Happy New Year Tifton!

Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

A 2020 VISION

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

As I sat at my laptop to once again craft a column for the New Year , I decided to re-read the words I wrote a year ago on New Year's Eve .

At that time, I made some resolutions for 2019 to be a better person . For the most part , I have followed them but find that I am still working on some of those goals . Thus, I have an updated list for 2020, adding new goals and retaining others as reminders .

I truly believe that if we all strive to do the following things, not only will we be better people but we will help create a better world .

In 2020, resolve to:

Be grateful for each day. Life is a gift.

Be prayerful. Show reverence to God and belief in the power of prayer.

Be nicer than you have to be. Smile. Treat everyone with kindness, no matter who they are or their station in life.

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 active. Move – don't sit on the sidelines. Get up, and get involved. Participate. Do not procrastinate and handle tasks as they arise.

Be healthy – in mind, body and spirit.

Be appreciative of others. Tell them what they mean to you. Thank them for what they do and what they have done for you.

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 aware. Notice all that is around you, especially the "little" things, which are often not little at all.

Be a risk-taker. 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.

Let's make 2020 a meaningful year and make the coming new decade the best one of our lives.

'POLAR BEARS' TO PLUNGE FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS

The Tiftarea YMCA is hosting the Seventh Annual Polar Bear Plunge at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, in the Tiftarea YMCA's pool at the Stafford Aquatics Center at Hunt Park on Westover Road .

Ten participants are competing to raise money for their respective local charity . The individual raising the most money for his or her nonprofit , 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 . The outdoor temperature is forecast to be 50 degrees when competitors will take the plunge Wednesday morning.

This year's participants and their local charities are: Jason Bishoff , Tiftarea YMCA; Wingate Whitley , PattiCake House ; Bret Wagenhorst, Meals on Wheels ; Mike Beeman, Ruth's Cottage ; Andy Ring , Called to Care ; Heather Johnson , The Soup Kitchen ; Clint Hurst , Urban Elevation ; Paul Horst , Tiftarea Greenways Association ; Todd Garner , H-3 Center ; and Andrew Marzen , Tift County Foundation for Educational Excellence .

In the accompanying photo , Marzen is pictured in a TuTu , which he was challenged to wear to raise money for the education foundation . Marzen has called his fundraising quest "TuTus for Teachers."

For information about the Polar Bear Plunge and Tiftarea YMCA , Click Here!

GNAT DROP

"Matt the Gnat" will drop at midnight in Downtown Tifton to usher in the year 2020 .

Tift County is hosting the 2nd Annual Gnat Drop on New Year's Eve with festivities beginning at 7 p.m. in front of Tift County's Charles Kent Administration Building on Tift Avenue . Live music and food vendors will be available.

This year's entertainment includes Kasey King, Soulful Serenades, Blak Pearl and Harold E. Thomas & Danger Zone.

The audience may bring lawn chairs to the site.

DDA IMPROVING 9 MORE CROSSWALKS DOWNTOWN

The Tifton Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is installing nine more visually identifiable crosswalks this week in Downtown Tifton .

The first phase was done during this past summer and included new herringbone-patterned crosswalks at Second Street and Love Avenue , at Third and Main streets , and across Main Street at the Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts.

This second phase begins on Thursday, Jan. 2, and continues on Friday, Jan. 3 , weather permitting. The following streets will be affected by crosswalk installments after 5 p.m Thursday and into the early morning hours of Friday :

Two crosswalks at Main and Fifth streets
Two at Main and Ninth streets
Two at Library Lane and Tift Avenue
Two at Main Street/Love Avenue and First Street
One at Tift Avenue and Third Street East

Traffic control personnel will be on site to maintain traffic flow. Each crosswalk takes roughly 45 minutes to an hour to install.

The DDA began working on the project in 2018 to make safer, more visually appealing crosswalks downtown. Considering that Main Street is a U.S. and state route with an average annual daily traffic count of 5,760 vehicles per day between Third and Fifth streets, the DDA procured a rural grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to improve the crosswalks.