West Georgia Woman Magazine March 2021

Woman

Complimentary

March 2021

West Georgia TM

Nellie Dunaway Duke

A Champion for Women

Bullying in the Workplace

Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring

The Disastrous Effects of Parental Alienation 1

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Nellie Dunaway Duke is a Champion for Women.

Page 10 Photo by Zachary Dailey

What’s inside...

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A Champion for Women

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Bullies in the Workplace

22

Year of the Woman

36

The Devastating Effects of Parental Alienation

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Spring Forward!

42

What's Your Poison?

In Every Issue:

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26

Daily Fare

38

Local Happenings

29

Womentality

44

Kids Korner

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Prepare for Everything Although we haven't had a bad winter at all, I keep wondering if we will have any serious cold weather this year.

My brother, William, who lives in Houston, Texas, spent almost an entire week without power and water after the ice storm hit his state last month. I'm hoping we won't get that kind of weather this year in Georgia!

However, his situation did have me thinking that no matter where you live, it's always best to be prepared for anything.

COVID-19 certainly has taught us that over the last year, and most recently, with Houston's unprecedented icy weather, you never know what might happen next.

In This Issue Our feature this month is Nellie Dunaway Duke. This women's activist, athlete and social justice warrior will celebrate her 90th birthday on International Women's Day, March 8. Learn more about Nellie and her lifelong passion for empowering women on page 10.

Spring is almost here, and that means it's time to start working on the garden. On page 25, learn how to get your flower and vegetable gardens ready so they'll produce Photo by Zachary Dailey all summer long.

Have you been bullied at work by snarky coworkers? I think most of us have at some point in our lives. Sandra Bolan shows us how to constructively nip those bullies in the bud on page 32.

In 2020, 39 percent of marriages ended in divorce, and for many couples, children were involved. No matter how it’s handled, divorce is tough on kids. On page 36, learn how you can keep the kids out of it so they can have a happy, healthy relationship with both their parents.

National Poison Prevention week is March 21 to 27 this year. Every day, over 300 children in the United States ages 0 to 19 are treated in an emergency department, and two children die, as a result of being poisoned, according to the CDC. It’s not just chemicals that can be dangerous to children. Regular items you use every day in your home, such as medicines and household cleaners, can also be poisonous to children. On page 42, learn about common child poisonings that doctors are calling the "Granny Syndrome," and learn how you can keep the children you love safe from poisons in your home.

Thank you for reading West Georgia Woman magazine! Please continue to do business with our community partners included in our publication. Without them, we could not provide you with this beautiful magazine each month. Be sure to pick up our lovely Bridal Guide this month, or you can view the guide at www.westgeorgiawoman.com. While you're there, sign up for our free digital issue and become a West Georgia Woman magazine insider.

See you next month!

Publisher

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Finding our voice. Knowing our value.

Making a difference.

TM

West Georgia Woman is a voice for and about the women who live and work in West Georgia.

Our mission is to engage, inspire, and cultivate a cohesive community for all women in West Georgia by sharing our hopes, our dreams and our lives.

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West Georgia Woman Magazine P.O. Box 2782 Carrollton, GA 30112

Volume 6 • Issue 5 March 2021

This publication is dedicated in loving memory of Tristan Alexander Brooks May 15, 1993 – September 17, 2015

Angela Dailey angela@westgeorgiawoman.com

Copy Editor Editorial Contributor

Shala Hainer shala@westgeorgiawoman.com

Photographer for cover Zachary Dailey

Editorial Contributors

Sandra Bolan, Jordan Coffman, and Rose Isaacs

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By Sandra Bolan and Shala Hainer Photos by Zachary Dailey 10

A Champion for Women

Activist, Athlete and Social Justice Warrior Nellie Dunaway Duke Celebrates 90th Birthday on International Women's Day 11

W

hen you’re born on the 20th anniversary of International Women’s Day to laborunion-organizing parents, you know you’re destined to shake up the women’s movement.

Born in 1931 in her grandparents’ Cave Springs farmhouse to Jack, a pipe/steam fitter, and textile worker mother Emily, Nellie Dunaway Duke was destined to be a trailblazer for women’s rights. She watched her mother spend decades searching for ways to make workplaces better, and Nellie knew she must continue the work her mother began, focusing on empowering and opening doors for women.

While working for a textile company in Rome, Nellie’s mother Emily was instrumental in establishing its labor union. Her father, Jack, did the same thing for pipe/steam fitters. Emily’s employers didn’t always support her efforts. At the textile factory, her employers decided to halt Emily’s influence toward growing a labor union by promoting her to a management position because managers weren’t allowed to be part of the union.

Emily didn’t let that stop her. She took the position and stayed with the company for 40 years, during which Emily continued to support the union Nellie Dunaway Duke will turn 90 years old on International Women's Day, March 8.

– just quietly behind the scenes. Everyone living in the mill town was like family, so people who had problems with upper management would come to her mother and ask for help.

“She stood up for whoever she felt she should, even if it was to her disadvantage,” Nellie explains.

Nellie’s mom continued to search for other ways to make work life better and easier for the women in the textile factory. During World War II, when women had to join the workforce because men – including Nellie’s father – were fighting overseas, Emily saw a problem and created a solution.

Women couldn’t work effectively if they had no childcare, and Emily realized an organized daycare option was essential. She worked to help establish the first-ever daycare and after-school program, drafting Nellie and Nellie’s sister Charlotte to work there every day. Nellie was in 4th grade, about 9 years old. Her sister was three years younger, but they provided extra sets of hands, helping babysit the younger children of the working women.

Six decades later, as a member of the Georgia Commission on Women, Nellie continued to work at the state level to provide free and affordable daycare, specifically pre-K, to Georgia families.

The average cost of childcare for a 4-year-old in Georgia is $609 per month in 2020, according to ProCare Solutions. That’s $7,308 per year. With the U.S. Census Bureau reporting the median 2019 income of $31,067, the average childcare cost hits 24 percent of that gross median income, putting it out of reach for many Georgia families. Nellie understands that when free 4-year-old pre-K is available, these families suddenly have a better chance to become financially stable.

Building Women’s Sports Men’s professional sports have been around for more than a century. The first professional male basketball league formed in 1898. In comparison, the Women’s Professional Basketball League started in 1978.

Nellie found a love of sports – both as an athlete in women’s sports and a spectator for men’s sports – as a teenager. The Mill School Nellie and her sister attended didn’t have a girls’ basketball team, and the school only went through 10th grade, so the sisters transferred to the town’s Girl’s High School for Nellie’s 10th and 11th-grade years. That’s where Nellie became a standout baller.

After graduating high school at age 16, Nellie played guard for a semi-pro women’s basketball

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She was a guard and running guard. “I could do everything in those positions, ” she says. That included shooting, running, dribbling and playing both ends of the court.

Nellie also competed on the swim team and softball team as a pitcher. She played every sport that was available to women in her area at the time.

Decades later, Nellie helped promote the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream team and the professional soccer club the Atlanta Beat. She worked tirelessly to gain sponsors and additional media attention to ensure the hard-working athletes received the recognition they deserved.

Atlanta Dream’s first season was 2008, and they are still thrilling the Georgia fans. Atlanta Beat started in the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2001, but the league folded in 2003. The team came back in 2008 under the Women’s Professional Soccer, but that league also folded in 2012.

In 2009, she received the Woman of Inspiration award from the Atlanta Dream. “The Atlanta Dream award was just wonderful,” recalls Nellie. “It was a

fulfillment of a dream, no pun intended. Sometimes you do something all your life and don’t get recognized, so for them to do that in that big a place was a big honor.”

Nellie received the award pre-game at what is now State Farm Arena. She spoke to the team pre-game and joked with them, “If you all get behind after the first quarter, I’m coming in.” She was 79 at the time.

Nellie’s determination to participate in sports was no surprise to people who knew her as a teenager.

Back in high school, Nellie wanted to go to the boys’ football games but could only do so as a cheerleader. Joining the squad was much more challenging than doing a backhand-spring.

Cheerleaders were elected onto the squad. Being new to Girl’s High School, Nellie had few friends and allies to help get her voted onto the team. She was also from the mill town, which brought with it a less than favorable stereotype.

But that didn’t dissuade Nellie. She figured out that by campaigning for votes from the freshmen and sophomores, who were also not a part of the “establishment” and who, ironically, outnumbered juniors and seniors, she could pile up the votes. In fact, Nellie ended up with more votes than any of the other cheerleaders.

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“Don’t cozy up to the powerful and elite, concentrate on those who will care, those who understand and appreciate being included,” Nellie writes in her book, Poems Prayers Projects & Presentations.

alcohol. To this day, Nellie has never had a taste of alcohol, despite the many years of Henry’s basement winemaking.

Gary recalls a story his parents often told about when Nellie and Henry went to buy their first home in Summerville, Ga. It was the mid-1950s, and Nellie went with Henry to sign the closing papers. After Everlasting Love Henry signed them, Nellie stepped up to do the Nellie quit playing basketball because on Dec. same, but was summarily told they did not need her 6, 1948, she met the love of her life – 21-year-old signature.

Henry Duke.

“She didn’t take it too well,” adds Gary.

Nellie and Henry were set up on a blind date by a After battling Alzheimer’s disease, Henry died in mutual friend, Jane Wagoner. When Henry knocked 2016. The couple was married for 66 years, 1 month on her door, Nellie recalls her dog Duchess, a little and 11 days. “Woowee, he was a good man to put Boston terrier, jumped up to greet him with a big up with me,” recalls Nellie with sadness in her voice. kiss – something she never did before. “I thought, “I miss him so much I keep his picture here by my ‘He must be all right if my dog likes him,’” she says. bed.”

Nellie and Henry, along with Jane and her date, Henry worked for the railroad. Between 1950 and Tom, went to the DeSoto Theatre to watch a movie, 1964, they moved 22 times before finally putting then to Roy’s Little Drive-In. down permanent roots in Carrollton. Nellie doesn’t Nellie thought the recall every small town date went fine, but she they lived in, but she found out, much later, knows they were all that Henry told Tom, along the rail line and “That’s the girl I’m going included Whitesburg, to marry.”

Chattanooga, Rossville, Nellie says if she knew Summerville and Rome – that way back when, “I more than once. would have played a Adding stress to each lot harder to get.” The move was the fact they couple married four had to pack up their months later. children as well. Between Nellie and Henry’s 1950 and 1960, they relationship was unique had five children: Gary, for its time. Women Carol, Kenneth, Alan and Nellie's locket holds a photo of Nellie and her late husband, forging their own path Henry. Nellie had the locket sealed with their photos inside, and Michael. was not commonplace Gary says growing she wears it faithfully. back in the 1950s. But up with a strong female Henry was her staunchest mother affected the supporter. “If he hadn’t been, we would have had a way he saw the world. “Gender lines were blurred problem,” she laughs. growing up,” explains Gary.

She was dominant and assertive, while he was Gary, now 70, was drafted into the Vietnam War in quiet and “stayed out of her way,” according to her 1971. As part of his enlistment, men were tested to oldest child Gary. determine where their skills would be best utilized.

Nellie also knew to stay out of Henry’s way, Gary was given two choices: becoming a helicopter especially when it came to his wine making. Nellie pilot or an operating room technician. He chose discovered his hobby one day quite by accident operating room technician and worked in a 1,000after going down to their home’s basement. For bed hospital in Germany. months, Henry had been secretly testing homemade When he came home, Gary went to the University wine recipes. of Alabama where he majored in nursing. At the Henry kept it a secret in part because at the time, the late 1970s, the nursing field was roughly age of 19, Nellie took a pledge with the Women’s 10 percent men. Unlike women, including Nellie, Christian Temperance Union to never consume who tried to break down barriers in male-dominated

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fields and met with resistance, Gary felt nothing but welcomed into the female-dominated field. He retired two years ago, after three years as director of emergency services at the Atlanta Medical Center’s trauma center. He also spent 14 years at Tanner Health System.

Growing up, Gary says the kids never really knew how big a deal their mother was because, despite being busy with meetings and events, Nellie always attended their school activities and games.

She held several jobs, including one at the American Cancer Society from 1970 to 1982, but typically, she didn’t earn a salary from any of her advocacy work. “I didn’t want a salary. I didn’t want to be tied to any one government entity,” she says.

Fighting for Equal Rights In the 1960s, while going through some state law journals, Nellie discovered a common footnote, which read: “The above does not apply to women, idiots and children.”

She decided that footnote had to go.

In the 1990s, Nellie spoke to a group at Fort Benning, representing the Georgia Commission on Women as their chairperson. Nellie told the

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crowd, “Now, I have nothing against idiots and I love children, but I was incensed at the implications of those frequently found footnotes. That is what propelled me into the women’s movement, where I’ve remained ever since.”

In the 1970s, Nellie became the area coordinator for ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) Georgia.

“The ERA is needed to prevent a rollback of women’s rights by conservative/reactionary political votes and to promote laws and court decisions that fairly take into account women’s, as well as, men’s experience,” according to the ERA’s website.

Starting in 1923, the ERA was introduced into Congress by lawmakers. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that it gained traction. In 1972, the amendment was overwhelmingly passed, with bipartisan support, by both chambers of Congress. Now, it was up to each state to ratify it within seven years. Georgia has yet to ratify the ERA. Her call to arms for Georgia women is this: “We don’t need to back off now.”

Walk the Talk “If you want anything done, you better get out there and do it,” says Nellie. And she means it.

Over the course of many decades, Nellie has founded a number of organizations with the goal of not only improving women’s rights but also the lives of other marginalized people – the poor and visible minorities.

Some of those organizations include the West Georgia Women’s Forum; Stopping Violence Where We Live; Carroll County Veterans Memorial Park; and the Carroll Association for the Prevention of Sexual Assault, now known as the West Georgia PARC. She was the founding chairperson of the Georgia Women’s Institute in 2006. The organization’s mission is to bring women together to support leadership and education, develop and disseminate research as well as provide information, training and advocacy to support core issues for women and families in Georgia.

In 1992, Nellie served as a charter member of the Georgia Commission on Women, which was created to make life better for the women in the state and their families. One of the initiatives Nellie was instrumental in spearheading was the legal guide Women and The Law: A Guide to Women’s Legal Rights in Georgia. It was published in 1997.

Long before Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, there was the Commission’s Childhood Health and Overweight initiative, spearheaded by

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runway model and lawyer. She died last year at age Nellie. The program was created to get junk food 98. out of the schools and replaced with healthier options.

Osteoporosis and educating women on bone Crossing the Aisle health became another important aspect of the Commission. Part of that initiative was the S.O.S. Nellie is one of those people who, despite being (Stop Osteoporosis Special) train that ran from a staunch Democrat, has no problem walking across Chattanooga to Summerville, with stops along the aisle if it will help one of her projects. “She’s the way where women could receive osteoporosis respected and maybe feared (by Republicans) screenings. because of her influence and persistence,” says In 2003, days prior to the train’s departure, thenGary.

Governor Sonny Perdue approved changing the She also has a very special form of persuasion: Georgia state flag. Many people believed Gov. Nellie's Jellies.

Perdue would be on the train. But it was Lt. Gov. Nellie first started making jams and jellies as Mark Taylor who was actually on the train. Nellie presents for friends. Then they became thank you recalls seeing the train being followed by people gifts for those working in the State Capitol. She with rebel and KKK flags flying from their vehicles. didn’t care if you were Republican or Democrat, you When she and Mr. Taylor got off the train in got a jar.

Summerville to walk over to the park, they were Nellie recalls that when she was made an followed by one of those flag-flying men. Nellie Honorary Senator in 2008, she stayed up all night recalls how she abruptly turned around and told the making strawberry preserves for the staff. She had man, “I’ve had enough. You’ve overdone it. Now friends bring them to the Capitol the next day. The leave.” He did, according to Nellie, and without friends initially only handed them out to Democrats, any lunch the Homemakers Club provided the train but when Nellie found out, she made sure the passengers.

Republicans also Nellie says got their jars. she took Despite their inspiration parents’ political from many leanings, Nellie women during and Henry’s her lifetime children were of advocacy raised to be work. Frances independent Perkins was thinkers, an American according to workers’ rights Gary. Which advocate who means, not became U.S. everyone is a Secretary of Democrat.

Labor in the “We try 1930s. She was not to discuss also the first it much,” he female and first laughs. “I often A Christmas family photo with Nellie, seated, her husband Henry and their five LGBT person wonder how children: Gary, Carol, Kenneth, Alan and Michael. to serve in the in the world it Cabinet. happened.”

Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was an With no money for college from their parents, the advocate for expanded roles in the workplace for kids had to find their own paths, along with ways to women and the civil rights of African Americans as pay for them. And they did. well as those of Asian Americans.

As well as being a veteran and trauma nurse, Gary More recently, it was another Emily, in addition owned and operated Carrollton’s Sunnyside Café for to Nellie’s mother, who Nellie found inspiration in – a few years. He closed it during the recession as the Emily Bourne Grigsby. She was a pilot, opera singer, economy made it virtually impossible to operate.

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Carol worked in the clothing industry, raised a family and is an active volunteer at Carrollton’s Trinka Davis Veterans Village Clinic. Kenneth followed in his father’s footsteps and worked for the railroad. He

retired in 2015.

Alan joined the military, serving at Fort McPherson, where he received a medal for bravery.

He is now a fact checker for various news outlets.

Michael, also now retired from the military, held two terms as the Sergeant of the Guard of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. He now works for the state department.

Nellie’s family has grown to include seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Awards and Accolades On May 10, 2018, the University of West Georgia presented Nellie with an honorary doctorate degree. UWG holds an annual Nellie Duke Leadership Conference, and the Georgia Woman of the Year Committee gives out a Nellie Dunaway Duke Scholarship to a deserving Georgia woman each year. Inset: Just a few of the awards Nellie has received for her work as an advocate for women and underserved families.

Nellie has received numerous awards throughout her career as an advocate for women and underserved families

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in Georgia. Some of those more than 100 awards include: Georgia Legislature’s 25 Women for the 25th Century; the GCW Magnolia Leadership award; Darton College’s Living A Life Worth award; and Turner Broadcasting Company’s Super 17 award.

In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for her lifetime of achievements from the University of West Georgia. In 2012, Nellie was named to the Georgia Democratic Woman’s Hall of Fame. Many of her actual awards have been donated to the University of West Georgia’s special collections department.

Nellie most recently earned the Rita Jackson Samuels Founders award, which was given out during this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in January. Nellie is a long-standing member of the NAACP. “I’m accepted by the people who are different than me,” Nellie says of the award’s significance. She also admits she never saw a person of color until she went to the Girl’s High School.

There are also honors named in recognition of Nellie: Georgia Woman of the Year Committee's Nellie Dunaway Duke Scholarship (established in 2006), and the University of West Georgia’s Nellie Duke Leadership Conference is held annually.

Nellie has also served on the board of 12

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organizations, including the ones she founded: Stopping Violence Where We Live; Carroll County Veterans Memorial Park; and the Carroll Association for Prevention of Sexual Assault.

Four years ago, Nellie decided it was time to retire and let the younger generation of women continue fighting for equality and representation.

“I’m definitely retired. You know what that means?

You get new tires, mostly in a new direction,” she says.

Two years ago, Nellie moved out of her family home and into an independent living apartment.

Nellie turns 90 this month, but she has no big birthday plans beyond having some cake.

How would Nellie like to be remembered?

Definitely as an activist, but she admits with a laugh, her legacy will likely be Nellie’s Jellies. WGW

To send birthday wishes to Nellie Dunaway Duke or to reach out to her regarding this article, mail them to: Ms. Nellie Duke c/o West Georgia Woman Magazine PO Box 2782 Carrollton, Ga. 30112 21

Year of the Woman

22

Celebrating International Women's Day

By Sandra Bolan

W

omen have a lot to celebrate this year.

Regardless of which side you're on regarding the recent presidential election, for the first time in American history, a woman has been elected to the position of vice-president.

Kamala Harris broke through another glass ceiling by being a woman of color.

The United Nations has marked 2021 as the year of “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.” The purpose is to celebrate the efforts of all females around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the pandemic.

Women are disproportionately at the forefront of the pandemic as healthcare workers, caregivers, teachers and community organizers.

While part of the country may have voted in a female as vice-president, sadly, domestic violence against women has increased during the pandemic.

Women have also been disproportionately effected in the workplace with higher unemployment and poverty rates.

International Women's Day International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on

March 8 every year. International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, according to the IWD website. IWD is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity and fundraise for femalefocused charities.

The 2021 campaign theme and hashtag chosen for IWD is #ChooseToChallenge. “A challenged world is an alert world," says the IWD website. "Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge."

Supporting Women So, how can you support women, not only on the official day of celebration, but throughout the year?

• Shop at women-owned businesses. Shop locally as much as you can with female

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business owners • Watch womenand with male centric movies. In 2016, business owners 7 percent of movie who encourage directors of the 250 and support highest grossing films The first International Women’s Day was women in the were women. In the celebrated, not on March 8, but on February 28 in community. same year, 32 percent 1909.

Numerous of speaking roles were The day was designated as a way to honor the studies have given to women. Movies 1908 garment worker’s strike in New York City. shown that small, to consider watching The garment workers, most of whom were Jewish independently include: Hidden Figures, women, worked in the shirtwaist factories and local businesses Lady Bird, 13th, Certain protested against their working conditions. reinvest in the Women, The Babadook, IWD was moved to March 8 in 1917 to coincide local economy at The Bling Ring and with the women’s movement during the 1917 a much higher rate Russian Revolution. Over the years, more countries Wonder Woman. than the larger • Celebrate female started to commemorate IWD on that date. In chains. For every authors. Agatha Christie 1975, the United Nations officially recognized $100 spent at an is second only to March 8 as International Women's Day. independently William Shakespeare as Even though it’s International Women’s Day, it’s owned business, the best-selling fiction important to not exclude men. There are many $68 stays in author of all-time. Other men who champion women, but there are also the community, women in the top 10 those who still repress and disregard women’s according to Amy list include: Barbara value in society. Take this March 8th to educate Hartzler, director Cartland, Danielle Steel, others on the value of women. of communications Enid Blyton and J.K. for the Business Rowling. On the 2020 Alliance for Local Living Economies, a Amazon best sellers’ list, nine of the top 20 nonprofit that works toward building stronger books of all genres were authored by women. local economies. That’s more than twice the While women are wildly popular writers, amount that chains reinvest. If you have to unfortunately, they don’t get the same amount order that must-have item from a big online of reviews as their male counterparts. The latest data from 2015 reveals that less than store, check out the company – who founded 20 percent of books reviewed by the New it? What is its mission statement? Even if it’s York Times Review of Books were written not female-owned, is it committed to paying by women. Other literary reviewers were no equally and offering equal opportunities to better – Harper (30 percent), the Atlantic women?

(29 percent) and the London Shop locally as much as you can Review of Books (22 percent).

In an effort to help raise girls with female business owners into strong women, parents can and with male business owners read books with female-centric characters, as well as ones who encourage and support written by women. Harriet the women in the community.

Spy, Anne of Green Gables, The Tombs of Atuan and any book

by Judy Blume.

• Create an all female music playlist. Compile a list of epic female singers to blast during your next workouts. Spotify has done the work for you and has curated its own International Women's Day playlist. WGW

The History of International Women's Day

24

Spring Forward Getting Your Garden Ready for Spring

By Sandra Bolan

T

he grass is brown and dormant, while the flower gardens are barren patches of dirt.

Spring, with its lush green lawns and colorful flowers can’t come soon enough.

To maximize grass and garden growth in the spring, it’s important to do a few things now.

Clean the Grounds Pull the weeds. Believe it or not, while your lawn went to sleep for the winter, the weeds kept growing, and right now they’re the only green in your lawn.

Pull them early, while the ground is soft, as this will make it much easier to get the root out and prevent regrowth.

Fill the bare spots with compost then re-seed the lawn and fertilize.

When the ground is soft is also a good time to aerate the lawn. A soft ground also enables better aeration, which enables the lawn to breathe and grow stronger roots.

You may have left some flowering shrubs, such as hydrangeas, with dead flowers on the stems.

Deadhead/cut them before they start to bud.

Inspect trees and shrubs for winter damage. Prune off any broken or dead branches.

Get rid of your perennial flowers’ dead leaves by cutting them back to roughly 2 inches above the ground. By trimming and pruning, you’re enabling more new, robust growth.

Rake all the leaves that have magically accumulated on your lawn or in the garden, despite you not having any trees on your property.

A small amount of leaves can be left on the ground and used as mulch, but when there’s too much, pests can burrow in the leaves and cause more damage.

Once the grounds have been cleared and fertilized, apply weed killer.

Plantings If you’re going to divide your perennials, now is the time to do it.

Roughly every two to three years perennials should be split so it frees up space in the garden for optimal growth.

It’s also a cost-effective way to add flowers elsewhere on your property.

Dig out the plant you want to split. Carefully separate the roots, then replant the split plants in their new locations. Give the new plants lots of water.

If you wait too long and blooms are already coming out, split them in the early fall.

New Plantings Once the last frost has occurred, which is around April 11 in West Georgia, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, you can start planting your flowers and vegetable starters.

However, you don’t need to wait until April to begin your vegetable garden. You can start growing some vegetables indoors such as carrots, kale, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes and zucchinis from seeds.

Indoor seedlings give crops a head-start and an opportunity to grow in a stable, controlled environment. Start seedlings six to eight weeks before the final frost.

A couple of weeks before that last frost, potted and bareroot perennials can be planted outside.

Once the last frost has past, summer blooming, non-hearty bulbs, along with bulb plants such as dahlias and gladiolas can be planted so they’re ready to bloom all summer long.

Getting a head start on your lawn, as well as your flower and vegetable gardens, will ensure a bountiful harvest long into the summer. WGW

25

Daily Fare With

e s o R f e h C

Photos by Zachary Dailey

26

Chef Rose Isaacs is a native of Carroll County and lives in Carrollton with her husband Shawn and their son, Sebastian.

She graduated from West Georgia Technical College in 2013 with a degree in Culinary Arts.

After graduation, she began her career as a chef at the Carrollton Kroger Marketplace where she works in the bistro.

"

This is a wonderful and quick no-heat dish that is great as a side dish or for snacking.

"

Marinated Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Mozzarella Ingredients

Preparation

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic.

Gently toss mushrooms, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil into vinegar mixture.

Cover and chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 4 to 6.

1/3 cup olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved 1 (8-ounce) package fresh mushrooms, halved 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cherry size 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

27

Avocado Alfredo Pasta "

You won't even miss the milk in this creamy green Alfredo – perfect for a festive and different St. Patrick's Day dish.

"

Ingredients

Preparation

12 ounces fettuccini, cooked, reserving pasta water

In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, garlic, lemon juice, heavy cream and parmesan.

Season with salt and pepper and 1 1/4 cup pasta water.

In a large skillet, toss the pasta with the sauce and heat until warmed through, adding 1/4 cup more pasta water if needed.

Serve topped with more parmesan cheese.

Serves 4. WGW

2 avocados, pitted and scooped 2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving Kosher salt

28 Freshly ground black pepper

Womentality

Inspiring quotes by extraordinary women “No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.”

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“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”

– Ruth Stout

“The beautif ul spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

– Harriet Ann Jacobs

“If you’ve never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.”

– Audra Foveo

“The first real day of spring is like the first time a boy holds your hand. A flood of skin-tingling warmth consumes you, and everything shines with a fresh, colorful glow, making you forget that anything as cold and harsh as winter ever existed.”

– Richelle E. Goodrich

29

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Bullies in the Workplace

32

Dealing with Snarky Coworkers

By Sandra Bolan

N

inety-six percent of professionals have felt bullied at work, with 71 percent feeling bullied by a boss and 25 percent dealing with toxic co-workers, according to a 2018 study conducted by Top Resume.

Some bullies are passive aggressive, and will say things such as, “You look good for your age,” or, "That's an interesting choice for an outfit." Ouch.

Some bullies are just downright mean, rude and don't bother trying to hide their feelings about you.

Verbal smackdowns, sarcasm, condescending remarks and sometimes ignoring that you even exist can be, sadly, a regular part of the workplace. The schoolyard bully has grown up to be the workplace bully.

As adults we are, thankfully, better equipped to handle the smackdowns and have evolved beyond “I’m rubber, you’re glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”

The first thing you have to do is realize the condescension is not about you and your capabilities, it's about making the verbal abuser feel good about themselves.

This means no matter how difficult it is to do, try your best to hold your tongue and don’t play into the provocation. If you react by showing emotion on your face, shrinking down in your chair, getting angry or even crying, you’re playing right into her hand and giving the office bully exactly what she wants.

Slinging insults back and forth is not only unprofessional, it also provides the bully with more ammunition to call out your instability and overly emotional behavior. So don’t do it.

Examples of Workplace Bullying • Sabotaging your work • Gossiping and spreading lies or rumors about someone • Repeated criticism • Keeping a record of the mistakes of coworkers • Stealing credit for a team project • Throwing coworkers under the bus and removing herself of any blame when projects go wrong • Refusing to share information or sharing incorrect information with coworkers • Changing work guidelines • Giving someone less or more work than others • Creating an impossible schedule to adhere to with no concern for work/life balance

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• Disparaging you or your work to the boss when you've done nothing wrong • Belittling you while the two of you are alone together, or in front of other coworkers

How to Constructively React If you feel the need to fight back, there are ways to do so that won’t make you look like an idiot.

• Count to 10. Take a deep breath, then smile and say, “Thank you, I’ll take that under advisement.” There is nothing more disarming to a verbally hostile person than replying calmly and with a smile.

• Call out the behavior. In a calm and professional manner, reply with, “That comment sounded a bit condescending. Can you please drop the attitude and let’s get back to work?”

• Take a time out. To avoid saying something you’ll regret, respond with,”When you’re ready to talk to me in a less condescending tone, I’ll be at my desk.” Don't storm out of the room.

Leave calmly.

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No one should have to work with people who undermine their contributions to the company with cutting remarks.

• Change the topic. Don’t acknowledge the comment and return to the work at hand.

• Read the employee handbook for policies on bullying. Most companies have clear rules in place regarding bullying and the penalties for contributing to a negative work environment.

• Document the bullying behavior. If you don't document the behavior, it didn't happen, and it will be very hard to prove to your human resources department if you don't have facts and details to back up your claims. Write down each bullying incident, along with the time, date and other significant details, as well as the names of any witnesses.

If you’re sitting on the sidelines watching the verbal sparring, counter the negative attack with a positive comment about the person being insulted.

This let’s the verbal assaulter know she can’t bully another person without consequence.

Something else other coworkers who witness the behavior can do is to not play along just to be a part of the group or kiss up to the offender. Silence can send a powerful message.

It’s not an excuse, but before you react, think about the verbal assailant’s background. Try to focus on the context of what is being said and on the tone.

No one should have to work with people who undermine their contributions to the company with cutting remarks. Don’t let the negative comments influence how you feel about yourself, the work you do or the day you’re going to have.

There's no room for bullies in the workplace. If the situation gets out of hand or you feel threatened, consider going to your company’s human resources department to file a formal complaint. WGW

35

Leave the kids out of it

By Sandra Bolan

W

The Devastating Effects of Parental Alienation

hen couples vow to remain married to their partner for better or worse, they truly mean it, at the time.

However, in 2020, 39 percent of marriages ended in divorce. For many couples, children were involved. No matter how it’s handled, divorce is tough on kids.

The ultimate goal is for parents to shield their children from their own conflicts, co-parent and raise happy, healthy kids who know they are loved.

There are, however, some parents who just can’t get over the end of their relationship and use their children as weapons. One example is asking a child to choose who they want to live with. In extreme cases, one parent manipulates or “programs” the child to hate the other parent. The alienating parent is unable to compartmentalize the couple’s conflict and fails to put the needs of the child first. They instead put their need for revenge first.

This is known as parental alienation, and it can be catastrophic to the emotional development of children. Parental alienation, according to experts, is a form of emotional child abuse.

Psychiatrist Richard Gardner developed the concept of "parental alienation syndrome" in Who should you trust with your Auto, Home, Life & Commercial insurance?

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1993, defining it as "...a disorder that arises primarily in the context of child custody disputes.

Its primary manifestation is the child's campaign of denigration against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a programming (brainwashing) parent's indoctrinations and the child's own contributions to the vilification of the target parent," according to Dr. Edward Kruk, associate professor of social work at the University of British Columbia.

The gender of the alienator, the parent who fosters the hate against the other parent, can just as likely be male or female. However, it may be easier for the female to become the alienator as they tend to be the majority of custodial parents.

Sometimes the father is more financially successful, and he may have more financial resources to create a divide between child and mother by tempting the child with gifts and trips. At other times, the father may be paying so much child support to the custodial mother that he can barely live, not even having enough money to do anything at all with the children.

"A parent who would teach a child to hate or fear the other parent represents a grave and persistent danger to the mental and emotional health of that child," says Dr. Kruk. "Alienated children are no less damaged than other child victims of extreme conflict, such as child soldiers and other abducted children, who identify with their tormentors to avoid pain and maintain a relationship with them, however abusive that relationship may be."

How Alienation Happens It starts simply enough with the alienating parent criticizing the other parent, in front of or directly to, the child. Although custodial parents can’t legally prohibit the child and other parent from their visits,

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Honoring the Customs and Traditions of the Communities Where We Live and Serve. the alienating parent may manipulate the child into cancelling by saying the other parent is too busy or uninterested in visiting.

The alienating parent may also refuse to bend a little on the custody agreement. For example, it’s mom’s birthday during dad’s weekend, but he refuses to let the child be with mom on that day.

Some custodial parents willfully ignore custody court orders, costing the noncustodial parent thousands of dollars in legal fees (if he can afford to take her to court) and months, or even years, of lost time with the children. All of these actions eventually lead to resentment and hurt the children.

Symptoms The sad reality is that children have no idea they are being programmed to hate the other parent.

The child claims their criticisms of the target parent are all their own. However, the verbiage they use is very adult in nature. Children also recount situations, again in adult words, that aren’t the child’s actual memories but they’ve heard it so many times, they believe it’s true.

As the rejection of the parent takes place, the child may start to refuse to visit or communicate with the target parent. This takes place no matter how close and loving the child/parent relationship was

prior to the divorce.

Children in parental alienation situations suffer long-term effects, in particular self-hatred. As the child internalizes the hatred of the alienated parent, they believe the parent never loved or wanted them.

Other life-long effects on the child can include loneliness, eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, low self-esteem, lack of impulse control, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, as well as educational dysfunction, including being disruptive in school.

Children also learn how to manipulate people to get what they want. As the child gets older and realizes what has happened, she may feel guilty, anxious or depressed over her role in the destruction of the child/parent relationship.

Children who grow up in a parental alienation situation may become adult alienators themselves.

Parental alienation stems from anger, hurt, jealousy, sadness and other negative emotions related to the former spouse that the custodial parent is unable to compartmentalize.

No matter the relationship between the parents, the well-being of the children needs to be prioritized over all else. Children should not be used as pawns or weapons against the other parent.

Children of divorce need their parents in their lives and should be allowed to maintain strong and healthy relationships with both parents. WGW

37

Local Happenings

Due to our country's current health situation, please call or email the organizations included in our local events section to inquire about in-person meetings.

West Georgia Mental Health Professionals Wellness Meetup Group

This group meets the last Saturday of every month in Douglasville or Austell. For more information, contact Cheryl at theheartmatters@gmail.com or 678.754.5840.

Learn more at www.heartmatterswellness.com.

Hope For The Journey This group meets the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the board room at the Tracy Stallings Community Center at 118 South White St. in Carrollton.

These events are free to breast cancer survivors or those currently battling breast cancer.

Learn more at www.hopeforthejourneywestga.org, email execdirector@hopeforthejourneywestga.org or call 770.214.1491.

Rare Pearls Mentoring and Leadership Program Rare Pearls mission is to enrich and empower the

38

lives of young girls and women. This group meets the third Saturday of each month at Heritage Baptist Church in Douglasville, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

This program is open to all girls ages 7 to 17.

For more information, call 770.947.8210, email rarepearls2015@gmail.com or visit the website at www.rarepearlsmentoringandleadership.org.

Nursing From The Heart Breastfeeding Support Group This group meets the third Monday of each month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 500 Old Bremen Road in Carrollton.

These events are free to pregnant women and moms looking for breastfeeding support. Free weight checks for your baby will be available. Come and share your breastfeeding journey with us.

Please check our website for meeting and event updates at www.nursingfromtheheart.com.

Gertrude's House Breast Cancer Support Group This group meets the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Lithia Springs Family Chiropractic

at 1758 Lee Rd. in Lithia Springs.

This group is open to all survivors, caregivers, supporters, friends, family and those fighting breast cancer.

Visit their Facebook page @GertrudesHouse or email them at GertrudesHouse@yahoo.com.

Domestic Abuse Support Group There is Hope is a support group for women survivors who have dealt with, or are currently dealing with domestic abuse. Through There is Hope, women will come together and share their personal journey, while listening to others share theirs as well.

There will be guidance for help and resources available at each meeting. Meetings are free to the public.

Group meetings will be held at Tanner on Robinson, 115 Robinson Ave, Carrollton, Ga. every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Contact hopefulone807@ gmail.com for more information.

Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group Has your life been impacted by the loss of a friend or loved one to suicide? You are not alone. These groups offer peer support for anyone who has been affected by suicide loss. There is no cost to attend.

Group meetings in Carrollton are the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. at 306A Bradley Street.

For more information, contact Ivey Rollins at iveyrollins@ gmail.com or call 470.729.0909. Group meetings in Douglasville are the second Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 6167 Priestley Mill Rd., Room 226. For more information contact Terri Johnson at chose2live@aol.com or 770.765.2181.

Mayor Betty Cason. “We’re so excited to open this spur, which will mean greater access to exercise, health services and the shopping, dining and events of downtown for our citizens and visitors.”

This is the first section of trail spur that has been constructed since the completion of the primary GreenBelt loop in 2017. It intersects the main loop near Southwire’s corporate headquarters, runs through the Tanner Health System campus and finishes at Lucille Avenue, adjacent to the Stewart House. Three property owners donated easements for the trail spur: the Miles family, the Stewart House and Tanner Health System. Carl Owens Construction built the spur in just over five months. Georgia and West, Inc., completed the design plans with assistance from the PATH Foundation.

“We’re committed to being a destination for health,” said Loy Howard, president and CEO of Tanner Health System. “We’re not just a place to go when you’re sick, but a place to go to achieve and maintain wellness. That’s why we’ve been so invested in making this project a reality. I’m sure it will be a welcome addition for all our patients and neighbors.”

Howard said he also hopes the spur will help Tanner’s employees with their wellness goals.

“I’m looking forward to seeing staff walking downtown for lunch, or using the GreenBelt after work,” said Howard. “We should be role models for our community – practice what we preach.”

The project included the construction of approximately 2,400 linear feet of trail and a 30foot bridge, adding to the 1,000 feet of the spur that was constructed along Dixie Street by Tanner during the construction of their Health Pavilion.

The city received a Recreational Trails Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for $200,000 to assist with the construction of this spur.

Total project cost was approximately $650,000. For more information on the GreenBelt, call 770.830.2000.

Greenbelt Spur Completed from Tanner to Downtown A ribbon-cutting ceremony in February marked the opening of the first trail spur connecting the main route of the Carrollton GreenBelt to downtown.

“The GreenBelt is a Carrollton treasure,” says

Left to right: President and CEO of Tanner Health System, Loy Howard, City of Carrollton Mayor Betty Cason and Ward 4 (SW) City Councilmember Bob Uglum participated in a ribbon cutton in February for the opening of the first trail spur connecting the main route of the Carrollton GreenBelt to downtown.

Photo courtesy of Tanner Health System.

39

Tourism Brought $183 Million to Carroll County in 2019 Visitors to Carroll County generated $183.89 million in direct, domestic traveler expenditures in 2019, 3.6 percent more than in the previous year, the Carrollton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Feb. 11, 2021.

According to the annual U.S. Travel Association study, made available through the Georgia Department of Economic Development, visitors to Carroll County and its cities were also responsible for $12.73 million in state and local tax revenues in 2019. Each household in the county would need to be taxed an additional $304 per year to replace taxes generated by tourism activity. The tourism industry supported more than 1,491 jobs and created $35.75 million in payroll in the county in 2019.

“Tourism brings revenue, jobs and tax relief,” says Jonathan Dorsey, the visitors bureau’s director.

“You don’t have to work in the industry to feel the benefits of tourism.”

Dorsey says the unique mix of attractions, events,

lodging, dining and recreational opportunities in and around Carrollton draws visitors from all over Georgia, from out-of-state and internationally.

Tourism spending locally has grown year to year for more than a decade.

According to the report, visitors to the Northwest Georgia Travel Region spent the most on food service, followed in order by automobile transportation, retail, lodging and entertainment and recreation.

“These record-breaking figures from 2019, when Georgia’s tourism generated $68.96 billion in economic impact and supported more than 484,000 jobs, demonstrate the enormous impact the tourism industry has on our economy,” says Mark Jaronski, deputy commissioner for tourism at the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Travel has been important to economic recovery after past recessions. As the state’s tourism office, our goal is to not only rebuild Georgia’s tourism industry back to where it was in 2019, but also beyond by working with our partners statewide to ensure that Georgia is positioned better than ever before across a very competitive, global tourism marketplace.”

For questions concerning the Carrollton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, please call Jonathan Dorsey at 770.214.9746.

Artist Guild Brings Creative Perspectives Exhibit to Center for the Arts

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The Carrollton Artist Guild’s Creative Perspectives and Play exhibit, opened February 18 at the Center for the Arts, encourages artists and patrons to expand their worldview through the exploration of different subjects and new media.

The show runs through March 25 and features selected works from guild members in a variety of themes and media. Works included in this exhibit were selected by a guest judge.

“This annual exhibition is a highlight of the gallery season,” Arts Superintendent Tim Chapman says.

“Showcasing the work of fellow artists illustrates how our local artists continue to improve and evolve as artisans.”

In conjunction with the exhibit, the center will host two Gallery Play workshops on March 20, designed to enhance a participant’s understanding of art shown in the center’s galleries: Gallery Play: Group Collaboration and Trade 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Ages: 8 to 12 $10 (all materials included) Participants are paired with other artists to make shared artwork pieces.

Gallery Play: Group Collaboration and Trade for Teens and Adults Ages and Times: 13 to 17, 12 to 2 p.m.; 18 to Adult, 3 to 5 p.m. $15 (all materials included) Portrait drawing with a twist: shared portraits using mixed-drawing media.

Go to www.carrolltonarts.com or call the center at 770.838.1083 to register.

For questions concerning this exhibition or the Carrollton Center for the Arts, please call Tim Chapman, Arts Superintendent at 770.838.1083.

Carrollton Making Progress Clearing Blighted Properties

Carrollton has offered demolition services to citizens with dilapidated structures on their property since 2014. The city will demolish and remove a structure for free, while the property owner keeps title to the land. A reappraisal of the post-demolition property usually reduces the landowner’s taxes.

The mayor and council passed the Ordinance for Unsafe Buildings in 2016, which codified the demolition policy and added a process the city can use to remove blighted structures when the property owner can’t be found or doesn’t want to do anything about structures that have been deemed unsafe.

Cason and the council have made blighted property mitigation a city priority.

“This process is a valuable tool we can use to make our neighborhoods healthier and happier,” Councilmember Brett Ledbetter says.

Staff from several city departments, including Codes Enforcement, Planning and Zoning, the city attorney, Public Works, Community Development and others, review a list of blighted properties each week. The list comes from a variety of sources like police officers, neighbors and property owners.

City departments conduct property inspections (including for asbestos), make public notice postings and track down property owners and their heirs.

If the property owner accepts demolition, Public Works demolishes the structure. If a property owner declines demolition and fails to initiate a mitigation plan within 12 months, the city can choose to repair, alter, close or demolish the structure. The process can take anywhere from two to six months.

The city has demolished 56 structures since 2014, 19 since January of 2020, seven of those in 2021. ”The neighbors are happier, the police are happier with fewer places for illicit activities, the area is healthier not being a home for rats and snakes and pests,” says Mayor Cason. “Overall, it’s been a very positive experience.”

Citizens who are interested in this service should contact the Engineering Department at 770.830.2000 to schedule an on-site inspection to determine if a structure is blighted.

The City of Carrollton continues to improve the appearance, property values and health of its neighborhoods by removing dilapidated, dangerous and unsightly buildings.

“Blighted structures are a burden on property owners, the surrounding neighborhood and on the city itself,” says Mayor Betty Cason. “Repairing or demolishing them creates a better environment for our residents.”

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What's Your

Poison?

Preventing Accidental Poisonings in the Home

P

oisonings are the leading cause of unintentional death in the United States.The most common of accidental poisonings is drug overdoses, followed by drug/chemical ingestion, then exposure to environmental substances.

March 21 to 27 is National Poison Prevention Week. Every day, over 300 children in the United States ages 0 to 19 are treated in an emergency department, and two children die, as a result of being poisoned, according to the CDC. It’s not just chemicals that can be dangerous to children.

Regular items you use every day in your home, such as medicines and household cleaners, can also be poisonous to children.

Unsupervised medication ingestions and medication dosing mistakes are the most common ways that children are poisoned. Very small children are naturally curious, and they will often try to drink or eat anything they come across.

Grandparents' medications account for 10 to 20 percent of unintentional pediatric intoxications in the United States, according to a scientific study for The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

Doctors have started calling this the Granny Syndrome.

In the study, 45 percent of the poisoning cases involved child resistant containers, and 55 percent of the cases involved containers that were not child resistant. The average age of the child was a little over 18 months, the average age of the grandparent

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By Sandra Bolan

was 58 and most medications had been placed on tables or countertops (46 percent), low shelves (29 percent) or in the grandmothers' purses (17 percent).

Ninety percent of poisonings occur in the home with practically every room containing hazardous material. The most dangerous rooms are the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom.

Hidden Hazards Cleaning products with warning labels all over the packaging aren’t the only items in the home that can be toxic. Alcohol, the type we drink as well as the form found in numerous other products, can be harmful when ingested. This includes mouthwash, hand sanitizer, perfume, cologne and food extracts such as vanilla and almond.

Batteries, in particular the tiny flat ones found in hearing aids, watches and key fobs, are often swallowed by children. More than 2,800 kids are treated annually in the ER for swallowing batteries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

When a battery comes in contact with a person’s bodily fluids, a current is generated that produces small amounts of sodium hydroxide, or lye. Serious tissue damage can occur in less than two hours.

Contact your local ER if you suspect someone has swallowed any type of battery.

The rise in vaping/liquid nicotine has led to an increase in related poisonings. They can also occur by either ingesting too much nicotine or by having it spill onto the skin. Symptoms, from either form of exposure include vomiting, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, dizziness, headache and extreme fatigue. Seek immediate medical attention.

Thankfully, there are ways you can help prevent poisonings and keep the children you love safe.

Prevention • Only use products as directed and for their intended purposes. Do not sanitize your fruit and vegetables with Lysol.

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www.DollarHeatingandAir.com • Keep all products in their original containers.

• When using a particularly odorous cleaning product, open the windows.

• Be aware that pre-moistened mopping pads can be toxic to animals. Some of them contain bleach, ammonia, chlorine, glycol ethers or formaldehyde, all of which are toxic to dogs and cats. If you have pets, consider all-natural, non-toxic cleaners.

• Don't mix chemicals. Bleach is cheap and effective, but don’t mix it with other cleaners.

Adding ammonia to bleach, for example, creates chloramine – a toxic gas. Bleach and hydrogen peroxide create an explosive gas.

• Pods. Laundry and dishwasher pods can be deadly. They’re so colorful, they’re a magnet for children. It’s safer to use powder or liquid detergents.

• Childproof your home. Laundry rooms, along with cabinets throughout the home, should be secured with a child-proof lock. But don’t assume a child won’t be able to open it. All chemical-based products, medications, alcohol and nicotine products should be stored on a high shelf that can't be reached by children.

Keep the Poison Control Centers’ phone number

Find us on

(800.222.1222) in your phone and on your fridge, along with contact information for your doctor and the local emergency room.

Treatment If someone has swallowed something poisonous: • Call 911 or poison control immediately • Read the product label for treatment • If possible, get the person to spit out the item or any remaining liquid that’s in their mouth • Do not make the person vomit unless instructed to do so by poison control or a medical professional.

• If the poisoning is on the skin, remove the clothing around the area, rinse the skin with lukewarm water and call for medical assistance.

• If a toxic liquid has splashed into the eye, flush the eye with water by pouring a steady stream of warm water into the corner of the effected eye. Call 911 for further assistance.

Always read product labels before purchasing, and when possible, use natural cleaning products to reduce the chances of accidental poisonings. Always take medications as directed. WGW

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Kids Korner

By Jordan Coffman Photos by Zachary Dailey

Pot O'Gold Twirler

W

elcome spring and St. Patrick's Day with this super cute Pot O' Gold Twirler and these beautiful butterfly clips.

These crafts are simple, easy and a snap to make, even for small children.

Always supervise small children around a hot glue gun.

Materials 1 paper plate Black and yellow construction paper Paint in rainbow colors Paint brush Scissors Hot glue gun and glue sticks School glue stick Instructions Paint a rainbow on the paper plate and allow to dry.

Cut a pot-shape out of the black construction paper.

Cut the gold out of the yellow construction paper.

Using the school glue stick, glue the gold to the top of the pot.

Starting on the outside of the plate, cut the plate into a spiral.

Using the hot glue gun, glue the paper plate twirler to the back of the pot of gold.

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Beautiful Butterflies Materials Clothespins Blue and purple pipe stems Hot glue gun and glue sticks Blue paint Yellow paint Paintbrush Magnet (Optional)

Instructions Paint one clothespin blue and one yellow.

Twist the pipe stems to make the wings.

Hot glue the pipe stem wings to the back of the clothespins.

Decorate butterfly face as desired.

If you'd like to put these on your refrigerator, hot glue a magnet to the back of the clothespins. WGW

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Happy St. Patrick's Day Word Search

Word Bank

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Ireland Lucky Magical Storytelling Rainbow Irish Green Bagpipes Folklore Parade Irishman Blarney Stone Fanciful Imagination Gold Pint Saint Patrick Brogue Jolly Dancing

Word search created at puzzle-maker.com

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