Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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WILD CHICKEN FEST
GROWS (& CROWS)
IN FITZGERALD
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Wild chicken
is on this
weekend's activity menu
as
Fitzgerald’s Wild Chicken Festival
returns to the historic
Ben Hill County city
.
The
festival
annually
attracts
more than
13,000
people to
downtown Fitzgerald
.
Celebrating
the
Burmese chickens
that run wild throughout the city, the annual
festival
kicks off
Friday night, March 15
, with a
free concert
by the
New Bushmen
from
7-10 p.m.
in the
White Swan parking lot
and
hosted
by the
Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts
Council.
The
festival
then runs all day
Saturday
beginning with the
Masonic Lodge pancake breakfast
at
6 a.m.
, the
Michael Buras Memorial 5K and One-Mile Fun Run
at
8 a.m.
, and the
Pinewood Derby Race
at
9 a.m.
Arts and crafts booths
open at
9:30 a.m.
, and activities throughout the day include a
knife-juggling, fire-eating carnival show
,
music
and
dancing
, a
chicken crowing contest
,
motorcycle games
and
chicken shows
at the "
Poultry Palace
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In conjunction with the
Wild Chicken Festival
, the
Fitzgerald Ben Hill Arts Council
is hosting other events. On
Saturday
, the council will have a
curated artisan market
behind the
Grand Theatre
in the
Carnegie Center courtyard
.
Artisans
with
handmade
and
home-grown
goods circle around the park creating a
bazaar
. This year the market features fresh produce, eggs and fruit
preserves as well as paintings, jewelry, custom decorations, illustrators and photographers, glass work, handmade soaps, lotions, balms, macramé plant hangers and tapestries, hand-crafted greeting cards, wood-turned bowls, children’s décor, leather goods and more.
The market is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. At the same time, the
Wild Chicken Soup exhibit
will be on display featuring
artwork
from
regional artists
inside the
Carnegie Center
on
Lee Street
. The exhibit includes
2D
and
3D
work.
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ABAC TO HONOR ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
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Five
individuals and
one
team will be honored with their
induction
into the Class of 2019 of the
Athletics Hall of Fame
on
April 5
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
ABAC Athletics Director
Alan Kramer
said the
2019 class
includes the
1968-69 men’s basketball team,
former softball standout
Jenny McCarthy
, former tennis star
Lisa English
, former football player and longtime high school coach
Sidney White
, former basketball player and college basketball coach
Alfred Barney
and former baseball player and outstanding high school coach
Terry Mixon
.
“This group takes us all the way back to the
football years
of the
Georgia State College for Men
,” Kramer said. “From the ABAC
tennis
courts to the
baseball
field, it’s a great group of inductees. I look forward to hearing stories from their ABAC playing days.”
English
, originally from
South Africa
, was the National Junior College Athletic Association regional Most Valuable Player in
1995
and
1996
when she played for Kramer’s
Golden Fillies
. She was an NJCAA All-America selection in 1995 and an International Tennis Association (ITA) All-America selection in 1995 and 1996.
A
Canadian
,
McCarthy
was the first international athlete to play
softball
for the Golden Fillies. She led Coach
Donna Campbell’
s team to Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (GJCAA) state fast-pitch titles in
1997
and
1998
, named the GJCAA Most Valuable Player both years. She was named to the All-Region team and the All-Tournament team in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, McCarthy led ABAC to its first District C Championship and its first trip to the National Fastpitch Softball Tournament.
A
Pelham
native,
Barney
played
basketball
for the Golden Stallions in
1975-77.
He was named the Most Valuable Player in his sophomore season. He earned a scholarship to
Austin Peay State University
where he was MVP of the team during his senior year. He also was the head coach at
Pelham High School, Tuskegee University
and
Dekalb College
, later renamed
Georgia Perimeter
. At Georgia Perimeter, he was named NJCAA Region XVII Coach of the Year, Naismith Junior College Coach of the Year and the Atlanta Tipoff Club Coach of the Year. His Georgia Perimeter teams made six appearances in the national tournament, including the Final Four.
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Coach
Vann Brackin’s 1968-69 Golden Stallions
compiled a 25-5 record and won the Southern Conference of the GJCAA with a 12-0 record and were the first intercollegiate athletics team at ABAC with
African-American
players,
Albert Lewis
and
David Adams
. Other team members were
Leslie Moore, Ashley DeLoach, Harold Adkins, Julian Deaton, Mark Hall, Jerry Johnston, Odell Pack, Dennis McSwain, Carlos McSwain, Harley Stewart and Buddy Whitley
. The team averaged 93 points a game and scored more than 100 points nine times. ABAC set a single game scoring record with a 140-64 win over Jones Junior College on
Nov. 20, 1968
.
Originally from
Sylvester
,
White
died at the age of
90
in
1999
. He played
football
for the
Georgia State College for Men
Rams, one of ABAC's forerunners, who defeated the
University of Miami
in
1931
and
1932
. In 1931, he scored eight touchdowns against
Troy, Fort Benning, Oglethorpe, Florida’s freshman squad
and
Parris Island.
White’s coaching resume includes a stint at
Warner Robins
, where he led the girls’ basketball team to the state tournament 17 straight years including a state title in 1965, the school’s first state championship in any sport. White also coached in
Wrightsville, McRae, Americus and Worth County
.
A former Most Valuable Player in baseball and basketball at
Suwannee High
in Live Oak, Fla.,
Mixon
was a standout for Coach
Tom Moody
’s Golden Stallions when he hit .321 in
1975
and .359 in
1976
. He was named All-Conference and All-State in 1976. Mixon led the
1975 Stallions
to the
state championship
. After completing his ABAC career, he transferred to
Georgia Southern
where he was selected to the All-South Baseball Team and the Coaches Association Team.
Tickets
are
$40
to the
6 p.m.
dinner
April 5
in ABAC’s
Gressette Gym
. For
information
call
229-391-4930
.
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TIFT DEPUTIES ARREST 69 PEOPLE DURING FEBRUARY, SHERIFF SAYS
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During
February
, Tift County
sheriff's deputies
arrested
69
people, some on multiple charges, says Sheriff
Gene Scarbrough
.
He said there were
17
fraud charges,
34
charges of parole/probation violation,
25
drug charges,
15
failure-to-appear charges,
five
weapons charges,
seven
child support cases,
six
obstruction cases and
six
non-traffic cases.
Traffic stops
conducted by deputies led to
six
charges of driving under the influence,
12
drug charges,
two
weapons charges and
17
individuals having a suspended or revoked driver’s license.
The
Sheriff's Office
responded to
2,804
calls for service, conducted
1,764
business and property checks,
836
mobile home park and subdivision checks with
47
school checks and verified the addresses of
67
registered sex offenders.
Sheriff
Scarbrough
said deputies served
147
warrants,
93
civil papers and
367
subpoenas. He said deputies completed
409
reports, worked
25
accidents, issued
885
traffic citations,
149
traffic warnings and patrolled
59,553
miles.
The sheriff also reported that
deputies
provided
60
transports, totaling
190
hours and
6,651
miles.
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PREVIEW SERVES AS GROUNDBREAKING
FOR FINE ARTS BUILDING
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No shovels lifted dirt on a recent rainy afternoon, but when the
fine arts preview
at Tift Hall was over, the mission was accomplished –
construction
on the
new Fine Arts Building
at
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
is
underway
.
ABAC President
David Bridges
and Dr.
Susan Roe
, fine arts department head, both said the
24,000-square-foot
building will complete the traditional
“Sweetheart Circle”
on the campus front.
“This
college
has always
emphasized
the
arts
,”
Bridges
said, pointing to a picture of the
Frank Park Literary Society
at the
Second District Agricultural and Mechanical School
in
1911
.
Bridges cited examples such as the organization of the
South Georgia A&M College Glee Club
in
1925
,
C.J. Dismukes
directing the
Georgia State College for Men
band in
1932
, and
George P. Donaldson
directing the
Baldwin Players
in its first performance in
1933
.
“
ABAC
has always held a special place in its
heart
for the
arts
,”
Bridges
said. “But there has
never been a home
for the arts that they could call their own. That’s why we wanted this building on the front of campus. When I was a
student
here in
1978
, we could
hear
the
band
and the
chorus practicing
on the
third floor
of
Conger Hall
.”
Roe
, who also directs the
choral program
and originated the popular
First Tuesday Concerts
on campus, showed
interior renderings
of the building.
“The building will have
practice space
for our
orchestra
and another space for our
choir
so they can
practice
at the
same time
without drowning each other out,” Roe said. “There will also be
individual practice rooms
which are
acoustically controlled
.
“You just don’t know how much I am looking forward to being in this building. It’s like a
dream come true
for everyone in the music program here at ABAC.”
Construction
on the building is scheduled to be
completed next spring
.
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GEORGIA TAX COLLECTIONS INCREASE BY 5.5 PERCENT
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Georgia’s net tax collections
for
February
totaled almost
$1.3 billion
, for an
increase
of
$67.6 million
– or
5.5 percent
– compared to February 2018 when net tax collections totaled roughly
$1.23 billion
, according to the
Georgia Department of Revenue.
Year-to-date
, net tax collections total
$15.37 billion
for an
increase
of
$270.5 million
– or
1.8 percent
– compared to the
same period
of the
previous fiscal year
.
Corporate income tax collections
for the month totaled
$17.3 million
, which was an
increase
of
$46.2 million
, or
159.9 percent
, compared to
FY 2018
.
Motor fuel tax collections
increased by
$5.4 million
, or
3.8 percent
, compared to last year.
Motor vehicle tag and title fees
increased by nearly
$3.2 million
, or
8.6 percent
, for the month, while
Title Ad Valorem Tax
(TAVT) collections
decreased
by
$2.6 million
,
3.1 percent
, from last year’s total of
$83.5 million
.
I
ndividual income tax collections
totaled roughly
$469.2 million
, which was a
decrease
of
$7.4 million
or
1.5 percent
, the
Department of Revenue
reported.
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COMMUNITY PRAYER SET WEDNESDAY NIGHT
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Several local
prayer leaders
are holding a
community prayer vigil
beginning at
6 p.m. Wednesday, March 13
, on the
steps
of the
Tift County Courthouse
in
Downtown Tifton
.
The
vigil
is expected to be approximately
a half hour
, and
prayers
will be offered for our
education system
and its
leaders
, for the
City of Tifton
and its leaders, for Tift County and its leaders, for the state and nation and their respective leaders.
The
community
is
invited
to
attend
.
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AMERIS DONATES TO TRMC THROUGH GEORGIA HEART PROGRAM
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Ameris Bank
recently made a
$200,000
donation to
Tift Regional Medical Center
through the
Georgia HEART
program.
“We appreciate Ameris Bank for supporting TRMC and our mission to elevate the health of the community,” said
Christopher Dorman
, president & CEO of Tift Regional Health System (TRHS).
The
Georgia HEART
program allows a
state tax credit
for organizations, individuals and married couples who make a
financial contribution
to a
designated rural hospital
.
Pictured from left are
William Bowen
, community chairman of Ameris Bank and member of the TRHS Board of Directors;
Josh Bowen
, Ameris Bank market president;
Dorman
; and
Kim Wills
, TRHS senior vice president and chief financial officer.
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CONGRESSIONAL ART CONTEST OPENS
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Congressman
Austin Scott
, R-Tifton, has announced the
2019 Congressional Art Competition.
All
high school students
(ninth-12th grade) who reside in or attend school in the
Eighth Congressional District
may participate. The
winning entry
from the Eighth District will be
displayed
in the
U.S. Capitol
for
one year
alongside artwork from every congressional district across the country.
All artwork must be
submitted
by
April 11
at one of the following five drop-off locations:
- Congressman Scott’s District Office in Tifton: 127-B Central Ave. N., Tifton
- Howard High School: 6400 Forsyth Road, Macon
- Scott’s District Office in Warner Robins: 230 Margie Drive, Suite 500, Warner Robins
- Thomas County Central High: 4685 U.S. Highway 84, Thomasville
- Lowndes County High School: 1606 Norman Drive, Valdosta
Three
award-winning works of art will be selected by a
panel
of
local judges
. Scott will announce the winners at an
awards ceremony
at the
Perry Convention and Visitors Bureau
at
3 p.m. Sunday, April 28
.
The
first-place
art work will be displayed at the
U.S. Capitol
for an 11-month exhibit beginning in
June
. The
winning student
will receive
two airline tickets
to
Washington, D.C.
, for the
national ceremony
and ribbon cutting of the art exhibit. The student will also be
eligible
to receive a
$3,000 per year
scholarship
to the
Savannah College of Art and Design
, should they apply and be accepted.
In addition to community professionals judging the top artwork,
Scott
will continue the popular
“People’s Choice Award.”
All
submitted entries
will be
posted
on
Scott’s Facebook page
, giving constituents the opportunity to
choose
their
favorite
.
The
“People’s Choice Award” winner’s artwork
will be displayed in
Scott’s Washington, D.C.,
office, unless it is the same piece that wins the overall competition, in which case the first-place offerings apply.
Rules
and
guidelines
are on Scott’s website
here
. For
information
call
229-396-5175
.
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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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