By FRANK SAYLES JR.
Tifton Grapevine
Another
new year
is here, whether or not we are ready for it. That's the thing about
time
: It keeps
moving forward
no matter what we may do.
There are always comments in the
news media
about
new year resolutions
, but I know
few
people who actually make
resolutions
– and know
fewer
people who
keep
them.
This year, I am looking forward to a
great new year
and have decided to
suggest
some
resolutions
that, if we all
adopt
them, could create a
better world
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Resolve to:
- Be nicer than you have to be. Smile. Treat everyone with kindness, no matter who they are or their station in life.
- Be grateful for each day. Life is a gift.
- Be forgiving. Do not hold grudges. Forgive others, even if you may think they don't deserve it. By forgiving others, we free ourselves.
- Be respectful – of others' feelings, of their time, of their beliefs.
- Be forward-looking. Remember the past but don't reside there. We have the ability to create our future through our thoughts and our actions.
- Be healthy – in mind, body and spirit.
- Be prayerful. Show reverence to God and belief in the power of prayer.
- Be aware. Don't go through your days like a zombie. Notice all that is around you, especially the "little" things, which are often not little at all.
- Be a risk-taker. Don't sit on the sidelines. Get up, and get involved. Embrace change, for that is one thing upon which we can depend.
- Be positive. Your attitude determines your altitude. Recognize and reflect the good in the world, for there is much good to be found.
Make it a
great 2019
.
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TIFT COUNTY MARKS
NEW YEAR WITH 'GNAT DROP'
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As the
new year
comes to
Tifton
, it's being marked by the
dropping
of
"Matt the Gnat."
Tifton's first "Gnat Drop"
is marking the
new year
in
Tift County.
Spearheaded
by Tift County Commissioner
Melissa Hughes
, the
Gnat Drop
is in front of the
County Administration Building
on
Tift Avenue
.
Atlanta
drops its big
peach
to mark the
new year
, and
local organizers
hope that
dropping
the
gnat
will become a
well-known Tifton New Year's tradition
as well.
Live
entertainment,
refreshments
and a
street dance
are among the evening's
activities
.
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Officials are investigating two fires as arson, including the one pictured in the 100 block of Oak Point Drive in Tifton.
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$10,000 REWARD FOR CONVICTION OF THOSE WHO STARTED TIFTON FIRES
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The
state fire marshal’s office
is offering a
$10,000
reward for the
arrest
and
conviction
of those persons
responsible
for
two fires
last
Thursday
in
Tifton
.
Both fires are a result of
arson
and were set at
two duplexes
under
construction
in separate locations
two miles apart
, authorities said.
The first
fire
occurred at approximately
1 a.m.
Thursday at a
duplex
under construction in the
100 block
of
Oak Point Drive
. The building is a
total loss
, authorities said.
The second
fire
occurred
later Thursday morning
at
another duplex
under construction in the
1600 block
of Carpenter Road.
If anybody has
information
about the fires, they should call call the
Arson Control
hotline,
800-282-5804
.
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Once again, the
Keep Tift Beautiful
organization will be
collecting
live
Christmas trees
for
mulching
after the
holidays
.
Live trees
may be
dropped off
at
Fulwood Park
from
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
on
Saturday
,
Jan 5.
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'POLAR BEARS' PLUNGE ON
NEW YEAR'S DAY FOR CHARITIES
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The
Tiftarea YMCA
is hosting the
Sixth Annual Polar Bear Plunge
at
11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1,
in the Tiftarea YMCA
Hunt Park pool
.
Eleven
participants
compete
against each other to
raise money
for their respective
local charity
. The individual raising the
most money
for his or her
charity
, with the stipulation that they
must slide down
into the
plunge pool
, receives
100
percent of the proceeds for their
charity
.
All other
charities
receive a
50
percent split with
Tiftarea YMCA
if their corresponding representative
takes the plunge
.
This year's participants and their local charities are:
Darian Peavy
,
Family Promise;
Wingate Whitley
,
PattiCake House
;
Jana Barfield
,
Coastal Plain CASA
;
TJ Mauldin,
Young Life
; Bret Wagenhorst,
Meals on Wheels
; Mike Beeman,
Ruth's Cottage
; Renata Elad,
Humane Society
; Ted McElroy,
Called to Care
; Jennifer Woodall,
Pregnancy Care Center;
Staci Griffin,
Tift County Commission on Children & Youth
;
and
Vicki Taft,
Hospice of Tift Area
.
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SOMETHING TO HOWL ABOUT:
A SUPER BLOOD WOLF MOON ECLIPSE
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The year is starting off as a
special
one for
sky watchers
: A
"super blood wolf moon eclipse"
appears on
Jan. 21
.
Three
events are coming together to create the phenomenon: A
super moon
, a
wolf moon
and a
lunar eclipse
.
A
super moon
is a
new
or
full
moon
that occurs when the moon is
closest to Earth
. A
wolf moon
is another name for the
year's first full moon
. The
blood moon
is a
lunar eclipse
that causes the
moon
to appear
red
as it enters the
Earth’s shadow
.
The
super blood wolf moon eclipse
peaks at
12:16 a.m. Jan. 21
and lasts a little more than
three
hours. The next time a
super moon
and
lunar eclipse
occur together will be in
May 2021
.
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PEANUT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
INCLUDES TIFTON REPRESENTATIVE
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Twenty
peanut
growers
and
sheller
representatives from across the
Southeast
, including
Tifton
, recently began a
Peanut Leadership Academy
course in
Panama City Beach, Fla.
The
Peanut Leadership Academy
is hosted by the
Southern Peanut Farmers Federation
and is a cooperative effort among
Syngenta Crop Protection
, the
American Peanut Shellers Association
and
grower organizations
.
The program is designed to give participants a thorough understanding of the
peanut industry
. The
18-month course
encompasses
five
sessions. Attendees visit
peanut operations
, meet with
industry leaders
, visit with members of
Congress
in
Washington, D.C.
, and receive
professional development
training.
Georgia
participants include
Andrew Grimes
of
Tifton
.
The program began in
1998
with the first class of
14
peanut growers from
Alabama, Florida and Georgia
. Since then, the academy has grown to also include
farmers
from
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia
and
sheller representatives
.
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GOT A WEEKEND YARD SALE? LET US KNOW!
The
Tifton Grapevine
is now publishing
yard sales
in
Friday editions
. The
yard sales
are
text
only,
no photos
, and is part of a
list
linked from the
Grapevine
edition to our
web page
.
The
cost
is
$1 per word
, and
yard sales
must be
paid in advance
via
credit card
or
PayPal
.
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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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See what's happening on our social sites:
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