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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. JANUARY 13. 2022
Christmas at Pickens Senior Center
The Pickens Senior
Center had a lot going
on in December and the
seniors who come
would like to encourage
other seniors in our
community to join them
at the center. The Pick
ens Senior Center, 400
Veterans Memorial
Blvd. in Jasper, is an
active day center open
to seniors 60 and above
8-1 daily Monday-Fri-
day. The phone number
for inquiries is 706-
692-6133.
“In December we
had our first annual
Christmas Tea which
was a huge success,”
said Lenise Bruce, sen
ior center director. “We
enjoyed dressing up
and serving hot Christ
mas tea. Mt Zion Bap
tist Church came and
sang Christmas carols
with us during our tea.
We took a field trip to
the Tate House where
we enjoyed a luncheon
and tour of the Tate
House. We decorated
sugar cookies in hopes
of a visit from 01 Saint
Nick.”
Those attending the
center had the Ap
palachian String Strum-
mers come and play
Christmas songs on the
Ukulele, banjo and gui
tar. Renasant Bank vis
ited with treats. We had
a special grant and
lunch was catered in by
Richard Schwal at The
Lunch Box. And spe
cial guest Janice Reed
joined us for Christmas
carols and had a sur
prise pizza party thanks
to a very special anony
mous giver.
“We ended 2021
with a very exciting
December,” Bruce said.
“Looking to make 2022
extra special with lots
of new activities and
new members.”
Photos submitted by the Pickens Senior Center
Kemp wants
$5Kpay raise
for state
employees
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Georgia’s hefty
budget surplus is about to pay
off for state employees.
Gov. Brian Kemp will in
clude a $5,000 raise for most
state workers in the fiscal 2022
mid-year budget proposal he
will release this week. Putting
the raise in the mid-year budget
means it would take effect as
soon as the General Assembly
passes it and he signs it into law
rather than at the beginning of
fiscal 2023 in July.
More than 57,000 state em
ployees earning less than
$80,000 per year received one
time $1,000 raises last year. But
pay increases for state workers
have been rare since the Great
Recession caused state tax rev
enues to plummet, forcing law
makers to make severe
spending cuts.
The state’s coffers have re
covered from the double im
pacts of the Great Recession
and another economic down
turn brought on by the coron-
avirus pandemic, with the help
of federal COVID-19 aid
money.
By the end of the last fiscal
year last June, the state had
built a budget surplus of $3.7
billion.
State agency heads have
long complained they’re losing
workers because state salaries
are failing to keep up with pay
offered by other governments
and in the private sector.
“State government positions
must remain competitive with
other government entities to at
tract and retain a talented and
capable workforce,” Kemp
wrote in a letter Friday to state
department heads outlining the
planned pay raise.
The governor will outline
highlights of his spending rec
ommendations on Thursday
during a joint session of the
General Assembly.
f ^ Piedmont
w MOUNTAINSIDE
From My Desk to Your Home
Greetings!
Happy New Year! May 2022 bring you happiness, health and success in
all you do! There’s something so meaningful about starting a New Year,
about embracing the opportunity to turn a new page and make positive
changes.
But I always have to remind myself to take it slow. I can’t expect to
change every bad habit in a week... That’s one of the reasons I like to
focus on overall goals and give myself time to make positive changes.
One tip I learned from Gretchen Rubin, author ofThe Happiness Proj
ect, is to choose a one-word theme for the new year. That way, instead
of naming a bunch of tough individual goals that aren’t related to one an
other, you can follow a theme.
Maybe your one-word theme is “grow,” so you think of ways that you
can support that theme throughout the year (maybe taking an online
class, reading more books, taking up new hobbies).That keeps you from
trying to rush to perfect your life on January I, only to fall off the wagon
by January 5.
What one-word theme will you choose for 2022?The options are end
less, but it should be something that will make you feel good and that
will be important to you. You may decide to make it the year of “yes,”
where you accept invitations and try new things. Or, if you are already
overextended, you may want to choose “rest” as your theme.
Once you’ve chosen, you may want to put reminders of your theme
around you, in places where it can inspire you and remind you to keep
going, to keep, to quote Gretchen Rubin,“seeking the bigger life.”
Another tip from Gretchen is to write a “22 for 2022” list to support
your one-word theme.This list has 22 things you’d like to accomplish
throughout the new year, and should include some easy things you can
cross off quickly and some bigger, more long-term goals.The idea is that
you’ll look at the list throughout the year to see how you’re doing.
Whether you choose to create a one-word theme for the year or to
do a “22 for 2022” list, I hope 2022 will be a year that you love - a year
full of happiness, good health, personal growth and all other good things.
I hope that if hard times comes up, you’ll be able to maneuver through
them with confidence and ease. But, most importantly, I hope you know
that there are people who have your back - reach out if you need help
or hope.
Thank you for all the ways you make our community such a special
place. Here’s to 2022!
Always,,
Denise Ray,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
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