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SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.net

"Kennedy Road MiddleSchool has ailed some oits students by giving thema passing grade when theyhave not earned it."So says a ormal GeorgiaProessional StandardsCommission complaintGrin-Spalding

County School SystemSuperintendent Dr. CurtisJones led April 19 allegingthat Kennedy Road MiddleSchool (KRMS) Principal Dr.Brenda Ford is in violation othe Georgia law by coercingor intimidating a number

o teachers to change thegrades o ailing students.The local school districtsinternal investigationagainst Ford was promptedby a complaint led by aKRMS teacher that allegedthree things inconsistentand unair practicesregarding attendance;inconsistent discipline ostudents; and unjustied

reassignment o teachingresponsibilities.The initial investigationwas conducted by HobyDavenport, ormer principalo Carver Road MiddleSchool, who School District

Attorney Tim Shepherd saidwas contracted to reviewthe allegations against Ford.In the midst o interviewingKRMS teachers in thatcapacity, Davenportreported that he becameaware o a number oadditional issues o concern,perhaps the most seriousrelating to grade changingand sta morale.

There is a policy within theschool regarding studentgrades. I a student last yearmade an F on their reportcard and this year makesa D or F on their reportcard, they (the teacher)must have a conerencewith Dr. Ford, the principal,he wrote. Three specicrecords o parent contacthave to be shown duringthe conerence and in aspecied time rame. Ithe requirements are notmet to the satisaction o

the principal during thisconerence, the teacheris required to change thegrade to a 73, which is thelowest C a student canearn, according to teachersinterviewed.A number o teachersadmitted they had changedtheir students ailing gradesdue to these conerences,and one said grades were

changed prior to theissuance o report cardsto avoid the conerence,the conrontation or therepercussions, Davenportreported.

Shepherd said thisconstituted not only aviolation o GSCSS policy,but also state law, citingthe Ocial Code o GeorgiaAnnotated (OCGA) 20-2-989.20, which states, No

MAY 3 - 17, 2012 VOL. 02 NO. 09

WHEN YOU GET A GRIP, YOU GET THE GOOD STUFF PRINTED BI-WEEKLY | WWW.THE-GRIP.NET

CONT, grades, pg 2

WATCHDOG LIFESTYLE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Budget willdetermine whetherpolice departmentvacancies are filled

p. 3

Why Spalding County firefightersare refusing to "ride along" in SRMCambulances to assist EMS whenresponding to wrecks and other calls

p. 3

CONTACT US:Jessica Williamson Gregory, Publisher

jessica@the-grip.netDisplay advertising: ryan@the-grip.netStory ideas/submissions: justin@the-grip.net

Gradechanging

investigationpending at

KRMS

Father-daughter duo o Southeastern Reptile Rescue,Jason and Lily Clark, give some love to a baby alligatorduring the Great Grin Maying on Saturday, April 28 inthe Grin City Park. Image Credit: Sheila Marshall One hundred and twenty-eight golers participated in the 9

th AnnualGrin Exchange Club Gol Tournament on Wednesday, April 25 at theGrin Country Club. Image Credit: Matthew Middleton

A screenshot of seven students' grades out of 85 that appear to havebeen changed. This spreadsheet was included in the complaint tothe GPSC. "This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, but it's a start" thereport says. "The percent column is what the grade book calculatedand the "score" column is what ended up on the report card."

JESSICA GREGORYPublisher; jessica@the-grip.net

City commissioner CoraFlowers is on a missionto make Grin get"Lovestuck." The newnonprot organizationcalled Lovestuck is workingtoward eradicating the

stigma and ear associatedwith HIV testing andecouraging everyone to"love yoursel enough toget stuck."As Flowers planned toto create Lovestuck, shelearned that District 4Health Services receiveda grant to provide reeHIV testing. Since thiswas a long-term goal oLovestuck, partneringwith the Spalding CountyHealth Department

was a natural rst step.Lovestuck is thereore nowocusing their eorts onraising awareness o theimportance o "knowingyour status."

"You get your cholestoral,your blood sugar checked,you work out everyday, totake care o yoursel. AnHIV test is somethingeveryone should add totheir preventative healthcare," said Flowers."Having an HIV test seems

to mean that you've donesomething wrong andthat's why you need to betested," reads the Lovestuckpamphlet. "In truth, ew ous are without reason orbeing tested."According to DavidLankord, InectiousDisease Coordinator atDistrict 4 Heath Services,Spalding County has ahigh rate o HIV inection,which is why communityawareness and knowing

your status is so important.

In order to increase theawareness o HIV testingand to help remove the

'Love yoursel enough to get stuck'says new HIV awareness nonprot

What poisons arelurking aroundyour home ineveryday items

p. 5

CONT, LOVesTUCK, pg 7

8/2/2019 May 3 Grip

2/8

teacher shall be requiredor coerced into changingstudent grades; ethicalviolation; change o grade byperson other than classroomteacher.With regard to sta morale,

Davenport said it is a majorissue according to many othe teachers interviewed. Hesaid teachers reerenced anegative work environment;coming to work on pinsand needles; walking oneggshells; being brought totears; and even a commentthat Ford is a bully.One sta member recountedan attempt to addressthe problem with Fordat a aculty meeting, butwas rebued when Fordresponded, I dont thinkwe have a problem withteacher morale. I so, I havea problem with principalmorale.

According to that teacher,Fords comment ended anydiscussion o the concern.In response to Davenportsinvestigation, Ford on April 6met with Jones and receiveda letter o reprimand,specically regarding thegrade changing.Ford has said that at thattime, she requested anoutside investigation beconducted.When he told me what wasbeing said, I asked Dr. Jonesto go ahead and le the PSCcomplaint, because that

would be someone outsideinvestigating rather thanyour own people, she said.This was a concern shehad rom the onset, Fordexplained, and she claimsshe did share her eelings

with Jones.You have to know HobyDavenport, Ford said,explaining that he wasalways very competitiveand had a school that wasnever o o the NeedsImprovement list, unlike herown schools were.

When I ound out who theinvestigator was, I calledDr. Jones and told him Ihad concerns because theinvestigator wasnt neutral,she said. I told him (Jones)about one specic incidentwith the investigator. Hejust told me, Well cross thatbridge when we get to it.Despite her concernsregarding Davenportsneutrality, his nalreport dated March 20stated, there was nodocumentable evidencethat this (inconsistent andunair practices regardingattendance) was an issue.

However, Davenport didnd that the complaintsregarding inconsistentdiscipline o students andunjustied reassignmento teaching responsibilitieswere valid.The independentinvestigation Ford saidshe requested will nowbe conducted by the PSC,Shepherd said. But, headded that this step wouldhave been taken regardlesso Fords wishes.The inormation that is inthe Proessional StandardsCommission complaintcame directly rom multiple

interviews, as well asmeetings with Dr. Ford,Stephanie Dobbins andDr. Jones, Shepherd said.Its sae to say that theconclusion o the humanresources director and Dr.Jones is that grade changing

had taken placed, basedon statements made byteachers at Kennedy RoadMiddle School. Because othat conclusion, Dr. Joneswas required to le theProessional StandardsCommission complaint,under the code o ethics. Itwould have been an ethicalviolation on Dr. Jones part to

not le it.The PSC complaint allegesthat evidence was providedto support the act thatFord directed, coerced orintimidated teachers tochange student grades.To demonstrate the aectthis had on KRMS teachers,Jones included a quoterom one aculty memberwho said, Ive seen teacherscry that had to meet withBrenda Ford, and they didntknow what the meeting wasabout.Jones goes on to say thatFords unwritten policywas not approved by the

school system or systemlevel administrator, andurthermore, states that itis a violation o the code oethics.The manner in which Dr.Ford has enorced her policyhas caused some studentsto be adversely aectedwhile those students whoseparents are not reachablebenet (grade wise) romthe policy, Jones complaintstates in part. It is arbitraryto change grades based onthe involvement level oravailability o the parent(s).Despite the very seriousnature o the allegationsagainst Ford, she remainedrm throughout the districtsinvestigation that she didnot commit the acts owhich she is accused.In response to her denial,Dobbins re-interviewed

teachers that had reportedFords actions to Davenport.The inormation providedthroughout this processwas consistent, and resultedin Jones reporting thatFord violated Standard 4 honesty, by being dishonestduring the course o anocial investigation.

Finally, the PSC complaintstates, The actions andschool environment createdby Dr. Ford do not preservethe dignity o the teachingproession.Due to the act that severalwitnesses expressed earand were concerned aboutthe possibility o retaliationdue to their cooperation,Ford also stands accusedo violating the standard oproessional conduct.Although Jones deemed aletter o reprimand sucientdisciplinary action on behalo the GSCSS, Shepherd saidhe could have opted or

harsher measures up to andincluding suspension andtermination.Because the PSCinvestigation remainsongoing, Jones declined tocomment on this story.

2 My 3 - 17, 2012

GRADES, cont.

SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.netDespite the investigativendings o the Grin-Spalding County SchoolSystem that allege Dr.Brenda Ford, principal oKennedy Road MiddleSchool (KRMS), is directlyresponsible or illegal andunethical grade changing,she remains deant o thecharges, maintaining herinnocence and claiming sheis being made a scapegoator speaking out againstSuperintendent CurtisJones.It was not an investigationagainst me; theinvestigation was reallyagainst the superintendent,Ford said o the daysimmediately ollowingJones April 17 school boardhearing on a charge osexual harassment broughtby Shonte Ivey, a literacycoach at KRMS. Well, myname was not brought upuntil that night because Iwas one o the witnesses.Basically, what happenedwas, when he made thecomment, I was standing atthe counter and I just said(at Jones hearing) that thecomment was made, andthat is why the personalattack was made againstme. I guess the play was todiscredit the witnesses.

The personal attack owhich Ford spoke is aormal complaint that Joneshas led with the GeorgiaProessional StandardsCommission alleging Fordis responsible or gradechanging at KRMS, whereshe has served as principalsince the school opened sixyears ago.Jones complaint was ledwith the GPSC on April 19,two days ater the Board oEducation voted 6-1 that hehad not sexually harassedIvey. The dissenting voteat the hearing was castby Mike Kendall. (For the

ull story o the complaintagainst Dr. Jones that ranin the April 19 Grip edition,visit www.the-grip.net)It is this time rame thatFord says is evidence thatthe complaint lodgedagainst her is nothing morethan retaliation by Jones.I was kind o shocked bywhat was being said, Fordstated. Its almost like awitch hunt. It appears thisis one o those gotchamoments, i you know whatI mean."However, inormationobtained in an Open

Record Request submittedby The Grip to the GSCSSindicates that Ford wasaware o the schooldistricts investigationagainst her at least 11 daysprior to J ones hearing, asshe was on April 6 notiedby Jones that a letter oreprimand was beingplaced in her personnel le.

This letter o reprimandresulted rom aninvestigation conductedby Hoby Davenport, who

Tim Shepherd, attorney or

the school board, said wascontracted to conduct thetask.

Davenport retired rom theGSCSS as principal o CarverRoad Middle School.Although there was at thebeginning o Davenportsinvestigation no allegationo grade changing, his nalreport indicated he haddiscovered a KRMS policy,which was attributed toFord, that resulted in anumber o teachers statingthey had been required tochange student grades.That is not correct andI tried to explain that toDr. Jones, Ford said inresponse to Davenportsndings. The policy Ihave at Kennedy is to giveparents an opportunity tohelp their children.She went on to say thatto accomplish that goal,she requires teachers ostudents with ailing gradesto make documentedparental contact on threeoccasions.You see, many o theteachers dont want to dealwith parents. Its easier orthem to give a student an F,ail them and move on. Thisis just my way o ensuringthat the teachers contactparents, Ford said beorelater adding, Ive beenaround a long time and Iveseen the quality o teacherschange. There are so manywho just dont want tocontact parents. Many othe parents at KennedyRoad Middle School areconcerned. They may notcan help the way teacherswant them to, but theystill care. For some reason,theyre (parents) araid othe school because theyarent as educated as theteachers.

These parents ear, asFord describes it, is onereason she does requireaculty members to contactparents who are ailing.Furthermore, she says theunwritten policy requiresteachers to actually makecontact with parents oailing students, and thatmerely attempting to reachthem is insucient.She then explained thatKRMS teachers havenumerous options withregard to how they complywith her parental contactrequirement.They can use the phone;they can schedule aconerence; they can useour social worker theycan send the social workerout into the communityto make contact with theparent; or they can sendhome a progress reportthat the parent is requiredto sign, Ford said. Thereare a variety o options, butthere are those (teachers)that dont want any contactat all.Authorities say thisunwritten policy wouldnot be an issue in ando itsel, but Davenports

KRMS principle deniesinvolvement in gradechanging allegations

CONT, prINCIpLe, pg 7

d. Jon' comlint to th goi poionl stn Commiion inclu th ollowin quot omKrMs tch: (Th gi to k th tch' nm confntil th invtition i till nin)

"I've wondered o (sic)her [Ford] goal is or usto contact parents or iher goal is or us to notgive Fs."

"The grading policy has beenthe culture o the school...[Teacher's name redacted] isthe one that communicatedthe policy to me the frst time.'D them and ree them' iswhat she said."

"I struggle with theact that I can aila student whoseparent I can reach,but not a studentwhose parents Ican't reach."

"I've seen teachers crythat had to meet withBrenda Ford, and theydidn't know what themeeting was about."

Dr. Brenda Ford, KRMS principle,has received a letter o reprimandrom Superintendent Curtis Jonesor allegedly requiring teachers tochange students' ailing grades. Acomplaint has also been led withthe Georgia Proessinal StandardsCommission.Image rom KRMS website

SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.net

Shonte Ivey, the KennedyRoad Middle Schoolliteracy coach who in Aprilled a sexual harassmentcomplaint against Grin-Spalding County SchoolSystem SuperintendentDr. Curtis Jones, has nowled a retaliation grievanceagainst him.

The sexual harassment

charge levied against Joneswas the subject o an April17 hearing in which Boardo Education membersvoted 6-1 that Joneshad not committed theviolation.Ivey then received a letterrom Jones dated April 20,notiying her that she wasbeing transerred romKRMS, where she had beena literacy coach, to the

Taylor Street AchievementCenter, where she wouldnish out the remaindero the school year as math

teacher.Ivey responded to thisnotication on April 26,when she led a retaliationcomplaint with the GSCSS.Ivey alleges the letter wasdevoid o any reason orthe reassignment, andclaims she is unaware o anyprobable cause other than

retaliation. Her complaintalso states that her transerwas slated to take placeprior to Board o Educationapproval, and that due toSpring Break, she would notbe aorded the minimumrequirement o three daysto notiy parents andorganizations and relocatematerials, as policy requires.Ivey went on to claimthat the intended transerwould negatively aect heremployment.This reassignment doesnot allow me to continue ina capacity at Kennedy RoadMiddle School as a literacycoach as we await the 2012CRCT resultsAs a parentinvolvement coordinator,leaving abruptly wouldcause severed ties andremove fuent support romparents and organizations,she wrote.In addition, she stated thatthe transer would requireher to report to work at the

Taylor Street AchievementCenter at 7:15 a.m., 45minutes earlier than shenow reports at KRMS, andthat change o schedulewould interere with acontractual agreement witha private day care center.Finally, Ivey said the transeras outlined by Jones wouldresult in a salary reductiondue to the loss o threeadditional workdays thatwere approved or literacycoaches at KRMS, as wellas the loss o the parentinvolvement coordinatorsmonthly stipend.She is requesting the boardreview her complaint anddeny the reassignment priorto the end o the 2011-12school year.Additionally, she seeksto have her complaintagainst Jones orwarded tothe Georgia PerormanceStandards CommissionsEducator Ethics Division.

KRMS teacher Ivey les second grievance against Superintendent Jones

Ater receiving a reassignment letterollowing the board's dismissal oher sexual harrassment complaint,KRMS teacher Shonte' Ivey hasled a second complaint againstSuperintendent Jones, alleging thatthe reassignment was in retaliation.Image rom KRMS website

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WaTCHdOg My 3 - 17, 2012 3

You've got questions?We'll nd the answers.Curious about somerumor you heard aboutlocal government, whatan organization does, orwho paid or what? Sendan e-mail to watchdog@

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SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.netDespite an increase in localyear-to-date Part 1 crimestatistics, ongoing budgetnegotiations will determinewhether the Grin PoliceDepartment will continueto be staed by 95 swornocers or experience a

personnel cut.With the departure o threeocers, the GPD currentlyhas 92 personnel, and whileChie Frank Strickland saidthe department alwaysaccepts applications, he isnot at this time seeking toll those vacated positions.In this particular year(FY2012), we are undedor 95 sworn ocers. Rightnow, we have 92, so wehave three vacancies,he said. My budget wassubmitted in March, andwe have gone through tworounds o budget reviews.

I cant do anything until Isee what the budget is andI wont know that until theend o June.He explained that theGPD stas 116, includingcivilians, and is brokendown among the UniormPatrol Division, the CriminalInvestigation Division, theOce o the Chie andAnimal Control.My budget request orall o those departmentsbudgets in 2011 was$9,317,774, he said.Stricklands initial budgetrequest, prior to anyreview or revisions, was$9,235,770, a reduction o$82,004, but he does notyet know i that savingswill be sucient or a nalbudget approval thatwould allow him to ll thethree vacant GPD positions.

Grin City Manager KennySmith said the processcontinues, with budgetmeetings occurring on aregular basis.Its pretty gruesome. Itspretty tight. We haventnished things up, but it sgoing to be pretty tight,

he said.With specic regard tothe GPD, Smith said heis uncertain i the nalbudget will allow Stricklandto ll the departmentsthree vacant positions.Weve looked at hisbudget and allocationsover the past severalmonths, and we do eelthere are some positionsthat could be more ecientover there, so we may holdo on a couple o positionsuntil we get it (the budget)all sorted out until wehave a better handle on

where we are, Smith said.Its dicult because thereare so many things wewould like to do. Weve gotto prioritize day-to-dayoperations and everythingwe do.In response to the questiono whether he wouldrecommend decreasedunding or recreationand amenities, such asthe City Park Gol Course,which operates at a loss ohundreds o thousands odollars annually, in orderto maintain the GPDs2012 stang numbers,Smith said, Thats not mydecision; thats the decision

o the commissioners, but Ido think that amenities areimportant. Quality o lie iwhy people live in a city.Smiths goal is to securenal budget approval inJune.

City budget talks to determine i GrinPolice Department will ll vacantpositions or experience personnel cuts

SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.net

Ocials o Grin-SpaldingCounty School System areworking in conjunctionwith law enorcementagencies including theSpalding County SherisOce and the Grin PoliceDepartment to addresspotential problems thatcould be posed by localcriminal street gangactivity.To the best o myknowledge, we have nothad any signicant gangissues in our schools, butwe do try to stay ahead othe issues, said ElizabethBenz, communicationsspecialist or the Grin-Spalding County SchoolSystem. I know the

school system has beenpartnering with local lawenorcement agencies totry and stay ahead o thecurve, because things thathappen in the communitydo aect our schools. Ourschools are a microcosm othe community.

The reality that gangs are apart o the Grin-Spalding

County community wasevidenced by a Marchshooting in Tyus Park thatlet a 16-year-old boycritically injured.

According to SpaldingCounty Sheri WendellBeam, the alleged shooter,Lederrick Dontae Pitts, oGrin, is a gang memberand that the shootinginvolved two rival gangs.

The incident occurred asapproximately two dozensteenagers had gathered ora cookout in celebration ojunior skip day, an eventrecognized by students oboth Spalding and Grinhigh schools.Benz has previously statedthat the Tyus Park cookoutwas not aliated witheither school.However, sheacknowledged that ocialsdo recognize the need oradditional security at someevents.There have been timesweve requested additionalpolice security, just asan additional security

measure, Benz said. Ithink thats been clear atathletic events, graduationevents or when somethinghas been going on in thecommunity.

In addition to increasedsecurity measures, Benzsaid middle and highschool administrators havehad specialized trainingwith regard to criminalstreet gangs.I do know that our schoolleadership, principals andassistant principals havebeen involved, she said.She went on to say thatthe issue is one thatrequires a collaborativeeort, and the schoolsystem is dedicated to thatapproach.We all work together,whether its theschool system, locallaw enorcement, theHopeville Boys Center orthe Salvation Army, shesaid. We all have to worktogether rom the timetheyre little bitty untiltheyre in high school.

Local ocials use collaborative efort toaddress criminal street gang afect on schools

SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.net

Spalding County ManagerWilliam Wilson andSpalding Regional MedicalCenter Chie ExecutiveOcer, John Quinn, havemet to discuss at leasttwo incidences in whichSpalding County FireDepartment personnelreused to ride along inan ambulance and assistemergency medicaltechnicians ollowingserious trac wrecks.At least one incidentresulted in multipleatalities.

Wilson concedes thatconcerns have beenexpressed regarding SCFDpersonnel not assistingSRMC Emergency MedicalServices in these andinstances, but explainedthere is a reasonableexplanation.

I know there was that

one incident (the multipleatality wreck) when they(SCFD personnel) wereasked to do what they callride in the box, and theydidnt want to, Wilsonsaid. Our reghters arenot certied emergencymedical technicians, andre protection is our orte.He then explained that inorder or SCFD personnelto ride along and assistEMS, as was requested inthe multiple atality wreckwhen CPR was beingperormed on a victim,uture services could beimpacted.

There is protocol. On therst glance, it might notmake sense, but a lot othe time, what this wouldinvolve is taking a re truckout o service. It takes myFire Department out oservice, so its a double-

edged sword, Wilson said.But that is something

John (Quinn) and I will bediscussing. It was a badsituation or them and thecounty. Were trying tohelp each other out, butit creates liability or thecounty and the hospitalthat we dont need.As an example, he citedSCFD personnel at theBlalock Station, or whomriding along to SRMCwould be an approximateone-hour round trip.Thats an hour thattheyre out o service, andanything can happen in anhour, he said.

Quinn said he and Wilsonhave spoken about thetroubling issue, but heremains uncertain o itsorigin.I dont know where thiscontroversy is comingrom. Weve always had agood working relationshipwith both the city and thecounty re departments,he said. William and I havediscussed the need or ourpersonnel and the countysrst responders to worktogether in emergencysituations. The number oemergencies that couldoccur at any time, its veryunpredictable.

Quinn said Wilson hasassured him that thecounty wants to work withSRMC on emergency call.He wanted to ensurethat we have adequatecooperation, he said.Hes assured me thatcounty personnel willwork together with ourEmergency MedicalServices personnel onemergency scenes. Theremay have just been somemiscommunication.

County manager, hospital CEO address SCFDreusal to assist EMS in emergency situations

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Hello; Read your articleabout licensing ees orSpalding County and it'sprobably something thatshould have happened

many years ago.

Using a portion o themoney to spay and neuteris a wonderul idea.

Don't understand whysomeone doesn't startsome kind o campaignto try and get the vets inSpalding to volunteer theirservices one day per monthand have low or no costspaying and neutering,rather than having to waitor the mobile clinic (whichis usually booked solid)that comes every our or sixweeks.

As or the Animal Control

being open on Saturdays- DUH.

With the majority o people

(those ortunate enoughto have jobs) workingweekdays it would givethem an opportunity to goto the shelter on Saturdayand maybe reduce thenumbers o animals thereto go to their orever

homes.

Also - maybe some othe money raised romlicensing ees the shelterwould be able to lower theVERY high cost o adopting,thereore making it lesscostly or people to adopt.

Lorraine Kirsch1214 Zebulon RoadGrin, GA

PS - I have 2 " urbabies"(cats, both rescues, mostlyindoor & xed) 1 is 14and the other is 6, and onoccasion they do go outand they get along withthe 6 erals that I now eed,

and would love to be ableto spay and neuter all 6,but I'm on a very xedincome and simply cannotaord to do that.

4 My 3 - 17, 2012 VIeWpOINTs

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Letters to the editor

What is the most importantissue in the majority o ourcommunities today? Theanswer to the questionsis obvious to most thatare paying attention.With unemployment andunderemployment ratescomparable to The GreatDepression; we need

more jobs to reboot oureconomy.

Yes it is that simple. While itdoesnt solve our nationaldebt crisis; it providesus with the means toweather the storm. Andwhen a communitysoundation is built romthe entrepreneurship o itscitizens; it can withstandthe roughest wavesbecause our characterbonds our vessel.

Every contributionis important and notask is too small. For acommunitys successdepends on the sum total

o its individual eortscoming together as awhole. Thereby, we arestrong when we are one.

Spalding County is nodierent than any othercommunity trying to grow

without comprisingits unique qualities andcherished values. Butgrow it must i we wantto provide opportunitiesor our current and uturegenerations in an extremelycompetitive global market.

And Southern CrescentTechnical College is anasset that can be used toprepare our work orce ornew industry along withnearby resources such asGordon.

Right now our smallbusinesses are thestructural glue that holdsour towns together. Everydollar spent at a localbusiness supports smallbusiness owners and theiremployees. Without themour communitys chanceso survival are slim at best,especially with our ragileeconomic environment.Large industries come and

go, but small businessessustain our communities.And that is why it isimportant that we allsupport our local smallbusinesses.

Moreover when we are

votingor local ocials; we

should ask What are yourplans or attracting newindustry with livable wage

jobs to our community?What are you specicallydoing to assist localbusinesses in succeeding?And what have you

done to encourage newentrepreneurs in openingnew businesses in ourcity? I our communitiesreplace our local politicianswho are inhibiting ourdevelopment withnew responsible pro-business candidates, ourcommunities can blossominto prosperous residentialareas while maintainingour small town allure.

Nonetheless or acommunity to growand prosper; crime isunacceptable. For toolong politicians andlocal authorities haventdone enough. And it is

time we took back ourneighborhoods one blockat a time or every childdesires a sae haven andevery young adult shouldhave an opportunity toimprove his or her qualityo lie without ear.

There is still tremendouspotential or growth inSpalding County. Investingin new small businesses,adding and repairingaccessible walkways(pedestrian riendly),recruiting new industry,building a large coliseumor concerts and majorsporting events, expandingSouthern Crescentsprograms, repairing ourroads and remodeling ourresidential areas, and soorth.

More importantly, localpapers like The Grip, a hiprereshing change romthe monotonous, areessential in promoting ourcommunitys resources.

There is no greater returnon investment or a smallbusiness than advertisingwith their local newspaper.Every reader and anyone heor she comes into contactwith is a potential customeror client.

When we invest in our localbusinesses our support isreinvested through jobsand growth. Everything isreciprocal and each partworks in unison to powerour economic engine.And eventually our unitedeorts are rewarded aswe grow and develop ourcommunities responsibly.

Sincrerely,Jim Nobles

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Question: A ladys husband wasvery ill, so she eliminated or

removed every toxic productin their household - bleach,harsh cleaners, tin cans of food,anything perfumed, etc. Whatare the things in our homes thatmight be harmful or toxic?

There is a list o things thatmaybe your home, car,workplace, or anyplace elseyou may want to visit. Mosto these things we assumeare harmless becausethey are, in act, things weencounter everyday. I theydo not emit umes, fames,or radiation, we may notperceive them as harmul.Lets look at some o thethings you encounter everyday that can bite you.

Formaldehyde is a knowncause o cancer accordingto the EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA).It evaporates rom plastic,

seat cushions, glue, carpet,and carpet pads. It may bein such trace amounts thatyou dont smell it.

Lead can ruin your brain andkidneys, elevate your bloodpressure, and depressblood cell and reproductivecell production. A lot olead has been taken out othe environment, but it willbe in paint in older houses.Something we dont thinkabout much is that leadwill be ound in the dirtnear major highways. Itcomes out o the exhausto vehicles.

Everyone likes that newcar smell. It is excitingbecause it means youhave a new toyand anew coupon book oryour monthly bill. It mayalso mean that you arebreathing vinyl chloride that

can damage your liver.Open your new windowsand run your new airconditioner in your newcar. Getting a new car iseasier and more un thangetting a new liver.

I you are old enough toremember the decade othe 60s, you may recallthat some people sniedglue to get high. Whilethey may have lookedvery happy, they weresuering signicant braindamage. Some glueswere actually taken othe market or restrictedto adults keep kids romgetting them. I rememberthis well, not because Isnied it, but becauseI assembled modelairplanes rom plastic kitsusing a glue containingtoluene. It has a very sweet,innocent, clean aroma. Itgoes right through yourcell membranes and is aknown carcinogen. It hasclose cousins in benzeneand xylene, and you maynd any o these in yourhome. Look at the labels oanything you use that is acleaner or solvent.

While we are on MemoryLane, I remember seeingmy Dad use chlordane, awhite powder insecticide.It has been banned orabout 20 years. Despite

that, it may show up inolder houses where itmay have been sprayedor aerosolized in thecrawlspace underneathyou.

I have one more with

which I have had personalexperience. My wie and Ilive in a home built in 1948.Our downstairs urnacewas about 20 years old andon its last legs. My wieand I would come homerom work, turn on thetelevision, and go to sleep.We attributed our sleepto exhaustion rom work.When the house got cold,we called a heating and aircompany. The techniciantold us that the carbonmonoxide levels in our cellarwere so high he would notgo down there till it hadtime to ventilate. Carbonmonoxide bonds withyour hemoglobin much

tighter than oxygen, tyingup the oxygen receptorsin hemoglobin so thatoxygen doesnt get to yourtissues, including the brain.It makes you sleepy. It mayput you in the big sleep.I you have an old urnace,have it checked out. Thecarbon monoxide that youcant see or smell may getyou.

This is just a beginning list.I you run out o things toworry about today, refecton these! What can youdo? Be aware that thereare things lying around athome that seem innocent.Be particularly wary o

household chemicalswhen you have childrenor grandchildren at home.Keep your cabinets locked.Look at the things in yourgarage and put them onshelves where little ones

cant reach. Ventilateyour house. Ask your pestcontrol people what theyare using and i you needto take any precautions.

Look at the label o anychemical you are using at

home or work. There willbe a telephone numberyou can call and ask or aMaterial Saety Data Sheet(MSDS). This is required bythe Occupational Saetyand Health Administration(OSHA). The MSDSwill tell you whether achemical is harmul orpotentially harmul, whatto look or, and what saetyprecautions to take.

I you are particularly saetyconscious, assemble a listo MSDSs or the chemicalsyou use and keep them ina pantry. OSHA requiresthis o businesses, butits a great idea or home,

especially i you have littlepeople running around.

LIFesTYLe My 3 - 17, 2012 5

DR. BOB HAYDENDC, PhD, FICC

PET OF THE WEEK:Gerald

Poisons you may have lying around your home

I recently read thisTheodore Roosevelt quoteon Pinterest, Comparisonis the thie o joy. Isnt itthough? And, keeping upwith the Joneses seems somuch more exasperating

with the access o socialnetworks like Twitter andFacebook. We look attheir beautiul home. Herbeautiul children. Theirextravagant vacation. Hisnew car. She really seemsto have it all together. Howdo things always all intoplace so perectly or them?How did their kids get soperect? Why cant I bethat kind o mother? Dang,their lie is so much moreglamorous than mine!

We look at our own livesand wish we had theirs.

Ive done it on dierentlevels beore. I can

remember reading anotherwriters blog once andsuddenly eeling veryinadequate as a writer. Shewas just good. Really good.And, unny. Man, i I couldcome up with the unnyone-liners like she does.How does she do that?

Then there is the girl whois always disciplined to eatthe right oods and go tothe gym. Im not going tolie. I have coveted anothergirls disciplined habits andsix pack abs beore. Butclearly, I love Junior Mintsmore than I love impressiveabdominal muscles.

Dont we oten want whatwe dont have? I only I hadher sense o style. I only Ihad an eye or decoratingmy house like she does. Ionly I had a job like his. Ionly I had a personality likehers. I only, i only.

We cant trade places withany o the people we envy.And, you know what? Itwouldnt x us i we could.

Then, we would simply takeon a new set o problems.A new set o dicultcircumstances. A new seto struggles. And, the truth

is, everything isnt alwaysas perect as it seems.None o us really know thestruggles o another.

Comparison robs us ocontentment. It robs us o

joy. The solution is a betterunderstanding o who weare in Him. Its gaining aproper perspective o ourown lie. Not too long agoI had let a little resentmentset in when I said, I haventhad a ull 24 hours awayrom my children in nearlyseven months. I gainedperspective when I dida heart check. My newperspective became, Ihavent missed a day with

my children in nearly sevenmonths.

Perspective changeseverything. So, does givingup our right to say it isntair. Because, we really losethe right to say, it isnt airuntil we have suered onthe cross as much as Christsuered. When my goodriend, Cindy Beall, wasasked to respond to Godnot being air once, shereplied, Im glad He isnt. Ineed His mercy.

I may never be as creativea writer as some, but I willdo my best to hear Godand pen His words when

I do write. I may never beable to pick out the perectdraperies like my riend.But, I can be thankul I havea riend who can help me.I may never have perectchildren. But, I can thankGod He sees them that way.

And, I thank God thatHe sees you and I thatway. Perect. Blameless.Without guilt. Because,when He looks at us, Hesees us through the bloodo His Son. Who paid aprice that really wasnt Histo pay. Now, that wasntair.

Let gratitude andperspective ll you todayand every day. Let theknowledge that YOU areearully and wonderullymade by the Creator o theUniverse bring you peace.Know He is always workingALL things or your good.And, rest in this truth:

For I know the plans I haveor you, says the Lord. Theyare plans or good and notor disaster, to give you auture and a hope. Jeremiah29:11

'Comparison is the thie o joy'

DUSTY TAKLERELATIONSHIPS/LIFE/RELIGION

In honor o ConederateHistory Month I share thestory o Jim Limber andhow a child, saved romdesperate means, endedup lost to history.

In February 1864, Varina

Howell Davis, the FirstLady o the Conederacy,was running errands whenshe saw a black slave childbeing beaten. Inuriated,she descended rom hercarriage, demanded thechild be released, and tookthe boy home.

When she asked the boysname, he spoke quietly,My name is Jim Limber.He couldnt have beenmore than six years old.President Jeerson Daviswelcomed the boy into theConederate White Houseand soon, grew to love thechild as his own.

The Conederate First LadyVarina Davis recountedthe story in her 1890memoir and claimed thatthe Conederate Presidentwent to the Mayors oceand had his ree papersregistered to ensure Jimagainst getting into thepower o the oppressoragain. The ree blackregister and other recordsthat could corroborate orcontradict her accountapparently have notsurvived. Nineteenth-

century Virginia law did notprovide or ormal adoptiono children. Jims status inthe Davis household seemsto have been inormallythat o a ward or whatmodern Americans wouldcall a oster child.

Jim was separated rom theDavises ater their Georgiacapture in May 1865. Amember o the Davis partywrote in her diary thatVarina Daviss adopted

son had been taken romher by Union orces, butthe truth is that the Davisamily entrusted his care toan old army riend, Uniongeneral Ruus Saxton,whom Varina Davis askedto look ater our littleprotg Jims education.When the child realizedhe was to be separated,according to Davis, heought like a little tigerand was thus engaged thelast we saw o him. I hopehe has been successul inthe world or he was a ne

boy, notwithstanding allthat had been done to marhis childhood. He was latersent North to becomeeducated and ater that,there is no urther evidenceto the whereabouts o Jim.

Unortunately, due tomodern books on thesubject, there is noevidence that the Davisamily subsequentlysearched widely or him.Varina Daviss own accounto their separation indicatesthat she understood it tobe permanent. She wouldhave to withstand yearso her own children dyingo disease, poverty, tryingto ree her husband romprison, and living abroad,until settling down inNew York in end o thenineteenth century as awriter.

In 2008, the Sons oConederate Veterans (SCV )announced a campaignto nance a new lie-sizebronze statue depictingJeerson Davis, along withhis son Joseph Evan Davis,who died tragically in 1864rom a all, and Jim Limber.

The statue now is ondisplay at Davis plantation,Beauvoir in Mississippi.

A tting but controversialtribute to Jim Limber Davis,a child lost into history.

The story o Jim Limber Davis: the lost son

ANNE HENDRICKSHISTORY

From the oods we eatto how we maintainour yards and clean ourhomes, we can be exposedto chemicals in manyways. According to the U.S.Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA), only araction o the more than75,000 registered chemicalshave gone throughcomplete testing or humanhealth concerns. Somechemicals have immediatetoxic efects. Others aretoxic to our bodies onlyater repeated, long-termexposure. source: epa.gov

Gerald will do well withan active amily, and willget along with anotherriendly canine just ne.Gerald needs regularexercise, and has lots oun charging around ishis big enced yard in

oster care. Don't let hisappearance ool you; heis a total teddy bear atheart and loves snuggletime just as much asrough-housing. Hewould love to end up onyour couch! We knowhe is a pointer mix, butwe are not sure o theother breed or breeds.Gerald is neutered, heartworm negative, and ullyvaccinated. His adoptionee is $125. Contact Dawnat zephyrlewis@gmail.com ormore inormation.

Monday-Wednesday 11am-10pmThursday-Saturday 11am- ?

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JUSTIN DAVISSta writer; justin@the-grip.net

Dawson Hammock, 13,o Zebulon, Georgia issuering rom an extremelyrare orm o cancer.Metastatic paraganglioma,stage our in Dawsonscase, is typically onlyseen in adults. The act

that this is an adultorm o cancer is whatmakes it extraordinarilydisconcerting; doctors arestill guring out how totreat the cancer.

Unortunately, as they learnmore about metastaticparaganglioma, doctorsand researchers appear tobe ar rom nding a cure.

This devastating ormo cancer is the resulto a hereditary geneticmutation which resultsin a glandular cell tumor

that improperly secreteshormones. In Dawson'scase, this has resultedin tumors running upand down his spine andspreading, so ar, to hisliver, lungs, abdomen, andshoulder blades.

According to his mother,Dawson has had oneailment ater another sincebirth; IBS and Horner'sSyndrome, just to namea ew. However, Dawsonis very much a typical all-American boy. He enjoysvideo games, Japaneseood and loves sports o allkinds, especially basketballand ootball. But his mainpassion is baseball, whichhe has played since hewas our years old. Eventoday, as his young bodyis accosted by cancerand compromised by thechemotherapy treatments,he still plays rst baseor his local team, theDiamondbacks, wheneverhe eels strong enough

to do so. His baseballorganization is selling"Striking Out Cancer"t-shirts and wrist bands, orwhich all proceeds go toDawson and his amily.Dawsons mother, HeatherSnow, 40, is doing herbest to learn to live withher son's illness. She saysshe's "taking [Dawson'scancer] one day at atime." At times, betweentrips to the hospital orchemotherapy treatmentsand long days spent withher son aterward, assistinghim with his every need

ater the body-weakeningtreatment, she says thatprayer is the only thing thatkeeps her going.

For Heather and hermother, Jean Snow, 70,it is their deep Christianaith that sustains themthrough this exceptionallytough time. In spite othe aith that keeps thememotionally afoat, Jeanadmits that Dawson'scondition still overwhelmsher at times. "Sometimesall I can do is cry. But I trynot to let him see me," Jeansays.

I nothing else, one positivething that has come romthis inexplicable situationis the outpouring ocharitable support rom thepeople o Spalding Countyand surrounding areas. Anaccount at United Bankwas opened or anyonewho wishes to depositunds to aid the amilyin their time o need. An

anonymous donor withinthe community donated aminivan to Dawson and hismother or which she saysshe is "extremely grateul."Anyone who would like tomay purchase a "StrikingOut Cancer" t-shirt or wristband by contacting LynnStapleton at 770-630-7616.Dawson's mother wantsto thank all o those whohave helped them in theirtime o need and says thatthey're just as happy toreceive prayers as they aredonations.

6 My 3 - 17, 2012 COMMUNITY

Thursday, May 3; "EarthSongs;" Season ve o GCAends with a celebrationo our earthly home;presented by Grin ChoralArts at Grin First UnitedMethodist Church; 7:30p.m.; For more inormationcall 770-468-3072 or visit

www.grinchoralarts.org.

Friday-Sunday, May 4-6;"The Little Mermaid;"presented by Grin Ballet

Theatre, choreographedby Mitch Flanders; GrinAuditorium; or moreinormation visit www.grinballettheatre.org orcall 770-228-1306.

Saturday, May 5; Grin Fire2nd Annual Cub CampSaety Day presented byGrin Lions Club and

Grin Fire Department; 9a.m. to 2 p.m.; Grin CityPark; ages 6-12; contactCpt. James Clinkscales.

Thursday, May 10; SpaldingCounty Animal ShelterExtended Hours; everysecond and ourth

Thursday until July theshelter will be openuntil 7 p.m. or theadoption o animals;or more inormationor to view adoptableanimals, visit www.spaldingcountyanimal

shelter.com

Saturday, May 12; Mother'sDay at 'stache studio;

Two or one canvas andpainting; visit www.stachestudio.net or moreinormation.

Thursday, May 17; SpaldingCounty Library Book Clubdiscusses Susan Orlean'sRin Tin Tin: The Lie andthe Legend; 6 p.m.; Library

Board Room; All interestedadult readers are invited toattend. Admission is ree.

CALENDAR

Heritage Funeral Home can provide Funeral Services

(Traditional and non-traditional) Military Services for Veterans of all Branches Cremations Services

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We would consider it an honorand a privilege to serve your family

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WANT TO SEE NEWS ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL, BUSINESS, AWARD, OR SPECIAL

EVENT HERE? E-MAIL YOUR PRESS RELEASE TO SUBMISSIONS@THE-GRIP.NET

101 N. Hill StreetM-F 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Caregiverappreciationmessages:

"What would we do i we didn'thave people to care and assistduring times when we can't doourselves" --Betty A. Jones

"My daughter, Debra, takescare o me and has or year. Thedoc's never worry about sendingme home because they knowthat Deb will take excellent careo me. She is all I have. We takecare o each other, we never hadanyone else" -- Tracie

"Lie can bring many trials, butwith God and CAREGIVERS thesetrials are nothing one cannothandle. THANK YOU or beingthere or me during my battle

with cancer. Know I treasureyour love, compassion, andthoughtulness. May we growold together, loving God, others,and each other!" -- Your wie,Beverly Blackmon

"Brian - you were my shouldersthat lited me up when I wasdown. My rock who held mestrong when I was weak. My

joy and happiness that alwayscould make me smile and laughwhen I was sad. You are myeverything. I love you with allmy heart and I thank you orbeing there to take care o meduring a dicult time" -- Lovealways and orever, BarbaraEnright

"Family, riends, even strangersgiving support and hope duringunthinkable dangers. Youwove a saety net to get methrough. Meaningul, heartelt,powerul, never-ending... thankyou!" --Wendy Sanley-Simmons

"I think I've had the very bestcare since I was diagnosed in'07 thanks to Dr. Glen Moreheadand his entire staf. Thank youall so much." -- Jo Greer

These messages and manymore were written by Relayor Lie participants in honoro their caregivers:

Family o local teen with adult cancer takes one day at a time

Relay or Lie celebrates cancer survivors and their caregiversThis year's Relay or Lie,to be held Friday, May 4 atSpalding High School willnot only celebrate cancersurvivors, but also theircaregivers.

Each year, caregivers have

walked their own lap,receiving well-deservedrecognition or the supportgiven to loved ones withcancer. This year, they are

also being honored with"caregiver appreciationmessages" written on cardsand displayed at Relay orLie.

"It's so important to havethat support," said Dana

Helms, cancer survivor andSpalding County Relay orLie coordinator. "I cannotimagine not having somany people around you

oering that. They aretotally, totally... it's justunreal."

This year's Relay or Lie isbigger than ever, with 56teams participating and atotally revamped layout to

accommodate them all.

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gOVerNMeNT & edUCaTION My 3 - 17, 2012 7

SHEILA A. MARSHALLSta Writer; sheila@the-grip.netGrin Judicial CircuitDistrict Attorney ScottBallard is requestingSpalding County ocialsapprove his scal year

2013 budget request o$515,716 an increaseo $85,925 over his 2012budget o $429,791.Ballard is also requestingincreased unds romPike, Upson and Fayettecounties, which altogetherwith Spalding Countycomprise the circuit.A portion o the unds,i approved circuit-wide,will be utilized to hirean additional attorney,Ballard said. This personwould replace an existingassistant district attorney,allowing the seasoned

employee to ocus solelyon Racketeer Infuencedand Corrupt Organizations,or RICO, cases.A RICO case can bebrought against anyorganized criminal activity,Ballard explained. I thinkthats what were going tohave to do to discouragesome people around here

rom criminal activity.We have a lot o issueswith Medicare raud andgambling activity, andIm also interested to seei we can apply RICO tothe metal thet problemwe have. I we can nd a

connection and thats abig i but i we can ndthat connection betweenthe thieves and metalrecyclers, I think we canhit them where it hurts.I would like to be ableto explore any optionavailable to us to stopthese metal thets.He added that metal thets particularly those wherecopper is stolen and HVACsystems are destroyed inthe process are seriouslyharming businesses,churches and residents,alike, not only due to thecosts victims incur, but

because those costs arethen oten passed on bymeans o higher costs orgoods and services.The beauty o this is thathal the net proceeds go tothe government, Ballardsaid. We cant use it orsalaries, but its that muchless that the countieswould have to give us or

other expenses.According to Ballard, therequested increase is alsonecessary to cover anincrease in his employeesinsurance premiums. Hesaid the cost has increased

signicantly and he isseeking the circuitsassistance with those risingcosts.Were asking them tocover all o it because wehave no other way to do it,he said.In addition, Ballard isrequesting a cost o livingincrease or his eachmember o his sta o 33.Our people havent hada cost o living raise inat least our years, heexplained. We arentcomplaining. We realizethat no one is making

more than they use to, butIve not asked and Ive notasked and Ive not askedbut I nally had to ask.Wilson said he andAdministrative ServicesDirector Jinna Garrisonhave not yet made a naldetermination on Ballardsrequest.

No, we have not, but Iwill say that I have askedall departments to comein with a ve to tenpercent cut, he said beoreexplaining the reviewprocess. The way wehandle it is that it comes

beore Jinna and mysel ora recommendation or theboard in May. The countycommission will be doingtheir budget review onMay 16 at 9 a.m.Wilson then stated thatwhile the District AttorneysOce does receive undingrom each county withinthe Grin Judicial Circuit,its budget is predominatelyset by the state, and thatBallards sta is paid by thesame.Once the Board oCommissioners approvesa nal budget, there is no

appeals process, Wilsonsaid.He has to accept what thecounty approves. Its notSpalding Countys sta its the circuits sta andthey receive state benets,he said.

District Attorney Scott Ballard seeks almost 20 percent budget increase

investigation also oundthat i teachers ailedto make the minimum

requisite parental contacts,the students ailing grademust be changed to a 73,which is the lowest C astudent can earn.Ford said she does notknow the names othe teachers allegingproessional misconduct,but that Jones told herour or ve teachershad conceded to havingchanged ailing studentsgrades either becausethey elt intimidated andcoerced into doing so, or inan attempt to avoid whatthey perceived would bea negative conrontationwith Ford.

Not only does Fordcontinue to stronglydeny that she or herparental contact policywas responsible or anygrade that may havebeen changed at KRMS,she also denies rsthandknowledge that anygrades actually have beenchanged.However, she said iGSCSS ocials believeKRMS teachers havechanged students ailinggrades, the individualeducators should be heldaccountable or theiractions, and that i grades

were changed, doingso was each teachersindependent decision.She then cited oneexample o how this isan issue o individualteacher responsibility bydescribing diculties shehas experienced involvingher teachers and InniteCampus, the schoolsystems computer systemthat allows parents to viewtheir childrens academicprogress online.

A lot o times, workingparents dont know whatsgoing on. You wouldhope theyre on top othings, but they arent,she said. You have toconstantly stay on top

o teachers so parentscan see their studentsgrades in Innite. What Imsaying is that even withthe computerized system,there were still teacherswho wouldnt put gradesin.

The result, she said, isthat otentimes, even theteacher would not beaware a student was ailinga class.I had one teacher tellme that she didnt makecontact with a studentsparents because she,hersel, didnt know thechild had a D because she

hadnt been putting thegrades in Innite. Again,to me, Im writing downYou didnt contact theparents on the record.

The child still gets a D,but Im writing down thatyou didnt contact theparents. You see, i Imasking you to provide thedocumentation that youvemade parent contacts, butyou dont have that, then,to keep me rom asking oryour documentation, youchange the grade, is thatcoercion or intimidation?she asked. So again, theentire intent is to involveparents in the educationalprocess o their children,

which is crucial. Now,when it comes to theteachers own children,theyre very concerned, butwhen youre talking aboutsomeone elses child, theykind o pass it o lightly.Ford believes that thisinvestigation beganas retaliation or herinvolvement in the Jonessexual harassment hearingApril 17.Ford said the PSCcomplaint led by Jones

is incorrect in stating thatshe, in a March 30 meetingwith the superintendentand GSCSS Directoro Human ResourcesStephanie Dobbins, stated,I they cant provide the

documentation, thenthey have to changethe gradeThats onthe teacher, not on me,because they haventullled their end.I never told him anythingabout changing grades,Ford said emphatically. Itold him the same thingIve told you i a teacherchanges a grade beore Ican see it in the system,thats on them, not me.Ford also said she cannotwith complete certaintyaddress the letter oreprimand she receivedApril 6.

I didnt read it in detail, butbecause he brought this upabout grades, Im assumingits about that, she said. Italmost seems like a witchhunt.

PRINCIPLE, cont.

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stigma surrounding gettingtested, Lovestuck plans to

sell graphic t-shirts with theLovestuck logo and Cupidon them. "You can raiseawareness just by wearinga shirt," said Flowers. Herhope is that everyone in theGrin-Spalding community(and eventually beyond)will wear the shirts on thesame day; National HIV

Testing Day - June 27.

The money raised throughthe t-shirt undraiser willbe applied to the purchaseo HIV testing. Though theDistrict 4 grant will providesome ree tests, the healthdepartment isn't sure howmany will be provided.

Sponsorships are availableat levels rom $50 and up.

To support this movement,visit www.lovestuck.org.

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