Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. MARCH 18. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 7A
Local pharmacist helps Healthcare Science class make hand sanitizer
Submitted by Jack Dunn
Jasper Drugs & Gifts
Last week, I had the pleas
ure of speaking to Leslie
Zuidema’s Healthcare Sci
ence class at Pickens High
School.
Mrs. Zuidema was teach
ing her class how to com
pound an alcohol base hand
sanitizer for personal use.
Several students had made
the compound a couple of
days prior to my speaking to
them. Unfortunately, it did
not turn out as expected. The
formula obtained from the
Mercer School of Pharmacy
included Isopropyl 70% alco
hol, aloe vera and lavender. I
reviewed the formula and
gave the students some
guidelines on how to prop
erly compound the hand san
itizer. The students were
amazed at what a difference
the proper steps of com
pounding made in their fin
ished product. All their
sanitizers worked beautifully
with just the right consis
tency for personal use. We
also discussed the various al
cohol strengths and their us
ages in everyday living.
I would like to thank Mrs.
Zuidema for inviting me to
spend this time with her
class. All the students
showed great interest and en
thusiasm in the healthcare
field. Who knows, maybe
one of these students will
come up with a new alcohol
to kill microorganisms in the
future. I look forward to
hearing great things about
your future in healthcare.
Thanks again, Sheridan,
Caroline P., Angel, Alyssa,
Madison W., Katelyn,
Tucker, Caroline A., Damon,
Chloe, Sydney, Carmyn,
Madison P., Amanda,
Makayla, Grant and Miriam
for being so attentive and ap
preciative of my visit to your
class.
□DDDCn
cmr -
Legislation to change election board
appointment process introduced
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@piekensprogress.com
Legislation has been intro
duced that, if adopted, will
change the way the Pickens
County Elections Board is
appointed.
The legislation, H.B. 682
and H.B. 683 sponsored by
House Rep. Rick Jasperse,
came following a request
from Pickens Commission
Chair Kris Stancil to review
local boards regulated by
state statute. Jasperse and the
General Assembly’s legisla
tive council found issue with
the Pickens Elections Board
appointment process.
As it stands now two
members are appointed by
the chair of the Democratic
Party and two by the chair of
the Republican Party. These
four election board members
then appoint a chairperson. In
a letter sent to Pickens com
missioners and read by Stan
cil at their Thursday, Feb. 25
regular meeting, Jasperse
stated this process could be in
violation of a 2018 Georgia
Supreme Court riding that
found that non-governmental
parties cannot appoint gov
ernment officials. The riding
was in regard to appoint
ments made to the DeKalb
County Board of Ethics.
“Political parties probably
qualify as non-governmental
parties and the members of
the Board of Elections are
unquestionably government
officials. I recommend
changes be made to the Act
governing the Board of Elec
tions and the appointment
process be slightly
amended,” he said.
Jasperse recommended
the Pickens Board of Com
missioners appoint the four
partisan members of the elec
tions board. Commissioners
would make those appoint
ments from a list of nominees
provided by the Democratic
and Republican parties. Each
of those parties would nomi
nate four members, and com
missioners would select two
board members from each
party’s list. The board could
seek nominations for the
chairperson from the com
munity as a non-partisan
leader of the elections board.
At least one member of
the Pickens Elections Board,
William Bell, found issue
with some of the legislation,
stating on social media that,
“I am at least a bit surprised
at the level an elected repre
sentative will go to “run his
subjects.” If we don’t beg for
his help he will destroy a
board who successfully voted
record turnout of Pickens
County voters. Without a sin
gle public hearing or your
input.. .If you want to know
how you are being treated
see: House Bill 683.”
Local elections supervisor
Julianne Roberts also re
peated criticism of the legis
lation this week, saying that
no one who is elected should
have any control over who
sits on the election board.
H.B. 683 reads in part,
“The board established pur
suant to this Act shall be
abolished on June 30, 2021,
and unless otherwise pro
vided by local law, the elec
tion superintendent and
board of registrars for Pick
ens County shall be deter
mined as provided by general
law."
Bill 682 “Reconstitute^]
and reestablish[s} the board
of elections and registration
for Pickens County, Georgia”
and outlines powers, duties,
compensation, selection,
terms, qualifications, etc.
Jasperse said there was
nothing “sneaky” about him
introducing the legislation,
and that other counties, such
as Troup, have members of
their election board all ap
pointed directly by the board
of commissioners, which
takes the decision completely
away from local parties.
“What we’re doing here in
Pickens, the political parties
still get to choose who they
want, then commissioners
pick from that.”
He pointed again to the
2018 riding regarding the
Dekalb County Board of
Ethics. He also said the leg
islation had nothing to do
with the 2020 election sea
son.
o
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CLOSEOUTS
JASPER
55 Burnt Mtn. Road
OPEN Mon-Sat, 9 - 7
Phone: 706-692-9917