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I sdf(h } lnllilltiitllitll ..... Mil.,.11,..II Hill I illl...ll,. l | ll | [ 4*2 *•**.*...♦.*.** l AlL POP ape 301 GEORGIA NEWSPAPSJ PROJECT UNIV OF GA ATHENS GA 30602-0001 I.UVII tv vw. v for tips & services Sm p«§ • 16 'S I t [ i rllllfT r tmm Vol. 126 Issue No. 9 500 Legal Organ For Peach County, City of Fort Valley and City Of Byron Dev. Authority looking at Exciting Prospects By Victor Kulkosky News Editor The Panama Canal keeps making the news in Middle Georgia. The century-old canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans is in the middle of a widening project that will allow it to accommodate larger ships. That project is expected to be finished in a few years. Along with canal’s expansion, a multi-million-doliar deepening the Savannah Harbor will help that port handle the larger ships that will go through the Panama Canal; and that prospect has development officials throughout Middle Georgia seeing dollar signs. Among them is Charles Sims, Executive Director of the Development Authority of Peach County. At the recent meeting of the authority’s board, Sims expalined the significance of the Canal and Savannah Harbor projects. Huge increases in freight traffic from Savannah would flow across Interstate 16 and up and down 1-75 and Georgia % and 341. Communities that are pre¬ pared for the increased rail and truck traffic will be able to prosper from that development, Sims said. Continued to page 3 What's INSIDE Patch In fir Out £ Police Beat...... S Opinion........... 4 Country Living. S Faith Matters.. 6 Sports.............. 7 School............ .8 Looal 9-10 Legal*----------- 11-18 Classifieds.... 14 Black History. 18 Tan Time....... 18 Local Weather Forecast Cloudy Wednesday, Feb. 29 Hi; 79' lo: 63* TJwndtr Storms Thursday, Mar. 1 Hi: 79* Lo: 63 * FawShomn Friday, Mar. 2 Hi: 78* Lo: 65* TWiar Stoma Saturday, Mor. 3 Hi: 70* Lo: 45* - - Cloudy Sunday, Mar 4 HL 66* Lo: 43* hth (arty tots SIAM GL m flpWi —;— J r uyBW r » _ mmO&S ___ UIQBanJS / f 1, . / See page 8 Peach Chamber Honors Local Education Stars 1 s C96 4. i y - * L-R: Rhianna Baldree, 2012 STAR Student for Peach County; Victor Hedgpeth, 2012 STAR Teacher ; Jason Bowling, Chairman, Peach County Chamber of Commerce Education Com mittee. Photo by Victor Kulkosky By Victor Kulkosky News Editor Melvin Walker told the audience at last week's Focus on Education Banquet that he is still learning. The Chairman of the Peach County Board of Commissioners, a veteran teacher of agricultural economics, was the guest speaker at the annual event sponsored by the Peach County Chamber of Commerce to honor each year's STAR Student and Teacher and the Teachers of the Year for the Peach County School District. But to sound knowledgable. Walker still had to do some learning. The STAR program, run by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, was begun 53 years ago and has so far supported over 25,(MX) stu dents and teachers. Each Georgia dis trict has a STAR Student and Teacher, and above them is a statewide winner. “Education is a life-long process, and I learned something today,” Walker said after telling the STAR story. Walker said he had considered various angles for his brief speech. The STAR Student and Teacher could be examples of “success against the odds," he suggested. “On the positive side, you could say rewarding excellence,' /*• Walker said. County Officials Outline 2015 SPIOST By Victor Kulkosky News Editor Why put a SPLOST renewal on the ballot now when it won’t expire until 2015? Dr. Melvin F.. Walker Jr. had a straightforward answer to that ques¬ tion in a presentation to the Fort Valley Kiwanis Club last week. The Chairman of the Peach County Board of Commissioners said there have been many publicly voiced complaints about the Transportation SPLOST scheduled for a July 2012 vole For the T-SPLOST, the state has been divided in 12 regions, and a county would have to participate if its region votes in favor even if the county rejects it. “We re up front about wanting to get ahead of it.” Walker said. The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. or SPLOST, has “become a {»rt of what talker said, and the county wouRrbe hard-pressed to carry out many needed projects without Continued to page 3 a aM fv * — 1 1 4 *. fi * See page 9 "or - things have changed but they haven't." For older people, himself included, Walker said, “If you want to start trouble, mess with education." Parents want their kids to be equipped for the future, while employ ers want employees who are qualified for the jobs they have to offer, As an economics teacher. Walker is well aware of the connection between better education, higher income and better quality of life, he said, Businesspeople will tell you that about 70% of the cost of doing busi ness is labor, so they want the most for their money. “Lots of people have an interest in the schools,” Walker said. From the angle of “things have changed but they haven’t,” Walker recalled his own early education in Southern Mississippi. He grew up in a log cabin on his grandfather’s farm. It was. he said, a community that had to get the most out of limited resources. “My parents believed in educa tion,” Walker said. His mother taught school. She had only an lith grade education, but nobody else in the area had gone any higher, Walker's school was perhaps half the size of the auditorium of the Byron Municipal Complex where the Focus I cki • • •n T fVlENl w nuj t g oarc / Q f Commissioners Chairman Melvin Walker talks to the Fort Valley Kiwanis Club last week about the proposed projects for the 2015 SPLOST renewal. Photo by Victor Kulkosky \r% SA*>> £«o*/.' When yen kmy local, the sole* taxes collected support hometown services such as public safety, roads and tensers, as well as the SPLOSTproj¬ ects you younelf votedfor. Spend a fete dollars at your hometown business today! on Education Banquet was held. It was divided into two r(x»ms, one for grades 1-8 and the other for grades 9-12. Walker's graduating class included 26 people. The school had one teacher and a principal. Each day, the teacher divided each room into groups according to grade and gave assignments to each group, which had to do their work while they teacher moved on. “We learned how to work indepen dently.” Walker said, During recess, Walker and his schoolmates played games that required obeying the rules. Rule vio¬ lators were asked to sit out the game. Students also learned responsibility. It was their job to gather wood to fuel the pot-bellied stove that heated the school on cold days, Walker and his schoolmates learned practical skills, such as shop and typing. Walker won contests in brick laying and math - but not, he admitted, in English. Out of all of his classmates. Walker said, he can't think of one that has ever been unemployed. “Parental and community involve¬ ment are intertwined," Walker said of his school days. “We had it right and we had it in two rooms.” Continued to page 2 February 29,2012 New Face Joins Peach Regional Ellen Terrell By Victor Kulkosky News Editor _ _ When Peach County's hospital teamed up with Macon's leading hos¬ pital last year, Ellen Terrell decided to knock on opportunity's door. Having spent 30 years in the health¬ care field and the last eight years with the fundraising wing of the Medical Center, Ellen felt the urge to bring her expertise to Peach County. “When the Medical Center joined this partnership, I asked for this opportunity and I'm excited to bring this community together," Ellen said during a recent interview. The Macon native started her new position as Director of Development with Peach Regional Medical Center just days ago and has been making the rounds of the community. She comes from the Medcen Community Health Foundation, which does the fundraising for Central Georgia Health System Inc., the parent company of the Medical Center of Central Georgia Under the agreement between PRMC and CGHS, CGHS is assuming day-to day management at PRMC and will lease the new hospital once it opens around Summer 2013. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March 29. “I've known for years how you guys have wanted a new hospital,” Ellen said. “It's a win/win - it's great for the Medical Center, it's great for Peach Regional. Everyone's excited." To build on the excitement, Ellen’s project at PRMC will be to launch a capital campaign that would give the local hospital the kind of war chest it hasn't had during the years of financial struggles. Ellen has the experience to make that dream a reality. She earned her certifi¬ cation as a Fundraising Executive last year and has been a member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and the Georgia Association of Development Professionals since 2006. Health care runs in the family. Ellen is married to Dave Terrell. Director of Wellness Programs at Georgia College & State University. They have four adult children, ages running from 24 to 31. Ellen loves spending time with her children, scuba diving and travel. Her new position should change family life a bit. “Our home is in Macon, so Dave heads north each morning to Milledgeville and I now head south to Fort Valley." They might have to schedule weekend meetings. PCHS Offers Eighth Grade Parent Night The PCHS Eighth Grade Parent Night will be held on Thursday. March 1, 2012 beginning with a tour of the campus at 5:30 p m At 6 p.m.. presentations will be held in the cafeteria concerning registra¬ tion, graduation, and extracurricular information. You are invited to attend the Band Showcase following the meeting at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.