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S palding Countyemployees will soonbe receiving biweeklypaychecks, which officialssay is the rst step in greatlyimproving the efficiencyof time management andpayroll systems. Human Resources DirectorBill Gay said the change is anecessary, but challengingone.

With the current semi-monthly system, county

employees receive twochecks monthly on the15th and the last day ofthe month for a total of24 yearly. Those checksare calculated based onindividual employeeshourly pay for a 40-hourwork week over the courseof 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours. That amount is then dividedinto 24 equal paychecks,which was the equivalentof approximately 86.67hours. Some months are longerthan others, so a semi-monthly check can coverdifferent periods of time. The number of days will

be different, but the paymatches up. They didntoverlay properly. Theemployee is paid fully, butthat .67 doesnt preciselymatch up with any timeperiod, Gay said. In goingto biweekly pay, the hoursthat are on the paycheckwill match up with thehours in the pay period. One signicant impact ofthat improper overlay wasthat necessity to processall time and attendancerecords manually ratherthan utilizing available

technology. Because of the hoursthat are captured in half amonth, its difficult to makea time and payment systemmatch up. Computers dontdo fuzzy math well, Gaysaid. Its like if you added1 + 1, which is 2, but try toget it to understand thatsometimes, 1 + 1 = 2.1. Gay said this transitionresulted from the Board ofCommissioners desire toincrease efficiency withinthe county government. Payroll and time andattendance is one of thoseareas thats easy to take

T he recent privatization of the city of Griffin yardwaste collections to Dependable Waste has resultedin many complaints about slower service, but officials saythat was anticipated, and that the issue has been resolved. We knew there were going to be problems, as there arein any transitional period, said Griffin City Manager KennySmith. They are having to put in some more time thanthey expected, but it comes in cycles. Despite the rocky beginning, Smith said there was nooption but to privatize this service.

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Our website has a brand-newlook and we have rededicatedourselves to updating qualitycontent more regularly! Checkus out at www.the-grip.net.CONT, PAYROLL , P. 7

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CONT, DISCUSSION , P. 7

CONT, YARD WASTE , P. 2

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Editor;sheila@the-grip.net

PD to be restructured: New chief will be hired, several positions eliminated

Privatization of city yard wastecollection results in rocky transition

County implements changes toincrease payroll efficiencySHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Editor;sheila@the-grip.net

Fox5 reporter Cody Chaffins hangs out with the Griffin HighSchool Bear mascot while awarding GHS with the Fox5 High5 Sports Team of the Week during the week leading up totheir semi-final game against Wayne County on December6. At the printing of this edition of The Grip, GHS Bears areundefeated (13-0) and ranked No. 2 in the state.

Photo: Screenshot of Fox5 TOTW Dec. 3 broadcast

Although local officialsoften encouragepublic attendance andparticipation in cityof Griffin Commissionmeetings, some residentsquestion the benet ofattendance due to the lackof public discussion prior toofficial actions being taken. Sorry, but I dont go tothe meetings because theyalready have their mindsmade up, said Griffins MarkSteward. Its a waste oftime. All you can do is hopethat you voted for the rightperson to get the job done. Commissioner RyanMcLemore conceded theCommissions meetingsare typically fast, but saidit is unfortunate that anyresident would feel there isa lack of transparency in citygovernment operations.

City commissionersrespond to concernsover lack of publicdiscussion of agendasSHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Editor;sheila@the-grip.net

G riffin City ManagerKenny Smith isseeking approval from theBoard of Commissionersto move forward with arestructuring plan for theGriffin Police Department.Smiths proposal includesthe hiring of a new chief ofpolice; the reassignment ofnow Chief Frank Stricklandas public safety director;

the elimination of threehigh-ranking positions,which will result in twomen losing their jobs andone being demoted; andthe hiring of one codeenforcement officer. Capt. Dwayne Jones, who isassigned to AdministrativeServices, and Maj. TerryBrock, who oversees theCriminal InvestigationDivision, have been toldtheir positions will not exist

after Feb. 1. Maj. Homer

Daniel, who commands theUniform Patrol Division,will be demoted to the rankof captain and will incur ave percent pay cut. Danielwill remain over UPD, andCapt. Donald Britt will takethe helm of CID. Strickland, who has for 10years been identied as thecitys public safety director,will maintain his currentsalary of $105,000 annually. The plan that Im

going to present to the

commissioners has theChief (Strickland) being atrue public safety director,Smith said. In the past,hes served as both, butthe restructuring plan hashim moving to One GriffinCenter as a true publicsafety director, and well behiring a new police chief torun day-to-day operationsof the Police Department. The new police chiefssalary will be, at minimum,

$70,844.80. Smith said

he has informed Jonesand Brock who are botheligible for retirement that although theircurrent positions are beingeliminated, three patrolofficer positions at thePolice Department arecurrently open, and theyare welcome to apply forthose position if they sodesire. Theyre eligible forthose positions at the

Police Department, the

Code Enforcement officerposition, a position at SolidWaste any position wehave open within the city they would be eligible toapply for it, Smith said. He explained he is makingthese recommendations asboth a cost saving measureand as a means of meetingthe commissionersexpressed desire to addressissues negatively affectingquality of life.

CONT, RESTRUCTURING , P. 2

Griffin PDrestructuringbased oncomparisonof Griffin andMcDonough'scrime rate andbudget.

The Grip breaks thenumbers down on

page 2.

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If we had not contracted this out, wewould be wringing our hands at this time.We knew we were going to be in a mess ifwe didnt contract this out, he said.

Smith explained the necessity of theprivatization was based on changes in thestate criminal justice system that resultedin the loss of manpower. We had depleted our manpower andinmate labor picked up the yard debrisand put it in the truck, he said. We werecharging about half of what it cost us. Thatsthe only way we could do it inmate labor. However, with the states move to relievethe nancial pressure of the prison systemby releasing many minimum securityinmates, the city no longer had sufficientmanpower for the yard waste tasks. That inmate pool was shrinking. Weneeded eight to 10 and we were down toonly one, Smith said. The option was togo out and hire eight to 10 people, but thatwould have put the costs back up. Acknowledging there were bumps inthe road in the early weeks of private yardwaste collections, Smith said the transitionis not the sole reason for service delays. Every year at this time, basically, we are

behind because its the busiest season, hesaid. Yard waste collection is cyclic, he said,with fall and spring being the times of yearwhen more Griffin residents need service.

This is when the leaves are falling. Theresa much greater work load, Smith said. Idont know that the contractor was fullyprepared for the amount of leaves that areout there because its leaf season.He said Dependable Waste employeeshave worked extended shifts and addedweekend hours to catch up on the workload. Its going remarkably good now. We juststarted at the beginning of the month(November), so after three weeks, we werestill in a transitional period, Smith said. Heson schedule as of yesterday (Tuesday), andIm sure they are today. This is not some y-by-night homebound company; its a well-established company. They serve a numberof municipalities. Smith also addressed concerns expressedby some residents that the privatizationresulted in the loss of local jobs by sayingDependable Waste, at the urging of theGriffin Board of Commissioners, did offeremployment to the city workers. He offered our employees positions withhis company. In fact, he wanted them tocome to work for him because they knowthe streets, the routes and the equipment,he said. It would have been a much moreseamless transition if they had accepted,but for whatever reason, they chose not to,which was their prerogative.

GET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF THE GRIP DEC 5 -12, 2013

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yard waste, cont.

SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Editor; sheila@the-grip.net

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The city of Griffin has developed a new yard wastepickup map, which correlates with a new serviceschedule. To enter a residential address for specicinformation, visit http://cityofgriffin.com/

Back at the beginning of the year, thecity Commission had its annual workshopand a lot of the discussion at that timewas on code enforcement, substandardhousing and quality of life issues. Theyvery emphatically set a goal and told mewe needed to get a handle on, and discuss,

quality of life issues, Smith said. This led to the formation of an ad hoc CodeEnforcement Task Force that was comprisedof personnel from the Police Department,Code Enforcement, Griffin Fire-Rescue andthe building inspector, among other citydepartments. The Task Force worked throughout thesummer and into October, following aplan that had been laid out to addresssubstandard housing and other codeviolations. Upon being disbanded in October, the TaskForce commander, Capt. Keith Daniel, of theGPD, recommended the city designate aCode Enforcement officer each or Zones 1through 4. After six or seven months, we had theoption of going back to our two CodeEnforcement officers or continuing with aplan to continue the inroads the Task Forcehad made over the summer, Smith said.We have also recognized and realized forprobably the last six, seven or eight yearsor so that our Police Department budget ishigher than those of similar jurisdictions oursize some larger and we have realizedand discussed that our Police Departmentis heavy on rank and administrativepositions. So, actually, the plan came fromthe Code Enforcement Task Force that weneed a minimum of four Code Enforcementofficers, and the reorganization plan is tohave four Code Enforcement officers. There are now two Code Enforcementofficers, but Smith said an environmentalcompliance officer from the Solid WasteDepartment is being transferred as athird; and a fourth additional positionis being added,to fulll the Task Force

recommendation. That obviously has budgetary implications.Over the last several months, we have beenlooking at the mid-year budget. Beingconservative in nature, were concernedwith meeting our budget projections,Smith said, attributing the potentialbudget shortfall to the cool, wet summerthat resulted in decreased enterprise fundrevenues. Our General Fund revenues arealso down as we approach mid-year inour budget. So, obviously, to add a CodeEnforcement officer when our budget is notmeeting revenue projections is a dilemma. Smith said by including the annual salaryof Capt. Keith Daniel, whose voluntaryretirement at the end of November isunrelated to the restructuring plan, heprojects savings of $140,000. Asked if his proposal signals the only

pending personnel changes at the PoliceDepartment, Smith said, That will beaddressed by a new chief when they comein. Im doing this and well bring in a newchief who will assess what we need to dothen, if anything.

restructuring, cont.

I n determining the needof a Police Departmentrestructuring plan that includesthe elimination of several

positions and the addition ofone Code Enforcement officer,Griffin City Manager KennySmith said he has comparedthe law enforcement budgetsof other municipalities withpopulations comparable toGriffins such as Newnan,LaGrange, Forest Park andMcDonough. I think McDonoughis probably the closestcomparison to Griffin, he said.It has to be an apples-to-apples comparison. He said the disparity in thelaw enforcement budgetsof the cities of Griffin andMcDonough indicates the needto reduce the budget throughthe elimination of multiplepositions. Griffin Commissioner DougHollberg, who has frequentlyexpressed displeasure withthe PD budget, declined tospeak on the record about therestructuring proposal, but didaddress funding issues. What I will say is that wevegot a $9 million police budgetand its killing us. Weve got

a $25 million General Fundand we spend $9 million ona police budget. Decisionsare being made to addressour inated police budget,Hollberg said. If you want,you can go and compare othermunicipalities and see what wespend per capita versus other jurisdictions. The Grip researched theGriffin and McDonoughpolice departments budgets which are $8,940,523 and$3,625,927, respectively and

also spoke with McDonoughCity Administrator FrederickGardiner. Gardiner, who is intimatelyfamiliar with Griffin by havingpreviously served as the citysdirector of Planning andDevelopment, said he, too,draws some parallels betweenthe two municipalities,but disagrees with Smithscomparison regarding lawenforcement needs and

budgeting. No. They dont compare. Thedemographics of Griffin are verydifferent than McDonough. Thevestiges of the mill industryremains in Griffin, where wehave thriving industries inMcDonough. We dont have asmany of the depressed areasas Griffin. McDonough is atrue bedroom community ofAtlanta, Gardiner said. Its thedemographic makeup thatsdifferent, and because of that,the crime rate and types of

crime differs greatly. Even so,if you go back and look at ournumbers from even ve or10 years ago, our crime hasalmost doubled. Were lookingat adding additional policeofficers. Thats something weregoing to be discussing with ourcouncil in the next couple ofweeks. Year-to-date statisticscompiled through Oct. 31by each Police Department

provide insight into each of the jurisdictions Part 1 crime rates. In the one-year period,McDonough recorded zerohomicides, ve rapes, ninerobberies, 12 aggravatedassaults, 40 burglaries, 251thefts, 25 motor vehicle theftsand two cases of arson. During that same time, Griffinrecorded three homicides,16 rapes, 58 robberies, 89aggravated assaults, 304burglaries, 1,270 thefts, 47motor vehicle thefts and onecase of arson. Altogether, the McDonoughPolice Department reported351 Part 1 crimes, and theGriffin Police Departmentreported 1,788. Prior to the proposedrestructuring plan, theGriffin PD budget accountsfor 34.4 percent of the citys$26,003,685 General Fund, andthe McDonough PD budgetaccounts for 30.95 percent ofits citys $11,826,291 GeneralFund. The Grips analysis concludedthat the proportion of GeneralFund monies allocated tothe Griffin PD exceeds that ofMcDonough by 3.45 percent,whereas the Part 1 crimerate in Griffin is more than5.9 times higher than that ofMcDonough.

Griffin, McDonough officials disagree on PD comparisonGriffin City Manager Kenny Smithcompares Griffin and McDonough onlaw enforcement needs and budgeting,but McDonough City Administratorand former Griffin Planning andZoning Director Frederick Gardner saysdemographics are too different for anapples-to-apples comparison

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C hristmas traditionsfrom other countrieswill come to Griffin onDecember 16 as the

library hosts a ChristmasDecorations Around TheWorld crafts event for ages5 12. The event will take placeon Monday, December 16at 6 p.m. at the librarysMemorial Drive locationand will be led by ChildrensServices Librarian MarshaParham. Natalie Marshall, AssistantDirector for LibraryDevelopment, said that shehas seen similar programsheld successfully andwith praise from bothchildren and parents in theeight years she has beenemployed with the Flint

River Library system. We have a lot of Christmasaround the world booksthat talk about Christmastraditions, Marshall said.For a program such as thisone, we will try to have the

creation of Christmas craftsfrom areas such as Europe,Asia, Africa and SouthAmerica. Although the librarydoes try to plan carefully,parents and childrenshould be prepared for thepossibility of getting just alittle messy, according toMarshall. The Flint River RegionalLibrary System supportsand encouragesthe education andentertainment of youth ofall ages, Marshall said. For the ChristmasDecorations Around TheWorld event, I think whatthe children get is anopportunity to have funwith the crafts as wellas learning about thedifferent cultures, whichgives them an educationand something to do withtheir hands. For our events

like this one, there can beanywhere from 30 50kids. Its very popular. The Griffin-SpaldingCounty Library will alsohost a Super SaturdaySanta Show on Saturday,

December 21 at 2:30 p.m. The program is billed forall ages and will be a littlebit broader, according toMarshall. We hope that people willcome out and see us for ourMonday night program.We hold events for bothchildren and teenagers.We held a program forteens just a little whileback where they also hadan opportunity to makecrafts. Some of our kidsare very big readers, butwe have a lot of kids wherethis information is newfor them. The exposureto different crafts andtraditions is somethingthat we hope that they willremember and come backto the library with theirparents. For more informationcontact the Griffin-Spalding County Library at

(770) 412-4770. The libraryis located at 800 MemorialDrive in Griffin.

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E mily Hearn has been traveling aroundthe country to sing in front of differentaudiences and at different locations butnone of them can match her hometown ofGriffin, Georgia. A 2008 graduate of Spalding High School,the Griffin native will be performing AHometown Christmas with Emily Hearn atthe Dovedown Building, 315 W. SolomonSt, on Thursday, December 19th from 7:30 10:30 p.m. I love Griffin so much, and I want tocelebrate my favorite time of year withthem. Griffin has a very special place in myheart so I wanted to play a more intimateand festive show than Ive ever playedbefore. So Ill do a set of my own music,then well have a short break to grab somehot chocolate and cider, and then well playa set of Christmas songs! I cant wait, Hearnstated in a recent email interview with TheGrip.

Hearn hasnt always thought about makinga career as a singer, according to Hearnsmother, Griffin resident Robin Hearn. After she graduated, she attended TheUniversity of Georgia. While there, shestumbled upon songwriting and startedsinging. She has always been a singer butit wasnt what she was trying to do at thetime. She was a journalism major. Shetaught herself to play the guitar and wrotesome songs. It just became somethingthat she really loved and one thing led toanother and began it as a career. Emily released her newest EP album,Promises, in October and has beenperforming samples of the songs availableon the album in some of her recentconcerts. In the past several months, she

has performed in locations such as Chicago,Charlotte, North Carolina and Athens,Georgia. She performed at Main Street Theatre in Griffin on October 25th wheretickets sold out in just three days. She had a lot of people who did not getto see her then, Robin Hearn said. I thinkthat for this December event that thosein attendance can expect an eveningof hearing original music and festiveChristmas songs and that it will be a reallyfun night of music and having a good time. Emily stated she receives her inspirationfrom various sources, but does have favoritesinger/songwriters that she listens to whengiven the opportunity. I write a lot about my personalexperiences, but I also write about otherpeoples lives sometimes. I write aboutwhat inspires me or moves me. But Ive alsobeen inuenced by some truly great singer/songwriters, like James Taylor. For more information visit emilyhearn.comor email robinwhearn@gmail.com. Doorsopen at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Griffin singer-songwriterperforms Christmas concert

Flint River Library hosting Christmas kids craft program

ALEXANDER CAIN :::Editorial Assistant;alexander@the-grip.net

8/13/2019 Dec 5 the Grip

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LIFESTYLESGET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF THE GRIP DEC 5 -12, 2013

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The columnists on these pages are local business owners and church leaders. These columns reecttheir opinions, which are not necessarily those of The Grip or Grip staff. We welcome responses to thesecolumns, or any Grip article. Please send responses in writing as a signed letter to the editor to sheila@the-grip.net or post to PO Box 2251, Griffin, GA 30224.

Naughty or nice?Using email to land an interview

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F irst of all, never ever use a cutesyemail like energybunny, sweetsueor bigdude50@yahoo.com. Youll haveseveral strikes against you for havingan unprofessional name. Its relativelyeasy to get a new email address or takeadvantage of something that reectsyour profession. A few examples of thiscould include: topsalespro@gmail.comor accountingpro@yahoo.com. If youcant get one of those email addressesbecause they are not available, you couldadd your zip code or city. Not only will thatgain attention, but it will also identify yougeographically which is a good thing whenanswering an ad. Youve got another opportunity to getnoticed by taking advantage of the subjectline in your email and turning it into a salespitch. Every online job board has an ID orJob Posting number connected with a jobname. Why not take advantage of yoursubject line by combining this ID numberwith a brief marketing pitch for yourself. Think about what would t the job forwhich you are applying. Examples of what you could be usingthis on the subject line are: Job ID #1234 Successful Sales Rep Applying or JobPosting 6789 Accountant CPA/6 yrs.Exp. Or you could feature somethingsuch as: Your Next Marketing Manager 10 yrs. successful brand management inpackaged goods. Think outside of the boxand be creative.

Make sure your resume is simple, clean,complete and relevant. Be concise and

focus on the facts in your background.Emphasize your achievements withnumbers where they are relevant. Usekeywords relating to the job descriptionif you are answering ads online. Alwaysuse spell check and make sure you haveproofread for spelling and grammaticalerrors. You do not need to list a workhistory any longer than 10 years. Makeyour resume easy to read and use whitespace where needed. These ideas may not get you hired, buttheyre going to help you get noticedand set you apart from the mountain ofresumes that get emailed to recruitersand companies every day. Keep pluggingaway. Good luck to you in your job search.

Gale Brown Sandler is the founder of GriffinResume Service and can be reached atgalerbrown@gmail.com.

My kids love Mookie,the elf. We boughtinto the Elf on the Shelfphenomenon like most ofyou parents did.

We also love Santa Claus.And, for us, we reallyhavent found that enjoyingthat part of the magic ofChristmas takes away fromthe birth of Christ.

However, I certainly dont judge those who chooseto not make Santa a partof their season. We allhave the same mission inparenting. Just differentmethods. And, thats okay.

In our anticipation ofSanta, we have chosen tonot emphasize naughty ornice. Our elf doesnt lookreport back to Santa thebehavior of each kid. Santawill not bring bags of coal.And, we dont threatenthat if they dont behave,they wont get anything forChristmas.

I wont deny it is goodleverage for parents duringthe holiday season. But,for me, I dont like themessage it sends andhow that message couldpotentially transcend intotheir spiritual life. That Godis a God who loves us onlywhen we are good.

I think too often we play

the God card with ourkids. Its something I oncerecognized in my ownparenting:

How do you think itmakes God feel when youare being ugly to yoursister? How would Jesus hadhandled this situation? Do you think it makesGod happy when youdeceive us? But, we serve a God wholoves us no matter what.Whose blood covers amultitude of our stupidmess-ups. Who has anendless supply of grace thatHe lavishes on us.

So, instead of ask ing Howwould Jesus had handledthis situation? I mightask, Why do YOU think itsbetter to forgive? Howdoes it make YOU feel when

you forgive? Teaching our children

to do right for the sake ofdoing right isnt going tocut it by itself. And placingfear in them that they maynot be loved or providedfor if they dont do right justnever sets well in my spirit.

Through every life lesson,we need to do our best totell them WHY His way isbetter. WHY forgiveness is just as much for us as it is forthe one who hurt us.

And, I have a life full ofexamples of why choosingto do things Gods way hasmade all of the difference inmy own life.

So, share your ownlife examples with yourchildren. Tell them whyit has worked for you.Dont make your childrenlive in fear of not only

disappointing you, butdisappointing their Creator.Instead, portray their Kingin such a way.live for Himin such a way.that theywill TRUST that His waysreally are better. And, thatthey will know how muchthey are loved. Whetherthey are naughty or nice.

C oCo is a Chihuahua mix with a handsomechocolate & white coat. He is a neutered malethat is current on all of his vaccinations. He is a livewire with energy coming out of all of his pores. Heloves to play with other dogs of his size and does notseem to mind cats. If you would like to meet CoCo please contact us atcatsanddogs4you@yahoo.com. Adoption Fees are$125 and include all vaccinations, rabies shot, spay/neuter and heartworm checks.

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I f youve been aroundlong-time investors,youll probably hear themsay, ruefully, If only I hadgotten in on the groundoor of such-and-suchcomputer or social mediacompany, Id be rich today. That may be true but isit really relevant to anyone?Do you have to be an earlyinvestor of a spectacularcompany to achieveinvestment success? Not really. Those earlyinvestors of the next bigthing couldnt have fullyanticipated the tremendousresults enjoyed by those

companies. But theseinvestors all had one thingin common: They wereready, willing and able tolook for good opportunities.And thats what you need

to do, too. Of course, youmay never snag the nextbig thing, but thats notthe point. If youre goingto be a successful investor,you need to be diligentin your search for newopportunities. And theseopportunities dont needto be brand-new to thenancial markets they

can just be new to you. For example, when youlook at your investmentportfolio, do you see thesame types of investments?If you own mostly aggressivegrowth stocks, you havethe possibility of gains but, at the same time, youdo risk taking losses, fromwhich it may take yearsto recover. On the otherhand, if youre overloadedwith certicates of deposit(CDs) and Treasury bills,you may enjoy protectionof principal but at thecost of growth potential,because these investmentsrarely offer much in theway of returns. In fact,

they may not even keepup with ination, whichmeans that if you own toomany of them, you will facepurchasing-power risk. To avoid these problems,look for opportunities tobroaden your holdingsbeyond just one or twoasset classes. Heres another way to takeadvantage of opportunities:Dont take a time outfrom investing. Whenmarkets are down, peoplesfears drive them to sellinvestments whose priceshave declined therebyimmediately turning

paper losses into real ones rather than holding on toquality investment vehiclesand waiting for the marketto recover. But successfulinvestors are oftenrewarded when they notonly hold on to investmentsduring declines but alsoincrease their holdings bypurchasing investmentswhose prices have fallen or adding new sharesto existing investments thereby following therst rule of investing: Buylow. When the market

rises again, these investorsshould see the value oftheir new investments, orthe shares of their existingones, increase in value.(Keep in mind, though, that,when investing in stocks,there are no guarantees;some stocks do lose valueand may never recover.) Instead of looking for thatone great hit in the formof an early investmentin a skyrocketing stock,youre better off by seekinggood opportunities in theform of new investmentsthat can broaden yourexisting portfolio or by

adding additional shares,at good prices, to yourexisting investments. Thesemoves are less glitzy andglamorous than gettingin on the ground oor ofthe next big thing but,in the long run, they maymake you look pretty smartindeed.

This article was written by Edward Jonesfor use by your local Edward JonesFinancial Advisor.

LIFESTYLESDEC 5 -12, 2013 THE GRIP GET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF

AMY DUNHAMEDWARD JONESFINANCIAL ADVISOR

DR. BOB HAYDENDC, PhD, FICC

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Most businesses have a seasonalshift in their volume. The lawncare industry is busier in warmweather. Painters are busier in dryweather. Retailers are busier atChristmas.

In my practice, the Christmas

season will bring more low backstrains. People are rushing to shop.Getting into and out of a vehicle canbe stressful on the structures of thepelvis and lumbar spine. People walkon hard concrete oors with improperarch supports until their feet ache,and the inevitable change in gaitaggravates the knees, hips, and lowback.Heavy packages must be transported,

so shoppers open trunks and leanimproperly with those packages toload trunks or the back of an SUV.

There are preparations that mustbe accomplished. Cleaning andvacuuming will be done in casesomeone comes over to visit.

Decorations must be dug out ofclosets and storage rooms, dusted

off, admired, and set out. Sometimesyoung parents assist Santa Claus withthe assembly of swing sets, toys, andother items that may be sprawledalong the oor or the ground. Peoplebend, lift, twist, and strain until thework is done. Finally, one collapses inthat chair that was comfortable just12 years ago, but does not really t orsupport any more. Does this sound familiar? It is a veryfamiliar scenario for many of ourpatients, and it is already underway. Back pain is a universal humanexperience. It will affect 80 percent

of us at some point in life and causeus to seek help with it. Some of theseconditions are self-resolving within afew days. Others will require a little bitmore intervention. So what is a person to do? Well, hereare a few tips to help you throughthe holiday with minimal orthopedicinjuries. Watch what you eat. We all tend toload up on calorie dense foods for theholidays, from eggnog to pecan pie tohome-made bread. Pace yourself. Youwill feel better and enjoy the holidaymore if you exercise some caution inwhat you give your body for fuel.

Try to stay physically active in aroutine that roughly matches whatyou do before and after the holidays. This keeps your circadian rhythms onschedule.

Limit yourself on how much you willlift as you shop. Wear comfortableshoes with good arch supports. Restwhen you need to sit down for awhile. Stay hydrated without caffeine.

Watch your body mechanics as youlift, pulling whatever you are liftingas close to the core of your body aspossible, keeping your back straightand using your thighs to lift. If you have small children at home,sit down and let them walk or crawl

to you and then gently help them toyour lap. Many young parents andgrandparents take great delight inthe newest generations of the familyand lift them improperly for closerinspection. This leads to many backstrains. Get plenty of rest. Sleep on yourside with a body pillow between yourknees, and throw your upper arm overit to take the weight of your arm off your neck. Make sure your pillow isrm and the right height. Use good sense with yourconsumption of alcohol. And, stopsmoking, as there is no proper,healthy, or sensible use for tobacco atall under any circumstances. Dont let your back pain get the bestif you and steal your Christmas like

a Grinch. Get the chiropractic carethat you need so that you feel yourbest at this time of the year. Visit yourmassage therapist and treat yourselfto that relaxing and therapeuticsession. Dont wait for someone togive you a gift certicate. Just do itto take care of yourself, and you willappreciate yourself for doing it. Have a very Merry Christmas, and ahealthy one!

For this and more columns by Dr. Bob,visit www.IrisCityChiro.com.

When opportunity knocks, open the door

We appreciate your business!

The staff at Petro South, Inc. would like to wishyou and your family a very Merry Christmas!

8/13/2019 Dec 5 the Grip

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Thursday, December 5-15;MainStreet Players presents"Every Christmas Story Ever Told," Evening and Matineeperformances; tickets $10-$20; for more informationcall 770-229-9916 or visitwww.mainstreetplayers.org.

Friday, December 6; "It'sChristmas" at Oak HillBaptist Church; 7 p.m.; freeadmission

Saturday, December 7; ADowntown Christmas; pho-

tos with Santa, and free oldfashioned mule cart rides;the Griffin Welcome Center;Noon 4 p.m.

Saturday, December 7; 51stAnnual Griffin-SpaldingChamber of CommerceChristmas Parade; A Timefor Peace; 6 p.m.; holidaymusic, hot chocolate and

more downtown followingparade; Downtown Christ-mas Tree Lighting; 8 p.m.

Tuesday, December 10; JingleBell Jog; Cowan RoadMiddle School; 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 11; Toddlers in Motion (ages1-3 with an adult); Griffin-Spalding County Library;10:30 a.m.

Monday, December 16; FamilyNight (ages 5-12) at theGriffin-Spalding County Li-brary; Christmas Ornamentcrafting; 6:00 p.m.

Monday, December 16; S'moresMaking; Airport Road Park;5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, December 17; S'moresMaking; Park at Sixth inDowntown Griffin; 5:30p.m.

Thursday, December 19; Griffin-Spalding County LibraryBook Club; "Gulp: Adven-tures on theAlimentaryCanal" by Mary Roach; 6p.m.

Saturday, December 21; SantaExperience at Griffin-Spald-ing County Library for ages5-12; 2:30 p.m.

For more events, visit The Grip'scalendar at www.the-grip.net/ community-calendar.

GET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF THE GRIP DEC 5 -12, 2013

COMMUNITY

poll of the week

calendar :::

Last week's results:

VOTE NOW ATWWW.THE-GRIP.NET

Risk Reduction Program Defensive DrivingDrug Possession

604 W. POPLAR ST. GRIFFIN

770-412-0727

STATE CERT. 0790 & 0755

SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE FOR THIS PAGEIf you would like to submit your article or press release forour printed or online community pages, please email an APStyle press release to sheila@the-grip.net. Inclusion is subjectto space availability and content review. We reserve theright to edit all submitted articles for content , grammar, andpunctuation.

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County officials reached aconsensus to set daily mealreimbursement for countyemployees undergoingtraining at $60. Do youagree with this gure?- Yes it's reasonable forbreakfast, lunch & dinner.

23% (8 votes)- No, too high

77% (27 votes)- No, too low 0% (0 votes)

STAFF REPORTS :::

T he Griffin-SpaldingCounty Board ofEducation named the newprincipals for Carver RoadMiddle School and SpaldingHigh School, effective July1, 2014.

Dr. Tiffany Taylor, who hasserved Griffin High Schoolas Academy AssistantPrincipal and InstructionalCoach since 2010 will moveto the principal positionat CRMS. Prior to joiningGriffin-Spalding CountySchool System, Taylor wasthe Graduation Coachat Mary Pearsons HighSchool in Monroe Countyand Henderson MiddleSchool in Butts County. Herexperience also includesteaching language arts. Taylor received herBachelors degree from theUniversity of West Georgia.She completed her Masters

and PhD in EducationalLeadership at MercerUniversity.

My goal as Carver RoadMiddle Schools principalis to continue success andensure college and careerreadiness for all students,by working with the school,parents, and community,stated Dr. Tiffany Taylor.

Lindy Scott, who hasserved for 10 years asprincipal at Rehoboth RoadMiddle School, will transferto Spalding High School.

She has been employed bythe Griffin-Spalding CountySchool System for over 18years.Scott is a graduate of Griffin

High School. She receivedher Bachelors degree inMiddle Grade Educationand her Masters degree

in Educational Leadershipfrom the University ofWest Georgia. She alsocompleted additionaleducational leadershipcourses from Floridas NovaSoutheastern University.

Great leaders must bevisionaries, always lookingat the bigger picture, whatcame before and what isto come in the future. Thisis important to establisha clear vision, focus, andgoals to help each studentbecome college and careerready, and capitalize ontheir abilities and talentsto improve their future andour community, statedLindy Scott.

Scott added I am excitedabout the move to SpaldingHigh School and to workwith such a dedicatedstaff. I am also thankfulfor the opportunity tofollow behind the excellentleadership of DerrellJeffcoat.

CRMS, SHS new principals

JRE Wildcat Resolution RunJanuary 11, 2014 9 a.m.

Make checks payable to and mail entry to: Jackson Road Elementary School 1233Jackson Road Griffin, GA 30223

STAFF REPORTS :::

S ince the HealthInsurance Marketplacedebuted on Oct. 1, Universityof Georgia health navigatorshave been working hard tohelp consumers navigatehealth coverage options andthe new online portal. The UGA employees, housedunder the College of Familyand Consumer Sciences,have completed 59 hoursof comprehensive trainingthrough the State of Georgia,the Centers for Medicare andMedicaid Services and theUniversity of Georgia Collegeof Family and ConsumerSciences. Further, navigatorshave passed a StateNavigator License Exam andare certied by the GeorgiaInsurance Commissioner.

The health insurancemarketplace is somethingnew for consumers tolearn how to navigate, saidJoan Koonce, Family andConsumer Sciences FamilyFinancial Planning Specialist.

We are happy to provideunbiased education toGeorgians across the stateand in all walks of life. We areworking to do everything wecan to help the people in ourstate, and this is just one ofthe many ways in which wecan offer our expert ise.

The UGA Heal th Navigatorprogram is designed to meetthe needs of Georgiansby providing assistance inconvenient, community-based locations. Navigatorsare available at convenienttimes, including eveningsand weekends, at no cost toenrollees and are qualied to:

Provide in-person assistanceto those applying for healthinsurance coverage at thetime of initial applicationor annual renewal; Provideeducation on the typesof health insuranceprograms available throughthe marketplace; Offerinformation about advancepremium tax credits andcost-sharing reductions;Refer consumers to otherorganizations for help withgrievances, complaints orquestions regarding healthcoverage or a determinationrelated to coverage; andsupply information in a fairand impartial manner that isculturally and linguisticallyappropriate and disabilityaccessible, including forindividuals with limitedEnglish prociency. Nykita Scott, the UGANavigator for Coweta,Fayette, Spalding, Carroll,Paulding, Douglas andBartow counties, is based outof the UGA Extension officein Coweta County. She isavailable to assist consumers

at a variety of locations in herdesignated area, includingchurches, communitycenters, schools, commercialcenters, businesses and otherExtension offices. To learnmore about health coveragefor individuals, families, orbusinesses, contact Scott at770-254-2620 or at nbscott@uga.edu to schedule anappointment.

For general informationon the UGA HealthNavigator program, call1-877-7NAVIGATE (1-877-762-8442) or visituganavigators.org.

UGA provides health insurance navigators

State reps John Yates andDavid Knight expressedtheir support when askedabout legislation to allow

concealed weapons oncollege campuses at Eggsand Issues on Dec. 5.Do you think students,faculty and staffshould be able to carryconcealed weapons oncollege campuses?

8/13/2019 Dec 5 the Grip

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care of with technology, hesaid. We also trying to moveaway from using paper, andright now, were still usingpaper time cards. With allthe employees we have, itsvery time demanding. Currently, employees llout paper time sheets andsign off on their accuracyin reporting hours worked. They are then individuallyinspected by a supervisorprior to being submittedto Human Resources,where they are once againmanually assessed. Oncethat step is completed, theinformation is entered intothe computer system. This process increases thepossibility for mathematicalcomputational errors andrequires the ling and long-term retention of the hardcopy records. Were dealing with a lot ofpaperwork and checking alot of math, Gay said. The implementation ofan electronic time andattendance software will bethe next step in increasingthe efficiency of the overallpayroll processes. If its capturedelectronically, you canimport the data into thepayroll system so thatyoure paying them for thehours they worked, andits a much more accurateand efficient way to get theinformation into payroll,he said. We have to have apayroll system thats exibleenough that employeescan record the days andhours they worked. Thetechnology thats out therenow is much more exiblethan what was out thereeven two or three yearsago. This exibility isparticularly necessary foremployees in the judicialsystem and public safetysectors that often work

varying schedules and maynot have the ability to clockin at one central location. Not everyone comes toan office and can punch inon their desktop computer,Gay said, adding that ever-advancing technologicaldevelopments areaddressing those issues.For example, they may usea smart phone applicationthat will capture when theirday begins and when theirday ends. Spalding County previouslypurchased and attemptedto implement an electronicsystem, but was unableto utilize the software orhardware. It was a combination it was software and fourtime clocks that did handscans that we had installedin separate high trafficlocations. It was supposedto interface with thepayroll system, but it didntfunction properly, Gay said.I hate it that we could notdo it with the previous timeand attendance system, butit was just not capable ofhandling the calculationswe were doing to paypeople semi-monthly. Gay said he anticipatescounty officials will considerpurchasing new electronictime and attendancesoftware as part of theFiscal Year 2015 budget.He said he is uncertain ifSpalding County everyreceived compensationfrom the company thatsold the original non-functioning software, andSpalding County ManagerWilliam Wilson could notbe reached for vericationor comment about thesoftware or reimbursement.

GOVERNMENT & BUSINESSDEC 5 - 12, 2013 THE GRIP GET A GRIP AND GET THE GOOD STUFF

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Griffin Downtown Council membership driveSTAFF REPORTS :::

Business and propertyowners in the

downtown Griffin area areasked to attend the Januarymembership meeting ofthe Griffin DownTownCouncil (GDTC), anassociation that promotes,develops, recruits andsupports businesses,culture and entertainmentin downtown Griffin. "This past year has beenvery fruitful with ourevents, new businesses,and renovations thatsome businesses haveundertaken. All of that,with a few hurdles that havebeen jumped, is a reason

to celebrate success! Yoursupport and volunteerismis the main-stay for our city

and community to drawpeople downtown to shopand play," wrote currentGDTC director MarciaCollins in a press release. It is time for an annualGriffin DownTown Councilmeeting and membershiprenewal, which will beheld Monday, January 13,2014 at 6 p.m. in the GriffinRegional Welcome Centeron the corner of Hill andBroad streets.

"At this meeting we hopeto see everyone that is amember and a prospectivemember. Every businessand property owner that

is in the Downtown area,along with businessesoutside of Downtown and

individuals who support athriving Downtown Area, isinvited," said Collins. The agenda for the meetingwill include appointing newboard directors; input anddiscussion from downtownbusiness owners, propertyowners, the Main StreetProgram, DowntownDevelopment Authority,and the City of Griffin.New officers will also beappointed at the nextboard meeting from the2014 Directors. "Please help to get thisinformation out to thoseyou know should be there,"

wrote Collins. "It is vitalthat we support each otherand our downtown. Many

hands make a large taskbecome small; more ideascreate an atmosphere fordiverse people to want tovisit Griffin; and the resultis that, everyone can beblessed." If you would like a copy ofthe membership form sentto you, contact Collins atgalleryg@bellsouth.net orcall (770) 227-9185. If youwould be willing to serveon the Board of Directors,please indicate that on yourmembership form prior toJanuary 10, 2014.

Visit one of our many Spalding Countylocations for more information.PetroSouth, Inc.www.petrosouth.com

I dont want them to feellike that, he said. I hate thatthey think were slippingthings by. McLemore explained thata lack of public discussion ata Board of Commissioners

meeting should not beconstrued as a failure toadequately prepare for thebusiness presented on theagenda.We have agendas onFridays, so we have until Tuesday night to askquestions we have of anydepartment heads. A lot ofthose issues are researched,talked about and votedon, he said. We use thattime between when we getthe agenda and Tuesdaysmeeting to discuss it withstaff and make a decision.We try to do a lot of thehomework before we getin there so we know how

were going to vote. However, McLemorereiterated that he doesnot want Griffin residentsto feel as if attending orviewing recorded video ofthe Commission meetingsis a waste of time. Yeah, we need to workon that perception then,because I hate for peopleto feel that way, McLemoresaid.Commissioner Dick Morrow

also said he appreciatesresidents concern, but thatlike McLemore, he, too,always prepares himself forall votes on an agenda priorto the meeting.

I can understand whypeople might feel that way,but I can explain, Morrowsaid.

He cited the morningworkshops held the Boardof Commissioners holdsonce monthly as a timewhen members discusssome issues in greaterdetail. You can just have a

free, open discussion andconsider what youve heardbefore you have to vote,he said, but acknowledgedthat the followingCommission meetingsrarely include much publicdiscussion. I agree that theformal meetings are more just votes, but the majorityof the agenda is businessitems. As an example, he citedpurchase orders as agendaitems that do not requirepublic discussion as theinformation packetspresent information on thebidding process. We are told who the lowbids are, so theres reallynothing to discuss, he said.What Im saying is that 90percent of our agenda isno discussion. Ill sit downover the weekend withmy agenda and agree thatour staff has done whatneeds to be done and Illvote to approve. If we ascommissioners do ourhomework, its pretty cut-and-dried. Morrow also pointedout that the public hasaccess to the sameinformation contained inthe commissioners agendapackets, which may beaccessed online at www.cityofgriffin.com. Should residents review anagenda and have additionalquestions, Morrow said theymay personally contact thecitys department heads, just as commissioners do. It depends on how deepyou want to dig. Its allpublic information, he said,adding that his constituentsmay always contact him,as well. If they reallywant to be that involved,then perhaps they shouldrun for the commission.I think people who arereally interested shouldrun for commission. Thatswhat I did. Its good to seeengaged people run for thecommission.

discussion, cont.

8/13/2019 Dec 5 the Grip

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