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The Paper | Thursday, February 20, 2014
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jackson County Community Outreach helps to enrich educational experiences with support TO THE EDITOR AND THE COMMUNITY: On behalf of the members and the external advisory committee of the Jackson County Community Outreach (JCCO), we sincerely appreciate the ongoing support of the Jackson County community for our 2013 community civic activities. Without the prayers, support and vocal encouragement of all sectors – governmental, faith, business, educational, veteran and civic service groups plus private citizens, our work during the past 15 years would not have been possible and successful. We were able to award $14,500 to 14 graduates at Honors Day in May 2013, bringing our 15-year total to $116,000 in scholarships. Of course, these funds were raised primarily from our annual achievement award banquets. We certainly wish to thank those businesses citizens who supported our various other fundraisers, used to support our discretionary operating budget. Our 15th annual achievement award banquet held Dec. 14, 2013, at the Jefferson Civic Center was well attended with 325 present and was an overwhelming, inspirational success. We are very appreciative to our keynote speaker, the Honorable Michael L. Thurmond, superintendent of the DeKalb County School District, for his inspirational, encouraging and “to the point” message. We all have to agree that Mr. Thurmond has had a great record of public service to the people of Georgia. Our thanks also go to Mr. Lee Bryan, president of TenCate Geosynthetics, America, who served as honorary banquet chairman, and Gina Roy, who was mistress of ceremonies. We are indebted to Commissioner Bruce Yates, BOC vice chairman, for his welcome message and Mr. Brooks Benton of Jefferson for his great musical renditions. Last but not least we thank the Rev. Julius Mack, pastor of Bush River Baptist Church, for his devotional service. We are proud and appreciate to all of our achievement award recipients for their service and contributions to our county community; they deserve our accolades. Our county is a great place to live and it is because of those who give tireless service above and beyond. Our 2013 banquet theme, 15 Years of Continuous Community Service” was designed to call attention to the value and need for volunteer service in Jackson County. The JCCO is thankful and proud of our servant opportunity. The JCCO organization looks forward to greater service opportunities in 2014 and beyond and we solicit continuous community support of our work. We have gained two new members in 2013 and 2014 and new members and non-member volunteers are welcomed to assist in our objectives. We are blessed to have many longtime, faithful, dedicated members who share the vision. Our 2014 scholarship award information will be announced and distributed to the high schools and GED centers within the next two
weeks by Mary Dixon, JCCO scholarship committee chairwoman. For further information regarding the JCCO program, contact me at 706-335-3367 or JCCO secretary Anita Brown-Jackson at 706-367-8234. Again, thanks and may God continue to bless our county and our country. Jim Scott, president Jackson County Community Outreach
More foster parents are needed in the Jackson County area TO THE EDITOR AND THE COMMUNITY: Why is there a need for foster parents in Jackson County? • There are more than 870,000 cases of abuse documented each year in the U.S. • More than 1,250 children in the U.S. will die each year as the direct result of identifiable abuse or neglect. • The majority of child abuse and neglect deaths are children under 5 years old. • Nine out of ten abusers are the child’s own parents/ guardian. • One out of four girls and one out of five to seven boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18. • Between 80 percent and 90 percent of our prison population reports being victims of abuse. From Child Maltreatment 2004, Administration for Children and Families, Washington, DC, and Talking About Touching, Committee for Children, Seattle. Every child needs a safe home. The word foster means to help someone grow and develop. The Georgia Department of Human Services Division of Family and Children Services is responsible for assuring that children are safe from abuse and neglect. When a decision is made that it is not safe for a child to remain in his or her home, the child is removed and placed in Foster Care. Foster care is a temporary home for the children while DFCS works with the child’s caregivers to eliminate or minimize the safety issues or finds a permanent safe home for the child. The benefits of becoming a foster parent are many. Most Foster Parents will tell you the most important reason is knowing you have made a difference in the life of a child. In Jackson County, our Foster homes are currently full and unable to accept any more children. Therefore, any new children coming into foster care have to be placed outside the county. Removing a child from their family has a traumatic effect and when you add to that removing them from their community, school, and friends, the effect is much worse. Please consider opening your heart and your home to a child in need of a temporary safe place. For more information, visit the Department of Family and Children’s Services website at dfcs.dhs.georgia. gov/foster-care or call 1-877210-KIDS. Helen King CASA Volunteer
Chamber’s STAR and TOTY reception is Feb. 24 The annual STAR and Teacher of the Year reception sponsored by the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24, at the Commerce campus of Lanier Technical College. The STAR Student and Teacher and Teacher of the
Year reception will spotlight honorees from Commerce City Schools, Jackson County Schools and Jefferson City Schools. Everyone is welcome but registration is required. Email mbritt@jacksoncountyga.com for sponsorship information.
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SCIENCE FAIR Continued from 3B
external water source and a means of maintaining a constant temperature and humidity without having to open the incubator door and exposing the eggs. She enlisted the help of her parents, Tonya and Dennis Dorsey, their financial support; she knew the project would be costly. “They have always been very supportive of my ‘Chicken Projects.’ I would also like to thank them for the use of the garage for months on end, because I am in desperate need of a laboratory,” said Dorsey. “I would also like to thank Ms. Amy Bell for her constant encouragement. Most of all I would like to thank Mr. Scott Miller, of All-Temp Heating and Air, for his labor intensive work.” The work began Aug. 29 with a brainstorm of ideas which resulted in locating an old commercial ice machine bin that would work. She experimented with heart sources and settled on a 400-watt 120-volt heating element that is consistent with a heating element in a convection oven. After doing some research online, she found a reptile fogger that would be used in a terrarium could be adapted to control not only the humidity but the heat as well. The hygrotherm has a sensor that controls the heat and the humidity inside the unit. An egg turner was also incorporated into the incubator so the lid would not have to be opened except to place the eggs inside on day one. A two-day test maintained a temperature of 100 degrees and a humidity of 60 percent so her test began
For The Paper
At All-Temp Heating and Air in Winder, Alanna Dorsey got help from Scott Miller with the metal fabrication which was needed for the incubator’s design. She placed the fertilized eggs into the egg turner and got ready to wait until chicks began pecking at the shells. See more at ClickThePaper.com
with35 fertilized eggs going into the incubator for 21 days. “I am happy to say that I had a hatch rate of over 90 percent (33 of 35 eggs hatched). I know this is a small sample; however, there was not enough time, and truly it was not the best time of the year to be hatching eggs,” said Dorsey in her report. “I will conduct a more indepth test during the spring of 2014.” She also hopes to try hatching quail and duck eggs. The construction of the incubator was approximately a three-month project, and the experiment was an additional 24 days for the experiment.
She plans additional experiments but “I am cautious to hatch too many eggs because I have limited space for housing.” Once the eggs hatched, they were placed in an appropriate chicken coop located on the Dorsey family land. “We already have several chickens, and they will be placed with the others. The chickens will be used as egg producers,” said Dorsey. “They will be cared for accordingly, and if at any time medical treatment is needed, Dr. Linda Rentfrow of Braselton Animal Hospital, will administer to their needs.”