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Town Hall Meeting
Concerning Byron-Peach
Charter School
Thursday, Feb. 21st, 6:45 p.m.
Byron Municipal Complex
Saturday at Big Peach Antique Mall, Chris Jennings
was on hand promoting the Dukes of Hazzard Geor
gia Reunion coming up in March at the old Middle
Georgia Raceway. The full cast, with the exception
of one, will be on hand. March 8-10. Be there!!
One of the Sheriff’s Car’s from the Dukes of Haz
zard was on display in Byron and ’’Enos” was in
Perry with another car.
There were bouncy houses for the kids to enjoy at
Big Peach Antique Mall Saturday.
Rusty Williams, a rising star, pictured above, per
formed Saturday with the two band members be
low. He and the band will perform at the reunion.
One Step Closer
By Victoria Simmons
The Byron Buzz
Talk of a charter school in Byron has
been an ongoing discussion for several
years now. Georgia voters also approved
a charter school amendment during the
November 2012 election. The reality of
such a school is now closer and could
open as early as next year.
The Byron Peach Charter High School
Association (BPCHSA) has submitted
a Letter of Intent to the Peach County
Board of Education and the Georgia
Department of Education outlining plans
to establish the Byron Peach Charter
High School (BPCHS). When the Charter
is approved, plans call for the new high
school to open in 2014 serving the 9th
and 10th grades and expanding by a grade
level each year until 2016.
The new school will be open to all
Peach County students subject to space
limitations. In the event enrollment
requests exceed space, a lottery will be
utilized.
A charter school is a public school that
operates under a contract or charter with
the local school board and state school
board or just the state school board.
Charter schools do not charge tuition or
have admission restrictions. Historically,
statistics show that charter schools have
higher test scores, a lower drop out rate,
and higher percentage of college accep
tance.
A curriculum for the new school is
currently under development but early
plans call for college preparatory classes
with a focus on advanced placement and
dual enrollment. Students at BPCHS will
experience longer days and an extended
school year. Students will attend seven
classes daily with one of them being
a mandatory study hall. To be able to
graduate, community service is required
from the student. Parental involvement is
a key ingredient of any successful educa
tional program and the association says
it will encourage the parents to be active
participants.
For this to be successful and come to
fruition the charter school has to demon
strate it has the support of the community.
To aid in that quest, the community is re
quested to attend town hall meetings. The
first will be held on Thursday, Feb.21 st
and the second on Tuesday, March 5th.
The February 21st meeting will be held
at the Byron Municipal Complex at 6:45
p.m. The March meeting will be held at
the Peach County Courthouse at 6:30
p.m.
Formation of the charter school is
also going to need need financial sup
port due to the tremendous start up
cost to develop the charter and secure
facilities that meet the state rules and
regulations. BPCHSA is a 501-C3
corporation and your tax deductible
donations can be mailed to: BPCSA. P.
O. Box 69, Byron, GA 31008.
Questions maybe directed to Buford
J. Walker at 478-256-9257 or emailed
to bufordwalker3@gmail.com
Dinner/Dance Set To Benefit Lisa Dills
By Victoria Simmons
The Byron Buzz
Southern Stitchin’ Uphol
stery first came to Byron in
January 2007, brought to
town by Lisa Smith Dills who
grew up here and had moved
back in 2006. The business
began first downtown Byron,
then moved after two years to
Gralan Drive next to On The
Mark and finally in 2010 to
the location close to Georgia
Bob’s.
Upholstery, says Lisa, is
her passion though she also
loves sewing and embroidery.
If she could do anything else
it would be interior decorat
ing which she also enjoys. A
people person, Lisa says she
was "blessed with the gift of
gab”.
January of this year was the
fifth anniversary of bringing
the business to Byron. On
January 4th of this year, Lisa
was diagnosed with Adeno
carcinoma of the lung; a type
of lung cancer. It occurs when
abnormal lung cells multiply
out of control and form a
tumor. Because it has attached
to her esophagus, doctors say
it is too dangerous to operate
or remove the right part of her
lung.
Though it was devastating
and at first she thought about
not doing chemo, Lisa said
not doing it would have been
selfish. ”1 had heard so many
negatives about taking chemo
and I did not want to be so
sick that I could not enjoy
what life I had left,” she said.
But then she prayed and said it
would have been selfish to just
let the cancer run its course
and not give the people in her
life more time with her. ”1 am
a fighter. It is not over until it’s
over and I am taking one day
at a time, keeping the faith and
holding my head high,” she
said firmly.
Lisa had her first chemo
treatment three weeks ago.
She will have to go every
three weeks for the treat
ments. Should the treatment
shrink the cancer enough so
that is moves away from her
esophagus, then surgery could
become an option.
This week, Lisa’s hair
began falling out as a result of
the chemo. For her, she says
that is the hardest part. Yes,
she said, you can wear a wig
but she is having a hard time
getting one to fit because her
head is small. Tuesday she
was planning on seeing about
having one fitted.
Now, she and husband,
Randy, are trying to sell the
building and some of Southern
Stitchin’s equipment. Lisa is
planning on enjoying as much
of life as possible. She has
already been in the hospital
a couple of times and had to
have chest tubes. Since she
loves the fresh air, she said it
was hard to be in the hospital.
However, she said the nurses
on the fourth floor were ’’an
gels on earth”.
She has been overwhelmed
by all the support and the
prayer she has received. One
organization, the Battle of
Byron Committee, which
gives back to the community
in many ways, has scheduled
a fundraiser to benefit Lisa to
help with medical expenses,
etc. Battle of Byron Gives
Back, A Benefit For Lisa
Smith Dills will include a
spaghetti dinner from 4-8
p.m. on Friday, March 1 and
a dance from 6-10 p.m. at the
Byron Municipal Complex.
Tickets for the spaghetti din
ner which includes spaghetti,
salad, bread and a fruit cup/
dessert are $6 per plate. Ad
mission to the dance is $5 per
person (age 12 & older); $8
per couple; $2 for age 11 and
under. There will be a variety
of music at the dance from
50’s on up. Refreshments will
also be available for purchase.
All monies will go to Lisa. For
tickets see BoB members or
call Karla Chidester at 954-
4592. Lisa said this fund raiser
will be a blessing to her.’’This
was so very thoughtful. I am
truly blessed,” Lisa said.
She also says if you would
like to contact her or talk with
her you can call on her house
phone at 478-654-6177 or
contact her through Facebook.
Vote On PRMC Photo Contest Entries
This past October, Peach
Regional Medical Center
(PRMC) and Central Georgia
Health System (CGHS) called
on local photographers to put
the finishing touch on the new,
state-of-the-art PRMC facility.
A photography contest to
furnish the new hospital was
held during the month of
October, and staff at PRMC
received more than 1,700 sub
missions. From the submis
sions, 235 photos have been
chosen for display at the new
hospital. Cash prizes will be
awarded for first, second and
third places, as well as for a
People’s Choice Award.
Now, during the month of
February, PRMC asks the
public to choose the photo that
will win the People’s Choice
Award. Twenty-three photos
are available to view at www.
peachregional.org. The com
munity is encouraged to vote
for their favorite photo before
February 28,2013. While all
23 photos will be displayed
in PRMC’s new facility, the
People’s Choice Award winner
will receive a cash prize.
“This contest is a wonder
ful opportunity for local
photographers to showcase
their work while making a
lasting contribution to Peach
County’s new hospital. The
People’s Choice Award allows
us to include our community
in the development of our new
hospital,” said Nancy Peed,
Chief Executive Officer of
PRMC.
Each of the images chosen
for the new hospital evoke a
sense of comfort and peace for
patients and their families, and
include wildlife, local land
scapes and natural elements,
and familiar local architecture.
The four prize winners will be
announced in a ceremony later
this year when the new facility
opens its doors.
The new PRMC facility,
which will be renamed The
Medical Center of Peach
County when it becomes
operational later this year, is
located at 1960 Highway 247
Connector in Byron. The new
25-bed hospital is complete
with a larger emergency center
and an operating room suite,
expanded outpatient services
and all-private rooms. The
new facility will be operated
through a partnership with
PRMC and CGHS.