By David Shivers

A lot of DoCo Kiwanians, and other county residents as well, hold fond memories of summer days spent at the old Radium Springs casino and club, a landmark that fell into disuse and was eventually torn down following the devastating floods of 1994 and 1998.

Dougherty County Commission chair Jeff Sinyard had a vision of bringing the former local treasure back to life for public use, a goal was realized in a July 12 grand-opening ceremony. At a recent meeting, Kiwanis Club of Dougherty County members were given a look at how Dougherty County and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have been – and are continuing – partnering to restore the luster to this former crown jewel of area attractions.

Dougherty County Assistant Director of Public Works Chuck Mathis and newly-appointed operations manager Justin Powell brought a photo slide presentation to illustrate what has been accomplished in restoring various facets of the once-grand site in southeast Albany.

Radium Springs Gardens, said Mathis, “is a project we’re excited about.” He added that officials wanted to keep intact and revitalize the historic aspects of the former club. Work started in October 2008, following a plan developed by architect/designer Ron Huffman. Mathis said the completion date had to be pushed back a few times due to flooding that delayed work, but phase one is complete and Radium Springs Gardens is now open to the public six days a week (Tuesdays-Saturdays,  9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 1-5 p.m.). There is no admission charge, Mathis said.

The initial intent, according to Mathis, was to create a botanical garden, but “we weren’t technically qualified” to create a garden with official botanical designation.

Phase One encompassed work on a number of facility aspects, including benches on the casino level, new restrooms, reconstruction of the pedestrian bridge, a walkway to the “rain gardens” (a wetlands pond on the lower  level), and a new canoe landing.

One thing that is noticeably absent is access for swimming. Due to liability issues that were not commonly prevalent during Radium Springs’ previous existence, the DNR isn’t presently allowing swimming at the reopened venue.

According to Mathis, the DNR owns the waters at Radium Springs as well as the adjacent land extending back to the Flint River. Mathis said the state agency has tentatively agreed to cooperate with the county on phase two of the project, which will incorporate work on the area across and behind the former beach and canoeing area.

Mathis said the county has already received requests to use Radium Springs Gardens for private social events such as weddings and parties, and is trying to determine how to best accommodate those uses within the park’s current security structure.

PHOTO BY DAVID SHIVERS
Dougherty Assistant Public Works Director Chuck Mathis tells DoCo Kiwanians about the Radium Springs Gardens project as a slide show provides illustration in the background.

By Kevin Hogencamp

Ten days after an Albany city employee complained that she should be making as much money as a new employee performing similar duties, the new employee was fired for allegedly falsifying her resume. But to soften the blow, she was given a severance check.

Martha Everson, of Baconton, says in a federal complaint that she is a victim of race and age discrimination. She is 61 and white; her replacement as the city’s benefits administrator and the employee who was seeking a pay raise is black.

At issue in Everson’s dismissal is whether the certificate she received from Albany Technical College, which was then called Albany Technical School, is equivalent to an associate’s degree.

“The City of Albany does not recognize the two as being equal or equivalent,” then-Human Resources Management Director Mary LaMont said in a March 11 letter to Everson. “As a result, the City of Albany has made the decision to end the employment relationship effective immediately upon receipt of this notice. Mr. (Alfred) Lott, City Manager, has approved a 30-day severance package to assist you in your transition.”

Records show that human resources administrator Beverly McCrimmon, who is black, complained on March 1 that Everson was hired on Oct. 19, 2009 at an annual salary of $37,442 while McCrimmon, who has the same title after working 12 years for the city, was making $1,768 less than Everson.

“The cause of my grievance is that Mary LaMont, HR Director, refuses to give any consideration to adjusting my salary to reflect 13 years of service as outlined in (in the city personnel manual) …” McCrimmon wrote in her complaint. “I would like my salary to be increased to reflect years of service and experience in my current position … I would also like retroactive pay beginning the first date of employment for the new employee.”

Public records, meanwhile, show that Lott, who is black, required LaMont, who is white, to replace Everson with black city worker who did not meet the position’s minimum qualifications.

Lott has regularly committed personnel infractions, many of which have resulted in federal complaints and huge payouts to aggrieved employees, since the first six months of being hired in 2005. Indeed, there is no provision in the city charter or personnel policies that allow Lott to awarded severances, which as with salaries are fully funded by Albany taxpayers.

It was LaMont’s subsequent federal race and sex discrimination complaint that prompted the majority of City Commissioners to force Lott to turn his resignation notice, which is effective July 31, 2011.

ATLANTA – One Blakely farmer has stumbled upon a special kind of seed. Paul Allen, 73, won a $50,000 top prize playing the popular Georgia Lottery instant game Jumbo Bucks Classic.

Krishna Food Store, 910 N. Main St. in Blakely, sold the lucky ticket.

“I was at home when I scratched it,” Allen said. “When I looked at it, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

The lucky great-grandfather works part-time on a farm, driving a tractor.

Retirement is not an option even after Allen’s windfall.

“I don’t have any plans really,” he shared. “I’m just happy I won.”

Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $11.9 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. More than 1.25 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.

For more information on the Georgia Lottery Corp., please visit:
www.galottery.com,

Play Responsibly – It’s All About Fun!

By Kevin Hogencamp

These are anxious times in Albany, particularly in the public school system.

And especially in the school’s administrative offices following the rogue process that resulted in the hiring of Superintendent Joshua Murfree and amid budget cutbacks and a cheating scandal that could result in the Dougherty County School Board losing some of its members and federal and state funding.

The situation’s boiling point became evident on Monday when an argument occurred and altercation erupted not at a school where such occurrences are more typical but between a top administrator, Robert Lloyd, and the public information director, R.D. Harter.

Harter would not comment Tuesday except to confirm that he was the victim of a “one-sided physical altercation” with Lloyd, the system’s executive director of operations and business services.

Lloyd and Superintendent Joshua Murfree did not respond to The Albany Journal’s request to be interviewed; indeed, Murfree has refused to be interviewed by the newspaper since being selected as superintendent over at least 35 applicants that school board members said were more qualified than him. One of the school board members, Anita Brown-Williams, had an undisclosed business relationship with Murfree through her church. Murfree was previously Albany State University’s athletics director.

A source close to the situation told the Journal on Tuesday that Lloyd lost his temper while the two were at the system’s office at 200 Pine Ave. after Harter asked him who revised the system’s customer service surveys. Harter declined to press charges against Lloyd.

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, meanwhile, has appointed an investigative team to attempt to get to the bottom of compelling evidence that widespread cheating occurred during standardized testing last year at Dougherty County schools. Perdue says that local officials refused to attempt to find out who tampered with the tests, a claim Murfree and some school board members deny.

“They have been cheated by adults who made it look like they are farther along educationally than they really were,” Perdue said. “For those children, we must do everything in our power to rectify this situation.”

Special to the Journal

Perry & Walters LLP, Albany’s oldest law firm, has hired Jonathan L. Morris as an associate.

A magna cum lade graduate from Georgia State University Law School, Morris joined Perry & Walters where his practice area includes municipal government, civil litigation, and property tax appeals.

“I am proud to be so welcomed to the community and given the opportunity to work with a law firm whose expertise is backed by more than 80 years of experience,” Morris said.

“We are glad to have Jonathan at Perry & Walters. His academic record and experience shows great promise.  We are confident he will contribute to the continuing success of the firm,” said former Albany mayor Tommy Coleman, a partner at Perry & Walters.

While in law school ,Morris worked in the law office of Roger Land, in Atlanta, where he assisted in a broad range of practice including litigation and property tax issues. In 2008 Morris served as a law clerk for Andrew, Merritt, Reilly and Smith, LLP where he assisted in estate matters under Gwinnett County Administrator Mike Smith.

Morris was an associate editor of the Georgia State University Law Review and received the 2007 Award for Excellence in Civil Procedure.

Morris received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Mercer University where he served as an Honor Council Justice and was a member of Mercer’s Computer Science honor society and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Since coming to Albany, Morris has become in the Emerge Albany Group and its mission to become philanthropically active and economically present in the Albany community.

“I enjoy working at Perry & Walters and being able to work in a variety of legal situations,” Morris said. “Perry & Walters is a great team of professionals who truly seek to give back to our community; they are some of the nicest people I have ever met.”

About Perry & Walters, LLP

Perry & Walters was begun in 1930 by H. Holcombe Perry, a founding member of the State Bar of Georgia. The 14 lawyers who now practice with the firm offer a full range of legal services with individual attorneys concentrating in commercial litigation, family law real estate and business transactions, estate planning, governmental affairs and corporate and criminal law.

By

Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond

Labor Day 2010 celebrations will be muted or non-existent for millions of Americans who are unemployed, underemployed, or too discouraged to continue the search for work.  The Great Recession is reaping a bitter harvest of jobs, hopes, and dreams.  Americans fortunate enough to be gainfully employed are haunted by fear and anxiety, which are the debilitating bi-products of widespread economic uncertainty.

A growing number of respected economists are beginning to raise the specter of a potentially devastating double-dip recession. Many corporate leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs are hoarding huge amounts of capital, refusing to invest in new workers and technological infrastructure. They argue to all who will listen that the prevailing national political climate is at best, anti-business or, at worst, socialistic.

Republican and Democratic administrations have appropriated billions for fiscal and monetary stimulus. However, the recession without end grinds on. Political Jeremiahs lament the American ship of state is listing toward second-class status among the world’s industrial powers. Tens of thousands of concerned Americans recently gathered before the Lincoln Memorial to pray for the restoration of the American Spirit.

Despite our difficult economic circumstances, I believe there is still much to celebrate and appreciate. The American Spirit is not broken, nor will it be broken.

During the nadir of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt boldly confronted eerily similar economic and political circumstances. In his first inaugural address delivered in March 1933, Roosevelt famously rallied a dispirited American people by proclaiming: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” The President acknowledged the severity of “our common difficulties,” and he calmed a troubled nation by asserting that America’s problems “concern, thank God, only material things.”

America’s greatness is not defined by the gyrations of the New York Stock Exchange, real estate values, or the national unemployment rate. Lost among the exhortations of economic malaise is the fact that millions of laid-off workers have enrolled in technical, two-year and four-year colleges. Millions of others are attending proprietary schools, signing up for job training programs, and benefiting from subsidized on-the-job training. This painful, but necessary, process of retraining, re-educating, and retooling our 20^th Century workforce for 21^st Century opportunities will eventually pay huge dividends in increased productivity and prosperity.

During this Labor Day, please reflect upon the enduring greatness of the generations of American workers who contributed to the making of this nation. Throughout our history, courageous men and women have risen to meet and overcome daunting domestic and international challenges. This time will be no different. Through good and bad economic times, America remains the last best hope on the face of the Earth.

By Kevin Hogencamp

Albany City Manager Alfred Lott allowed a city employee who committed fraud on the city’s behalf to quietly resign rather than to be fired or prosecuted, and then hid the matter from police the federal agency that was defrauded, public records show.

City Attorney Nathan Davis advised Lott in April that Geraldine Fletcher’s actions were crimes, likely felonies punishable by a prison term. Still, Fletcher was allowed to return to work after the crimes were discovered before deciding to adhere to the city administration’s request to resign, records show.

Records show that Fletcher’s supervisors discovered during a review of her files that Fletcher forged signatures of residents who received federal funds to pay for making their homes more energy efficient. The city receives more than $50,000 in U.S. Department of Energy funds annually in a program administered federally by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Fletcher’s salary was paid largely with those funds; she was a longtime city employee.

Public records reviewed by The Albany Journal indicate the matter has not been reported to police or the federal government – the victim of Fletcher’s alleged transgressions. The treatment given by Lott to Fletcher this spring is in contrast to that of airport maintenance supervisor Sean Reddish, who was arrested and charged with felony for cashing in on $1,100 of scrap metal.

Davis recommended that Fletcher be terminated, saying that she was guilty of crimes in her role operating the federally funded Community and Economic Development Department’s weatherization program.

“We want to acknowledge two criminal statutes that impact the instant matter,” Davis wrote to Cutts, Fletcher’s department director; Lott; Assistant City Manager James Taylor; and then Human Resources Management Director Mary LaMont.

“First the forgery statute (OCGA 16-9-1),” Davis wrote. “When the employee the signed the applicant’s name to this document, a document specifically designed to show the applicant’s approval of repairs, and such act was done with intent to defraud, there is a sufficient basis for a felony charge.

“Second, the employee’s actions also raise the misdemeanor statute (OCGA 16-10-20) of falsifying a material fact or making use of a false document. This statute may validly be applied to the employee’s conduct …”

Davis continued, “The employee undertook to falsify the document. At a bare minimum, the misdemeanor statute unquestionably does not permit this. The impact on your department (a false document was prepared and you have to explain the situation to the agency that received that document) is such that it is difficult to imagine anything less than termination as an appropriate response.”

In earlier correspondence to Davis, Cutts stated that Fletcher “admitted to falsifying signatures on federal documents. After the transgression was discovered, Cutts was placed on paid administrative leave, and then was allowed to return to work from March 30 until April 9 as Cutts awaited direction from Lott on “final disciplinary action,” Cutts said.

Fletcher resigned April 12 after being encouraged to do so in an April 9 letter from Cutts.

Following is Cutts’ April 9 correspondence to Fletcher.

“Dear Geraldine,

While preparing for a recent monitoring visit, a review of your weatherization files was conducted by your supervisor, Laura McCool. During her review of your files, Laura found numerous errors and missing documents. She also noticed what appeared to be discrepancies in signatures that were in the files. Further review of additional files by Laura also revealed what appeared to be other discrepancies in signatures. Laura, Shelena (Hawkins) and I met with you to discuss the concerns with the appeared (sic) discrepancies in signatures. When asked out right if you had falsified “any” signatures on any of the documents, you answered “yes.” You were advised that I would be discussing this matter with Human Resources in an effort to get guidance on the appropriate disciplinary actions.

In an effort to allow the time necessary to review this matter further, you were placed on administrative leave with pay until Wednesday, March 31, 2010. From the time of your return from administrative leave on March 31^st until the present, there has been a detailed review of your weatherization files, thorough review of your performance history, as well as a review of the City’s current Disciplinary Actions and Grievance Policy. These reviews have been done in an effort to ensure that the appropriate disciplinary action be taken for this situation.

In the past 12 months you have received one oral warning (Nov. 10, 2009). This warning was for repeated issues with inaccurate reports being prepared and submitted by the scheduled deadlines. Despite the fact that there is only one warning in performance pro, Laura has submitted copies of a number of emails which reflect that there continue to be issues surrounding the timely and accurate submission of reports. Your most recent performance appraisal, completed on Jan. 29, 2010, reflects a performance rating of 2.94 Needs Improvement.

A great deal of consideration has been given to all of the circumstances surrounding this issue and it appears evident that your ongoing issues with being able to submit things in a timely manner have resulted in your decision to falsify signatures on documents that you should have gone out and had the homeowners to sign. Falsifying signatures is very serious and could result in a criminal offense. After consulting with human resources and the city attorney’s office, I would ask that you exercise the option to resign. If you decide not to resign, it is my recommendation that you be terminated effective today, which is Friday, April 9, 2010.

Please return any and all City of Albany property to the Department of Community and Economic Development and make an appointment with the Human Resources Department to seek information concerning your eligibility for benefit continuation and/or conversion.

You have the right to appeal my decision to the City Manager, Alfred Lott. If you choose to appeal this action, you must notify the City Manager’s office, in writing, no later than 10 days from the date of this letter.”

Lott, meanwhile, was forced in July by the majority of City Commission members to resign after LaMont filed a racial and sexual discrimination complaint against Lott. Lott has said that he is not under fire from the commission and that will leave his job on July 31, 2011 on his own accord, but multiple sources familiar with the dispute say that Lott is lying, and that he likely will depart his $138,000-a-year position, which he has held since 2005, much sooner than mid-2011.

Ironically, Lott also is under scrutiny for failings involving federal finances – including allowing a developer and church to obtain $500,000 and $364,000 of taxpayer funds without paying the money back or building the project. Both of those blunders were projects of the Community and Economic Development Department. The City Commission has asked the Dougherty district attorney’s office to investigate the Greater Cutliff Grove Missionary Baptist Church project, but thus far has allowed the unpaid $500,000 loan to Mayor Willie Adams’ former campaign manager to go without investigative scrutiny.

In another twist, Lott has lobbied recently for Davis’ ouster, saying that Davis is dangerous because he had a loaded gun in his office at the city police station, and because Davis’ son committed suicide.

Davis has not been charged; indeed, a public records review indicates that Davis’ crime was not investigated by police or the district attorney’s office.

DOUGHERTY COUNTY IS IN a sad state when teachers having tattoos becomes an issue, but our poor quality of education is not addressed! Let’s get rid of the bad teachers, not the tattooed teachers. Come on school board members, use your brains for more than something to fill up your skull! Where are our priorities? Last time I checked, tattoos did not keep you from being able to teach.

AMAZING THERE EVEN NEEDED to be a vote for an investigation into the Cutliff Grove matter. Federal grant money for a specified use: Outcome: nothing! Money returned? Nada. And people actually can say that the missing money was not misused? Moral compass? Not pointing due north.

WOW, TOMMIE POSTELL OPPOSED the Cutliff investigation. What a shock.

THANKS FOR KEEPING THOSE of us with other obligations during the City Commission posted on the happenings on Facebook.

STAY ON ‘EM, JOURNAL. Hold their feet to the fire.

CUTLIFF GROVE: A GOOD decision made by the commission? Yes. Was it way overdue, yes? Is the vote by Postell “par for the course” for him? Absolutely! BTW, in case no one has noticed Tommie Postell’s “lone” vote is much like his “lone/personal agenda” which is all about him.

POSTELL IS A REBEL without a cause … Frank Stark: “I wouldn’t make a hasty decision. Nobody can make a snap decision. We’ve got to consider the pros and cons, make a list, get advice …”

I THOUGHT OL’ TOMMIE sounded a tad worried.

I WONDER IF TOMMIE may be getting a little slice off the Cutliff pie.

TOMMIE POSTELL WANTS NO probe on anything because he afraid of what they will uncover.

CHERUB OF JUSTICE. THANKS, Journal.

OH, MY GOSH. ARE we actually hearing a voice of reason among the Albany city commissioners?

OH, YES! AND NOW, let’s hope they follow through and make sure that the taxpayers’ money is returned with interest.

IF FOLKS CAN’T GET behind the Cutliff Grove issue — and show it — they will be in for a rough ride in the future. This should be the proverbial straw.

CAN ANYONE CONFIRM WHAT year the Cutliff funds were stolen, I mean, given to them? I find it funny (well not really, typical) the VP and treasurer of this “family resource center” are a husband/wife team … and public records show their home mortgage was paid in full three years ago. Just saying.

WHO IS CONNECTING THE DOTS here? The dots are criminal?

DOES IMMEDIATE OUSTER MEAN next July?

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why Alfred Lott is still here when he was asked to quit. Then, he told them he was leaving. I see something wrong about that. Someone should lock the door and not let him back in.

THEY SHOULD NOT LET Lott back in the office and if they must, then strip him of all of his duties. What goes around comes around, Baby!

GET ‘EM, SCOOP!

I SAY A NEW moniker is in order, a la “Crooked Life City.”

IS GREATER CUTLIFF GROVE Baptist Church a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

I CALL FOR LITERATE, sane people to move to Lee County or even Worth County and let Albany continue to rot. Is there no end in sight.

YOU CAN ARGUE WHETHER our government is corrupt or inept or both, but the result is the same: We get the shaft.

I TRULY PRAY THAT we can get some of these things going on in Albany turned around. I really believe that the Harley Davidson dealership moving is just the tip of the iceberg.

LOOK WHO THE STREET going to the Dunes housing project is named for – Frank Postell (Tommie Postell’s father). Does that tell you anything?

LOOK, EVERYONE! IT’S A It’s a newspaper that actually reports the REAL local news and what goes on behind closed doors. Love that!

KEEP UP THE REAL reporting. We are starved for truth.

WHEN I WAS A TEEN, The Albany Journal was a rag. I am so proud of what y’all have done to make THIS Journal work!

I USED TO CALL The Albany Journal the slander paper. Now I think it is real and tries to tell the truth. Thank you for doing that.

REGARDING THE MAYOR’S CAMPAIGN manager and his partner getting $500,000 for a project at the sand dunes, we spent $500,000 and house one sex offender until caught. Sounds like a typical return on our investment. Hope he doesn’t sue the city since we didn’t provide him utilities!

DANG, DON’T GIVE HIM any ideas. I had a car accident recently. 100 percent not my fault. They sued. My insurance company settled for $50,000 out of court because they were afraid of a Dougherty County jury. Chalk another one up for the bad guys!

ALBANY WITH BAD GUYS? Surely you jest. We only have 5,000 felons on parole here. Now we know why the cops already have a mug shot to put on TV for every suspect on the run!

REGARDING PHYLLIS BANKS’ ARREST, she would be suspended with pay because she has not been tried in a court of law and convicted.

WHAT DO HER PAST jobs as a TV reporter and personal relationships have to do with this particular arrest? I don’t understand the need to include that information unless those people are involved in this incident.

THE CHARGE AGAINST PHYLLIS Banks explains it. Teenagers can drive you to great lengths, that’s for sure.

WONDER WHO AT APD will give the report on Phyllis Banks’ arrest?

I HAD NO IDEA all that with Phyllis Banks had been going on. Sounds like a soap opera. Albany has few too many of those going on here.

CLASSY WOMAN, ATTACKING HER child with a shoe!

I WISH THAT SOMEONE had reopened the Ordinary Coyote back up rather than letting Phoebe buy it. If I had owned the building I wouldn’t have let Phoebe buy it. I would have rather given it away to someone else. The Ordinary Coyote was the best restaurant Albany ever had. It’s a shame.

THE ORDINARY COYOTE BUILDING’S been vacant for years now. If someone was going to revive the restaurant, they’d have done it a long time ago.

WHO KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED to Strollin Nolan’s restaurant on Slappey? Saw a Strollin’ Nolan Burgers sign in
Lee County’s Winn-Dixie strip mall, but there was a For Lease sign in the window.

NOTICED THAT MYSELF YESTERDAY. Haven’t seen the truck parked anywhere, either.

SAW THEM WITH A rolling restaurant at the dragway.

HE HAD THE LEE County restaurant for about two weeks, then he opened the one on Slappey and it closed \down after a short period of time. Wonder why he can’t seem to keep one open?

YOU COULD NOT SEAT a group anywhere but on a long bench. That might work for men, but ladies do not like that much.

WHAT FEW TIMES I wanted to go, I could not because of parking. That was the problem with The Rocket when they were there.

MAYBE HE’S GONE STROLLIN or something. Or picking up his truck that’s finally ready.

I HEARD THAT HE was trying to get the old Taco Bell building so he’d have more seating room and a bigger kitchen area.

WILL HIS SPECIALTY BE fish sandwiches? Ar ar …

I SO SAD ABOUT Billy Miller’s death. Billy was a wonderful commissioner. My thoughts and prayers are with their children

I AM SORRY THAT the Harley dealership is leaving Albany.

HAVE THEY SAID YET why they are leaving Albany? Or should we just assume we already know, because first it was Lee County, and now Tifton. Sounds like they just wanted OUT … didn’t really matter where.

LACK OF REVENUE AT the Albany store?

HARLEY’S KEVIN SEWELL SAYS, “We have been a fixture in this town for several years, but I believe that we can better serve our customers in a state-of-art-facility in Tifton.” Bull! They act like they are moving across the street. Tifton is 45 minutes away! I think this speaks volumes about where Albany businesses are heading. So sad. Guess I will have to start looking for someone else to start servicing my bike … any ideas?

SPECIAL PHOTO  BAE Systems hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration at its new Albany office at 2410 Westgate Blvd. With more than 100,000 employees working in more than 100 countries, and reported sales of $36.2 billion in 2009, BAE is the world’s second-largest defense contractor, supporting a range of military and civilian agency customers, including products for air, land and naval forces as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and logistics engineering. “We’re very proud of the work that we do for the Corps around the world, supporting Marines both in the States and overseas, in theatre. This office is an extension of that support,” said Steve Metz, the company’s maritime programs vice president.