iI orter
1
October 17, 2018
Around Monroe County Forsyth Juliette High Falls Bolingbroke Culloden Smarr
MONROE COUNTY
f*-.
k
Mmne on fl e
Move Weight Mon-
ml mndt Program
Monroe County Exten-
sion Service is part-
nering with Monroe
County Recreation
Department to offer,
Monroe on the Move,
a Wa k Away weight
management program.
It will begin on Monday
morning, Oct. 1,5 from
6:30-7:30 a.m. and will
Be a weekly program.
There will Be a half
hour of informational
education followed by
a half hour of activity,
starting with walking.
There is no charge to
participate and showers
are available at the Rec
Department for those
who would like to use
them after the activity.
The goat is to encour-
age weight manage-
ment in a healthy, fun
atmosphere. Plans are
to also begin an eve-
nlng class from 6-7 p.m.
For more information,
Contact Extension agent
Dana Lynch at 478-
994-7014 or dlynch@
uga.edu.
Oct. 18
90-100th
Celebmt
The 28th Annual
Celebration of 90 to
lOOth birthdays will be
Thursday, Oct. 18 at
11 a.m. at the Rubye
James Watts Senior
Center, 515 Highway
83 South, Forsyth. The
community is invited to
support these outstand-
ing citizens who have
contributed to others
for so many years. And
a special invitation is
extended to all who
have celebrated their
90-plus birthday over
the past year to come "
Be a guest of honor For
more information, call
Freida White, Senior
Center director, at 478-
994-1701.
Fallll blllm Jl l-
Io mwt
The High Falls Lake
Association will meet
Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7
p.m. in the High Falls
Park Group Shelter.
This meeting is open to
all who are interested
in the High Falls Lake
and neighborhood and
is an opportunity to
share items of interest
with the group There
will Be refreshments
after the meeting; bring
something to share if
you wish,
Oct. 19
Rl'bixm Cun far
- Sweet Tern C Fe
Forsyth-Monroe County
ChamBer of Commerce
will host a Ribbon
Cutting for Sweet Tea
Care, 7248 Alexander
Court. Balingbroke
(Behind United Bank)
on Friday, Oct. 19 at
11 a.m.
See CALENDAR
Page 4C
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The Mary Persons High School Class of 1949 met on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Mt. Zion Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Smarr for its 69th Re-
union. Plans are underway for the 70th Reunion next year to be held at the same location on Oct. 12, 2019. Those in attendance this year were: L-R:
June Brown Ham; Ernest Ham; Cary Bittick, Johnina Hoffman Coleman; Harry Annis; Dot Zellner Bazemore; Augustine Johnson Hammersley and Smith
Driskell.
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By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
"I believe economic op-
portunity is the American
Dream and that Georgia
can no longer accept being
42nd in the American
Dream,' said Georgia
Commissioner of Labor
candidate Richard Keafley
after noting among other
statistics that Georgia is
42nd in economic oppor-
tunity. He said that to cor-
rect the situation, his goals
as Labor Commissioner
are to create career centers
that can give Georgians
skills for jobs in the grow-
ing automobile, movie and
high tech sectors, to fight
for good paying jobs and
benefits and to get veterans
into jobs.
Keatley spoke to Monroe
County's Blue Bridge So-
ciety on Oct. 8. He talked
about the office of Labor
Commissioner, his back-
ground and what he would
like to see the Department
of Labor accomplish dur-
ing the next term.
Keatley said the labor
commissioner oversees the
Department of Labor and
administers its programs,
including employment
service and unemployment
benefits. The commissioner
administers laws governing
t
I
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work conditions, employee
safety and child labor laws
and disseminates work-
force information. The
commissioner is respon-
sible for the requirement of
the Workforce Investment
Opportunity Act, which
promotes employment op-
portunities and job train-
hag using federal funds.
Keafley said that the
labor commissioner should
also care about the lives
of workers in the state.
He said Georgia has the
20th highest unemploy-
ment rate, the 10th highest
poverty rate and the 12th
highest income inequality
and is 34th in labor force
participation and 42nd in
economic opportunity. Ke-
atley said these are issues
the Department of Labor
can improve.
Keafley attended Virginia
Tech on a Naval ROTC
scholarship, graduated
with a B.S. in Nuclear Sci-
ence and served as an
officer in the U.S. Navy
for seven years, including
serving on warships dur-
ing the first Gulf War. He
obtained advanced degrees
at the University of Paris
and Yale University, then
taught in the language de-
partment at Georgia State
University. He is married
and has lived in the Atlanta
Left to right, Commissioner of Labor candidate Richard Keatley, campaign Manager
Becky Beaver and George Langford at the Monroe County Blue Bridge Society meeting
on Oct. 8.
area since 1998. of their $30-39,000 per unemployment check.
He also wants to close year jobs because theyKeatley said polls show
the gender wage gap by wanted concessions from him about even with
increasing minimum wage, their employer on their incumbent Mark Butler,
paid family and medical health insurance premi- and he appreciates help
and affordable child care. ums doubling. Keafley said from the voters in Monroe
Keatley plans to open an the Department of Labor County. He said he has put
Office of Employee Rights refused to provide any as- over 25,000 miles on his
to investigate issues from sistance while they had no "little Ford Hybrid" and
firings to discrimination, income and negotiated,will keep driving around
He said in the military One attendee asked the state meeting people
soldiers are always training whether he would consider until Election Day. He said
for their next job, and he putting a satellite Labor Georgia's Department of
wants to develop a culture office in Monroe County Labor has a $133 million
among the state's employ- since the two closest offices budget and about 2,000
ers of helping employees are in Macon and Griffin employees, but he's not
move up. and can be difficult for sure it is doing the most
"Something about the people who are out of work intelligent job; he said it
human soul wants to thrive and have transportation needs to reward innova-
and prosper. We need to issues to reach. He said it tion. Keatley said that
encourage that on a state could be a good idea and industries should be en-
level" he said. that his opponent has said couraged to show more ap-
He talked about visit- the website is sufficient preciation for their work-
ing steelworkers in Dade service. He said the career ers, but industries can't do
County who wanted to center should not be the it all without support from
work but were lock d out place a worker gets anelected officials.
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