About Pickens County progress. (Jasper, Ga.) 1899-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2023)
PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER 28. 2023 Scenes from Art Walk Jasper ArtWalk Judges’ Notes This month’s ArtWalk Jasper on Friday, Sept. 27 brought in the stiffest compe tition to date. All of the artists brought a unique skill set and perspective. Third place was awarded to Clark Allen who turns artistic wooden urns. Allen’s work creates a beautiful bal ance between the geometric structure of the vessel with the organic nature of the wood. Allen’s exceptional craftsmanship stands out throughout his work. Second place was awarded to Barbara Edwards. Edwards displayed an excep tional skill level in her water- color paintings. Her work showed both an appreciation for tradition but also is not afraid to experiment with dif ferent styles. Her stylized works exhibit a strong under standing of the principles of design. First place was awarded to Rick Wolter, who creates replica model ships. Wolter creates these replications through rigorous research and tedious attention to de tail. Wolter uses the exact number of planks, tiles, etc. as used on the original ship. His ships display the most miniscule details possible and are tndy something to be Rick Wolter 1st Place C< IIIRTIOUSE photo/Eric Reinhardt Barbara Edwards 2nd Place Clark Allen 3rd Place photo/Nick Rizk photo/Nick Rizk photo/Nick Rizk /'/'"NX 1 AA UVINGWORDe,. » i m ■Vrl!l 1- Vll H church !WW V* Medicare assistance available at Community Thrift Sore By Suellen Reitz Public Affairs CTS This fall, the Community Thrift Store is adding a serv ice for the community. Starting Monday, October 16th, we will have a Medicare specialist in the store Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pickens resident John Johnson, who serves as store manager on Tuesdays, will be available to answer all your healthcare insurance ques tions and assist in fulfilling your needs. In addition, Johnson serves on the PCCRA board where members determine thrift store grant recipients. With 25 years experi ence with insurance, John Johnson will be available to answer healthcare insur ance questions on select days at the Thrift Store on Samaritan Drive. With more than 25 years of experience in the insurance business, Johnson represents every Medicare provider in north Georgia and can help you compare Medicare sup plements, Advantage plans, and drug plans that works best for you. Outside of the thrift store, Johnson is active in the local American Legion Post 149. His other passion is music and can often be seen picking his guitar at local wineries on weekends. Please take advantage of this opportunity if you are currently looking for Medicare options. Stop in and make an appointment that suits your schedule or call 423-261-4952 or email for details at cts30143 @gmail.com. ^VOTE FOR^ Dorian Gibson CITY COUNCIL r Piedmont w MOUNTAINSIDE ? fart ike desk ofa 'faertse / V<nj. (^f\j Happy Fall, Y’all! I’m so excited to share an update of the exciting things happening at Piedmont Mountainside. We were approved by the State of Georgia in August 2023 to increase our overall bed capacity from 62 licensed hospital beds to 76 licensed beds. The addition of 14 beds will allow us to significantly expand our intensive care and medical surgical capacity for our community and neighboring counties. This expansion furthers our purpose to make a positive difference in every life we touch and demonstrates real change, impact and commitment to our community. It will enable us to provide even greater access to health care services for generations to come. Construction has begun on the $13.6 million project and is scheduled to be completed in mid-2024. I’m also thrilled to announce Piedmont Mountainside will be adding radiation oncology as a service line. The purchase of a linear accelerator (a device used to treat cancer by delivering high-energy x-rays or electrons to the region of the patient's tumor) and plans for construction of a radiation oncology facility are underway. This is so important for area patients because there will now be an option, here at home, for quality cancer treatment through Piedmont Oncology. Construction for this $15.5 million project is expected to begin in December with opening scheduled for mid to late 2024. I’m thankful that we have the ability and strength of Piedmont to invest in our hospital. As the sole hospital in Pickens and Gilmer counties, Piedmont Mountainside impacts and benefits our community, from financial assistance for low-income patients to supporting charitable clinics and organizations to volunteering our time at area events. I hope you share my excitement and will be as pleased as I will be upon completion of these expansion projects. In the meantime, enjoy the cooler weather, Friday Night Lights, pumpkin spice and everything else that brings you joy during this season. In Good Health, Oxfuv jYUAJU ■T Denise Ray, President & CEO Piedmont Mountainside Hospital
