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Submitted Photo Lee County High School VOCA members meet with Tech Prep Coordinator, Jenny Williams, as she goes over job interviewing procedures. These student’s semester final was as an actual job interview, plus preparing a portfolio which included documents like a resume, letter of application, letters of recommendation and several other papers. Pictured from left to right: Holli Phillips, Ivey Kimbrell, Jenny Williams, and Landon Poulsen. Lee County Health Care Receives Excellence Award Lee County Health Care Save 'Ttruv At e After Christmas ■fee Sale received a Gold Center of Excellence Award at the Ethica Health & Retirement Communi ties’ annual awards meeting on Thursday, December 4. Accept ing the award for the 60-bed skilled nursing center were Laura Amos, Administrator, and Jonnie Owens, director of nurs ing. The awards were presented by Mark Waldrop and Lucy Rogers with the Ethica Organi zations. The Centers of Excellence Award is presented to those nursing centers and retirement communities that exhibit out standing quality in many differ ent ways. These include family satisfaction, first impressions, associate satisfaction, state and federal surveys and quality measurements. “We are proud of our as sociates who are committed to providing high quality care and services to our patients and their families,’’ said Waldrop. Many of the centers recognized this year have received state and national quality awards in recent years. “I am very proud of each of our associates at Lee County Health Care. They deserve the credit for this outstand ing ratings we received in so many areas and for their part in winning this gold award,’’ said Laura Amos. Pictured are are Lucy Rogers, Laura Amos and Mark Waldrop. All Christmas Merchandise What will you do with your Christmas tree? By Mike Isbell University of Georgia There were plenty of presents under our Christmas tree. But I can’t recall anybody getting one from Santa. Maybe he didn’t stop at our house. Maybe he didn’t like our artificial tree. Well, it almost looked real to me. And I don’t have to keep the thing watered to keep it looking fresh. When we take it down. I’ll just put it back in the box for next year. Now don’t get me wrong. I like real Christmas trees. We just don’t have one. But if you do, what are you going to do with it when you take it down? I hope it won’t end up stripped of its holiday frills and dumped on the side of the road or next to the garbage can. Your tree doesn’t have to meet this fate. Instead, its branches can become home to fish or wildlife, or you can use parts of it to help beautify your house or yard. Submerged Christmas trees in ponds make excellent homes for fish. Small insects and other natural food collect on the needles and boughs of the tree. This attracts small fish to feed, then the small fish attract bigger fish. You can simply toss the tree into the water, but you’ll get better results if you weight it down and submerge the tree upright. Just make sure it’s completely under water. If you don’t have a pond, use your tree to help out little crea tures on land. Christmas trees can be stacked in the woods as brush piles for rabbits and small rodents to use for cover. Trees can be turned into mulch, too, and the mulch add ed to a compost pile. Compos ted for eight months to a year, it can then be used to improve the soil in your garden. Or you can use the chips and needles now as a mulch around shrubs and flowers. And if you can’t or don’t want to do that, at least put the tree someplace where it can help prevent erosion. What you do with your tree may have little to do with what Christmas really means to you. But being a good steward can’t hurt anything. (Mike Isbell is the Heard County Extension Coordinator with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.) Happy Holidays From Your Friends At It’s Your Home Away From Home! We provide supervision, protection, help with personal hygiene, supervision of medications, grooming and nutrition, while encouraging their independence in a home like atmosphere. 566 West 16th Ave., Albany 888-7696 Christmas Fitz And Floyd Christmas Figurines Christmas Heritage Lace Christmas Ornaments Snowbuddies And More! *Excludes Collegiate Merchandise and Consignments Items r a/rr ivc I/,,,,, rn 435-0203 * w Sr 1461 US Hwy 19 South VMR Retirement Page 8A, The Lee County Ledger, Thursday, January 1, 2004