Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

GOV CALLS FOR TEACHER, STATE EMPLOYEE RAISES KEMP ALSO PROPOSES $150 MILLION FOR NEW VOTING SYSTEM; $100 MILLION FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS

Gov. Brian Kemp , who was inaugurated Monday , during his State-of-the-State Address on Thursday proposed a $3,000 pay raise for public school teachers and a 2 percent raise for state employees . Kemp’s budget plan for Fiscal Year 2020 , which begins July 1 , also includes borrowing $150 million for a new voting system and $100 million for road and bridge projects. “To recruit and retain the best and brightest in our schools, we must remove heavy burdens in the classroom and keep teacher pay competitive ,” Kemp said in his speech. His proposed pay raise for teachers would cost about $418 million , according to the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute . Kemp cited plans to allocate funds to every public school for safety measures and to establish an anti-gang task force within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation . Kemp also proposed borrowing $150 million for a new voting system to replace the 16-year-old current electronic system . While he was secretary of state in charge of elections, Kemp created a commission to recommend a new voting system for the state. The panel recently concluded that the best system would be one in which voters use some kind of electronic ballot-marking device that then prints a back-up paper ballot or receipt for voters to review.

Dr. J. Frank McGill of Tifton formally receives the Valor Award, presented by the Southern Peanut Farmers Federation, at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday at UGA Tifton. Known in the industry as "Mr. Peanut," McGill, was named the award recipient last summer but was unable to attend the presentation at that time. McGill has served as president of the American Peanut Research and Education Society, chairman of the University of Georgia Agronomists, the U.S. Task Force on Peanut Policy and the U.S. Peanut Improvement Working Group.

GA PEANUT FARM SHOW RECOGNIZES UGA TIFTON

Peanut growers from around Georgia gathered Thursday at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show & Conference at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center. More than 1,000 participants had the opportunity to learn about research, products and the latest trends in the peanut industry . During the show, the Georgia Peanut Commission presented several awards to those who have contributed to the advancement of the peanut industry. A special award was given to the UGA Tifton campus in recognition of its 100th anniversary. Originally formed as the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in 1919 , the Tifton campus has been committed to the land-grant mission supporting Georgia’s peanut farmers . The current team there is comprised of scientists from different disciplines dedicated to help grow an industry that produces half of the United States’ peanut crop.   UGA Tifton is estimated to have an $83 million economic impact and is among the top five employers in Tift County . Other awards presented include: Distinguished Service Award – Marcus Evans of Tifton, retired director of field services and industry information for the Georgia Peanut Commission. Research and Education Award – Dr. Corley Holbrook, research leader for the USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in Tifton. Media Award – Brad Haire, editor of Southeast Farm Press. Special Award – Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture. Special Award – American Peanut Shellers Association in recognition of its 100th anniversary.

Armond Morris, left, chairman of the Ga. Peanut Commission, presents a Special Award on Thursday to UGA Tifton Assistant Dean Joe West and Sam Pardue, dean of UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Kim Cutchins, Rotary program chair, left and Rotary President Marion Curry, right, stand with Tourism Director Tyron Spearman.

TIFTON GETTING 300 MORE HOTEL ROOMS, TOURISM DIRECTOR SAYS

By BONNIE SAYLES Tifton Grapevine Tifton is the " center of South Georgia," and 300 additional hotel rooms are coming to town within the next two years, local Tourism Director Tyron Spearman told the Tifton Rotary Club on Wednesday. Tifton’s 1,186 hotel-motel rooms stay at 65 percent occupancy, leaving room for more hotels and motels to join the scene, said Spearman with the Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association. Among the new hotels coming to Tifton are SpringHill Suites behind Starbucks, Home2 Suites across from Prince Chevrolet and Marriott Courtyard on U.S. Highway 41 near the UGA Tifton conference center, Spearman said. He noted that 26,000 vehicles head south on Interstate 75 each day through Tifton and are met by 25,000 heading north. Heading east and west on U.S. Highway 82 in Tifton are another 18,500 daily. Among new restaurants coming to Tifton are Chicken Salad Chick, Jimmy John's, Cook Out and Red Owl coffee shop, Spearman told Rotarians. The Tifton-Tift County Tourism Association manages $400,000 a year in revenue from the 4 percent hotel/motel tax in Tifton to promote the area. “Our job is to facilitate conventions, festivals and other events ,” Spearman said. The association promotes Tifton through billboards and other advertising promotions , and awards $155,000 a year to groups that bring visitors to Tifton . Among the projects by the tourism Outreach Marketing Group is "Rock the Block," held in downtown Tifton , and the annual Rhythm & Ribs barbecue festival , coming the first Saturday in March .  “ Brent Cobb , an entertainer from Ellaville , Ga., will be performing ” at Rhythm & Ribs , Spearman said. Thirty teams have registered for the professional barbecue competition , and 20 amateur teams will be setting up in Fulwood Park . Rhythm & Ribs is March 2 .  Upcoming events at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center include the Cotton Show, Soybean and Corn Show and the Pecan Farmers Show in March. The Tourism Association recently invested $90,000 in a newer, higher sign for the conference center , Spearman said. He mentioned a sports Initiative group that is bringing competitions such as baseball, gymnastics, swimming and the football Thanksgiving Bowl .  Spearman is well known for promoting Tifton around the Georgia and recently was honored with the state tourism Lifetime Achievement Award by the Georgia tourism industry.

TIFTAREA ACADEMY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES RE-ACCREDITATION Tiftarea Academy successfully went through its re-accreditation process this week and "passed with flying colors," the school reports. Surveyors from the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) were on campus for three days visiting with administrators, teachers, students, parents and alumni. They reviewed processes and documentation, observed classes and interviewed stakeholders.   All comments of the visiting SAIS team were complimentary, the school says. Some of the comments shared were: "Very impressive and effective instruction" from K-4 through 12th grade. It is clear that Tiftarea Academy is a "safe and caring environment." "Christian-based influence is obvious" in the school.  SAIS surveyors visit Tiftarea Academy every five years and accredit for a five-year period. The next accreditation will be in 2024.

APRON EXHIBIT EXPLORES SOCIETAL CHANGES

Fifty-one contemporary and vintage aprons will occupy the spotlight beginning Jan. 29 in an exhibition, “Apron Strings: Ties to the Past-Classics, ” on display at the Gallery of the Georgia Museum of Agriculture . A program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance and the National Endowment for the Arts, the exhibit brings nostalgia to Tifton through iconic textiles and recognizable patterns. Museum Curator Polly Huff said the exhibition runs through March 16 . “Featuring aprons dating from the 1900s through present , the exhibition chronicles changing attitudes toward women and domestic work,” Huff said. “It also surveys the wide range of design and craft techniques apron-makers have used to express themselves while still working within creative venues traditionally available to women.” Although taken for granted by many social and art historians, the apron is the subject of a re-evaluation in this exhibition which reviews the apron’s role as an emotionally charged vehicle for expression with a rich and varied craft history still relevant today. “Elaborately embroidered aprons of delicate cotton , for example, were worn by well-heeled women of the 1920s ,” Huff said. “In contrast, the Depression and war years of the 1930s and 1940s inspired sturdy, calico bib aprons. “The post-war 1940s and 1950s —the June Cleaver era—stand out as the acknowledged heyday of the apron when commercial and intricately hand-decorated aprons flourished as symbols of family and motherhood .” For information about the exhibit, contact Huff at  phuff@abac.edu

ABAC students Luis Rodriguez, at left, and Nick Rosatti, at right, thank Miriam Holloway and Victor Pires of Southeastern Credit Union for their contributions to 'An Evening for ABAC.' Holloway is the Tifton branch manager, and Pires is vice president of retail services.

TURNING DOLLARS INTO SCHOLARS

When sponsors invest in An Evening for ABAC at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College , their dollars really do turn into ABAC scholars . Southeastern Credit Union was a Platinum Sponsor for the annual scholarship fundraising event in 2018 and invested $5,000, which resulted in two scholarships . Luis Rodriguez , a biology major from Adel , and Nick Rosatti , a social and community development major from Hahira , benefited from the credit union’s generosity. Rodriguez has a 3.87 grade point average and plans to go to medical school . He graduated from Cook High School in 2015 with a 4.0 GPA.  Rosatti has a 4.0 GPA at ABAC and plans to go to graduate school at Valdosta State University . He is also a 2015 graduate of Cook High with a 4.0 average. Sponsored by the ABAC Foundation , An Evening for ABAC is scheduled Feb. 23 at the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center . For information, call 229-391-4895 .

TRHS RESTRICTS HOSPITAL VISITORS UNDER 18 DURING FLU SEASON

Tift Regional Health System (TRHS) is implementing a visitor restriction policy during the flu season, asking those under age 18 not to come to the system’s two hospitals and nursing home to visit patients.  “We need the community’s help in minimizing the spread of the flu,” said Mary Key, TRHS infection prevention director. “The visitor restrictions at Tift Regional Medical Center, Cook Medical Center and Cook Senior Living Center are necessary to help protect our patients and healthcare providers. We are also requesting that people over age 18 who are sick not come to the hospital or nursing home as well.”  Residents are urged to get a flu shot to help stay healthy during the influenza season, which officially began Oct. 2 and runs through May 27.

Key said the more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain long-term health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications. In addition to a flu shot, Key said there are other ways to help limit the spread of influenza, such as: Avoid close contact – stay away from those who are sick, and if you’re sick, stay away from everyone else. Stay home when you are sick – you’re doing no one any favors by going to work or school with the flu. Also, do not visit a family member or friend who is hospitalized. Cover your mouth and nose – when you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and save everyone in the immediate vicinity from your germs. Clean your hands – washing your hands often is always a good idea. If you are around anyone who is or has been sick, wash your hands even more frequently.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth – germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth. Practice other good health habits – get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.

SENIORS TO DANCE TONIGHT

The Tifton SELF ( Seniors Enjoying Life Forever ) group is holding a big dance tonight (Friday) at the Leroy Rogers Senior Center in Tifton . Doors open at 6 p.m., and participants are asked to bring a  dish of food and a friend. The Fred Hand Band is playing everyone's dance favorites. Dancers are coming from Albany, Valdosta, Waycross and several other nearby cities . All local seniors are invited. For information , email  dashers@windstream.net

YOUR WEEKEND ...at a Glance FRIDAY, JAN. 18 SELF Senior Dance, 6 p.m., Leroy Rogers Senior Center, Tifton Sweets and Songs: Dessert Buffet and Choral Showcase, 5:30 p.m. dessert, 6:30 p.m. concert, Tift County High Performing Arts Center, Tifton SATURDAY, JAN. 19 Sweets and Songs: Dessert Buffet and Choral Showcase, 1 p.m. dessert, 2 p.m. concert / Second Show: 5:30 p.m. dessert, 6:30 p.m. concert, Tift County High Performing Arts Center, Tifton The Stranger: Billy Joel Tribute Experience, 7 p.m., Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts, Tifton SUNDAY, JAN. 20 Sweets and Songs: Dessert Buffet and Choral Showcase, 1 p.m. dessert, 2 p.m. concert, Tift County High Performing Arts Center, Tifton

LET THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT YOUR YARD SALE Place it in the TIFTON GRAPEVINE and get quick results! _____________________ TO ADVERTISE YOUR YARD SALE, CONTACT US at yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

JAN. 10 Annie Mae Broome Copeland, 81, Tifton Barbara J. Spears, 75, Sylvester Robert “Bob” Marchione, 83, Warwick William “Ed” Spence, 89, Poulan William Pafford "Will" Chapman, 37, Gainesville, Fla. Richard Wayne Strickland, 74, Nashville JAN. 11 Donald R. Benson, 82, Tifton Wilbur Neal "Bud" Willis Sr., 94, Woodstock, formerly of Tifton LaNelle Ford Troutman, 87, Poulan Jesse J. Howell Jr., 80, Fitzgerald Willie Mae Snow, 90, Quitman JAN. 12 Dorothy Jane Moorhead, 94, Tifton Ada A. Horne, 82, Adel Melissa Ann Pearson, 34, Nashville JAN. 13 Robert Morgan, 71, Ashburn Raymond "Rick" McMillan, 62, Sparks JAN. 14 Ray Edward Lee, 66, Tifton The Rev. Paul Truman Thomas, 81, Tifton Lou Eva Herndon Cawley, 97, Ashburn JAN. 16 Martha Lou Simmons Thompson Harper, 84, Tifton Raymond E. "Ray" Phillips, 90, Smithville Dr. Chester Morgan Smith Jr., 84, Fitzgerald Mary Ellen Tucker Parrish, 97, Ocilla Bro. Wynton Lee, 89, Sycamore Hilda Crenshaw, 81, Ashburn Patricia Ann "Patsy" Reinhardt McCorvey, 84, Ashburn

Tifton Grapevine e-published every Tuesday and Friday Frank Sayles Jr. Editor & Publisher Bonnie Sayles Managing Editor

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com | 478-227-7126 | tiftongrapevine.com

A Service of Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC , Tifton, Georgia

See what's happening on our social sites: ‌ ‌ ‌