Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2, AUGUST 11, 2008, THE ISLANDER
Page 2
Local News Briefs
• Week of August 4
Sea Island Co. restructures
In a message to all employees
dated August 4, Sea Island Com
pany Chairman and CEO Bill Jones
announced that, as a result of sev
eral business factors, operational
changes and job reductions will be
taking place this week at Sea Island
Company.
Since the company opened its new
resort facilities, it has been reviewing
operations to ensure fiscal responsi
bility and that the company is build
ing a solid foundation for the future.
The results of the review, combined
with the national economic down
turn, made it clear that is necessary
to reduce current staffing to one that
matches company business needs.
Jones said, “In addition to modify
ing a number of our operations, it is
with great sadness that I report we
will reduce a significant number of
jobs at this time — across all areas
and at all levels of the company.”
Accordingto David Bansmer, Chief
Operating Officer of Sea Island Com
pany, the company is addressing the
situation in several ways, including
making some operational changes,
consolidating some jobs and elimi
nating others. The company expects
to eliminate approximately 15-20%
of its current work force of 2,100.
Bansmer pointed out that these per
centages include a large number of
seasonal, part-time employees who
transition out of their jobs every year
at this time. Employees whose jobs
are affected will be notified in person
over the next few days.
“I am proud of what we have
accomplished together as a compa
ny, and it is not possible for me to
express how much I regret having to
take these steps.” Jones said.
Glynn At Large runoff
In the Aug. 5, 2008 runoff elec
tion the Glynn County Commission
At Large Post 2 seat was decided by
less than 10% of Glynn's registered
voters. Bob Coleman beat Richard
Strickland with 68% of the vote.
Only 3,898 votes were cast for this
county-wide seat. Glynn County has
41,227 registered voters.
The Democrat candidate for the
U.S. Senate seat was decided by 2%
of Glynn's registered voters. Vernon
Jones beat Jim Martin with 62% of
the vote. Only 786 votes were cast.
Keep in mind that voter registra
tion in Glynn is not by party. Voters
can switch parties between the pri
mary and general elections but in a
runoff election must vote within the
same party as the general election.
GA principal resigns
On Monday, August 4 Dr. Michael
Bull, Superintendent of Glynn
County Schools, announced what he
termed a "change of leadership at
Glynn Academy."
Jim Weidhass, the school system's
Director of Public Relations, read to
the press, school administrators and
teachers gathered for the announce
ment the resignation letter from
Davis Baker, Glynn Academy's prin
cipal for the past two years.
Davis cited personal reasons and
to pursue other professional oppor
tunities outside the immediate area
as the reason for his resignation.
Dr. Steven Ballowe has been
named the new interim principal
for Glynn Academy. Ballowe most
recently served as superintendent
of Gainsville (Georgia) city schools.
According to a July 3, 2008 article in
the Gainsville Times, the Gainesville
city school board voted 3-2 Thursday
(July 3) to fire Superintendent Bal
lowe. Fiscal irresponsibility was cited
as the primary factor. It won't be
determined for two months whether
the board had legal cause for firing
Ballowe.
On Thursday, July 31, the Glynn
County Board of Education unani
mously approved the appointment
of Dr. Ballowe as interim executive
director of school improvement.
Bull said Davis Baker's resigna
tion was unexpected and moved Bal
lowe to that position on an interim
basis because "it was most important
to have an experienced educational
leader to take the reigns at Glynn
Academy."
During Dr. Ballowe's seven years
as Gainsville's superintendent, Dr.
Bull served as his assistant super
intendent for instruction for two
years.
During Davis' two years as prin
cipal the Glynn Academy achieved
AYP (2006-2007) for the first time in
the school's history. GA was also rec
ognized nationally as One of Ameri
ca's Top Public High Schools in 2007-
2008 by Newsweek Magazine. □
SGHS implementing
LifeWings® patient
safety program
Southeast Georgia Health System is
the first Health System or hospital in
Georgia to implement the revolutionary
program LifeWings®—a patient safety
training program designed by profes
sional pilots, astronauts, and physi
cians to eliminate preventable errors in
health care institutions. The program
has been sited for improving patient
safety at such nationally known insti
tutions as Vanderbilt University Medi
cal Center in Nashville, Term.
According to Amy Wasdin, RN,
director of Risk Management, the first
phase of team member training is com
plete and the program has already
been rolled out in the Brunswick Cam
pus Maternity Care Center and Surgi
cal Services departments at the Bruns
wick Campus. “Patient care providers
in those areas, including 64 physicians,
took the four-hour training sessions as
well as teamwork skills workshops,”
Wasdin says. “The training will be on
going and we plan on implementing
the program System-wide, including
our Camden Campus and other facili
ties.”
LifeWings® Partners LLC was first
developed by a former U.S. Navy Top
Gun instructor and a commercial air
line pilot and specializes in applying
aviation-based teamwork training and
safety tools in response to a report by
the Institute of Medicine in 2000 that
highlighted the need for better training
in the medical errors and fatalities. The
report estimated there are somewhere
between 44,000 and 98,000 prevent
able deaths in the United States annu
ally due to preventable error.
“They take aviation safety princi
pals and apply them to health care
situations,” Wasdin says. It teaches
you to speak up.’ The program really
emphasizes the mantra: See it, Say Fix
it. If you see a potential problem you
Turn to Page 5
LifeWings®
County defers Trawick
nomination to TAB
With only four members in atten
dance last Thursday night, the Glynn
County Commission voted to defer
action on Commissioner Cap Fendig's
(At Large #2) nomination of Meredith
Trawick to the county Tree Advisory
Board (TAB).
Commission chairman Don Hogan
(At Large #1) explained the three absent
members at the start of the meeting.
Commissioner Uli Keller (Dist. 2) was
attending a military ceremony in Vir
ginia where his son was being honored,
Commissioner Tony Thaw (Dist. 3) was
out of town on business and Commis
sioner Howard Lynn (Dist. 4) was out
due to medical reasons.
Hogan explained that while the com
mission had the required four members
for a quorum in attendance, any actions
would still require four votes just as if
all seven members were there.
Com. Fendig suggested that sev
eral of the items on the agenda, which
might not receive the necessary four
votes be deferred to the next meeting
on Thursday, Aug. 21 when hopefully
everyone would be there.
Trawick's nomination by Fendig has
sparked local interest because she was
removed from the same board in June
at the request of Com. Keller. “I
Tax Appeal
Hearings
The Board of Equalization will be
holding tax appeal hearings on
Tuesday, August 19, Wednesday,
August 20, Thursday, August 21,
Tuesday, August 26, Wednesday,
August 27, and Thursday, August
28 starting at 9 a.m. The hearings
will be held in the Property
Appraisal Conference Room on
the 2nd floor of the Harold Pate
Building, 1725 Reynolds Street.
The cast and crew of Mary Miller's award winning comedy
//
Waiting For Oprah
invites you to attend the monthy
meeting of the 1st Tuesday Book Gub
(that meets on Thursday)
//
m
every Saturday Night t
June, July, & August
Desserts and beverages catered by JDaddy Cate's Coffee
Doors open at 7:15 pm / Show begins at S pm
$25 per person Included dessert, beverage and show
WaFimp Rij-Opr.ifi by Mary Millur / DirvcLuJ by Tvny Funi
FwlsiTinj; GynrH 1 M^ngun. Mvlind^ H i|;h-mdtR
l.y ndr I bit™ i. IjE jij.ncr. Bub-y VViyiJ. .ukl BivhiIm! Svsjh
An Downtown / Gallery 2tW Home of (he Mary Miller Theatre
209 Gloucester Street in Historic Downtown Brunswick
Reservations Required * 912.262.0628