Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A — THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 7. 2016
Madison County energy improvement plans
Turf
Energy & Facility Imp
rovement Plan
Madison County
High School
Oanielsville Elementary
School
New LEO Lighting
HVAC Equipment Replacement
(Coach's Office)
Replace Hot Water Heater
He* Energy Management System
AptfAv I
9th Grade Gym
I New L£0 Lighting
I HVAC Equipment Replacement
| (Kitchen and Teacher's Lounge)
J New Heating Units in Gym
I New Kitchen Makeup Air Unit
New Energy Management Syster
Ventilation Upgrades
• Existing HVAC Reconditioned
• Refrigeration Optimization and
Monitoring
• Water Conservation
• Electric Hand Dryers
• Budding Envelope Upgrades
Electrical Distribution Upgrades
- Contr6<s Maintenance (One Year)
■ HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
Ventilation Upgrades
Existing HVAC Reconditioned
Refrigeration Optimization
• Water Conservation
Electric Hand Dryers for School an
Stadium
Building Envelope Upgrades
■ Controls Maintenance (One Year)
■ HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
• Turf Stadium Field
New Sports Lighting for Stadium
I and Softball Fields
DANIELSVILLE
/ New LED Lighting
| HVAC Equipment Upgrades
• Hoc Water Heater Upgrades
New Energy Management System
• Ventilation Upgrades
' Electric Hand Dryers
Building Envelope Upgrades
■ Controls Maintenance (One Year)
HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
Old High School
Colbert
Carlton
Agriculture Building
New LEO Lighting
HVAC Equipment Replacement
throughout Including Freshman
Academy
New Energy Management System
Ventitafon Upgrades
• Existing HVAC Reconditioned exce
Freshman Academy
Refrigeration Optimization and
Monitoring except Freshman
Academy
i - Electric Hand Dtyert
1 freshman Academy
I Controls Maintertanre (One Year)
| • New LEO Lighting
■ HVAC Equipment Upgrades
• New Energy Management System
■ Vencildtion Upgrades
• Existing HVAC Reconditioned
• Water Conservation
• Electric Hand Dryers
• Building Envelope Upgrades
• Electrical Distribution Upgrades
’ HVAC Training on New T.r tvrology
Controls Training on New Technology
Controls Maintenance (One Year)
HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
• New LED lighting
■ HVAC Equipment Replacement
(Repurpose existing HVAC for use at
old fhgh School)
New Energy Management System
Ventilation Upgrades
Electric Hand Dryers
Existing HVAC Reconditioned
Controls Maintenance (One Year)
HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
• • • continued from page 1A
The turf change is one small part of a big energy effi
ciency plan overseen by ABM. The Madison County
Board of Education has held energy contracts with ABM
for years and the group approved a fourth contract with
the company last week, which will open the door for a
wide range of energy efficiency measures, such as LED
lighting at all schools and air quality and climate-control
measures.
“ABM does a four-to-five month audit and engineers
look at every aspect of the schools — lighting, air, water,”
said ABM’s Rick Higginbotham, former school superin
tendent in Elbert County.
Higginbotham said the company then establishes a
plan for improved efficiency and guarantees energy
savings, which for Madison County is roughly $12
million over 15 years. The company must, by law, write
a check to a school system if it fails to deliver on the
savings. Higginbotham said the company has worked
with 55 Georgia school systems and only had to cut one
check to a system in that time for failure to meet projec
tions. Higginbotham said Madison County pays for the
upgrades in energy efficiency with lower bills over the
long haul and reduced maintenance costs.
“In most cases, a company makes money if a system
has a failure, such as an air conditioner going out and
needing to be replaced, but ABM makes money if the
system runs efficiently,” said Higginbotham, noting that
the company has a vested interest in the plan running
smoothly.
As the Elbert County School Superintendent.
Higginbotham was once an ABM customer. He said
he sees the energy savings as something many board
members see as “too good to be true,” but he said the
technology is available to make vast energy-efficiency
improvements and to reduce expenses.
Pay
• • • continued from page 1A
• • • continued from page 1A
Spann
the family he thought the
scan showed something
consistent with a birth
defect called ‘Dandy-
Walker variant.”
Dandy-walker, Mrs.
Spann said, is a birth
defect that is usually found
within the first two years
of life with symptoms such
as paralysis, mental dis
abilities and seizures.
“I remember walking out
of the room thinking, ‘not
Trenton, there’s absolutely
no way!”’ she said. “About
two hours after that we
were transferred by ambu
lance to Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta at
Egleston. The neurosur
geons met us in the ER,
they examined Trent and
kept telling me that my son
had a ‘mass’ in his brain.
I have never in my life
felt so many emotions at
one time. All the while my
beautiful child was tell
ing me that it would be
OK, that he was OK. (He
kept saying) Mommy, you
don’t need to worry.”
He was admitted to the
Pediatric ICU and had an
MRI the following night.
On June 16, Trenton’s
neurosurgeon, Dr. Joshua
Chem, came to speak with
the family.
He gave them some dev
astating news. Instead of a
birth defect, Trenton had
cancer.
“He told us that Trent
had a brain tumor and that
he would need brain sur
gery.” his mom said. “I
can’t even remember the
entire conversation: all I
can remember is crying
and thinking ‘this can’t
possibly be happening.”’
The very next day he was
transferred to Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta at
Scottish Rite where Dr.
Chem would perform the
craniotomy.
On June 18, Trenton
underwent brain surgery
in an effort to remove the
mass. The surgery took
five hours and Dr. Chern
was able to remove 85 per
cent of the tumor, which
is connected to his brain
stem.
The tumor was identi
fied as a Juvenile Pilocytic
Astrocytoma, a low-grade
brain tumor in children.
The surgery left him
semi-paralyzed on the left
side of his body, his mom
said.
He was released from the
hospital on June 22.
“He is so determined and
brave and he makes me
stronger just by watching
him,” Mrs. Spann said.
June 29 the family met
with Trenton’s oncologist
who told them Trenton
would undergo two types
of chemotherapy once a
week for three months,
and then more chemo
therapy for another three
months and so on for
12-18 months.
“Between physical ther
apy, occupational thera
py, speech therapy, che
motherapy and doctor’s
appointments, we (have
been) going to Scottish
Rite more often than not,”
his mom said.
But she said she con
tinues to be amazed by
her son.
“Not only is he recover
ing himself but he’s keep
ing an eye on everyone
around him,” she said. “He
truly astounds me and I am
truly blessed with an angel.
The love and strength that
this child shows keeps me
going right there with him.
We are now in our 11th
month of chemo....His
story isn’t over and he con
tinues to fight every day.”
Spann says the tumor is
stable - it hasn’t shrunk or
grown since the day of his
surgery - which she calls
“amazing.”
Spann hopes that their
new Madison County
community members will
read his story here and
tune in to the Care-a-Thon
to hear her amazing son
tell his story in his own
words.
Spann said they remain
unsure of his long-term
prognosis.
“The neurosurgeon told
us when he was diagnosed
that this was ‘his cross
to bear,’” she said. “It is
attached to his brain stem
so it cannot be (entirely)
removed.”
She says that, for now,
they are unsure what will
happen next, but they con
tinue to fight.
Care-a-Thon details
The 16 th annual Care-
a-Thon can be heard on
News 95.5 and AM 750
WSB (online at wsbradio.
com). Listeners will also
have the opportunity to
donate.
The Aflac Cancer and
Blood Disorders Center
of Children’s Healthcare
of Atlanta is a national
leader among childhood
cancer, hematology, and
blood and marrow trans
plant programs, serving
children and young adults,
according to a press
release. Recognized as one
of the top childhood can
cer centers in the country
by U.S. News & World
Report, the Aflac Cancer
Center cares for more than
400 newly diagnosed can
cer patients each year and
follows more than 2,500
patients with sickle cell
disease, hemophilia and
other blood disorders.
Visit aflaccancercenter.
org or call 404-785-1112
or 888-785-1112 for more
information.
cent on your first paycheck
of this school year.”
Knight and superinten
dent Allen McCannon
said system employees
deserved the pay increase
after years without one.
“I think everybody
would agree the employees
deserve it.” said Knight.
“It’s been a long time since
they’ve gotten a raise. And
remember we had several
years with amended calen
dar days due to the austerity
cuts, so they actually made
less than what they made
in 2008 in those years. So
this is the first time they’re
starting to see the economy
come back up and benefit
them salary-wise.”
The pay increases were
officially approved last
week when the Madison
County Board of Education
gave the thumbs up to the
2016-17 school budget,
which is set at $45.4 mil
lion. The schools antici
pate completing the next
fiscal year with $2.67 mil
lion in reserve funds. And
Knight said she expects
the schools to avoid using
reserves to help fund the
budget for the first time in
several years.
The schools will keep the
tax rate steady again this
year at 16.99 mills. School
leaders expect to generate
$12 million in local reve
nues, including $10.2 mil
lion in property taxes and
$1.1 million in car taxes.
Apart from the three-per
cent raises, other per
sonnel expenses include
$325,000 in total sal
ary step increases and
$204,750 for regular edu
cation. Early Intervention
Program (EIP) and spe
cial education teachers at
Hull-Sanford Elementary
School. There was also a
$180,000 increase in state
health costs.
The schools are tackling
some facility needs. The
entrance to Ha Elementary
School is being renovated
for $82,000—out of car tax
funds — to improve safety.
The old entrance didn’t
provide front office staff
with a clear view of who
was coming in and out of
the building during school
hours. The new setup will
remedy that. The school
system is also re-roof-
ing the old portion of the
high school for $950,000
with car tax funds. Gym
floors are being replaced at
Hull-Sanford and Comer
Elementary schools and
Madison County Middle
School is getting more
storage space.
Madison County stu
dents return to class Aug. 5.
Madison Co. BOC to meet July 7
The Madison County Board of Commissioners
was scheduled to meet at 9 am, Thursday, July
7, in the county government complex.
Agenda items include:
•Statements and remarks from citizens on the
agenda item.
•Discuss leasing county property.
•Discuss noise and potential amendment to
county code of ordinances.
•Discuss 2017 budget.
•Statement and remarks from citizens on any
matter.
A work session scheduled for July 8 was can
celled.
Free legal services available
to elderly and poor
Free legal services are available to senior citizens and
low-income clients in the area.
Services are based on case type and financial eligibility.
Georgia Legal Service Program does not handle criminal
cases.
For an appointment, call 1-800-745-5717 or 770-535-
5717 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., Mondays through
Fridays.
Early Voting
General Primary Runoff
July 26, 2016
Early Voting for the General Primary Runoff will begin Tuesday, July 5 and end Friday, July 22,
2016. Hours will be 8:00 am until 5:00 pm each day in the Board of Elections and Registration
office at the Government Complex.
There will be NO Saturday voting for this election.
In order to be eligible to vote in the runoff you must have met one of the following requirements:
• Voted a Republican or Non Partisan Ballot in the May 24, 2016 Election
• Not voted at all in the May 24, 2016 Election.
• Be registered or have registered by the cutoff date of April 26,2016
For questions please contact the Board of Elections & Registration Office
at (706) 795-6335
tdean @ madi sonco.us
lla Elementary
School
Madison County
Middle School
New LEO Lighting
HVAC Equipment Replacement* (15
RTUs for Classroom* and Cafeteria)
HVAC Modification* on Wall Hung
Heat Pumps
New Heating Units for Gym
New Energy Management System
Ventilation Upgrades
Existing HVAC Reconditioned
Refrigeration Optimuatlon
Water Conservation
Electric Hand Dryers
Building Envelope Upgrades
Controls Maintenance (One Year)
HVAC Maintenance (Two Years)
Roof Repair and Replacement
New LEO Lighting
New Energy Management System
Ventilation Upgrades
E nit if* M VAC Reconditioned
Refrigeration Optimization and
DANIELSVILLE
Colbert
Carlton
MUtt-SANtOt®
EL£MlieTARYS£
axattn
MADISON COUNTY, GEORGIA 1
Energy & Facility Improvement Plan
ABt\
Building V
Hull-Sanford Elementary
Srhool
hoot School
ot Water Heater
ormg .
Conservation
Hand Dry*'*