Curnow as he ad
dressed the current city ordi
nance for communication
between council and the
public on matters that may
be placed on the agenda for
discussion. He proposed an
amendment to council for a
“more streamlined process.”
“This is in regard to city
ordinance 1206 and, cur
rently, the ordinance says
that it allows for anyone to
place an item on the council
agenda. In certain situations,
and through research and
certain experiences, a more
streamlined process pro
vides for a few entities to add
items to the agenda,” Cur
now said.
This would mean that
staff, the city attorney, and
the mayor and council
members can add items to
council’s agenda, according
to Curnow.
Under the current pro
cess, if a member of the pub
lic wants to add items to the
council agenda, he or she
must petition the clerk and
then add the item. The re
quirement leaves time for
members of the council to
research topics prior to
meetings, especially if a vote
is needed.
“This also provides op
portunities to the residents
to have meaningful discus
sions with their elected offi
cials to bring those items
forward and to possibly even
bring that to... the city man
ager before it gets to a situ
ation where we have to take
a vote,” Curnow said.
Peachtree City Mayor
Kim Learnard opened the
discussion with councilman
Clint Holland leading the de
bate by asking Curnow for
research findings on other
cities with the same or simi
lar petitions. According to
Curnow, each city in Fayette
County is already doing what
he has petitioned the City of
Peachtree City to do. He
added that other cities
throughout the metro At
lanta area have similar ordi
nances.
Councilman Mike King
was firm in his thought on
the petition, looking at the
length of time that each
member of the council was
given, around three days, to
look over the presented ordi
nance changes.
“We just really don’t have
a replacement for a count for
a citizen to provide redress
here that is clear, at least, to
me. When I read through
this thing, I said, ‘We bring it
to the mayor and if it’s
worthwhile’ or whatever. It
is a little bit cloudy for me.
And for that reason, you
know, I’m really hesitant to
say yes to this thing,” King
said.
King continued his reser
vations, adding that he does
not want to wait to vote on
something that typically
takes around two weeks to
study and the frequency of
citizen-generated agenda
items.
“I’ve been on council for
nine years, and I can really
only remember three [times
this process has been
brought up] and one of them
is tonight. And, you know, I
guess I’m old school or wha
tever, but I don’t think this
thing’s broken, and it damn
sure don’t need to be fixed,”
King said.
Members of council con
tinued to ask questions to
Curnow on the frequency of
the citizens adding agenda
items to each list and
whether it was a provision
on the ordinance, while also
providing their comments
on the proposed change.
Council opted to table
the proposal pending
further, more thorough con
sideration.
BREATHING AND
BURIED IN
BETHLEHEM
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
February 25, 2023
Georgia pkl
Humanities Hi
Sharing stones that move us and make us
Fayette County
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
NCHS
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Sonoto Area
Historical Society
We invite you to an in-person local history program. it
This creative presentation will highlight the extraordinary 153-year-old SA
history of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Cemetery.
The presentation will be followed by a cemetery walk, where the
stories of community ancestors who are interred in the cemetery will
be celebrated.
Refreshments will be served.
Ann McCleary
Professor of History
Director of the Center for
Public History
Bethlehem Baptist Church
jj/ £sfablishcj^
1904
f
Bethlehem
Baptist
Church
Cemetery
475 Dividend Drive Peachtree City,
GA 30269
WEAR COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES.
IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.
THE ENTIRE PROGRAM WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE CHURCH.
\ .
.V
Fayetteville Council OKs $896,500 Bid
for Wastewater Plant Improvements
Sydney Spencer
News Reporter
sspencer@fayette-news.net
A bid for the wastewater
plant sludge conveyor and
hopper upgrade project was
unanimously approved at
the Fayetteville City Council
meeting on Feb. 16 for a
total of $896,500.
Director of Public Serv
ices Chris Hindman in
formed council members of
a process that was left out
during the initial presenta
tion of the project. He said
the sludge removal portion
of the project did not receive
proper attention and ex
plained how he plans to re
solve the problem.
“During the upgrade
project of the wastewater
plant, one of the processes
that we did not look at was
the actual sludge removal.
We did the process of treat
ment, but we weren't sure
what [it would cost]. We
were under bid with the
project, so what we pro
posed to do was upgrade our
hopper, which was built in
‘95, [and needs to be up
graded],” Hindman ex
plained.
Hindman went on to in
form the council of the bid
ding process, the
construction company that
eventually submitted a bid,
and how much the bid of
fered.
“So, we went out to bid
and unfortunately, we only
received one bid, but the
engineering company GMC
did their due diligence and
was highly recommending
this company. The company
is Tadco Construction, LLC,
and the bid came in at
$896,500,” Hindman said.
Hindman explained how
the wastewater plant sludge
conveyor would work with
the proper funding.
“What this does is, dur
ing the treatment process, it
raises it up on a conveyor, so
a truck can pull up under
neath there, and it’s loaded
up and taken to the playing
field,” said Hindman.
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