About Lake Oconee news. (Greensboro, GA) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 25, 2017)
Page A6 Lake Oconee News Friday, August 25,2017 PUTNAM COUNTY Cosmo Cabinets leases property at industrial park Shannon Sneed/Staff The old Horton Homes property, which previously operated lines 1-4, will soon be used by Cosmo Cabinets to produce kitchen and bath cabinets. One of the trailers on the property will be donated to Putnam County High School for a field house. Shannon Sneed shannon@lakeoconeenews.us The Putnam County Devel opment Authority is working to bring down the county’s unem ployment rate as they continue to fill the South Industrial Park with big businesses. The newest industry to utilize the property, which was once occupied by Horton Homes, is Cosmo Cabinets. The manufacturers, whose parent company is Door Craft, will be leasing Horton’s previous Line 1-4 building and will initially employ 24 people. Leasing from nearby Legacy Housing with an option to buy, Cosmo Cabinets expects to increase their staff to 316 within five years. “They are going to be making European style cabinets that don’t have the frame on the front when you close the doors,” said PDA Director Terry Schwindler. “They are pretty automated and are starting out with an investment of $1.7 (million) in equipment.” According to Chief Operating Officer Tom Boyda, the company is designed to sell wholesale dis tribution in the kitchen and bath cabinet industry. “We are hoping to offer employ ment to local residents starting late October or early November,” he said. Bringing in the heavy hitters to help grow the community is one priority; making sure the City of Eatonton’s infrastructure can handle the growth is another. As one entity is successful in burgeoning the local economy, another one is struggling to keep up with the expansion. The Eatonton-Putnam Water and Sewer Authority, along with engineers Carter & Sloope, are racing to make sure there is capacity to handle new and existing business. This includes replacing age-old water lines that run throughout the 122-acre industrial park and other areas in the city. EPWSA Director Donna Van Haute advised PDA board members Aug. 14 of some of the problems at the park since Horton closed a few years ago. At the rear of the property, a 2-inch water line beneath 2-8 feet of concrete bursts as it goes along. ‘We’ve been out there four times to repair it,” said Van Haute. “It’s not an easy repair. It’s been one of those things that we know needed to be addressed because of the way the water lines were run.” When the water department goes in to make those repairs and shuts the valve off, it shuts off water access to that area, includ ing Dairy Queen, BP, Walmart and Zaxby’s. A recent problem with the pipes bursting was caught early in the morning and EPWSA was able to have the businesses back on line by 10 a.m. Van Haute noted there are several meters on the property serving different areas. “There is a need to isolate that area and have a master meter,” said Van Haute. “They could have water where they needed it, not all over the place.” Engineers plan to get rid of the current setup, which includes valves, meters and hydrants on the property, and install a new in frastructure. “That’s private property and we don’t go on private property,” said Van Haute. “We want to get out of there.” Van Haute said they also want to eliminate the liability for EPWSA and the new business at the same time. “If this company does come in soon, do they have the ability for water and sewer as it stands now?” PDA Chairman Lynward Lindsey asked. “Can they still sign up for water in their own name and sewer?” Van Haute said everything is shut off on that property other than what Legacy is using. “What will be cut on and cut off depends on where they need it,” she said. Schwindler recently announced at an Eatonton Putnam Tourism Arts Heritage Partnership meeting that during the first year, Cosmo Cabinets will utilize the first building and half of another; and, as they grow, they will move into the other buildings. They will be getting rid of the front trailers near the office with the high school getting one to use as a field house out in the ball fields. After checking locally to see if anyone needs the other buildings, the ones that are left over will be donated to Habitat for Humanity. “It will clear out a lot of that space out front,” said Schwindler, “and open up parking spaces, too.” Legacy, who is currently under tax abatement, owns the building so leasing the property from them will give Cosmo Cabinets an ad vantage of the tax abatement until 2020. “They will have abatement for city and county taxes,” said Schwindler. “But they will still be paying school taxes.” Boyda noted the cabinetmak ers do not currently sell products to Legacy Homes, “but hopes they will find an interest in our products in the future,” he said. GREENE COUNTY Resident physicians coming to Greene County Graduate medical educa- maritan Hospital and the summer, resident physi- tion is coming to the greater Augusta University/Uni- cians will be practicing at Greene County area, thanks versity of Georgia Medical Good Samaritan Hospital to St. Mary’s Good Sa- Partnership. Starting this and TenderCare Clinic. CBLAKEOCONEE.COM CBCLAKECOUNTRY.COM COLDWELLBANKERLUXURY.COM When you’re selling a property.. "Thu need to be seen online. 92% of Buyers search online, so Co I dwell Banker creates a unique website for your property AND syndicates your listing to over 900 websites for maximum exposure. Get noticed. Call Coldwell Banker. COLDWELL BANKER Commercial LAKE COUNTRY COLDUUeL*. BANKER GLOBAL LUXURY i^Zillow ■ iV You® Vtrulia realtor.com Homes.com Resident physicians are doctors who have gradu ated from medical school and are completing the final stage of their medical training. Highly educated and fully capable physi cians, they work side-by- side with physician faculty in an intensive three-year program to prepare them to become board-certified internal medicine physi cians. The 10 third-year res idents, who are all in the final year of their residency, will each spend a month at Good Samaritan and another month at Tender- Care, though not necessar ily consecutively. All will be working directly with Dave Ringer, MD and Craig Colby, MD, at both loca tions. The first resident has already started. Kyle Walker, MD, a graduate of UGA who earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine, is now seeing outpatients four days a week at TenderCare Clinic. Like all the resident physicians who will practice at the clinic, Dr. Walker provides full physician services, from wellness visits to chronic disease management, and can order diagnostic tests and referrals to specialists. On Aug. 2, Akhil Reddy, MD, a graduate of UGA who earned his medical Kyle Walker, MD degree at St. George’s Uni versity School of Medicine, will begin practicing at Good Samaritan Hospital. Dr. Reddy will practice as a hospitalist - a physi cian who provides care to patients who are admitted to the hospital - six days a week. “This inpatient rotation will further the residents’ understanding of the re sources available to inpa tient physicians in rural communities,” Dr. Yun- yongying said. “They will gain valuable insight into how rural healthcare differs from urban healthcare and how to provide the best possible level of care in a small hospital.” There are a total of 33 resident physicians in the Internal Medicine Residen cy Program, and eventually all will serve a rotation at Good Samaritan Hospital and TenderCare Clinic. Due to the high level of indepen- Akhil Reddy, MD dence required, only third- year residents or residents in the second semester of their second year will rotate through the Greene County facilities. With the addition of the Class of 2020 this July, the IMRP has filled all three years of the three year program. At the end of this academic year - June 30, 2018 - Dr. Reddy, Dr. Walker and the eight other members of the first class will be eligible to take their Board certification exams, enter private practice, or pursue an additional layer of training in a specialty. At the same time, current sec ond-year residents will rise to their third year, gaining more independence as they do so, and the current first- years will rise to second year. This fall, the IMRP will recruit the Class of 2021, who will become first-year residents on July 1, 2018. STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM SHOP Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 AM-4:00 PM Stefan Thomas Ori^inads and Prints Currently featuring a wide selection of pottery from North Carolina Potters, Interchangable Snap Jewelry and much more! Shop first and get free admission to Museum with shop purchase of $10 or more! 4200 Bethany Road, Buckhead, GA 30625 706-342-7557 www.steffenthomas.org
