Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2010
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5A
A teachable moment next door
Concerned with attempt
virgil
adams
IN EAST Athens-
Clarke County
there is a 1.9-mile
stretch of road. (My
research assistant
Ms. Gentry and I
measured it.) On
this 1.9-mile stretch
of road there are
33 eating establish
ments. (My research
assistant and I
counted 'em.)
These 33 eating establish
ments run the culinary gamut.
There are restaurants, cafes,
buffets, pizza parlors, grills,
grills/bars, steak houses, sea
food houses, drive through,
eat in, take out and fast food
emporiums.
Fast food dominates. My
research assistant and I didn't
break ‘em down (count 'em
separately), but we estimate
that at least half of the 33 fall
into that category.
My research assistant (who
also happens to be my beau
tiful bride) and I have not
patronized all 33 eateries.
However, over the 12 years
we have been married and
lived near these establish
ments, we've dined in at least
half of them.
The cuisine has ranged
from excellent to terrible, and
the service has been good to
nonexistent. You wouldn't
believe some of the trials and
tribulations we have experi
enced in fast food restaurants.
On the other hand, if you
frequent these places you
would. One thing I wish all
of them would do is
hire employees who
speak and understand
plain English and can
make change. It is
obvious that speech
and math were not
high priorities during
their formal or infor
mal schooling.
But enough of this
negative stuff. Have
we learned anything
that will raise the level of
efficiency and service in this
important segment of our
economy? I believe we have.
There is one place that is
a teachable moment. I'm not
saying this is the only teach
able moment on our 1.9-mile
stretch of road, but it is the
best one we’ve come across.
The only place where we
receive a warmer welcome
is the Waffle House. Go in
a Waffle House and you’ll
be greeted with enthusias
tic “Good mornings” and
“Hellos.” And you can learn
a lot at the Waffle House
just by watching and listen
ing. Unfortunately, there isn't
one on our 1.9-mile stretch of
road. So back to the teachable
moment that's just waiting to
happen in the neighborhood.
The welcome is not as
vocal, but it is real, sincere
and inviting. You place your
order and know that what you
ordered is what you get. You
hand the smiling cashier a five
and she gives you 49 cents
change without having to go
to the calculator, count on her
fingers or call for help.
Your food arrives about as
quickly as your change. If it
doesn't, a nice young person
says, “I’ll bring your food to
your table.” He or she comes
by later and asks if you want
a refill on your drink. When
you finish your meal and start
to take your tray, used nap
kins, cups and empty condi
ment containers to the trash
receptacle, he or she miracu
lously appears and says, “I’ll
take that for you.”
The minute you leave,
another young person begins
to sanitize and clean the table
- not just wipe it with a wet
rag. From floor to ceiling, the
place is spotless.
Yes, it’s crowded. From 11
a.m. to 1 p.m., parking spaces
are scarce. The last time my
research assistant and I went
there, we had to drive around
the place twice before we
found a spot.
We sat at a table by a win
dow and realized that parking
is not as big a problem as we
thought. We watched people
as they parked in the fast food
lot next door and walked the
short distance to the teachable
moment. That should tell the
people next door that they
should come over and take a
look. They could learn a lot
by observing their next-door
neighbors.
The customers can ben
efit, too. They can learn a
lot about civility, politeness,
good manners and appropriate
dress by watching the people
who work there. Their com
petitors in the food service
industry can learn a lot about
service and courtesy if they
would just come over and
look around.
Football coaches scout their
opponents. I don’t see why
restaurant owners and manag
ers don't scout their competi
tors. I'm sure some of them
do.
Rather than go back to their
place and tell the staff what
they saw, why not send the
staff over - one by one - and
let them experience the teach
able moment for themselves?
Let them place their order
and observe what happens
from there. If they go to the
place I'm thinking about this
morning, they’ll be impressed
- and perhaps embarrassed.
And if they take the lessons
to heart, they’ll be better per
sons and employees, and may
be on their way to becoming
managers - even owners -
some day.
I’m sure the teachable
moment will welcome them
the same way they do hun
dreds of customers who show
up Monday through Saturday.
Don’t worry about parking;
you can park in the lot next
door.
Oh, I almost forgot. Don't
come on Sunday. School is
closed on the Sabbath, and
that may be another of its
teachable moments.
Virgil Adams is a former
owner/editor of The Jackson
Herald.
to evict Maysville doctor
Dear Editor:
I have recently learned that
the City of May sville is attempt
ing to evict Dr. Gary Kinsey
from the building he has occu
pied since the Maysville City
Council recruited him to set
up his medical practice here.
It is also my understanding
that as an inducement to do so,
a contract was let for him to
use the building as long as he
practiced family medicine in
our community.
I sincerely hope that the
mayor and council will recon
sider this action. He is a valu
able asset to the medical com
munity. He is an excellent
physician and is caring and
concerned with all aspects of
his patients’ lives.
He also serves another
important need for Maysville
as the physician for Southern
Pines Senior Care. He and his
staff go there on many occa
sions to offer medical services
to the residents. While there,
in addition to treating the
residents medical needs, he
often spends time just observ
ing them in their every day
surroundings in order to bet
ter evaluate their overall well
being.
I read in the Maysville City
Council meeting minutes that
he had offered to buy the build
ing instead of paying rent, and
that his offer was declined.
My first hope is that the
mayor and council will honor
the contract. But if not, why
not sell him the building and
use some of the money for the
current operating budget, and
invest the remainder in some
type of a monetary fund draw
ing interest for future budget
needs?
Sincerely,
Nancy O. Houston
Maysville
Letters Policy
Appreciates efforts of local business
Dear Editor:
I am so blessed by Beef O
Brady’s involvement in our
community. This is truly a
local business that cares about
the people, schools and other
local businesses. I have had
the privilege of partnering
with Beef O Brady’s while
I served on the Touchdown
Club of JCCHS. During my
three years of being on the
board. Beef O Brady’s not
only sponsored our team but
also supplied pre-game meals
each season.
Now, including their
involvement with our schools,
they are opening their busi
ness every Saturday morning
offering pancakes for who
soever will throughout our
community. The pancake
breakfast is feeding those
who are in need of a hot meal
or a warm place to stay for a
while.
I am very thankful for their
support in our community and
I plan on taking my family to
dinner there this evening to
return the favor.
Sincerely,
Dianne Pesaresi
All letters-to-the-editor must be signed by the writer with
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Write us about your thoughts or local, state or national
issues at: The Jackson Herald. P.O. Box 908, Jefferson, GA
305491 FAX: 706-367-8056; E-mail: editor@mainstreet-
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COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
www.ict-ils.edu
2323 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville 30504
Brian A. Casazza, M.D.
Medical Director
Athens Regional Spine Institute
Date:
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Time:
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Place:
North Oconee High School's
Fine Arts Auditorium
Hosted by:
North Oconee High
School Baseball
Dr. Brian Casazza, a former standout pitcher at Princeton University, has spent
years studying and researching the pitching motion. His research with professional
and Division I college pitchers has resulted in a firm understanding of the science of
the pitching motion and, most importantly, how it relates to ball velocity, fatigue
and Injury.
Join Dr. Casazza as he explains the essential concepts to a well pitched baseball,
why the concepts are important when evaluating pitchers and how to teach those
concepts. By understanding the science of pitching, you will be able to Identify
essential flaws that lead to loss of velocity and accuracy, as well as recognizing
a fatiguing pitcher based on his mechanics.
Dr. Casazza wants to help you and your pitchers be more efficient and effective,
leading to less injuries and greater success for your team.
There is no cost to attend. Please RSVP to Mike Pilcher at mpilcher@armc.org
or 706.475.3336.
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