Welcome and

Congratulations to our

New Hires and Promotions for August 2023, as well as our Retirees for September 2023

Please click the link below to view the City of Columbus Resource List.

Hello all,

It’s important to keep your beneficiary designations current! When you first began working with the Columbus Consolidated Government, you filled out beneficiary information as part of the “new hire” process. As time passes, individual circumstances do change. Keeping each beneficiary designation updated is important because it determines how your final wishes are carried out.

You should consider updating beneficiary designations if you:

Designated a beneficiary who is now deceased or who has experienced a name change

Changed your marital status

Designated an individual that you no longer wish to have designated as a beneficiary

Wish to add a beneficiary

Be sure a beneficiary is named on any of the below; if applicable.

Basic Life

Voluntary Life

Pension

Last Pay

If you FORGOT your password to sign on to BSwift ( www.columbusga.bswift.com ), please contact NFP at 844-505-9158 to reset.

NFP can also make beneficiary changes, if needed.



Click the link below to views instructions:

Click the link below to view

Fire & EMS news and past events !

Columbus Fire and EMS conducted the following Training:

• Incident Safety Officer Class - August 22 – 24, 2023
• NPQ Pup Operator – August 21- 25, 2023
• Dive Class and Rope Training – August 29 – 31, 2023
• NPQ Fire Officer -1 – August 28 – 31, 2023

Click the link below to view Columbus Parks & Recreation programs and events for the month of September!

City-Wide Book Drive to Collect 1,500 Books for Community Book Nooks

Columbus Family Connection, Literacy Alliance, and the Community Reinvestment Department for the City of Columbus, will be hosting a city-wide book drive from August 14th through September 14th, at various locations throughout the city.

Since 2022, Literacy Alliance, an organization with a mission to increase literacy levels in the Chattahoochee Valley, has implemented five Community Book Nooks around the Chattahoochee Valley, to increase access to books and educational resources. The Book Nooks are supported by Community Reinvestment CDBG funds.

Drop-off locations for books are as follows:

• Columbus City Hall – 1111 1st Avenue (information desk)
• Literacy Alliance – 1830 Shepherd Drive
• Government Center Tower – 100 10th Street (security entrance)
• Columbus Civic Center – 400 4th Street (ticket office)
• CCG Public Works Building – 601 11th Avenue
• CCG Annex – 420 10th Street
• Valley Healthcare – 1600 Fort Benning Road
• Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce – 118 W 11th Street
• City Service Center – 3111 Citizens Way (information desk)



If you would like to donate but unable to make it to a drop-off location, please contact

The Director of Family Connection,

Zoe’ Hightower at 706-225-3126, to coordinate another method of donating.

Local Mini Market coming in Fall 2023! Support your local community and celebrate the start of fall with your family and friends! Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 23, 2023! From 10a-5p the day will be filled with Local Artists, Farmer's Market, Boutiques, Antiques, Live Music will start at noon! This event is FREE to the public! Fall family fun with over 70 vendors!

The Local Mini Market is designed to support all of our amazing local businesses in Columbus, Georgia. 

Evans City Surplus Auction October 1^st thru 7^th, parking lot D at the Columbus Civic Center

Let’s Get Spooky!

Columbus Civic Center in partnership with Columbus River Dragons, Columbus Lions and Foundry FC announce the first annual Spookfest Saturday, October 14th 6 PM – 11 PM at Columbus Civic Center Amphitheater. Halloween fans of all ages are encouraged to come out for a night of fun



The festival will include:

• Trick or Treating
• Games
• Facepainting
• Arts & Crafts
• Costume Contests
• Food Trucks
• Scary Films

The double feature spooky films will take place on Columbus Civic Center’s lawn located behind the civic center adjacent to the amphitheater. Guests are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the films.

•  Hotel Transylvania at 6 PM
• Nightmare on Elm Street at 8 PM

For more information please contact:

Josaland Hardwick, Columbus Civic Center

hardwick.josaland@columbusga.org

706-225-4871

Greater Columbus Fair October 19^th - 29^th 

Calling all local businesses, civic organizations, churches, volunteer groups, sororities, fraternities, and fraternal organizations.

Are you ready for Spooktacular 2023?

This year we will be hosting Spooktacular at Lakebottom Park and would love to have you join us. The event will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2023, 11 AM – 1 PM on 17th Street between 18th Avenue and Cherokee Avenue.

We are looking forward to another great year. In the past years, we have seen an average attendance of about 3,000 – 5,000 children, and we are hoping to have more this year. Now this is where you come in. Does your organization love giving back and supporting the youth and families in our community? Are you looking for a new way to share your company/ business name but aren’t sure how? Please come join us this year for a family-friendly event that is sure to be lots of fun. We are looking for organizations willing to bring candy or other treats to hand out to the children in attendance. A space will be provided for your group, and we would love it if you could do an activity in that space i.e., pumpkin bowling, go fish, face painting, hair decorating, etc. Please bring your own tent, tables, and chairs. Feel free to decorate your space in your own Fall or Halloween way and costumes are a plus if you feel inclined to come out in disguise.

For more information please contact:

Janet Langan, Columbus Parks, and Recreation 706-225-4638, JLangan@columbusga.org

Click the link below to view the Free & Discounted City Services!

Tickets at Work – For free access to 20-60% off on movies, hotels, theme parks & attractions, shows, concerts, sporting events, retail and more, create an account at https://www.ticketsatwork.com/tickets/

How to get started: Visit the link, become a member, enter company code, or work email address to create an account



Use Our Company Code: COLGA

and start saving on:

• Work From Home Essentials

• Streaming Services: Disney+, Showtime and more

• Entertainment: Attractions, Shows, Sporting Events, and Concerts.

• Hotels and rental cars

• Sam’s Club Memberships – over 40% off

• Education & Enrichment: Language Learning, Audiobooks and more

• Health & Wellness

• Financial Services

• Insurance, Home Security and Protection Services

• Food & Wine

• Online Shopping: Walmart, Walgreens, Macy’s



• Financial Services

• Pet Supplies

• Home Office: Electronics, Laptops and more

• And so much more!

Labor day Facts:

• The first celebrated US Labor Day was on Tuesday, September 5, 1882 in New York City, planned by the Central Labor Union

• 10,000 workers marched from City Hall all the way to 42nd Street and then met with their families in Wendel’s Elm Park for a picnic, concert, and speeches

• Canada is said to have originated the idea of hosting a day honoring the labor movement. In 1872, they held a “Nine-Hour Movement” to show support for striking workers.

• The decision to make Labor Day the first Monday of September was approved on June 28, 1894.

• Labor Day started as a part of the labor union movement, to recognize the contributions of men and women in the US workforce, but modernly is seen as a chance to celebrate the last weekend of summer.

• Oregon was the first state to celebrate Labor Day as a legal holiday in 1887.

Test your nutritional IQ with a quick quiz

1. Butter has more calories than margarine.

• True
• False

2. Sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ oil are the best sources of Vitamin E?

• True
• False

3. All calories beyond what the body needs is stored as fat.

• True
• False

4. A slice of toast has fewer calories than a slice of bread.

• True
• False

5. Fats are fats; all types of fat are equally bad for you.

• True
• False

6. All the foods in the same food groups have the same serving size.

• True
• False

7. Lentils are a good source of protein.

• True
• False

8. Exercise can help you to lose weight by decreasing your appetite.

• True
• False

9. The way food is prepared and cooked makes a difference in how many calories it has.

• True
• False

10. If you eat enough calories, you are sure to get enough vitamins and minerals.

• True
• False

Answers:



1.False, 2. True, 3. False, 4. False, 5. False, 6. False, 7. True, 8. True, 9. True, 10. False

September Seasonal Produce Guide

Tomatoes

Apples

Grapes

Green Bean

Figs

Eggplant

Tomatillos

Applesauce Spice Cake

Green Chile Cornbread

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Microwave Fig Jam