Friday, Nov. 23, 2018
Tifton, Georgia
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Eunice Mixon reading to youngsters on June 30, 2016, at the Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence's Summer Accelerated Reader Center hosted at the United Way of South Central Georgia.
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REMEMBERING
EUNICE MIXON
TIFTON'S 'GRANDE DAME' WAS A GA POLITICAL FORCE
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By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
Eunice Lastinger Mixon
, 87, Tifton's
"grande dame,"
died early
Thanksgiving morning
in
Tifton
surrounded by her
family
.
"Miss Eunice,"
an
educator
and self-proclaimed
"farm wife"
to her beloved late husband
Albert
, became a
force
in
Georgia politics
for more than
40
years,
helping elect
numerous
local and state officials
, as well as
governors
,
congressmen
,
U.S. senators
and
presidents
.
A lifelong
Tift countian
as well as a lifelong
Democrat
, Miss Eunice nonetheless followed the
political winds
in
Georgia politics
and
worked closely
with representatives of
both major parties
. She said she could find the
good
in all people and always followed her
parents' advice
of not getting
"bogged down in differences."
Miss Eunice
had served on approximately
15
state boards and commissions during the years, including being named by Gov.
Zell Miller
to chair the state's first
Hope Scholarship committee
and serving
16 years
on the
State Bar's
legal disciplinary board, a position to which she was appointed by the
state Supreme Court
.
She also spent
12
years as the Georgia state
Senate's doorkeeper.
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A recipient of
numerous
local and state
awards
, her
accolades
include being named the 2018
Distinguished Older Georgian
by the Georgia Council on Aging, the 2018
Tift County Senior Citizen of the Year,
a member of
Tift County's "Wall of Fame"
by the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce, receiving the inaugural
Eunice L. Mixon Award
created by the
State Bar of Georgia
, being named by the
Ga. House of Representatives
as one of
25 Women for the 21st Century
along with such Georgians as
Coretta Scott King
and
Rosalyn Carter
, receiving the Tifton Judicial Circuit Bar Association's
Liberty Bell Award
and having a
scholarship
named in her
honor
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
that is awarded to a Georgia resident who "demonstrates exemplary
integrity, honesty, leadership, professionalism and community involvement
."
She attended the
University of Georgia
, attaining a master’s degree and specialist degree in
education
. She
taught
eighth-grade science and high school biology, chemistry and physics for
30
years in the
Tift County School System
, and was an
instructor
at
ABAC
.
In
1974
, gubernatorial candidate
George Busbee
, acquainted with
Miss Eunice
through advocacy for teachers in the Legislature, appointed her as his
Tift County campaign chairman,
and her success at
grassroots organizing
gained her a
reputation
as a
valuable political ally
in
South Georgia
.
Her
"down-home, country dinners
" at her home were
legendary
, with
guests
such as
United States senators
and
state Supreme Court justices
rubbing elbows with
Tifton residents
.
She
campaigned
for numerous candidates through the years, including President
Bill Clinton
, U.S. Sen.
Sam Nunn
, U.S. Sen.
Max Cleland
, Congressmen
Charles Hatcher
and
Roy Rowland
, and state Agriculture Commissioner
Tommy Irvin
.
Miss Eunice
served as a
delegate
to the
1988
and
1992 Democratic National Conventions
, and as a member of the
Georgia Democratic Executive Committee
.
Funeral arrangements
were
incomplete
at press time.
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Who wants new Christmas dinnerware? Save the Date!!!
Because we truly appreciate our customers, we will give away two eight-place settings of Christmas Dinnerware
on Black Friday, Nov. 23,
and two eight-place settings of Christmas Dinnerware
on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24.
Be sure to visit us on these two days to register.
We also have more free goodies for our wonderful customers!
All customers on these two days will receive a free 4-piece set of Christmas napkin rings and a Bridgewater candle with purchase. We may add more surprises, so stop by and see us!
Please remember to shop Local and support your local families.
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TIFT TEAMS ROLL
BLUE DEVILS, PANTHERS CONTINUE PLAYOFF QUEST
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It's nearly
December, and there is still plenty of
high school football in
Tift County as
local teams continue to
move up the
ladder in
state playoffs.
The
Tift County High School Blue Devils, ranked
13 with an
8-4 record, play a state
quarterfinal match tonight against the
sixth-ranked
Archer High Tigers (
10-2 record) in
Lawrenceville.
The
Blue Devils are now in the
"Elite 8" after defeating
East Coweta High last
Friday night,
24-17.
An
online
streaming service, t
he
NFHS Network
, is broadcasting
the game
live
for a
fee
.
Meanwhile, Coach
Erik Soliday's
Tiftarea Academy Panthers continue to roll over opponents, beating
Trinity Christian, 49-7, last
Friday in its
quarterfinals.
Tiftarea Academy now faces
John Milledge Academy Trojans at
7 p.m. today in
Chula in
semifinal playoffs.
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Dr. Joseph Knoll, scorekeeper; from left, Dr. Bret Wagenhorst, co-sponsor; Ethan McBrayer, third place; Matthew Gillis, second place; Wyatt Thompson, first place; Dr. Renata Elad, proctor; and Keri Jones, CPA, emcee. Not pictured, organizer Margaret Kelley.
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STUDENTS COMPETE IN GEOGRAPHY CHALLENGE
The
Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence
recently hosted the
sixth annual Geography Decathlon
competition for local
high school students
at the
Tifton-Tift County Public Library.
The event consisted of a
50-question
written qualifying test. The top scorers on the written test went on to compete in a
quiz bowl
-style competition. The students participating in the quiz bowl were
Hayes Jones, Lleyton Callison, Wyatt Thompson, Matthew Gillis, Ethan McBrayer, Emily Golden, Jaylen Bryant, Reese Hilton, Chandler Livingston, Nate Fortson, John O’Quinn, and Jimmy Kemerait
.
At the end of the quiz bowl rounds, the
top three
finishers were first place,
Wyatt Thompson
from
Tiftarea Academy
($500 scholarship winner); second place,
Matthew Gillis
from
Tift County High
($250 scholarship winner); and third place,
Ethan McBrayer
from
Tiftarea Academy
($100 scholarship winner).
The faculty advisors for the students were Coach
Jon Koran
from
Tiftarea Academy
and Dr.
Shelley Fandel
from
Tift County High School
.
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HELP THE YMCA HELP A CHILD
THIS CHRISTMAS
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The
Tiftarea YMCA Christmas
event for
needy
children will be at
9 a.m. Dec. 8,
in the
TRMC Events Center
on Carpenter Road.
During the annual
Y Christmas
event, the organization reaches out to the
community
to help
sponsor
Christmas for
underprivileged
local
children
. The Y works closely with the local
PattiCake House
and
Toys for Tots
to reach as many children as possible. Last year,
152
underserved
children
were given a
special Christmas.
"This is one of the most
rewarding
events we do. To see the way these kids react to receiving these gilts, many of which are just
basic necessities
, is truly
humbling
," said
Darian Peavy
, the YMCA's chief executive officer.
The
Tiftarea Y
is asking folks to offer a helping hand by
adopting
a
local child
for
Christmas
. The YMCA has a
list
of children whose families will not be able to provide Christmas
gifts
for them without
outside assistance
.
Donors
are asked to provide a child with a
laundry basket
wrapped in clear cellophane filled with
shoes, underwear, clothing, a Bible and toys
. All
baskets
need to be dropped off at the YMCA office, at
1657 S. Carpenter Road
, no later than
Monday, Dec. 4
.
Children
will be invited to an event during which
Santa
will be present.
Residents may also
help
by making a
monetary donation
to
sponsor
a
child
.
To
sponsor
a
child
, call
229-391-9622
.
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WOMAN'S CLUB DONATES TREE TO GARDEN
The
Tifton 20th Century Library Club
recently donated a
lemon tree
to the North Central Avenue
Community Garden
. Club President
Shirene Daniell
stands with
Brad Barbee
, volunteer at the garden and grounds supervisor at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
.
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ABAC Presidential Scholar on National Championship Team
Jacob Smith
, one of two
Presidential Scholars
in this year’s
freshman
class at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
, was a member of the
Bleckley County FFA team
which recently captured the
national championship
in
Ag Mechanics
at the
National FFA Convention
.
Smith
, a
forestry major
from
Cochran
, is a 2018 Bleckley County High graduate. Since Smith was a part of the
qualifying state championship team
in the spring, he was able to continue his relationship with the team as a college student.
No stranger to national competitions,
Smith
placed
third
in the
state
and
national
FFA forestry competitions in
2017
. In 2018 he was recognized on the floor of the
Ga. House of Representatives
and
state Senate
as a member of the national championship forestry team.
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RURAL CENTER'S AG SUMMIT LOOKS AT LABOR, EDUCATION NEEDS FOR
STATE'S LARGEST INDUSTRY
Georgia’s Rural Center
will host the
2018 Ag Summit
on
Monday, Nov. 26
, at the Robert F. Hatcher Conference Center on the campus of
Middle Georgia State University
in
Macon
.
The summit will bring together
state
and
national
leaders to address issues related to how Georgia’s
education system
can meet the
labor
and
leadership
needs of Georgia’s largest industry—
agriculture
—in the
future
.
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“Through the summit, the Rural Center’s goal is to ensure that, as we move forward, we have the
educational infrastructure
in place to
prepare workers
and
leaders
capable of maintaining Georgia’s position as a leading producer of agricultural commodities
nationally
, while also meeting growing demand for agricultural products
worldwide
,” said Dr.
David Bridges
, interim director of the Rural Center and an organizer of the event.
The emphases of the inaugural summit will be the state’s
agricultural employment
opportunities and needs, and how to bridge the
knowledge and skills gap
common in the workforce.
Agriculture
contributes
$74 billion
a year to Georgia’s economy and employs more than
410,000
people. Georgia
leads
the U.S. in annual production of numerous food, fiber and feed crops.
With the
United Nations
projecting that, by
2050
, the world’s
population
will grow by
34 percent
to an all-time high of
9.7 billion
people, growers and researchers are seeking innovative, economically sound ways to
feed, clothe and shelter
an exploding population.
Georgia’s
agricultural workers
and
leaders
will play a key role in meeting this demand and must be prepared to do so.
Given the impact of
Hurricane Michael
on many Georgia producers last month, Bridges foresees
recovery efforts
will be among the
discussion topics
during the event as well.
For
information
on the Ag Summit or the Rural Center, visit
www.ruralga.org
or call
229-391-4847.
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ABAC CHRISTMAS CONCERT
SET DEC. 4 AT THE TIFT
Sleigh bells will be ringing as the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Department of Fine Arts presents
“A Christmas to Treasure”
at
7 p.m. Dec. 4
at the
Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts.
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“The entire
community
is invited to join ABAC faculty, staff, and students for a night of
holiday cheer
,” said Dr.
Susan Roe, head of the
Department of Fine Arts
. “This concert is perfect for every member of the family.”
Music
selections
include “A Christmas Fanfare,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” “Merry Christmas to All,” “The First Noel,” “There is Faint Music,” “Hallelujah Chorus,” “Carol of the Drum,” “Ukrainian Bell Carol,” with the
audience
asked to join in
singing
“Joy to the World,” “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come all Ye Faithful,” and “Silent Night.”
There will also be a
reading
of
"A Visit from St. Nicholas,"
more commonly known as
"The Night
Before Christmas."
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Tifton First United Methodist Church
is in search of a Director of Music Ministries
who will coordinate all music programs within the church
to include opportunities for all age levels, as talent and commitment allow.
The Director of Music Ministries will collaborate
with the pastors, music and worship teams to provide music
for traditional and contemporary worship services.
The Director of Music Ministries will lead the chancel choir,
other musicians and the congregation in traditional music worship
for 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday services and support leadership
of our contemporary service held at 10:42 a.m.
Attendance averages 100+ at 9 a.m., 200+ at 11 a.m.
and 65+ at 10:42 a.m.
Tifton, Georgia, is located on I-75 north of Valdosta and south of Macon.
The population of Tifton is approximately 17,000
with an additional 23,000 living in the surrounding county.
Please mail resume and contact information for three references to:
Tifton First United Methodist Church
107 West 12
th
Street
Tifton, GA 31794
www.tiftonfumc.org
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THERE'S A NEW DAWG IN TOWN
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"TDawg"
is the newest addition to th
e University of Georgia Tifton Campus
dawg family. He has been installed at his permanent home at
The Oaks
at
Carpenter Apartments
on the corner of
Carpenter Road
and
Oak Point Avenue
.
Jill Whitley
has painted
TDawg
with
City of Tifton
landmarks
. Sponsored by
Tifton Apartments
,
TDawg
joins other
UGA Bulldog
statues around town.
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TREE OF LIFE OFFERS WAY TO HONOR
SOMEONE WHILE AIDING PATIENTS
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Black Friday
, the day after
Thanksgiving
, is known as one of the biggest shopping days of the year with special
deals
.
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The annual
lighting
of the
Tree of Life
serves as a
symbolic tribute
to friends, family and lost loved ones during the holiday season.
Sponsored by the
Tifton Junior Woman’s Club
, this year’s tree lighting
ceremony
will be at
6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6,
at the
Tift Regional Medical Center
(TRMC)
Anita Stewart Oncology Center.
Lights
on the tree may be
purchased
in
honor
or
memory
of someone, with all
proceeds
benefiting
patients
of
Hospice of Tift Area
and the TRMC
Anita Stewart Oncology Center
who need
extra support
.
“It wouldn’t be the holiday season without the
Tree of Life
,” said
Kristy Daniels
, manager of
Hospice of Tift Area
. “This is the
33rd
year of this annual event. We want everyone in the community to bring their families and friends. Together we will enjoy a moving
candle-lighting ceremony
and wonderful,
live holiday music
. And, of course, we’ll have a
visit
from
Santa Claus
. Afterwards, everyone is invited to enjoy complimentary
refreshments
.”
Daniels said that
purchasing
a
light
for the Tree of Life is a
tax-deductible
gift which will help Tift Regional’s
hospice
and
cancer patients
who may have difficulty paying utility bills because of financial constraints or may need special comforts while undergoing treatment.
“These are just examples of how the Tree of Life helps our patients and their families as they undergo a
challenging
time,” said Daniels. “It has really
touched the lives
of many people in our community.”
In past years, the
Tree of Life lighting ceremony
has been held on TRMC's
front lawn
. Since
construction
is starting in
December
on the
new emergency center
and
patient tower
, the event has been
moved
to the hospital’s
cancer facility
, the Anita Stewart Oncology Center at
1623 Madison Ave.
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A VETERANS STORY
THIS OLD HAT
Part Three
EDITOR'S NOTE:
This is the last of three parts written by local author and Vietnam veteran Warren Robinson of Lenox in observance of Veterans Day this month.
By WARREN ROBINSON
Special to the Tifton Grapevine
John 15:13 in our bible says, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man would lay down his life for his friends.”
Fast forward to the
present day
. My boys are not whiners or mired in self-pity. They are, however,
proud
of their service when they were willing to lay down their
lives
for their country, and many did just that, even when it was popular not to do so.
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I
overheard
one of my boys recently telling his friend about his experience with the
1st Infantry
Division
in
Vietnam
. He was only
18
years old at the time. He jumped out of a
Huey
helicopter into what seemed like a quiet landing zone. His
platoon
moved out toward a tree line about
300
yards away and proceeded cautiously into the
jungle
.
A short time later, the boy was
hit in the head
and immediately fell to the ground, seemingly dead. He said he could not move or speak but he was aware of what was happening around him, and he could hear his buddies talking to each other. His buddies thought he was
dead
, but they refused to leave him there in the jungle and carried his body to a dust-off
chopper
for extraction. The
medics
thought he was dead and focused their attention on other
wounded
boys.
Arriving at the aid station,
medical personnel
thought he was
dead
also, but one young
nurse
recognized a sign of life in him, and because of that, he
survived
his wounds.
Today
, he wears a
black patch
over his
eye
, the right side of his head is
mangled
, and he has gone through constant
pain
and
suffering
as a result of his wounds. I was struck with
amazement
and
admiration
as he said, “If I were put in the same circumstances again, I would make the
same decision
to
serve my country
, even knowing what the outcome would be.”
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YOUR WEEKEND
...at a Glance
FRIDAY, NOV. 23
- Tiftarea Academy Football Panthers vs. John Milledge Academy Trojans, 7 p.m., Panther Pit, Chula
- Tift County High Blue Devils Football @ Archer High Tigers, 7:30 p.m., Lawrenceville
SATURDAY, NOV. 24
- Small Business Saturday: Shop Your Local Small Businesses!
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THIS WEEKEND'S
YARD
SALES
To see this Weekend's Yard Sales,
_____________________
Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance
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NOV. 15
Gerald L. White Sr., 80,
Sycamore
Cecil Paul Whittington, 77,
Sylvester
Patricia "Pat" Parker Horten, 70,
Sylvester
NOV. 16
Mary Lou Nichols, 81,
Tifton
Martha Breeden, 83,
Cecil
Allen Denton, 77,
Quitman
NOV. 17
Paula Harrison,102,
Quitman
NOV. 18
Waldo Sandiford, 82,
Fitzgerald
Royce Lee Newell, 92,
Quitman
NOV. 19
Thomas Wayne “Tom” Conner Jr., 47,
Lenox
Robert Earl Davis, 58,
Chula
James Leroy Shaw Sr., 80,
Sylvester
Bobbie Jean Harper, 87,
Fitzgerald
Mary Ledford, 94,
Albany
Harold Alden Lynch, 87,
Nashville
Elton DeBerry, 75,
Fitzgerald
Kermit L. Elliott, 83,
Ocilla
Doyle Ballard Jr., 84,
Morven
NOV. 20
Robert “Thurman” West, 89,
Tifton
Olene White Massey, 85,
Sylvester
Dorreen Stevens Griffin, 76,
Worth County
Sherry Wheat, 60,
Morven
NOV. 21
Mary “DeLois” Howell Handley, 77,
Irwin County
Derrell Glen Carr, 70,
Chula
Charlie Will Brown Jr.,
Tifton
NOV. 22
Eunice L. Mixon, 87,
Tifton
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Tifton Grapevine
e-published every Tuesday and Friday
Frank Sayles Jr.
Editor & Publisher
Bonnie Sayles
Managing Editor
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A Service of
Sayles Unlimited Marketing LLC
,
Tifton, Georgia
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