Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY 25, 2009 - PAGE 3A
— Short On Work Ready Goal
Cont. from Page 1A
Work Ready certificates.
Ledford told of a man laid
off by a local company who
had applied for a job, had a
good recommendation from
his former employer and
was the top candidate for
the new job — only to lose it
to someone else because he
did not have a Work Ready
certificate.
“People are not getting
applications and not get
ting jobs until they are certi
fied Work Ready," Ledford
explained.
The ranks of the jobless
are growing. People with 15
or 30 years of experience are
losing jobs. They’re flocking
to technical schools to get
their GED, to get a Work
Ready certificate and to get
certified in new fields where
there may be jobs.
Twenty Georgia counties
will be certified Work Ready
counties by June 20. Another
120 are in the process. And
while certification is crucial
to the individual, it’s also
important to the county
— and thus to groups like
chambers of commerce.
“The economic develop
ment arm of the state is
using it to draw companies
in," Ledford explained.
“Gov. Perdue wants Georgia
to be the first Work Ready
state. They’re listing the
communities that are Work
Ready."
Ledford has worked to get
local high school seniors
tested. Some 119 have been
tested at Jefferson High
School, 25 at Commerce
High School and Ledford
has scheduled the seniors
at Jackson County and East
Jackson high schools — and
the rest of the CHS class as
well.
But that still leaves Jackson
County about 80 people
short (assuming the 90 per
cent passing rate persists)
of the goal it must reach by
June.
Both the employed and the
unemployed are being solic
ited to earn certification —
hence Ledford’s appeal to
the chamber board.
— Black Beautiful At BJC
Cont. from Page 1A
Leadbetter said revenue
was also up slightly.
He said the facility’s moves
“will bring $2 million to the
bottom line" over the first
year.
Based on those measures,
Leadbetter predicted that
the medical center will end
its current year $759,000 in
the red.
CEO Jim Yarborough con
ceded that the cost-cutting
measures required “a very
lot of tough decisions, and
a lot of sacrifices by staff
members who were let go,
and also those that remain,"
but added that “from a
financial, statistical view,
they were moves that had to
be made."
“We know the past six
months have been unbeliev
ably stressful," commented
Charles Blair, chairman.
“Thank you for everything
you’re doing in a very dif
ficult time."
Meanwhile, the authority
has renewed $1.5 million in
lines of credit and is look
ing into long-term financ
ing of its short-term debt,
according to Rick Massey,
who chairs its Finance
Committee.
“We know what we want
to do, but we don’t have def
inite numbers, so we can’t
yet do what we want to do,"
he told the authority.
The facility has trimmed
the equivalent of 160 full-time
positions since June, accord
ing to Marilyn Anglin, direc
tor of human resources.
Surgeon Update
There was also some good
news in terms of hiring a
general surgeon.
Yarborough said three can
didates are interested in the
position, which is crucial
to the medical center’s eco
nomic health. Officials were
due to interview one of the
three today (Wednesday).
Two of the candidates are in
their 50s, Yarborough said,
and the third is in his 40s.
One is in Tennessee, one
in South Carolina and the
other is in Georgia. All are
licensed in Georgia.
“Hopefully, one of these
three surgeons will be some
one we feel like is a good
fit for this community,"
Yarborough told the author
ity.
Two of the candidates are
offered by SurgeonCare
of Georgia LLC, which is
expressing an interest in
starting a surgical practice
in Commerce.
The advantage for the
medical center would be
that SurgeonCare would
own the practice — and take
most of the risk.
“The doctor would focus
on medicine, and the entity
(SurgeonCare) would focus
on the business side of
the practice," Yarborough
explained. “The surgeon
would work for them."
“Is this a viable concept?"
Blair asked.
Leadbetter said the con
cept works, but the physi
cian’s fit in the community
is critical.
In the event that one of
the SurgeonCare physicians
meets the authority’s cri
teria, the authority would
hash out the details of the
contract at its next meeting.
Ancayan Completes
Basic Training
Army Pfc. Jessie E.
Ancayan graduated from
basic combat training at Fort
Jackson, Columbia, SC.
During the nine weeks of
training, Anacayan studied
the Army mission, history,
traditions and core values,
physical fitness, and received
instruction and practice in
basic combat skills, military
weapons, chemical warfare
and bayonet training, drill
and ceremony, marching,
rifle marksmanship, armed
and unarmed combat, map
reading, field tactics, mili
tary courtesy, military jus
tice system, basic first aid,
foot marches, and field
training exercises.
He is the son of Deborah
Ancayan of Belmont Park
Drive, Commerce, and is a
1995 graduate of Oconee
County High School.
HOMETOWN USA HOPE STARTS HERE!
* T The Relay For Life of Jackson County
relay Invites All Survivors To The
FOR LIFE
VICTORY
CELEBRATION 2009
Survivors...Our Reason To Relay
A victory celebration in your honor will be held:
Saturday, March 7, 6 p.m.
Jackson EMC Auditorium
Survivors, please join us with one (1) caregiver as we celebrate
the many victories over cancer and offer support to those
currently battling this disease.
\*y. Jf
wm
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Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, Feb. 26
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 6 pm,
Commerce Public Library. New
members are always welcome to
attend.
Beekeeping class: 6 p.m., Jack
son County Farm Bureau, U.S. 1 29
N., Jefferson. This class will help
interested persons learn essential
beekeeping skills. Free, but RSVP to
ammerk@gfb.org or at 706-367-
8877.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Monday, March 2
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., City Hall. This work session
prepares the city council for its regu
lar meeting the following Monday
night.
Maysville Council meets: 7:00
p.m., Maysville Public Library.
Nicholson Council meets: 7:00,
Nicholson City Hall.
Tuesday, March 3
JCCO meets: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Hospital conference room. Jackson
County Community Outreach is a
grassroots community organization.
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Wednesday, March 4
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 a m ,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open to all
members of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce and
guests. $5.
Thursday, March 5
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Lodge meets: 6:30 p.m. Hudson
Lodge #294 F&AM meets at its
Hospital Road facility.
School board meets: 7:00 pm,
Commerce Primary School media
center. This work session prepares
the Commerce Board of Education
for its regular meeting the following
Monday.
Saturday, March 7
CASAblanca: 7 p.m., Commerce
Civic Center. This is the annual fund
raiser for Piedmont CASA (Court
Appointed Special Advocates). Tick
ets are $75. Call 706-387-6375.
Monday, March 9
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., Commerce Room, Commerce
Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Commerce High School media cen
ter. The Commerce Board of Educa
tion operates the city's independent
school system.
Tuesday, March 10
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 pm,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, March 12
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quitters: 1 00 pm,
Commerce Public Library.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
CASA training: 6 p.m. Bentley As
sisted Living, Jefferson. This training
for the Piedmont Court Appointed
Special Advocates will continue
every Thursday through April. To
register, call Annette Raymond at
706-387-6375.
Monday, March 16
Hospital authority meets: 1 30
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. The BJC Medical Center
Authority manages BJC Hospital
and Nursing Home.
Library board meets: 5:00 pm,
Commerce Public Library. The Com
merce Library board manages the
city library.
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC Medi
cal Center. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients and
their families.
Tuesday, March 17
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Thursday, March 19
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. The Pilot Club of Commerce
meets on the third Thursday of each
month.
Monday, March 23
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce Plan
ning Commission makes recom
mendations to the Commerce City
Council on zoning and other land
use matters.
Tuesday, March 24
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7 p.m., Ryan's
Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, March 26
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Tuesday, March 31
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Wednesday, April 1
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 a m ,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open to all
members of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce and
guests. $5.
Thursday, April 2
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
GreenSouth wants to know:
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The LAI 05 might be the right Deere for you. And during our
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Visit your local GreenSouth store by March 14th, 2009
for your chance to win.
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706-367-5233
Your attendance will give others hope!
Please R.S.V.P. to
*(Wy one entry per household. No purchase necessary Must be at least 18 years old Employees and Fami.y members of GreenSouth are not eligible Deadline for registration is 11 am. March 14,2009
MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN Prices are final No substitutions for other products or cash Each of the 14 GreenSouth locations will give away ONE John Deere LA 1 OS Lawn Tractor The drawings will be
held at 12 00 pm on March 14, 2009 John Deere s green and yellow color scheme, the leapmg deer symbol, and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere 1 Company GSE3X100225MCJ-BW
Gail Banks at 706-367-9721
by 3/1/09 if you plan to attend.