Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019
Tifton, Georgia
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DEVELOPERS WITHDRAW OFFER
TO BUY, RAZE MOTEL
'PINK MOTEL' TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY
BUT ITS FUTURE REMAINS UNCERTAIN
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One week after the Tifton
Historic Preservation Commission
(HPC) voted
5-1
approving a controversial plan to
raze
the
Town Terrace Motel
(the
"Pink Motel"
)
to allow the construction of upscale townhomes
, the
developers
have
withdrawn
their
offer
to buy the
property
.
John Bowen
of
31 North Real Estate Investors
of
Tifton
confirmed to the
Tifton Grapevine
that his group has
abandoned
its plans to
purchase
the
"Pink Motel"
and construct
townhomes
there.
Bowen
did not elaborate about the
reasons
behind the decision, but a
public outcry
followed the
HPC's vote
to
allow
the
demolition
of the
1940's motel
on
12th Street
in the
Historic District
. Some
citizens
used
social media
to begin
organizing
an
appeal
to
Tifton City Council
.
Council had scheduled an
information meeting
about the motel issue for
Tuesday night
before the developers pulled out of the project. The
meeting
was
still held
, and several
residents
spoke about the
importance
of
saving Tifton's history
. The
motel
is one of the
few left
in the
region
that was a
stopping point
for
tourists
traveling to and from
Florida
before the
interstate
highway.
Ironically, one of the buildings at the
motel
caught on
fire Sunday morning
; the fire was contained to
one room
. A
Tifton Police officer
happened to be driving down the street at
11 a.m. Sunday
and
spotted
the
fire
, which was quickly contained. The blaze was referred to the
State Fire Marshal's office
for
investigation
, and
preliminary results
are said to point to
nothing suspicious
about the fire's origins.
The
"Pink Motel"
is currently one of the
filming locations
for a
movie
,
"The Tiger Rising,"
starring
Queen Latifah
and
Dennis Quaid
. The
Town Terrace
is being
rebranded
as the
"Kentucky Star Motel"
for the
movie
.
After the
filming
is expected to
end
in
December
, the
future
of the
motel
is
uncertain
. It has fallen into
disrepair
during the years. However, there is
at least one
party
interested
in
rehabilitating
the motel,
contingent
upon a
formal structural engineering review
.
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TIFTON VETERANS MUSEUM OPENS DOWNTOWN
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The
Tifton Veterans Museum
formally opened
Monday
–
Veterans Day
– at the
Atlantic Coast Line Station
at
Tifton Gardens
in
Downtown Tifton
.
Chris Parrott
, museum president and a
former Tifton city councilman
, said the
museum
is currently open
Fridays
and
Saturdays
with
no admission fee
. It houses
memorabilia
from
several wars
and recognizes
veterans
from
Tifton
and
Tift County
.
In the
video
below,
Parrott
talks
about
the
museum
, which was about a
decade
in the making.
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NATIVE PLANTS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OFFERED AGAIN
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Native plant
and
conservation enthusiasts
say the second year of the
Certificate in Native Plants
for the
Coastal Plain of Georgia
will begin in
January
.
The program is a
conservation outreach
of the
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
and the
Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance
.
The
Certificate in Native Plants
offers a
series
of
short courses
in identification, cultivation, propagation, ecology and conservation of
native Georgia plants
. The classes emphasize native plants and plant communities typical of the
Coastal Plain,
which includes areas of the state below the fall line (below a
line
from
Columbus
to
Macon
to
Augusta
).
The program benefits from area educational resources, including
UGA’s Tifton Campus, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Valdosta State University, South Georgia State College, the Jones Center
, and
Gaskins Forest Education Center.
Classes
begin
Jan. 11
with an elective,
ethnobotany
. The first core class,
botany
, is offered
Feb. 1
. For information, visit the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s website at
www.botgarden.uga.edu
or contact
Sean Cameron
at
706-542-6156
or
cscamero@uga.edu
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THE EAGLE
HAS LANDED
Dr.
Larry Branch
, a
Tifton veterinarian
, holds a
special patient
on
Friday
– a
bald eagle
that was found in
Lake Park
and brought to
Quailwood Animal Hospital
in
Tifton
.
A
wildlife rescue organization
picked up the bird, which
may have been injured
by a
vehicle
.
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HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE:
Annie Belle Clark Elementary
's fourth-grade program will honor military veterans and first responders at
9 a.m.
this
Friday, Nov. 15.
...
GET OUT YER DANCIN' SHOES:
Seniors Enjoying Life Forever
, or
"SELF,"
will recognize veterans at the group's monthly dance this
Friday, Nov. 15
, at the
Leroy Rogers Senior Center
in Tifton. Bring a pot-luck dish. Doors open at
6 p.m.
with the
Fred Hand Band
. ...
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT:
The
Tifton Junior Woman's Club
holds its annual
"Glow Run"
5K and 1-mile fun run beginning at
6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 22,
at
Northside Baptist Church
. The event benefits the club's
scholarship fund
and
community service
work. For information, email
jessiebrooks17@gmail.com
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TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING
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Therapeutic Massage and Health Clinic
25th anniversary
223 N. Central Ave., Tifton
Nov. 7
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READY TO BE ADOPTED FROM
THE TIFT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
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Visit me at the Tift County Animal Shelter, 1-6 p.m., Mondays-Fridays,
at
278 Ga. Highway 125 South in Tifton.
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REACH THOUSANDS OF FOLKS IN THE TIFTAREA ~
ADVERTISE IN THE TIFTON GRAPEVINE!
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Call Us at
478-227-7126
Your Locally Owned Digital Newspaper!
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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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