770-928-0706 - The Cherokee Ledger-News

LEDGER-NEWS
CHEROKEELIFE
26 THE CHEROKEE LEDGER-NEWS MAY 20, 2009
Engaging Cherokee County’s growing senior population
BY CAROLYN MATHEWS
carolynmathews@ledgernews.com
Cherokee County has several
programs for seniors designed
to improve their quality of life,
and county Senior Services Director
Barbara Dobyne outlined
them for county commissioners
at the April 7 work session.
Dobyne said the county’s senior
services offer social and nutritional
services, as well as assisting
seniors with independent
living and providing caregiver
information and support.
“It’s a real challenge getting the
information about what we offer
seniors out,” said Commission
Chairman Buzz Ahrens.
The county senior center,
based on Univeter Road, operates
out of several satellite locations
around the county. There is
a corps of volunteers who deliver
meals to the elderly, teach
classes and visit with the seniors.
Senior Services Meals on
Wheels program delivers about
200 meals to seniors’ homes daily.
“Volunteers are our key,” she
said. “They save the county multiple
amounts of money. They
are also our eyes and ears.”
The volunteers, Dobyne said,
keep tabs on how people are feeling
and when they might need
help.
The county’s nonprofit Volunteer
Aging Council (VAC) raises
money to support the critical
needs of the elderly in the county,
and can help with medical
and utility expenses and pre-
BY CAROLYN MATHEWS
carolynmathews@ledgernews.com
After serving more than half of
the school year as the ex officio
student member of the Cherokee
County Board of Education,
Creekview senior Ken Hoehn said
he feels student voices are essential
to an effective school board.
Hoehn is this year’s student advisor
to the board, where the position
cycles between the county
high schools.
Hoehn is a member of the first
graduating class at Creekview
this year, and will attend Duke
University on a full scholarship
this fall.
A representative to the school
board is appointed by the designated
high school’s principal
each year.
“Mr. (Bob) Eddy nominated me
for the position,” Hoehn said. “I
think this year I’ve learned the
value of local government; I had
kind of overlooked its importance
because of the emphasis put on
state and national government. I
learned how important school
boards are, and how good ours is.”
Hoehn is a product of Cherokee
County Schools, having attended
Bascomb Elementary, Free Home
Elementary, Macedonia Elementary,
Dean Rusk Middle School,
Creekland Middle School, and
Creekview High School.
Hoehn says his family, moved
once, and growth redistricting
and new schools being built accounted
for the rest of his attendance
at so many of Cherokee’s
CAROLYN MATHEWS | LEDGER-NEWS
Cherokee seniors enjoy daily fellowship at the Univeter Road center. Pictured, from left, front table, are Pauline
Medley, Edith Lovett, Imogene Walker and Stella Lathem; back table, from left, Frances Cornelius, Irene Neighbors,
Callie Pullen, Joyce Evans (volunteer), and Calvin Butler. Standing are volunteers Alta Fox and Sarah Swan.
scription drug costs.
Dobyne said senior services is
storehouse for information relating
to senior living and it also
runs a monthly caregiver education
and support program for
those who are caring for a relative
with Alzheimer’s Disease.
The center has information on
senior housing, Medicare, Medicaid,
Social Security, adult day
care, transportation services,
health care, nursing homes, le-
schools.
He is the son of Michael and
Frances Hoehn.
In high school, Hoehn has participated
in cross country, track,
the academic team, the Beta Club,
the National Honor Society, the
Robotics Club, and the math team.
He is a Boy Scout, currently working
on his Eagle rank. His school
named him “Mr. Grizzly 2008,” the
outstanding student award.
Although he plans to go into biology,
either research or pre-med,
he has an interest in politics and
has served as a Congressional
page and has participated in one
of 6th District Congressman Tom
Price’s Talk Back programs.
Hoehn also was accepted to
Emory, University of Georgia, Oxford
at Emory, Georgia Tech,
Auburn, Brown, Yale, Vanderbilt,
Mercer, and North Georgia College
& State University, where he
was offered a full scholarship.
Hoehn made a statement before
the school board recently, regarding
his service as student advisor.
“Upon being appointed, I was
told of how I was selected by my
school's student government on
rotation with the other four
schools'. Though the student advisory
system allows for greater
student representation, it still
leaves four schools without a
voice for their students at the
school board,” he said.
Hoehn said different schools
are affected by different problems
and have different perspectives,
and its hard for one student to effectively
represent them all.
gal services, in-home services
and financial assistance.
The seniors centers run bingo
and hot meal programs so seniors
can meet and socialize.
Seniors meet at the main location
at 1001 Univeter Road daily
from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m; Ball
Ground Seniors meet at the community
center on Wednesdays
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Bells Ferry
Seniors meet at the Bells Ferry
Senior Center on Thursdays
“ Thus, for more effective student
representation, I am proposing
a reform of the selection
process of the student advisor. I
believe the position should be
made into a more group-oriented
effort – each school should be allowed
to appoint a student representative,
and these representatives
will remain in contact with
one another, perhaps to discuss issues
via e-mail or before meetings.”
Hoehn said while he realizes on
one student can sit with the
board, that person could act as a
spokesperson for the group.
Cherokee County School Board
Chair Janet Read said Ken’s presence
has enhanced the school
board.
“I think his idea is awesome and
it is being considered,” she said.
“He’s a great guy, very bright and
personable.”
Read congratulated Hoehn at
the March 19 meeting for receiving
first place at the state Beta
Club convention and moving on to
national competition, along with
school mate Mandy Goodwin,
who received second place in the
art category, and will also go on to
national competition. Hoehn also
represent Georgia April 20 in the
Southeastern regional finals of
the 2009 Saniofi-Aventis International
BioGENeius Challenge in
Atlanta. His subject was “Phylogenic
Explorations and Analysis
of the Herpes virus Family Reveals
a Suprising Evolutionary
Past and Possibly Disturbing Future.”
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Waleska
seniors meet on Tuesday
from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at the community
center.
Besides meeting to talk and
eat, the participants hear speakers,
learn crafts and go on field
trips and shopping trips.
Seniors at the center are enthusiastic
about the fellowship
it provides.
“I enjoy coming here, everyone
is so friendly. You never meet a
stranger,” said Callie Pullen.
“It’s the nicest group of people
I’ve ever been associated with,”
said Irene Neighbors.
Dobyne said senior services also
offers a homemaker program
that comes in and does basic sanitary
cleaning, as well as a
respite program that gives caregivers
relief about two times a
month.
“It helps with the stress,”
Dobyne said.
Senior services can offer
transportation voucher assistance
so that elderly clients can
get to the doctor, and can do a
case management assessment
that determines what federal,
state and local services seniors
are eligible for.
Staffers who are bilingual can
help the Hispanic population,
she said.
It also provides a program for
grandparents raising grandchildren,
which can help provide for
summer camp.
Dobyne said that although the
senior programs have received
about $12,000 in budget cuts,
they recently received $13,347 in
federal fund re-allocations.
“This will go back into respite
program cuts made earlier and
to meals on wheels,” she said.
“We see aging included in the
federal stimulus funds, and
we’re hoping to be eligible for
some funds, but we don’t know
yet.”
For information, on senior center
services or assistance available
to seniors, call Bobbi Henson
at (770) 345-5320 or Stacy Trout at
(770) 345-5312.
Student BOE member represents peers on board
TOP: Creekview High School student
Kenneth Hoehn sit at the dais
at the Cherokee County Board of
Education meeting where he is a
student advisor to the board.
LEFT: At the state Beta Club Convention
held at the Hyatt Regency
in Atlanta in February, Creekview
High School students competed
against 75 other schools. Kenneth
Hoehn received first- place in the
science category. He is pictured
with Mandy Goodwin, who received
second place in the art category.
Both students are eligible to
compete at the national level in Orlando
in June.