Tifton's New Agency to Address Blight

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126 ~ www.tiftongrapevine.com

A NEW DAY FOR CITY REDEVELOPMENT

TIFTON IMPANELS AGENCY TO ADDRESS BLIGHTED AREAS

Tifton's new Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) now has a board and will soon be addressing areas of the city in need of economic revitalization and redevelopment .

City Council on Monday appointed the seven board members for the new Redevelopment Agency. They are, pictured in photo from left, Chairman Vivian Hightower, Major Battle Jr., Vice Chairman Curtis Akins, Tyler Riddle, Abbey Bowen McLaren, Michael Bowen and M.Jay Hall.

Bruce Green , who recently completed a stint as interim economic development director for the Tifton Main Street program and the Downtown Development Authority , is interim URA director .

The URA's initial focus will be on the greater South Tifton area, which city officials say is in dire need of attention.The city had commissioned a study on the area which pinpointed the needs for affordable residential housing, property investment , improvement of blighted areas, sustainable redevelopment and preservation of cultural assets.

The neighborhoods surrounding Matt Wilson Elementary School are among the first areas to be addressed. The URA will have the authority to borrow money and purchase property .

KICKOFF TO MEN'S HEALTH OFFERS FOOTBALL PREVIEW,

MEN'S HEALTH SCREENINGS

Tift Regional Medical Center 's (TRMC's) annual Kick-off to Men's Health on Saturday morning, July 27 , gives guys a chance to hear from football coaches about the upcoming high school season while also getting free health screenings .

The 8-11:30 a.m. free event at the Tift Regional Community Events Center features a panel of regional high school football coaches offering previews of their team's season.

The coaches will include Ashley Anders , Tift County High ; Erik Soliday , Tiftarea Academy ; Buddy Nobles , Irwin County High ; Tucker Pruitt , Fitzgerald High ; Jamie Rodgers , Cook High ; Nick Hayes , Turner County High ; and Frankie Carroll , Worth County High School.

Sports medicine specialist Dr. Celestine Nnaeto with Georgia Sports Medicine will also talk about avoiding sports concussions and preventing athletic injuries .

TRMC will provide free health screenings , information tables, complimentary food , door prizes and other giveaways .

The Events Center is located at 1656 South Carpenter Road , connected to the Tiftarea YMCA .

NEW FACES AT SOME PLACES

IN TIFT COUNTY SCHOOLS

Dr. Shereca Harvey , pictured in front, is the newest member of the Tift County School System's administrative team . Harvey joins Tift County as its middle grades curriculum director, and she will also be working with testing .

Other administrative changes for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year include: Back row from left, Jennifer Howell , principal at Matt Wilson Elementary ; Willie Dean , principal at J.T. Reddick Elementary ; and Patsy Shivers , principal at Len Lastinger Elementary.

Tifton First United Methodist Church

i s in search of a Financial Secretary who will maintain all general accounting and payroll functions of the church.

General duties will include: record and deposit all contributions, prepare payroll and associated withholdings for church employees, maintain record of sick leave and vacation for employees, pay accounts payable bills and prepare monthly financial reports for Finance Committee and Church Council as part of annual budget process.

This position is currently available as a part-time position with the possibility of being full-time depending on the experience, expertise and interest of the candidate.

Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.

The Financial Secretary will report to the Senior Pastor and the Finance Committee Chairperson to provide financial accounting and payroll for all church activities.

Service attendance averages 100+ at 9 a.m., 200+ at 11 a.m.

and 65+ at 10:42 a.m.

Tifton, Georgia, is located on I-75 north of Valdosta and south of Macon.

The population of Tifton is approximately 17,000

with an additional 23,000 living in the surrounding county.

Please mail resume and contact information for three references to:

Tifton First United Methodist Church

107 West 12 ^th Street

Tifton, GA 31794

www.tiftonfumc.org

John Denver - Take Me Home, Country Roads (Home Free Cover) (Official Music Video)

HOME FREE GROUP WITH TIFTON NATIVE

RELEASES NEW MUSIC VIDEO

Home Free , the all-vocal group that includes Tifton native Austin Brown , has just released a video of their cover version of John Denver's hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

" Y'all asked for it, we listened ," the group posted on social media . "We took this John Denver country hit and made it our own . Here's 'Take Me Home, Country Roads,' which is available on our upcoming album 'Dive Bar Saints. ' "

Home Free's fifth studio album is expected to be released in a couple of weeks . Last year the group released a music video filmed in Tifton as Brown and his fellow vocalists visited Brown's family for a fish fry on the lake.

Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Chula, Ga., is seeking a part-time Worship Pastor. Persons interested in the position should submit a letter of interest and a resume by mail or email.

Mt Zion Baptist Church

ATTN: Worship Pastor Committee

293 Mt Zion Church Road

Chula, GA 31733

Email: aaronjfrasier923@gmail.com

CHURCH MEMBERS, FRIENDS

RUN FOR REV. EVERS

The Rev. Fred Evers , second from right, stands with church member Mike Beeman and others at the benefit "Run for Evers" on Friday evening at Tifton's Northside Baptist Church.

Friends and members of the church gathered for the benefit 5K and one-mile run for the Rev. Fred Evers, who has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

The "Run for Evers" was organized by church members to help the pastor with medical expenses .

Evers ' wife Cindy stands at left in the photo.

GREAT GEORGIA POLLINATOR CENSUS READYING FOR THE BIG COUNT

This August , more than 900 Georgians will make history by participating in the first citizen-powered census of pollinators in the United States.

As part of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service’s Great Georgia Pollinator Census , hundreds of Georgians will head in their yards , nearby parks or local community gardens to help take a count of Georgia’s pollinators .

“We’re going to be making pollinator history in Georgia this August,” said Becky Griffin , UGA Extension school and community garden and pollinator census coordinator.

“This is the first time this type of project has been attempted with pollinators . We have a great network of counters all over the state, and we’re going to end up with new and very useful insights into the health of pollinators in our state.”

During the past year, Griffin has been working to recruit students, teachers, gardeners and other citizen-scientists to participate in the count, which is modeled after the Great Backyard Bird Count organized by Cornell University each fall.

For 15 minutes each day Aug. 23 and 24 , Georgians will head outside and focus their attention on plants that are known to attract pollinators . They’ll tally up the insects that they’ve seen at work and report their numbers .

To register to be a census taker , visit GGaPC.org