UPCOMING EVENTS IN
MONROE COUNTY
Calendar items run
free of charge as a
community service each
week as space allows.
Mail items for the
Community Calendar
to Diane Glidewell at
news@mymcr.net by 8
a.m. on Monday.
Sept. 20-22
See 'Murdered to
Death'at 1he Rose
Backlot Players will
present "Murdered To
Death" on Friday and
Saturday, Sept. 20 and
21 at 7:30 p.m. and
on Sunday, Sept. 22 at
2:30'p,m. The play is a
hilarious spoof of Ag-
atha Christie traditions
set Jn a country manor
in the 1930's written by
Peter Gordon, directed
by Elizabeth Hunter
and sponsored by Joe
& Sara Reed. Tickets
are on sale at the-
backlotplayers.org and
at the box office from
4-7 p.m. and two hours
before show time.
Sept. 19
Monroe County
Senior Centor
holds Dance Party
Monroe County Senior
Center, 515 Hwy. 83
South, Forsyth will host
a Dance Party on
Thursday, Sept. 19 from
10 a.m.-12 noon featur-
ing DJ Terry Baker (of
the Forsythia Festival)
spinning the hits. Enioy
golden oldies from the
1920's to the 1960's.
Dress in vintage cloth-
ing, brJng a guest and
show off dance moves.
For more information,
call FrJeda White at
478-994-1701.
Mbbon Cutting for
Yourflome Senior
Care
Forsyth-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce
will host a Ribbon
Cutting for YourHome
Senior Care LLC, 105
Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr Forsyth on Thursday,
Sept. 19 at 10 a.m.
Paint Party&Wine
Tasting to sup-
port Habitat for
Humanity
There will a Paint
Party 8, Wine Tasting to
support Monroe Coun-
ty Habitat for Humanity
on Thursday, Sept. lq at
6 p.m. $50 per person
includes wine tasting,
appetizers and all paint
supplies. Limited to first
50 reservations. Con-
tact Christina Barfield
at 478-719-9099 or
Christina.barfield85@
gmail.com for more
information.
Bolingreen Health
& Rehabilitation
has Fall Festival
Bolingreen Health &
Rehabilitation, 529
Bolingreen Dr Macon
will have a Fall Festival
on Thursday, Sept.
19 in the parking lot
from 5:30-8 p.m. The
community is invited to
get involved. For more
information, call Lolieta
Nunnally, Activities Di-
rector, at 478-477-
1720.
Coliseum Medical
has fmeseminar
onhippain
Coliseum Medical
Centers will host a free
seminar to discuss the
causes and treatment of
hip pain, on Thursday,
Sept. 19 from 6-7 p.m.
in Bldg. C, Suite 120 at
Coliseum Medical Cen-
ters, 330 Hospital Drive
in Macon. The seminar
will feature orthopedic
surgeon, Dan Grahl,
M.D. Registration is
required. Call (478)
746-4646 or visit www.
cohseumhealthsystem.
com.
Sept. 21
V'mtnam Veterans
of America
Tournament
The Vietnam Veterans
of America Central
Georgia Chapter
946 Fundralser Golf
See CALENDAR
Page 2B
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1B
JR orter
September 18, 2019
Around Monroe County Forsyth Juliette High Falls Bolingbroke Culloden Smarr
I
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County has been awarded
a 2020 $750,000 Community Block
Development Grant to renovate the
Monroe County Health Department
building. The Health Department's
Board of Directors and Monroe
County commissioners have each
committed $75,000 toward the
renovations in addition to the CDBG
grant.
Morris Hutcheson of the Georgia
Department of Public Health North
Central District, which includes
Monroe County, told Monroe Coun-
ty Health Department Board of Di-
rectors that the grant will be officially
presented at the state meeting awards
dinner in LaGrange on Oct. 16. He
said the funds will be available in late
November or early December, and he
anticipates it will take about two years
to complete the renovations.
Hutcheson said the renovation pro-
cess will begin with County Manager
Jim Hedges, an admires" trator from
the Regional Commission and an
architect meeting to develop plans,
which in turn will be submitted for
bids in about early spring. Hutcheson
explained that since the county is
actually the grant recipient, it will be
in charge of disbursing the funds.
Hutcheson and Whitney Lovett, Di-
rector of Nursing at Monroe County
Health Department, will work closely
with the architect to make sure the
renovations meet the needs of the
Members of the Monroe County Health Department Board of Directors and staff are anticipating the improve-
ments that will be made to the facility aver the next two years. Pictured, left to right, are Lillian Davis, Eric
Wilson, Dr. Mike Hickman, Hugh Cromer, Cathy Jenkins, Whitney Lovett, Dr. Jeremy Goodwin, Gina Smith, Morris
Hutcheson, Chris Hewett. Not pictured is board member Larry Evans.
Health Department.
Hutcheson said estimates on the
work have exceeded the $900,000
available, but the actual cost won't be
known until bids come in. He said
that 13 bids for a new health depart-
ment building in Baldwin County
were opened last week and were
much less than expected. He said the
Baldwin County project should be
completed under budget. He said the
earlier estimates for it were based on
costs in Atlanta and it seemed that
construction costs outside of the large
urban area were less and that costs
have edged down a little.
Board member Chris Hewitt asked
if there might be any issues with
asbestos in the building being reno-
vated. Board member Hugh Cromer
said he thought asbestos issues were
taken care ofwhen the building was
last renovated in 1994.
Cromer asked if plans have been
made to relocate the Health Depart-
ment and its staff during the renova-
tions. Hutcheson said he will work on
relocation; he hopes the county will
have a building available where the
Health Department can temporarily
serve the public. He said he hopes
one of the buildings near Monroe
County Hospital will be av able.
The extensive renovations needed
at the Monroe County Health
Department include: plumbing,
electrical, flooring and a need for
larger examination rooms among
other issues.
By D ne Glidewell 4:30 p.m. hardly even gets percent cut effective Oct. 1
news@mymcr.net a phone call. The board for fiscal year 2020 and an
agreed to continue theadditional 6 percent cut for
Health Department Nurse extended hours through the fiscal year 2021. Hutcheson
Manager Whitney Lovett season for flu shots, said he doesn't see a need
reported to Monroe County Lovett said she will be for layoffs, but noncriti-
Health Board on clinical ac- giving flu shots to students cal positions will not be
tivities during its quarterly at Monroe County schools filled. He said the only state
meeting Sept. 9, Oct. 7-9 and to schooldepartments exempt from
She is working on a plan faculty Oct. 15-16. She will cuts are DOT and commu-
to make free condoms give flu shots at GPSTC nity health.
available in the Forsyth ho- on Sept. 17 and Oct, 30, at Over the last quarter
tels. She also plans to have Gresco on Oct. 4, at Pallet Monroe County Health
a condom box available One on Oct. 24 and at Department has partnered
outside the Health Depart- Monroe County Hospitalwith GPSTC to give im-
ment to distribute condoms Oct. 29, 30 and Nov. 5. munizations, particularly
after hours. She said the Flu shots are available for the Hepatitis A vaccine.
Health Department can the public at the Health Lover gave immuniza-
give condoms to anyone for Department during regular tions at the Georgia Public
free. hours. Safety Training Center in
Board member Hugh Morris Hutcheson of June, July and August. The
Cromer asked how the the district Department of Department gave 158 im-
Heath Department's ex- Health told the board Gov. munizations. She said the
tended hours, until 7 p.m Brian Kemp's order for all partnership with GPSTC is
on Tuesdays, is working, state departments to cut working well.
Lovett said that no one is funding will reduce funds Efforts to partner with
taking advantage of the for the Monroe County Department of Correc-
extended hours. She said Health Department fromtions Headquarters for
the staffthat stays after $232,000 to $222,900. He physicals and immuniza-
the usual dosing time of said Kemp ordered a 4 tions have not gone as well.
Policy set for wells near public water supply
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Monroe County property owners can
apply to drill a well even if there is a public
water source nearby. Monroe County Board
of Health approved a policy for requesting a
waiver for a non-public water well.
Gina Smith, Environmental Health
Director, presented the policy, which she
prepared after a request for an individual
well in River Forest subdivision was tabled
the city water system outside city limits, like
River Forest. He said there are some wells
in the city that residents use for outside
watering.
Smith presented a quarterly report for the
activities of the Environmental Health office
in Monroe County. She noticed that new
septic permits are up for July to August over
the same time last year, 42 compared to 21.
Septic repair permits are down, from 12 to
6, and there were three addition/modifica-
tion permits during both years.
at the June quarterly board meeting. She Monroe County has 65 permitted food
said the June applicant, who wanted to drill . service facilities, 16 permitted hotels and 26
permitted pools/spas. From July to August
a well for outside watering, has withdrawn
his request.
The policy is that property owners may
not drill a well where there is access to
a public water supply. However, consid-
erations will be made in areas of lower"
density. The applicant must have at least
three acres, be able to maintain a 100-foot
radius around the well, meet all setbacks
established by the Monroe County Health
Code and must submit a drawing of all
potential sources of contamination (such as
ponds, streams, livestock areas) that can be
confirmed by a site visit/evaluation. The ap-
plication fee is $50, and Smith said fees for
the variance/waiver will be set the next time
fees are changed.
Forsyth Mayor Eric Wilson said the city
has a policy for wells in the city but does
not have jurisdiction over areas se ed by
Environmental Health conducted 58 pool
routine inspections and 41 food routine
inspections plus one permitting inspection
each for pool and food service.
During July and August, new well permits
were up from five to 12 over last year; there
were 13 wells tested last year and 10 this
year with four positive samples returned
each year. Environmental Health also inves-
tigated various complaints, from mold to
bedbugs, and investigated animal bites.
Smith reported that the part time clerk at
the office left but that Leighanne Mitchell
has been hired for the 29 1/2 hour position.
School Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman
suggested that students in the work-study
program at Mary Persons might be able to
fill some of the need for help in the Envi-
ronmental Health office.
DOC would say it would
be sending several cadets
for physicals, the Health
Department would have
a nurse available and only
one cadet, or sometimes
none at all, would come.
Hutcheson said he under-
stands that DOC is now
delaying physicals and im-
munizations for cadets until
they go to their assigned
prisons instead of having
these done while they are
in training at DOC head-
quarters in Forsyth. He said
he will reach out to DOC
about taking care of these
requirements in Forsyth.
Lovett said she would also
like to work with the Geor-
gia State Patrol to vaccinate
their graduates before they
go to their stations. Monroe
County Health Department
partnered with GPSTC and
the Prostate Coalition to as-
sist with 80 prostate cancer
screenings on July 16.
She said the department
was notified at the end of
June that tuberculosis skin
tests were in limited supply
and to give them only to
high-risk individuals. As of
Sept. 5 the tests are available
again for those who need
them for work or school.
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