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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
BCSO receives donation
Banks County public safety departments recent
ly received separate $500 donations by Tanger
Outlet Center. Banks County sheriff Carlton Speed
said the department’s funds will be used for the
Choosing Healthy Activities - Methods Promoting
Safety (CHAMPS) program. Banks County fire
chief Robert Wilkins said the department’s funds
will be used to purchase a new Sparky suit and
smoke alarms to be given to the community.
Speed is pictured with Tanger assistant general
manager Elizabeth Evans.
Moments of light in times of darkness
My sister, Amanda, and
I were in the ICU waiting
room where we had been
for several days. Beyond
exhausted and worried
about our father, it was a
dark time for both of us.
The doors opened and
two smiling ladies came
into the waiting room with
a gorgeous yellow Lab. It
was Harley, the therapy
dog, who visits Athens
Regional Medical Center on
Thursdays to cheer up the
patients.
Amanda asked if Harley
could go into Dad’s ICU
room and, in just a few min
utes, we went into the room
where Dad was on a respi
rator and had many tubes in
him, keeping him alive. He
hadn’t spoken much since
his major heart surgery and
was suffering from failing
kidneys and lungs but as
soon as Harley came in, he
smiled and reached out to
pet the sweet dog.
Spending 20 days in the
hospital, with seven being in
ICU, is physically and men
tally draining not only for
the patient but for the family
as well. It was a difficult time
but my family is so close
and our faith and
love got us through
the dark times. The
visit with Harley
was just one of the
many moments of
lightness during
those dark days.
A few other
moments that
made us smile and
touched our hearts
included:
•Visiting with the fami
lies of other heart patients in
the ICU waiting room of the
heart unit, a place you never
want to be. We met some
amazing people, including
the Chesser family of Ath
ens. When Mr. Chesser left
the hospital, Mrs. Chesser
and her twin children sent
us the sweetest notes to
Dad’s hospital room.
•People praying for us
and with us. We had many
instances of this during our
time at the hospital. Terry
Smith, pastor of Nicholson
Baptist Church, prayed
with us as Dad’s surgery
got under way. One day
in ICU, I was alone when
another family came in.
Their pastor was with them
and they had a prayer. The
pastor said, “We
also pray for the
lady in the waiting
room with us and
her family mem
ber.” Early one
morning, before
daylight, I was
leaving the guest
house behind the
hospital when a
lady I had never
seen before said,
“Are you leaving or is your
family member still in the
hospital.” When I said my
Dad was still in ICU, she
said, “I will pray for him and
would you please pray for
my husband.”
• Dad’s friend, Steve Cot
ton, stopping by to visit and
bring him a warm blanket
with a dog on it, which he
unwrapped and covered
Dad with. The many other
friends and family who
brought us food and other
items that made our stay
easier.
• The more than 100
friends who visited Dad in
the hospital. He wasn’t con
scious for most of the visits
but we told him everyone
who stopped by and he
appreciated it so much. One
of the nurses told us that she
had never seen so many
visitors come through for a
patient. We had at least 17
people in the waiting room
for the four-hour surgery. It
was such a blessing to be
surrounded by so much
love and support.
• The morning Mom
went to the hospital cafe
teria for breakfast and the
cashier told her, “Someone
has already paid for your
meal.”
•The smile Dad had
on his face every time
his grandsons, Jake and
Grayson, came to visit. He
loves his grandchildren so
much and they are so bless
ed to have a Papa like him in
their lives.
Dad is home now and
slowly recovering. He has a
long road of recovery ahead
but is doing so much better.
It’s been a very difficult time
but he is doing well and we
appreciate the prayers and
support of all of our family
and friends.
Angela Gary is an edi
tor with MainStreet News
papers Inc. She can be
reached at AngieEditor@
aol.com.
angela
gary
Whitmire speaks to Rotary Club
Banks County Recreation Director Brooke
Whitmire spoke to The Rotary Club of Banks
County at the weekly meeting on Feb. 24. Whitmire
talked to the group about the on-going programs
at the recreation department, including T-Ball.
Whitmire said the rec department had one field
for use in T-Ball and there were 150 kids signed
up this year. Whitmire also talked to the group
about activities for seniors, including applying to
become involved in the Silver Sneakers program
that is covered by some insurance carriers. She
also talked about the current construction proj
ect for the new sports complex that is underway.
“We’re here for the community,” Whitmire said of
the rec department. “Not just sports and playing
around.” Photo by Sharon Hogan
Head Start/Pre-K applications
accepted beginning March 1
Banks County Head
Start/Pre-K will begin, in
the next couple of weeks,
taking applications for the
2016-17 school year.
Applications will be
accepted beginning at 8:30
a.m. on March 1.
Those entering children
for the Head Start program
must meet Federal Income
Eligibility Guidelines for
household income. Chil
dren must turn three or
four years of age on or
before Sept. 1, 2016.
When registering,
parents must show a
birth certificate for each
child, proof of household
income for the past 12
months, immunizations on
Ford 3231, Social Security
card (if available) and the
child’s insurance card (if
available).
The Georgia Pre-K
enrollment status is on a
first-come first-served basis
and the child must turn
four years of age on or
before Sept. 1, 2016.
When registering a child
for the Pre-K program par
ents must show a birth cer
tificate, proof of residency
(utility bill, etc.), immuni
zations on Ford 3231, Social
Security card (if available)
and the child’s insurance
card (if available).
Transportation is not
provided for the Head
Start/Pre-K programs, par
ents are responsible for
transporting their child to
and from the facility at 335
Evans Street, Homer.
Breakfast and lunch are
served each day for the
students.
For more information,
call center director, Jan B.
Bertrang, at 706-677-2963.
Homer group named finalist of food contest
Judges have selected Homer’s
Native American Indian Honey Com
pany’s Sweet Georgia Peach Honey
as a finalist in UGA’s 2016 Flavor of
Georgia Food Product Contest.
Representatives of Native American
Indian Honey Company will compete
in the final round of Flavor of Georgia
judging at the Georgia Railroad Freight
Depot in Atlanta March 14-15 along
side 32 other products.
This year marks the 10th annual
Flavor of Georgia contest. Over the
last decade, the contest has grown in
scope and prestige but remains the
state’s premier testing ground for both
small, upstart food companies and
time-tested products.
The finalists, who have passed the
first round of judging, were selected
from a field of more than 135 products
in 11 categories — the largest field in
the contest’s history.
Finalists will bring their products
to the final round of judging as part
of Gov. Nathan Deal’s Ag Day at the
Capitol.
“Each year it becomes more difficult
to select finalists because each year
the field of products submitted to the
Flavor of Georgia contest is better,
more diverse and more innovative
than the year before,” said Sharon
P. Kane, contest coordinator and an
economist with the UGA Center for
Agribusiness and Economic Develop
ment in the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
A food business development spe
cialist, Kane and her colleagues have
organized the annual contest since
2007.
Judges for the final round of the
contest will include food brokers, gro
cery buyers, chefs and other food
industry experts. They will judge each
entry based on commercial appeal,
Georgia theme, taste, innovation and
market potential in each category.
All finalists receive a one-year,
silver-level Georgia Grown member
ship from the Georgia Department of
Agriculture and a customized Flavor
of Georgia logo for their label and
promotional materials, along with the
opportunity to pitch their product to
grocery buyers and food industry pro
fessionals who judge the final round of
the contest.
Category and grand prizewinners
will receive trophies, and the grand
prize winner receives complimentary
exhibit space at the Georgia Food
Industry Association’s annual confer
ence and consultation services from
the UGA Food Product Innovation and
Commercialization Center.
More information about the contest
is available at http://flavorofga.com/
and by following the contest on Twit
ter at @FlavorofGA and on Instagram
at www.instagram.com/flavorofga.
Vet Day set March 19
Spring spraying
course offered
The Jackson County Extension
Office will host its spring spraying
preparation course on Thursday,
March 17, at 6:30 p.m.
The welcome and meal will be from
6:30-7 p.m. The pasture and hayfield
spraying course will be held from
7-8:15 p.m. This includes one hour of
pesticide credit.
The event will be held at the First
Baptist Church of Commerce, 1345
South Elm Street.
For more information, contact
extension agent Greg Pittman at 706-
367-6344 or gpittman@uga.edu.
The Banks Crossing Saddle Club
and Maggie’s Menagerie Veterinary
Services will host a spring Vet Day
on Saturday, March 19, from 8 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m.
The event will be held at the Banks
County Horse Arena/Pavilion at 211
Hudson Valley Drive, Homer. All
dogs and cats must be on a leash or
in a carrier at all times.
There is no exam fee.
Services offered for horses include
complimentary health certificate with
purchase of Coggins and vaccina
tions. Services for dogs include one-
year rabies vaccinations for $10 or
three-year vaccinations for $15. Heart-
worm tests are $15. Additional vac
cines are available and dogs receive
a complimentary nail trim.
Vaccinations are also available for
cats. A one-year rabies vaccination
is $10; a three-year vaccination is $15.
Additional vaccines are available.
Proof of current rabies vaccination
is required for three-year vaccina-
tions.Heartworm prevention, tick and
flea products, wormers for all spe
cies, and basic equine medications
will be available for purchase.
For more information, call 770-241-
4707.
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Arts Festival
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN COMMERRCE, GEORGIA
COMMERCE CIVIC CENTER
MARCH 4-5 2016
110 STATE STREET. COMMERCE, GA 30529
WWW.FOLK-FINEARTS.COM
March 4 - Meet the Artist Reception 5-9 p.m.
ADMISSION $15
* includes reception, complimentary drink tickets and weekend re-acinissxxi for the entire festival.
March 5 - Festival is Open 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
$ 7 ADMISSION 'CHILDREN 10 & UNDER FREE
