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VOLUME LXXI NUMBER 10 : 1M • i m RBShSk § £ JBkJrcnlk i The Rotary Club of Forsyth County last week presented special plaques to outstan ding students at Forsyth County High School. The students were selected on their academic, extra-curricular and community activities. The two senior winners ‘County Attitude Changing Toward Hospital’— Brandon BY CATHY PUCKETT Staff Writer The Forsyth County Hospital Authori ty signed a contract for management services in March of 1979, with Brookwood Health Services, Inc., and now a year later, progress is becoming more evident everyday, with added health care services and updating of the community hospital. A $2.4-million dollar construction pro ject is underway at the hospital, which will add updated modem equipment to the present 28-bed Forsyth County Hospital. With the addition of 13,000 square feet, the hospital will soon be able to accomodate and operate a 36- bed facility. The construction project and renovation of 7,000, square feet of existing space will bring the hospital up to a total of 41,000 square feet. The construction project, under the direction of Palafox Construction Corp., of Alabama, is scheduled to be finished with the new wing of the hospital by June, and renovation work is to be completed by October of this year. The new addition of the hospital will include nine semi-private rooms, serv ing two patients per room; 14 private rooms for one-patient occupancy, and a four-bed Intensive Care Unit and Cor onary Care Unit. The new area will •v i i «^HJ % tR ‘ J l(sjtt$ )f ' * * Emergency Generator Installed Forsyth County Hospital Administrator Joe Brandon looks over the new emergency generator unit recently installed next to the new wing at the hospital. The construction project - I FORSYTH tlfivirc " Ht l - COUNTY NllwV 3 Special Awards house a complete radiology depart ment, and have an expanded two-room diagnostic area. The one operating room at the hospital will be replaced with two new modem operating rooms with expanded facilities. In addition, there will be a recovery room, obstetrics department with a delivery room and two labor rooms, and a com plete medical lab. The renovation project includes up dating the respitory-therapy area, new pharmacy-purchasing area, ex panding the emergency room, renovating existing patient rooms, and adding much needed office space to the hospital. The construction project underway is only part of a major change people in the community are noticing. A renewed appreciation of the professional medical services being offered citizens in the county is being experienced. Cur rently there are 15 medical doctors on the active staff, eight dentists on the ac tive staff, and a host of 17 physicians on a consulting staff. In times past, all too often people in the community were upset with limited services in the hospital’s emergency room. Today, regular staff doctors serve the Emergency Room during the day, and a doctor is on duty every night, giving full 24-hour emergency medical ser at the hospital is scheduled to be completed within a few mon ths. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1980 CUMMING. GA. 30130 received a SSOO scholarship each. Those receiving the awards (1-r) were: Sophomore Chuck Chewning, Sophomore Rhonda Cravey, Junior David Moseman, Junior Sheri Smallwood, Senior Terri Jo Smith and Senior Mark Wood. vices. Not only construction, added profes sional services and updating of equip ment is noticeable at the hospital, but people are beginning to appreciate the talents and efforts of a well trained staff at the hospital, according to Hospital Administrator A.J. (Joe) Brandon. The hospital administrator said he “feels good” about the attitude and ef forts of the 56 full-time and 28 part-time employees at the hospital. “The com munity is beginning to realize the talents of the trained personnel and we’re getting many good comments from patients everyday.” The staff at the hospital includes 28 professionals in the way of nurses, medical technologist, radiology technologists, physical therapist, licensed pharmacist and others. Brandon said the hospital and com munity had become “separated.” “We can’t be perfect no matter how hard we try, but we are striving to meet the needs of the community in health care services. We have been able to establish open communications bet ween the hospital and the community, and are building a good relationship with county officials. We’re here to pro vide the best medical services available for the community, and want to do the job the community deserves.” Finances have over-shadowed the operation of the hospital for many years. A financial report from the hospital at the end of 1978 showed the hospital loss a total of $141,200, but by the end of 1979, the hospital was able to operate and meet costs of operations. Accounts receivable were 140 days behind in March of 1979, as compared to 70 days in 1980. The hospital is governed by a Hospital Authority Board consisting of: Phil Smith, Chairman; Lewis Darnell, vice-chairman; Johnny Stone, secretary; Marshal Millwood, treasurer; and board members M.L. Hamby, Ben Edd Bramblett, Atwood Ledbetter, and Mack Holbrook. Dr. Jim Mashburn is also a member of the board representing the medical staff of the hospital. Brandon said while he has seen “a 180 degree” change in attitude and efforts of hospital employees, he has also seen interest and cooperation by the entire community. “It’s really been a pleasure to work with the staff and with the community. I can’t do my job without the cooperation of a good train ed staff and without good cooperation from the community we serve.” Little Theatre Plans Musical The Forsyth County Little Theatre is buzzing with excitement these days as plans are underway for the summer production of “The Sound of Music.” The moving and true account of the Von Trapp Family’s victory over Nazi occupied Austria during World War II will open in Cumming on Aug. 6. Written by Rodgers and Hammers tein, this musical enjoyed a long run on the Broadway stage and was made into an award winning movie starring Julie Andrews as Maria. Little Theatre members are en thusiastic at being able to announce that “The Sound of Music” will be under the direction of Jim Hammond, who is remembered for his success as director of “Oliver” and “Around The World In 80 Days.” Hammond has chosen Carol Evans as assistant direc tor, Diane Wall as producer and Bob Hartline as musical director. Parts will be available for seven children between the ages of six and 18, nine female adults and eight male adults, plus a large chorus. Auditions will be announced at a iater date. Hammond has also announced that he will be teaching acting this summer. Children’s and adult classes are in the planning stages and one production from each class will be presented for the public. If you want to be a part of the Little Theatre’s busy summer in any capacity from studying to acting, sewing to singing or hammering to typing, call Diane Wall St 889-1901 or 887-1609. County OKs Anti-Litter Campaign BY JIM COSE Y Editor The Forsyth County Commissioners Monday voted unanimously to begin a crackdown on litter in the county. Commissioner Leroy Hubbard pointed out that trash and litter is being dumped throughout the county alongside roads. “We need to work closely with the Sheriff’s Department to strengthen enforcement in this area. I realize it’s hard to get a conviction but we’ve got to do something to put a halt to this problem.” Hubbard said that the maximum sentence for littering is SI,OOO and one year in jail. Commission Chairman Bill Barnett added, “It’s a bad problem. It’s getting worse. If we could get some convictions it would really help. We have a county dump that’s costing the taxpayers some $5,000 a year and we need to get the peo ple to use it instead of dumping on the sides of the roads.” Commissioner Garland Barron add ed, “If we could get one conviction, I don’t believe they’d do it again.” Hubbard made a motion to work with the Sheriff’s Department to concen trate and try to catch those littering the roads and try to get convictions. The vote was unanimous. Barnett pointed out that the local Kiwanis Club is planning a big anti litter campaign in April and he urgec everyone to take part in this project and halt the problem that presently exists. H —I —b In other business, the commissioners Cumming Elementary In WSB Competition Cumming Elementary School has been named one of 12 finalists in WSB Radio’s School Spirit contest. Some 50 schools in the metro Atlanta area entered the competition and Cum ming Elementary hosted WSB officials and personalities last Monday in a special “School Spirit Day” program at which time judges were on hand to see a display of Cumming’s school spirit. Jim Howell and John Moore, WSB air personalities “Jim and John,” were on hand to speak to the students and they also acted as two of the judges for the contest. Other judges included: Aubrey Morris and Rick Shaw of WSB Radio and State Patrolman Tommy Thornton. For the school spirit competition, Cumming Elementary School students chose a theme, of patriotism to display their spirit. The students decorated rooms, halls and yards with red, white and blue. Last Monday, when the judges were on hand, the students in all the grades presented a special pro gram. » A Wm HL4^Bp9|fe| ‘Jim And John ' WSB Radio’s “Jim and John” or is it “John and Jim” are shown at Cumming Elementary School last Monday when they were on hand to judge the school in the school spirit competition. Cumming is one of 12 finalists in the contest. 25 Cents 32 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS denied two requests for county funds from a health clinic and a justice of the peace. A spokesman from the George E. Wilson Memorial Health Clinic ap peared before the board and requested $2,000 for the 1981 budget to aid in constructing a new facility for their ser vice. Harrison Tallant made a motion to deny the request and Barron made the second. The vote was unanimous. Justice of the Peace Arnold Mar jenhoff asked the commissioners to reimburse him $159 he had to spend to take training required by the state. Commissioner Hubbard asked Mar jenhoff if he was paid fees for his ser vice. He replied, “Yes. Last year around $2,400.” Hubbard told Mar jenhoff that the commissioners only made $1,200 a year. A motion was then made to deny the request and the vote was unanimous. The commissioners setup some of their road priorities for revenue shar ing funds. The roads listed by the com missioners include: Hubbard- Mountain Road; James Harrington- Pittman Road and Tidwell Circle; Tallant-Hawkins Road and Karr Road; Barron-Pickelsimer Road and Drive; Bamett-Nuckolls Road, Echols Road, Carden Road, Kemp Road, Hitt Road and Timberlake Trail. In final action of the day, meeting at their new 5 p.m. starting time, the com missioners voted tq hire Clay Freeman as a part-time inspector. The fifth grade students presented the Pledge of Allegiance and led in the singing of the National Anthem. Third graders presented patriotism buttons to the judges. First graders presented special songs for the judges and the fourth grade presented a special play. Physical education students displayed gymnastics entitled “Future Olym pians," and sixth graders read essays on “It’s A Wonderful Thing To Be Me- Free.” The second grade students sang special songs they had written concern ing school spirit and the school chorus and band played for the judges. Principal Ron Brooks said, “We elected to express our school spirit through patriotism because it is so ap propriate at this time. With the hostage situation in Iran and the recent Winter Olympics, we think Americans are returning to the old spirit of patriotism and we wanted to let people know that here at Cumming Elementary we do believe in America. ” The winner of WSB’s school spirit contest will receive a SSOO prize.