Beauty Pageants

A beauty pageant, with participants competing on the basis of physical beauty, skill, talent, poise or personality, may prove to be a happy or a disappointing experience. To protect against financial risk, Georgia law has specific provisions regulating pageants that charge application or admission fees and that are run by for-profit organizations (O.C.G.A. Sections 10-1-830 through 10-1-838). The law exempts beauty contests run by nonprofit organizations and those where all of the money generated goes to a nonprofit organization.

Operators of for-profit beauty pageants must maintain a sufficient amount of funds to reimburse the contestants if an event is canceled. Georgia law requires either the posting of a $10,000 cash bond, made payable to the Governor, or placement of all contestants’ fees in an escrow account that cannot be accessed until the pageant is over. If a pageant is canceled, the operator must promptly return contestants’ paid entrance fees. However, a contestant who does not appear for the competition is not legally entitled to a refund of the entrance fee.

Before collecting any fees from a contestant, the organizer must provide a letter containing the following:

The operator’s name, address and telephone number;

The name, address and telephone number of the organization or individual conducting the pageant;

The names of the pageants the operator usually promotes;

The name and address of the authorized business representative;

The name, address and telephone number where the contestant’s fees are held;

The name, address and telephone number of the company holding the bond; and

The statement: “The State of Georgia requires bonding or escrow of pageants conducted for the profit of the operators.” The Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs is responsible for enforcing these legal protections and will accept a complaint involving beauty pageants.

Virtue & Beauty

In a visual culture such as ours, it is hard to imagine a world nearly devoid of images of living people. But that was the case in Europe before the fifteenth century when artists devoted themselves almost exclusively to representing saints, biblical figures, and religious scenes. Secular portraiture was limited mainly to likenesses of rulers or images of donors tucked into the corners of altarpieces and other paintings of sacred themes.

In fifteenth-century Florence, portraiture expanded to encompass members of the merchant class, who appear in scores of panel paintings, on medals, and as marble busts. Almost from the outset, this development included women as well as men. Virtue and Beauty focuses on the flowering of female portraiture in Florence from c. 1440 to c. 1540; it also presents several male portraits, Northern European or courtly analogues, and works that relate specifically to Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci, one of only three female portraits painted by the master. The works of art on view illustrate the broad shift that occurred in this period from the profile portrait to the three-quarter or frontal view of the sitter. Over time the portraits of women also became larger in scale, more elaborate, and more communicative with the viewer.

MDS and RUGs Classification System

The RUGs system is an exciting method for understanding and managing health care services for the long term care population. RUGs was developed and tested in Michigan by the Michigan Department of Community Health and the University of Michigan. When used as part of a case mix system of assessment, reassessment and care plan development, this system can effectively manage utilization, cost and quality outcomes.

RUGs III algorithms are used to assign home care recipients into one of seven major case mix categories. These are (from highest to lowest level of acuity): Special Rehabilitation, Extensive Services, Special Care, Clinically Complex, Impaired Cognition, Behavior Problems, and Reduced Physical Functions. A standard assessment and reassessment tool, the Minimum Dataset for Home Care, is used to collect RUGs data for analysis. Managers, providers and citizens are invited to explore this site for the latest on this new system that puts the SOM at the forefront of Long Term Care management.

Executive Furniture

Offers Executive Furniture in the Symphony, Baritone, and Concerto office furniture lines. These furniture lines are scaled to work within the wide range of Federal office environments and administrative space. Credenza bases, desks and credenza upper storage units can be configured to meet any specific office requirement. Double pedestal desks, secretarial desk with return tops allow for “L” and “U” shaped configurations.

These furniture lines include cabinets for telephone, computer and wardrobe requirements. In addition, there are lateral files, bookcases, mobile pedestals, occasional tables, and conference room tables.

FeaturesLighting: Accent down lights are standard with credenza upper bridges.

Pencil Tray: Desk center drawers feature maple hardwood pencil trays.

Drawer Slides: Slides are 100 pound rated, ball bearing slides with full extension.

Filing: File drawers feature adaptable rails for letter and legal filing. Lateral file drawers allow front-to-back vertical filing and side-to-side lateral filing.

Locks: All file drawers have locking mechanisms.

Wire Management: Wire management grommets are located on the sides of desks. In credenza kneehole areas at the top of the modesty panel, a scalloped opening is provided. Kneehole credenzas feature a removable modesty panel for ease of access to wall receptacles.

Greening Your Purchase of Carpet: A Guide for Federal Purchasers

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, or EPP, seeks the overall best value, taking into account price competitiveness, availability, regulatory requirements, performance, and environmental impact. Because purchasers typically have clear sources of information on procurement and regulatory requirements and well-established methods for evaluating price and performance, the US EPA has developed these purchasing guides to help government purchasers consider environmental factors in purchasing decisions. EPA realizes that there are not universal answers for all scenarios and that purchasers must take into account local conditions when weighing the various attributes of a particular product. Please note that EPA is not endorsing any of the products, services, or organizations described in the guides, and has not verified information provided by these organizations. Read more information about the EPP Program's history, tools, and resources.

Air Quality and Carpet Installation

Check to ensure that your new carpet meets indoor air quality standards. Carpet can be a major source of indoor air contamination, although some tests show that carpet is one of the lowest emitters of VOCs among various interior products. The styrene butadiene latex rubber used to adhere face fibers to backing materials and the adhesives used to install carpets generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Carpets also cover large surfaces within an interior environment and can provide "sinks" for the absorption of VOCs from other sources. Carpets should never be installed near entrance doors or areas where moisture and organic matter can contaminate them. Carpet fibers are an excellent medium for dust mites and microbial agents, especially if the carpet becomes wet and cannot be properly dried. If installing carpet with VOCs, make sure that the carpet carries the CRI Indoor Air Quality Carpet Testing Green label. Installing carpets in strict accordance with the Carpet and Rug Institute guidelines as well as additional measures such as requiring suppliers to unroll and air-out carpets in the warehouse before bringing them into the building will minimize the risks of indoor air quality problems resulting from the carpet. Tests indicate that carpet emissions will dissipate within 48 to 72 hours with proper ventilation.

Alternatives to commercial carpets installed in rolls with adhesives containing VOCs include carpet tiles with tackless installation. Carpet tiles allow for the replacement of individual tiles when they are soiled or damaged. Fusion-bonded carpets use heat instead of adhesives to bond the face fiber to the primary backing, thereby reducing VOCs that are introduced into the building by the carpet. A variety of adhesives are included in the CRI Green label program. Water based adhesives are now available (see distributors below).

Rubber-based recycled padding is common and can outgas. Recycled padding from carpet fibers may be more suitable for environmentally sensitive persons. Carpet cushion is tested in the CRI program and a variety of cushion products qualify to carry the CRI Green label.

Crate and Barrel Recalls Shag Rugs Due to Fire Hazard

This recall involves the "Remy" shag rugs with SKU numbers listed below. The rugs are made of cotton jersey. The large rugs measure 5' by 8' and 2.5' by 7'. The small rugs measure 5' round, 2' by 3', 4' by 6'. "Remy" and the SKU number can be found on the back of the product label. The large rugs fail to meet federal standards for flammability and could ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. The small rugs fail to meet federal labeling requirements. Small rugs are not required to meet the federal flammability standard; however, they are required to be permanently labeled with the following statement: "FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION."