OPINION
VOTING PRECINCT CONSOLIDATION
ON HOLD FOR NOW
By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
The Tift County Board of Elections made a smart decision on Monday.
Following public opposition, the elections board decided not to consolidate Tift County's voting
precincts into one site, at least not now; the idea is expected to be reviewed again in the future.
Consolidating all 12 county precincts into one voting precinct located
at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center would place a hardship on elderly, handicapped and lower income residents who live outside the city of Tifton.
The proposal would have closed precincts in such locations as Omega and Ty Ty, forcing those voters to travel to the conference center in Tifton to cast their ballots.
Elderly and handicapped folks would have
difficulty getting to the polls
. Lower income residents with transportation issues would also find it harder to vote.
There is much to be said for neighborhood voting. We should make voting as easy as possible for all of our citizens. The advent of early voting does give residents up to three weeks before election day to cast a ballot, but that can only be done at one location in downtown Tifton. Early voting is convenient for Tifton residents but not necessarily for those who live in other areas of the county.
The elections board looked at consolidation as a way to save about $2,000 during each election and to make vote tabulations easier and faster. We are all for saving money, but at what cost? Voting is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a citizen. We must remove all potential barriers and make it as easy and as convenient as possible for all residents to get to the polls.
The elections board is to be commended for listening to the public. We hope the board maintains the precincts around Tift County for the foreseeable future.
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ART EXHIBIT HAS 'FOREIGN INFLUENCES'
FORMER TIFTONITE LIVES, PAINTS IN FRANCE
Intriguing street scenes, lush gardens, café's, Parisians and more are featured in the pastel and oil paintings by artist
Kippy Hammond in a current
exhibit through
Oct. 24 at the
Tifton Museum of Arts and Heritage.
At
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4,
the artist will conduct an informal "Walk-Through Discussion" about her art in the museum exhibit,
"The Art of Kippy Hammond: Foreign Influences."
The former Tiftonite
has been living and working in France for more than a decade. Her work has been recognized in numerous exhibitions and solo shows, receiving national and international awards. Hammond was a demonstrator and lecturer at the International Association of the Pastel Society of America and the Southeastern Pastel Society, and is a former pastel international guest of honor.
While in France, the artist paints landscapes and commissioned portraits for clients and galleries in the United States and Europe. A popular instructor, she travels and lectures extensively. She is also the resident artist and director of
La Bonne Etoile, a teaching studio and residence located 60 miles outside
Paris.
On
Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11, Hammond will offer a two-day workshop in the art of pastel painting. The workshop requires a fee and pre-registration.
Regular exhibit hours are Tuesdays-Fridays, 1-5 p.m.; Thursdays, 1-7 p.m.; and Sundays, 1-3 p.m. The museum is located at
255 Love Avenue in
downtown Tifton. Contact
Syd Blackmarr,
229-387-5657, for information.
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IT'S A TAX-FREE WEEKEND FOR
ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
Georgia is holding its second tax-free weekend of the year this weekend, Oct. 2-4, but it only applies to certain energy-efficient products.
The fall tax-free event applies to:
- Energy Star products with a maximum sale price of $1,500
- WaterSense Products with a maximum sale price of $1,500
Energy Star
is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy that encourages the use of energy-efficient products and practices to save money and protect the environment.
WaterSense, a partnership program by the EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes and services.
During this weekend, items exempt from sales tax, if they have the Energy Star label and are $1,500 or less, include:
- Air conditioners
- Ceiling fans
- Clothes washers
- Dehumidifiers
- Dishwashers
- Doors
- Fluorescent light bulbs
- Refrigerators
- Windows
In addition, these items are exempt from sales tax if they have the WaterSense label and are $1,500 or less:
- Bathroom sink faucets
- Faucet accessories (such as aerators)
- High-efficiency toilets
- High-efficiency urinals
- Showerheads
- Weather- or sensor-based irrigation controllers
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CLUB 55 YARD SALE ON SATURDAY
Tifton's First United Methodist Church's Club 55 is having its Annual Yard Sale this Saturday, Oct. 3,  from 7:30 a.m.-noon at the church's Social Hall.
Items for sale include furniture, electronics, baby items, toys, clothes for all ages, books, and much more.
All proceeds are used for the church's mission projects.
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TIFTON'S ANNUAL FIESTA
A BIG SUCCESS
The
19th Annual La Fiesta del Pueblo last Saturday, Sept. 26, in Tifton's Fulwood Park attracted thousands of people for a full day of fun, food, music, dance and information from numerous vendors.
Organizers say
South Georgia's largest Hispanic festival was a big success, and they look forward to next year's event.
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Snoopy, masquerading as "Joe Cool" at left, encouraged kids to visit the public library and read. Meanwhile, non-stop entertainment could be found on stage during the annual festival in Fulwood Park.
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TIFTON CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
TO MEET IN FORUM OCT. 6
The Tifton-Tift County
Chamber of Commerce is holding a City of Tifton "Meet the Candidates Forum" at 6 p.m. on Oct. 6 in the small auditorium at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center.
Candidates seeking election Nov. 3 to Tifton City Council have been invited.
They are:
- Jamie Cater, incumbent mayor seeking re-election
- Julie Smith, current council member seeking the mayor's position
- Jack Folk, unopposed candidate for District 2
- Frank Sayles Jr., unopposed candidate for District 4
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Introducing a
Natural
Skin Care
Regimen
That Your Face
Will Love!
Women's Spa Day
Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Baby Bloom Boutique, 810 Tift Ave. N., Tifton, across from Fulwood Park
Admission: Any donation to benefit breast exams at Anita Stewart Oncology Center
For more information,
Call Bonnie at
229-848-2366
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HARVEST CELEBRATION
HAY RIDES, CORN MAZE AND PUMPKINS!
Hay rides and corn shucking are among the activities
at the
Harvest Celebration on Oct. 10 at the Georgia Museum
of Agriculture and Historic Village at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Building on the theme of "Discovering Our Agricultural History," the site will be open 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Museum Director Garrett Boone and
activities
will also
include arts and crafts, and agricultural games and activities. Hay rides and the museum's Vulcan steam-powered train will take guests around the village throughout the day. There will be demonstrations in soap-making, basket weaving, and other traditional crafts.
A train-shaped corn maze will be available; visitors may also choose a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch.
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WIREGRASS QUILTERS MAKING 'QUILTS OF VALOR'
Volunteers from Wiregrass Quilters Guild (WQG) meet on the first Friday of each month in the activity room at Tifton United Methodist Church, 107 W. 12th St., to work on Quilts of Valor.
The quilts are to be given to combat veterans. Shown with one of the quilts are, from left, WQG President-elect Jane
Rodgers of Fitzgerald, President Margo Martin of Tifton, and Quilts of Valor Chairman Candi Reed of Douglas.
Interested quilters may contact Reed at 912-384-6252.
The full WQG
meets on
Thursday, Oct. 8
at
6 p.m.
at
Amazing Grace Baptist Church
, 2217 Ledo Road.
Membership is open to anyone interested in interacting with others who enjoy the art of quilting. Visitors are welcome to attend a meeting either in
Fitzgerald, Tifton or Albany on the
second Thursday of each month.
Meetings are alternated among the cities and includes a potluck supper, a brief program related to quilting and "show and tell."
For information, call
229-339-5554
or
229-382-2442
.
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TIFT COUNTY'S CANCER STOMP WALK AND
FAMILY FUN EVENT IS
SATURDAY
The annual
Cancer Stomp: Tift County Walk & Family Fun event is
9 a.m.-noon on
Saturday, Oct. 3, at the
YMCA soccer fields.
The
Cancer Stomp is a fundraising campaign of the
Cancer Coalition of South Georgia. Folks can participate individually or as a member of a team, raising money through different activities.
The co
mmunity fundraising wraps up with a one-mail reflective walk followed by family fun activities to celebrate the fundraising success, honor cancer survivors and remember those lost to the disease. The family activities include relay races, aerobics, hula hoops, Frisbee throwing, face painting and more.
One hundred percent
of all funds that are raised stay in
South Georgia
. The Cancer Coalition raises funds for service, education, research and outreach initiatives throughout its 32-county area.
"We want to let people know that there is a local organization fighting cancer right here in our communities," said Coalition Communications Coordinator Ruthie Garner. "With the Cancer Coalition, we assure you that 100 percent of your support will stay in South Georgia to help local people."
Register online to walk and fundraise.
A
complimentary T-shirt
is given with a
$25 donation
upon registering. Register online at
www.CancerSTOMP.com
For information, call
229-312-1700.
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Lidia Sanchez and Rebecca Bartolome with the Cultura Latina Club
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| The Parade of Flags at ABAC by the College Assistance Migrant Program |
ABAC CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE DAY
By BRETT FOUNTAIN
For the Tifton Grapevine
Abraham Baldwin
Agricultural College hosted its 13th annual Hispanic Heritage Day on Sept. 24. In honor of ABAC's School of Nursing's 50th anniversary, the event's theme was Improving Rural and Latino Health Care.
The day began with a panel in
Howard Auditorium, where four guest speakers talked on how technology has improved the Latino community's health care. S
peakers were
Dr. Raymond Moreno, internal medicine specialist with Tift Regional Medical Center; Dr. Miguel Angel Estopiñan Estopiñan, dean of the School of Nursing at Nicaragua's National Autonomous University (UNAN); Dr. Israel Martinez-Franco, dean of the Biomedical Informatics Department at Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM) School of Medicine; and Dr. Norma G. Cuellar, professor at the University of Alabama's Capstone College of Nursing.
After the panel concluded, Hispanic Heritage Day celebrations began with the serving of authentic Hispanic food. Traditional dances were also performed by the Nuestro Folklore and the Cultura Latina Club dance groups.
Flags from many Hispanic countries were then presented and paraded by students from the College Assistance Migrant Program.
From left, facing camera, are Dr. Israel Martinez Franco, Dr. Raymond Moreno and ABAC's President Dr. David Bridges at the Hispanic Heritage
Day event
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IT'S A-MAZE-ING
what can be carved into a cornfield; how about a likeness of UGA football Coach Mark Richt? That's what you'll find at Tift County's Rutland Farms. UGA graduates Meredith and Ryan Rutland recruited
UGA agriculture professor George Vellidis and a few of his precision agriculture students on the Tifton campus to figure out how to create it. The maze covers more than five acres and is comprised of 250,000 stalks of corn. The Richt maze has gotten some national renown in the past few days: ESPN has mentioned it and has posted a photo and article online. To see the ESPN story, Click Here! ... RAILROAD CROSSINGS around Tifton have been undergoing work in recent days to improve them. On Thursday, motorists had to detour around the crossing on Eighth Street near Eighth Street Middle School. As of late Thursday night, the railroad crossing there was still blocked, and work is expected to continue on Friday.
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| Cpl. Greg Wade, left, with Tifton Rotary President Mike Davis. |
TIFT COUNTY GAME WARDEN NAMED NORTH AMERICA'S TOP CONSERVATION LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
Cpl. Greg Wade from Tift County, who is with the Ga. Department of Natural Resource
's Law Enforcement
Division, has received the top conservation law enforcement award in North America.
Wade received the award recently from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies at its 105th annual meeting in Tucson, Arizona. He is Georgia's first recipient of the top award in the organization's 105-year history.
Wade was cited for his outstanding, national-level achievements in conservation law enforcement.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, he spoke to the Rotary Club of Tifton about the DNR's Law Enforcement Division and its duties.
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LOCAL BANKS, UNITED WAY
KICK OFF CANNED FOOD DRIVE
Representatives from
local banks and from the
United Way of South Central Georgia gathered
Thursday to kick off the
"2015 Banking to
Drive Out Hunger in Tift County" food drive.
All Tift County banks have been invited to participate and place a United Way box in their lobbies to collect canned food. The United Way has a goal of collecting 10,000 pounds of food through Nov. 13. Local agencies that will receive the food include the Salvation Army, Tiftarea Food Bank, Soup Kitchen, Community Service Center and Brother Charlie's Homeless Shelter for Men.
Pat McKinnon, the United Way's executive director,
said the most needed foods are tuna, canned meat, cereal, peanut butter, beans, rice, pasta, soups, stews, 100 percent fruit juices, and canned fruits and vegetables. Contributors are asked to avoid glass containers.
"This is an excellent chance to make a difference in our community, and I encourage you to be part of this important effort," McKinnon said.
Among participating banks are
Ameris, BB&T, First Community Bank of Tifton, SunTrust Bank, Colony Bank, Commercial Banking Co., Southeastern Federal Credit Union and South Georgia Banking Co.
The United Way of South Central Georgia serves Ben Hill, Cook, Irwin, Tift and Turner counties.
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Tifton, Georgia
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, OCT. 2
- "A Year with Frog and Toad" play, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
- ABAC Truck & Tractor Pull, 7 p.m., Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton
- Tift County High Blue Devils football @ Lee County Trojans, 7:30 p.m., Leesburg
- Tiftarea Academy Panthers football vs. Westwood (Homecoming), 7:30 p.m., Chula
SATURDAY, OCT. 3
- Club 55 Annual Yard Sale, 7:30 a.m.-Noon, First United Methodist Church Social Hall, Tifton
- Cancer Stomp, 9 a.m., Tiftarea YMCA soccer fields, Tifton
- Wiregrass Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-Noon, Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
- Downtown Tifton Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Old Train Platform, Tifton
- 4-H Bass Fishing Tournament, 1-3 p.m. weigh-in, Tift County Extension Office, Tifton
- "A Year with Frog and Toad" play, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
- "A Year with Frog and Toad" play, 3 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton
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SEPT. 24
Ruby Annette Davis, 72, Lake Park
Aline Harper Leverett, 83, Ocilla
SEPT. 25
Frank Crosby, 67, Adel
Norma Bell, 54, Adel
SEPT. 26
Sarah "Joyce" Jones Richardson, 82,
Tifton
Dorothy Louise Beard McClure, 80, Tifton
SEPT. 27
Clarence Smith, 85, Tifton
Crews Jason Allison, infant, Tifton
Nell Dahn Trice, 64, Albany
Robert Paige Frew, 65, Ashburn
SEPT. 28
Vicki Arnold Tucker, 64, Tifton
John Frederick "Johnny" Davis, 50, Nashville
Dale Ray Hess, 61, Fitzgerald
Wayne "Cat" Fowler, 83, Sylvester
Freddie W. Mathews, 67, Anderson City
SEPT. 29
Mickey Thomas Ellington, 76, Fitzgerald
Myra Burke Fowler Hatfield, 64, Sylvester
Larry Russell McDonald, 72, Sylvester
James L. "Jimmy" Spence, III, 60, Leesburg
Jimmie "Roach" Johnikin, 69, Nashville
Hayward Willis Roland, 78, Nashville
Nellie Irene Broome, 92, Ocilla
SEPT. 30
Thomas L. "Tommy" Connell, 68, Sparks
Betty Jean May, 74, Nashville
Hazel G. Simmons, 86, Valdosta
OCT. 1
Joseph Kennon "Bull" Owen, 47, Ocilla
Gene Talmadge Swain, 73, Tifton
Diana Marie Holt, 71, Tifton
Felton "Bay" Saylor, 82, Sycamore
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SERVING YOU WITH PROFESSIONALISM
BEFORE, DURING & AFTER THE SALE
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Dwana Coleman
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Call Us Today!
229-386-4222
Blue Skies & Sunshine Through Each & Every
Real Estate Transaction!
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