Thumbs Up! June 19, 2017

With one member absent, the Dougherty County Board of Education voted last week, unanimously, on a very important position within the school system. With Athletic Director Johnny Seabrooks retiring at the end of this month, the hole he leaves will immediately be filled by Lea Henry. No novice, Henry has played or worked in the sports world for many years. She spent 16 years as head women’s basketball coach at Georgia Southwestern where her team set a school record with eight consecutive winning seasons. From there, Henry coached the women’s team at Darton State College and served as interim director of athletics. Most recently, she has served as the associate athletics director and game management for Albany State University. Henry grew up here and has, in addition to athletic leadership skills, a vested interest in this community and its student athletes. Welcome aboard, Henry, and to Seabrooks, enjoy your well-deserved retirement.

The Phoebe Family Medicine Residency Program has welcomed seven new residents to its three-year program. As the new physicians continue their education through the residency program, Southwest Georgia will reap the benefits of their presence. With an eye set on retaining 60 percent of the residency graduates within 60 miles of Albany, the benefits will continue for Southwest Georgia beyond just three years. Thus far, the program has met and exceeded that goal with 70 percent of its graduates practicing with a 100-mile radius of Phoebe. Welcome, residents, and feel free to make this your home.

January’s stormy weather is in the past for many of those affected. Thousands of trees have been removed and reduced to mulch. Every day tarps are removed from rooftops. The widespread property damage will undoubtedly take many more months to repair. But, if the roof leaks, it is obvious. When a tree falls on the car, it cannot be driven. It is, however, the people that lived through the storm(s) that may take a bit longer to recover. Aspire Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services, through the Georgia Recovery program, can help. Dealing with such issues as stress to depression to anxiety or difficulty sleeping can often be too much for an individual to handle alone. If not addressed, the issues can become long-term problems. Albany is very fortunate to have the services of Aspire and Georgia Recovery just a phone call, (229) 430-4140, away.

Men from an array of professions volunteered last week to participate in the third annual “Ties that Bind” luncheon. Sponsored by the Phoebe Network of Trust School Health Program, 50 boys, primarily from homes with no father figure, from elementary, middle and high schools very given the opportunity to spend time with positive male role models. Col. James C. Carroll III, Commanding Officer for the Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, offered words of inspiration. The men in attendance each brought a necktie from his own wardrobe to share with a boy. In addition to the personal gift came a lesson on how to properly tie a tie, something most had never been shown. To each man that gave of his time to show boys there are ways other than what they see on television or movies or even in the neighborhood, thank you for caring enough to be there.