SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. – Three Social Circle police officers – David Kain, Kevin Spivey and Brian Borek – were honored at the city’s Nov. 19 council meeting for their roles in two lifesaving events earlier this year.
Kain was involved in both incidents, one of which involved the administration of the medicine Narcan, which reverses opioid drug overdoses. The second incident involved the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) on a person suffering cardiac arrest.
Borek assisted Kain in the overdose case, and Spivey assisted in the cardiac incident.
In the overdose incident, Kain and Borek’s actions resulted in the victim being conscious and responsive by the time emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene.
In the cardiac arrest incident, at a nursing home in the city, Kain joined nursing home staff in administering CPR to the victim before employing the AED, which resuscitated the victim and kept them stable until emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene.
The incidents involved the police department’s first use of an AED, and its first use of Narcan, Police Chief Jason Guest told the council.
In other action at the Nov. 19 meeting, the council learned that it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in downtown Social Circle, as the city gears up for celebrations that will include its first-ever Christmas parade, set for 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6.
The city’s celebration of the holiday season, kicked off with the annual Christmas tree lighting on Friday (Nov. 22), also will feature a downtown decorating contest as a follow-up to the successful scarecrow decorating contest held recently, according to Amber McKibben, downtown director for the Social Circle Main Street Commission.
Through Dec. 13, visitors to downtown Social Circle can vote online for their favorite storefront decoration, McKibben told the Social Circle City Council at its Nov. 19 voting meeting.
The aim of the decorating contest is to “try to make it look as Hallmark-y as we can downtown,” McKibben said, a reference to the numerous Christmas-themed movies on television’s Hallmark Channel. The movies routinely feature small-town downtown areas decorated lavishly for the season.
Regarding the parade, McKibben told the council that there are 27 entries in the event, which she called “an incredible response.” In fact, McKibben said at the council meeting, the Social Circle Main Street Commission was receiving inquiries about entering the parade after the entry deadline had passed.
In other Nov. 19 business, the city council heard from Kristen Dyer, manager of the city’s W.H. Stanton Memorial Library, on the ramping up of library programming.
Dyer said the library has boosted its programming for adult and senior patrons, with programs including a book club, and a club for people interested in stitching arts.
“A lot of them are on their own now,” Dyer said of the library’s older patrons, “and they just need an outlet.”
Special programming for young children has included a “stuffed animal sleepover,” which Dyer said “has been a great hit.” Beyond that, the library has targeted older children with programs involving “manga,” graphic novels and comics originating from Japan that are popular with young people in this country.
According to Dyer, the W.H. Stanton Memorial Library has attracted patrons from outside Social Circle, and at least some of the facility’s users have been making donations to library programming, including craft material for youngsters.
Dyer also said that the library’s newsletter circulation has increased dramatically, now approaching 200 people.
“We’ve been really blessed with our patrons,” Dyer told the council, as she invited them to visit the library. “Have some fun with us,” Dyer urged. “Come meet us.”
Also on Nov. 19, the council was introduced to the city’s new finance director, Toni Jo Howard. Prior to coming to Social Circle, Howard had worked with the cities of Johns Creek, Norcross, Sandy Springs and Tucker.
In other Nov. 19 business, the city awarded a $67,550 contract for installing natural gas mains through the Weslyn Park subdivision on Alcova Road to Winder-based Southern Pipeline, Inc., the low bidder for the work.
The council also approved a $4,549 annual expenditure with MetLife to cover the cost of state-mandated insurance coverage for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Additionally at the Nov. 19 meeting, the council disbanded the city’s cemetery committee. The committee’s membership has dwindled, and much of its work is handled by the city’s public works personnel.
