Tift Teacher's 40th Marathon

APRIL 11, 2017

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126

tiftongrapevine.com

TIFT TEACHER PREPARES FOR

HIS 40th BOSTON MARATHON

IT'S A 'MINOR MIRACLE,' SAYS MIKE BEEMAN

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Tift County High School teacher Mike Beeman will be among the 30,000 runners Monday, April 17, at the 121st Boston Marathon, which will be Beeman's 40th consecutive appearance in the the world's oldest annual marathon.

"I am thanking the Lord for giving me the strength to do this for 40 years, which is a minor miracle," Beeman told the Tifton Grapevine. "I am taking both of my children ( Melanie, 20, and Jarod,16) to celebrate this milestone. Reaching it


	Beeman with daughter Melanie during last year's Boston Marathon.

for me is special because only seven other people have done it."

Beeman, a marketing teacher and co-coach of TCHS's cross country team, is No. 8 on the list of runners with the most consecutive participation since the Boston Marathon began in 1897.

"I intend to keep going as long as my health allows me to. It is been fun training this year because I have friends in Tifton who I run with every Saturday," Beeman said.

"That, in some ways, makes it easier. It only becomes difficult if it is hot in Boston. This year the temps are supposed to be somewhat cool."

After 40 years, the races "get blended together," Beeman said, except for 2013 when the terrorist bombing occurred.

"When I look back, it is hard to fathom that as a senior in college, I decided to do this and have never stopped," Beeman said.

"I appreciate the support I get from the Tifton community, the schools and my family."

The Boston Marathon is one of the world's most prestigious 26.2-mile runs. It is always held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday in April. It was inspired by the success of the first maratho n competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics.

DOWNTOWN TIFTON NAMED

'EXCEPTIONAL MAIN STREET'

Tifton is one of eight cities being added to Georgia's Exceptional Main Street Program as a "proven leader in downtown development," the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) says.

Tifton joins a total of 16 cities "carefully selected due to the overwhelmingly positive impact that the Main Street Program has had on its local historic district." the DCA said. "From new businesses and job creation, to rehabilitation projects and downtown housing, these communities have set themselves apart with their annual economic impact numbers and focus on historic preservation."

Other cities in the program are Columbus, Rome, Thomasville, Valdosta, Tybee Island, Milledgeville, Bainbridge, Dahlonega, Madison, Greensboro, Moultrie, Statesboro, Newnan, Toccoa and Brunswick.

"These communities are united by common attributes that help make them the strongest commercial historic districts in the state -- a strong commitment to historic preservation and planning, stable leadership and active municipal support," said Jessica Reynolds, director of the DCA's Downtown Development office.

Of 94 Main Street programs that participated in the competitive annual assessment process, the 16 cities "stood out amongst the rest," the DCA said. Collectively, they represent 473,200 citizens and eight service delivery regions.

As part of the Exceptional Main Street Program, Tifton gets access to special one-on-one technical services offered by the Office of Downtown Development, such as strategic planning sessions, board retreats and work plan development, along with scholarship opportunities and discounted rates for training and design services.

COTTON PRODUCTION DROPS BUT

STILL COMPETES WELL, STUDY FINDS

A University of Georgia student's survey of the cotton industry finds that the crop, once king in Georgia, can compete with synthetic fibers and will continue to be economically and environmentally feasible into the future.

For her master's degree thesis, Shannon Parrish, a former graduate student on the UGA Tifton campus, set out to gauge the status of cotton production and whether growers can improve the crop and minimize its impact on the environment. She studied how the Georgia cotton crop compares nationwide.

" Cotton is a major commodity crop in the U.S.," said Parrish, who studied under George Vellidis, a professor in the crop and soil sciences department in UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

"I don't really ever see cotton not being grown here."

The research study was prompted by global consumer concern over cotton's environmental sustainability, said Don Shurley, UGA Cooperative Extension cotton economist, who worked with Parrish on the project.

"Over the past 10 years or more, we've lost market share in cotton to man-made fibers," Shurley said. "Some people believe that loss in market share is, in part, due to the fact that there are consumers out there who think cotton production is not environmentally friendly."

With funding from the Georgia Cotton Commission, Parrish met with cotton producers across the state and studied their practices. She calculated data in the Field to Market Fieldprint Calculator, which assigns a sustainability rating for a specific field based on seven metrics.

"Based on the numbers we have, I don't feel like you could necessarily say cotton is not sustainable," Parrish said. "Cotton is competing with synthetic fibers, so what's to say production of synthetic fibers is 100-percent sustainable?"

Cotton production in the United States has dropped in recent years. Cotton was planted on 8.56 million acres in 2015, down 22.5 percent from 2014 and the lowest level in 33 years, according to the UGA Extension 2016 Georgia Cotton Production Guide.

UGA Extension also reported Georgia's cotton acreage dropped 19 percent in 2015. Georgia cotton was worth $713.1 million in farm gate value in 2015, according to the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 16

A fabulous menu will include Celebration salad, broccoli salad, pasta salad, 24-hour fruit salad, Watergate salad, pimento cheese, chicken salad, grape salad, marinated vegetable salad, roasted turkey, cornbread dressing, baked ham, sweet potato soufflé, baby butter beans, broccoli casserole, roast beef, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, macaroni and cheese, cream corn, Italian green beans, glazed carrots, steamed squash, asparagus, Southern fried chicken, shrimp and grits, rolls, chocolate pie, lemon meringue pie, pecan pie, carrot cake, chocolate cake, coconut cake, cheesecake, strawberry cake,

Chocolate Mousse ... and much more.

$12 per person; children age 4 & under are free

Special extended hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Reservations are Suggested: 392-2913
or 382-6745

BJ's at Springhill

5 Springhill Drive E. (off U.S. Highway 82)

Springhill Country Club,

Tifton, Ga.

SPEARMAN RECOGNIZED

AS MEMBER OF ABAC's '64 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Chairman Tyron Spearman, left, was honored Friday night during homecoming festivities as a member of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's 1964 Stallion state championship basketball team, which was inducted into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame.

At right is Chamber Vice President Chris Beckham congratulating Spearman.

...WHERE FORDS AND LINCOLNS COST LESS!

511 West 7th Street

(229) 382-1300

griffinford.net

CHARLES SPENCER STUDENTS SCORE WELL

IN GEORGIA 'ECON GAMES'

Charles Spencer Elementary students recently took top honors at the Econ Games presented by the Georgia Council on Economic Education. This was the first time the games were held in Georgia and were based on competitions held in Delaware and Oklahoma.

Fourth- and fifth-graders from around the state were invited.

Charles Spencer's two fifth-grade teams took first and second place in their division, while the school's fourth-grade team won third place in its division.

The event consisted of three rounds: An assembly-line activity efficiently producing Thank You cards according to a set of instructions; a test on the economics standards for their grade level.; and development of an idea for goods or a service that could be used to help blueberry farmers save their crops from unexpected freezes. The teams then presented their ideas to a panel of judges in a "Shark Tank" style.

"We are incredibly proud of our students," said Principal Tammy Corbin at Charles Spencer Elementary. "They showed great teamwork to be able to take home these awards."

The mission of the Georgia Council on Economic Education is to help teachers teach economics, including hosting competitions that teachers can use to help get students excited about learning economics.

AG MUSEUM HOSTING TRADITIONAL

JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

A traditional Japanese tea ceremony will be observed at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 15, in the Peanut Museum at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture.

The ceremony will be presented by the Japanese Consulate and the Japan-America Cultural Society of Georgia.

The Japanese tea ceremony celebrates the traditional rite of tea that has been part of Japanese culture for more than 1,000 years. The chawan, or tea bowl, is the vessel used for preparing and drinking tea. Historically from China, the Japanese adopted the form to recognize and elevate their culture through the centuries.

The Ag Museum is joining with Tifton's Plough Gallery on College Avenue which, beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, will have on display, juried tea bowls and teapots from across the United States and from Japan and Thailand.

Admission to the gallery exhibit and tea ceremony are free and open to the community.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

RIBBON CUTTING

Chance Veazey State Farm Insurance

1601 Highway 41 North, Tifton

April 11

Miss Rita's School Mobile

This Summer, Take Only Six Weeks to a Better Grade!

Private Tutoring - 401 N. Ridge Ave., Tifton

CALL OR TEXT 941-313-0614

to REGISTER NOW

FOR SESSIONS BEGINNING

JUNE 12 - JULY 21

Miss Rita will be in Tifton on Tuesday, May 30

Call or Text to Register and Make an Appointment

to see Miss Rita for Student Testing and to Obtain Materials

roconnor75@comcast.net

Patience * Persistence

GA & FL Certified Reading Specialist

References available upon request

Pool party on June 24
for registered students & families at Tift County Rec Pool!

Miss Rita's Tutor Room has been operating in Manatee and Sarasota counties in Florida for the past 40-plus years.

She brings to Tifton her teaching talents as a Reading Specialist through Miss Rita's School Mobile, and is eager to build a strong foundation in the youths who are struggling readers.

Other areas of expertise include math, language arts and violin.

Serving the Tiftarea since 2009

Tift County 4-H members wear blue to show their support for child abuse prevention.

TIFTON WEARS BLUE TO SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Tiftarea residents wore blue last Friday to show a commitment to keep kids safe.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Individuals and organizations across Georgia were asked to make a "visible commitment to preventing child abuse and supporting strong families and healthy children throughout the state."


	Dina Willis, left, and Victoria Horst show their blue at the Tifton-Tift County Public Library last Friday.


Tift Regional Health System's Quality, Risk and Case Management and Compliance Department observes 'Wear Blue Day' on Friday.

ABAC ALUMNI GROUP NAMES WILLIAM BOWEN OUTSTANDING BUSINESS LEADER

William Bowen Jr. of Tifton received the Outstanding Business Leader Award from the ABAC Alumni Association Friday night at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

Bowen is the fourth-generation owner of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals and the fifth-generation owner of Bowen Farms. He is also a managing partner in Fulwood Family Partnership, which is involved in real estate and farming.


	Alumni President Chuck Scarborough, left, William Bowen Jr. and ABAC President David Bridges

The Outstanding Business Leader Award recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through professional achievement, community service and service to the College.

Bowen has served as chair of the ABAC Foundation Board of Trustees, president of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce and on the board of Tift Regional Health Systems. He is a 1985 ABAC graduate.

Bowen was named the Outstanding Young Alumnus of ABAC in 1988. He is a Paul Harris Fellow in the Tifton Rotary Club and has been selected for the Georgia Trend Magazine 40 Under 40. He also has received the Outstanding Forest Steward Certified Forest Stewardship Award and the Georgia Agri-Leaders Circle of Leadership Award.

The Chamber of Commerce presented Bowen with the DeNean Stafford Distinguished Service Award in 2005. He also received the 2006 Natural Resources Conservation Society Conservationist of the Year Award. He is a former president of the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and a graduate of the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum. He is a graduate of Leadership Tifton and Leadership Georgia.

Bowen served on the 2001 ABAC Presidential Search Committee and was the chair of the 2006 Presidential Search Committee. He holds an undergraduate degree in management from the University of Georgia and an associate degree in Mortuary Science from Gupton-Jones.