'A NIGHT OF JAZZ'

AT 'THE SYD' THURSDAY 

LIBRARY FOUNDATION FUNDRAISER FEATURES ‘CLASSIC SWING TO NEW ORLEANS'

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Just a few tickets are still available for "A Night of Jazz,” a fundraiser for the Tifton-Tift County Public Library Foundation featuring the Kelly/Scott Jazz Sextet, led by award-winning jazz artists.

The event begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at the Syd Blackmarr Arts Center on Love Avenue and features music from “classic swing to New Orleans,” heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine, and dancing.

Reservations must be made by Monday to ensure a seat at a table. Space is limited but a few individual seats and table sponsorships are available. To reserve your spot, call 229-392-3366 or email penny_mcd@yahoo.com 

This is the annual fundraiser for the Library Foundation, which changed the format this year, moving the event from the conference center to the more intimate atmosphere of "The Syd.” 

The Kelly/Scott Jazz Sextet is led by award-winning jazz artists vocalist Lisa Kelly and trumpeter JB Scott, and includes Bill Prince on sax, Jeff Phillips on piano, Rick Ravelo on bass, and Clyde Connor on drums. 

The six popular Florida-based musicians' careers have included jazz clubs, recordings, radio and TV appearances, and festival stages around the country and throughout the world, including Europe, Canada, the Caribbean, Japan, Russia, and China.

With a “classic swing to New Orleans” repertoire, the evening will include dance music, featuring favorites from the Great American Songbook, modern jazz, and tunes popular in the spirit of New Orleans. The music will include songs connected to Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Stan Getz, Diana Krall, Al Hirt, Michael Buble’, and others in the styles of swing, beat, Brazilian Bossa Nova, waltzes, funk, and shuffle blues. 

With eight DownBeat Magazine music awards to her credit, vocalist Lisa Kelly has been the featured vocalist with the legendary Larry Elgart Orchestra, the St. Johns River City Big band, the UNF JE 1 big band, and many others. Featured on radio commercials and TV programs, she is the 1997 originator and 22-year host of the Jacksonville Jazz Festival jam session, the 2018 originator and annual coordinator of the Friday Musicale jazz camp, and is a 2013 Jax Jazz Festival “Hall of Fame” inductee.

Former leader of the famous Dukes of Dixieland in New Orleans, Warburton trumpet artist JB Scott has toured with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, with the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, and is the 2017 Jax Jazz Festival “Hall of Fame” inductee. He directs the University of North Florida top big band, the Great American Jazz Series, and coordinates the UNF Jazz Program.

Other members of the sextet have played with such bands as Buddy Rich, Billy Maxted, Harry James, Clark Terry, Buddy DeFranco, the Rhythm Rascals, Arturo Sandoval, Maynard Ferguson, and the U.S. Navy Commodores big band in Washington, D.C.

EMPLOYERS MAY GET TAX BENEFITS FOR HIRING VETERANS, GDOL SAYS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

There are now more benefits available to employers for hiring military veterans, says Nakeitha Henley, career center manager with the Tiffton office of the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

Henley spoke at the monthly meeting of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. 

“Hiring a veteran can decrease your federal income tax liability,” Henley said. “You may be eligible for a tax credit ranging from $2,400 to $9,600.” She provided packets on work opportunity tax credit for more information. 

GDOL’s veterans staff work with veterans to transition them into the workforce, building career skills and job training, Henley said. The department ensures that veterans and eligible spouses are given precedence over non-covered persons in employment training and placement.

The veterans staff also works to assist disabled and homeless veterans and those with other significant barriers.

“Services are free,” Henley said. “We offer job search and financial management workshops.”

Services include job-search assistance, career guidance, and individual assistance to help job seekers identify their skills and match them to occupations. 

“We also provide rapid response in the event your business may face layoffs or closures,” Henley said. 

The "Top Step" program is a joint effort of the state departments of labor, corrections, community supervision, and the state Board of Pardons and Parolees; its “goal is to help returning citizens to find and keep a job upon release from prison and probation,” Henley said. 

Established in 1966, the Federal Bonding Program gives employers peace of mind. Eligible groups include ex-offenders, dishonorably discharged military, persons with poor credit, those recovering substance abuse, and economically disadvantaged youths and adults who lack work history. 

“It covers insured employers against stealing, forgery, larceny, or embezzlement,” Henley said. “Employers acquire skilled workers without incurring risks; skilled job seekers land a job in spite of their backgrounds. It’s effective for six months.” 

For information, visit www.employgeorgia.com

NEW CASES OF COVID-19 DECLINE IN TIFT COUNTY

BUT TIFT RECORDS ONE ADDITIONAL DEATH

New cases of COVID-19 declined in Tift County during the past two weeks, according to data from the Ga. Department of Public Health, but one additional COVID-related death was recorded.

There were 74 total new cases reported, compared to 114 cases reported in the previous two-week period. Tift's testing positivity rate for the two-week period was 11.9% compared to 16.7% previously, the DPH said. 

But one additional death was recorded in the county, bringing that total to 171.

Tift County’s total positive cases in the past two weeks represent 181 cases per 100,000 population, the measure used across the country to compare case rates among communities and states. 

There have been a total of 6,693 confirmed cases of COVID-10 in Tift.

Georgia has recorded a total of 2,229,087 confirmed cases and 33,223 related deaths, the DPH reported. There were 10,520 more total cases reported in the past week and 138 additional deaths statewide. There also were 602 COVID-related hospitalizations in Georgia in the past week, the DPH said.

DESTINATION AG DAY OFFERS HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

Destination Ag Day on Saturday at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture will allow folks to explore how agriculture affects their daily lives through a variety various hands-on activities.

The family fun day, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., includes crafts, a petting zoo, tractor displays, and interactive activities. Guests may “milk" Buttercup, a fiberglass milking cow, experience the challenges that birds face during a migration game, and create their own monarch caterpillar-themed bracelet.

“Destination Ag Day is not only just learning about agriculture, but also a celebration of how important it is to each of us every day,” said Kelly Scott, the museum’s agriculture and natural resources supervisor.

The Destination Ag program has provided field-trip experiences in agriculture and natural resources for more than 40,000 elementary school children since 2016. The program has also connected with additional students and adults through outreach at schools, regional festivals, the Family Farm Book series, and the Traveling Trunks program in partnership with the Georgia Farm Bureau.

“We are always looking for exciting ways to increase engagement with agriculture and natural resources, and this event will allow us to connect even more children and families with where their food, fiber, and shelter comes from,” Scott said.

There is an admission fee at the museum; one free child admission will be honored for each paid adult. For information, call 229-391-5221.

CHARLESTON CARTER, A FORMER TIFT COURT OFFICIAL, CERTIFIED AS FELLOW IN COURT MANAGEMENT

Former Tifton court official Charleston L. Carter, now deputy director of the Civil Division with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C, has been certified as a fellow of the Institute for Court Management (ICM) at the National Center for State Courts. 

Carter previously had been circuit court administrator for the Tifton Judicial Circuit.

ICM Fellows complete a rigorous four-step process that measures an individual’s aptitude in court management, research, and executive leadership through three levels of certification. Carter joins eight other recent program graduates and more than 1,300 alumni who represent 49 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and 12 foreign countries.

Since 1970, the Institute has delivered training and education to judicial branch personnel in court leadership and management concepts, case management, human resources management, court performance standards, and other areas deemed critical to professional development. The ICM Fellows program offers the only intensive educational program for court professionals in the U.S.

Carter received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal justice from Valdosta State University and has earned several certifications, including a master certificate of court administration from Michigan State University and a certification in judicial philosophy from Harvard University.

REMEMBERING GEORGIA EDUCATION PROPONENT ABRAHAM BALDWIN

ON CONSTITUTION DAY

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Saturday is Constitution Day, marking Sept. 17, 1787, when the U.S. Constitution was signed in Philadelphia.

Two Georgians signed the document: William Few Jr., a state lawmaker and magistrate who lived in Richmond County near Augusta and served in the Revolutionary War; and Abraham Baldwin, an Augusta lawyer who studied theology and served on George Washington’s staff as a chaplain during the Revolution.

Later, Georgia Gov. Lyman Hall had asked Baldwin to develop a comprehensive educational system for Georgia. Baldwin's plan included setting aside land grants to fund the establishment of Franklin College, which became the University of Georgia.

Baldwin later became the first president of the University of Georgia and also served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Tifton’s Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is named in Baldwin’s honor. Of course, ABAC was originally named the Second District A&M School when it was founded in 1908, and became South Georgia A&M College in 1924, transitioning to the Georgia State College for Men in 1929.

When the Tifton college joined the newly formed University System of Georgia in 1933, it became Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in honor of the man who developed a plan for public education in Georgia and who first steered UGA.

Baldwin was a native of Connecticut, just as was Tifton founder Henry Harding Tift. Born Nov. 22, 1754, in Guilford, Conn., Baldwin was the son of an unlettered blacksmith. At a young age, Baldwin realized that education was a way to improve one’s lot in life. He enrolled at Yale College at 14 years old, graduating at 18, and became a lifelong proponent of public education.

He died at the age of 53 in 1807 in Washington, D.C., while serving in Congress, but his vision for education in Georgia lives on today.

Baltimore Ravens photo

Rashod Bateman of Tifton (No. 7) with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (No. 8) during Sunday’s victory over the New York Jets. Bateman caught a touchdown pass and made several other catches.

EX-BLUE DEVIL BATEMAN 

SHINES IN NFL VICTORY

Tifton’s Rashod Bateman is getting noticed by the national sports media for his performance last Sunday when his Baltimore Ravens beat the New York Jets, 24-9, during the NFL’s opening week.

Bateman, a former star with the Tift County Blue Devils and the University of Minnesota, caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in Sunday’s Ravens victory. He also caught several other passes to lead the Ravens in yardage.

Bateman, in his second year at Baltimore, is being mentioned as the receiver that quarterback Lamar Jackson has been needing for an effective aerial attack.

“While Bateman hasn’t fully arrived yet, Jackson and the Ravens should feel extremely encouraged by what he has demonstrated so far. (Bateman) has the opportunity to transform the offense into something Baltimore hasn’t seen in years,” wrote Jason B. Hirschhorn, an award-winning sports journalist who writes for NFL.com, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and other outlets.

Photo by Frank Sayles Jr.

SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS ROCK

AT OMEGA PEPPER FEST

Omega’s annual Pepper Festival lived up to its name last weekend when the Swingin’ Medallions – “The Party Band of the South” – took the stage for a hot musical set.

The audience had a good time, and the Medallions had folks dancing and swaying to classic songs throughout the evening.

TRMC EMERGENCY OFFICIALS BRIEF

TIFTON ROTARY CLUB ABOUT

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month, and Eddie Senkbeil, the Tift Regional Medical Center emergency management coordinator, briefed the Tifton Rotary Club Wednesday. 

The last true disaster Tift County faced, Senkbeil said, was a tornado that came across Omega on Feb. 14, 2000.

“We thought we were prepared for COVID, but COVID kept throwing a different curve every day,” Senkbeil said.

“With COVID, we spent two years learning a lot about the things we weren’t prepared for and we’re being able now to refine our processes,” added Amber Goodman, interim TRMC emergency department director.

During an emergency, the incident commander every day is identified by the vest. “The vests identify who is in charge that day,” Senkbeil said. “They’re all trained to know what to do. When we have to talk to the fire service or the emergency management services, we all speak the same language.”

Goodman discussed the new emergency department, which opened in the new tower in December. It expanded from six trauma beds to 38 with specialized areas: three trauma bays, a behavioral health area, and a pediatric trauma bay.

“It operates with an updated concept," she said, “with the three trauma rooms where patients may be stabilized then moved to a specialized room depending on their needs.”

YOUR GUIDE TO ACTIVITIES THIS WEEKEND IN THE TIFTAREA

Saturday, Sept. 17, is Constitution Day, marking the day the document was ratified in 1787. The  Constitution of the United States guarantees Americans their essential rights and serves as the basis for all U.S. laws.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 16

• Guided Nature Tour, 6 p.m., Reed Bingham State Park, Adel
• Tift County High Blue Devils varsity football @ Thomasville High Bulldogs, 7:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Stadium, Thomasville
• Tiftarea Academy Panthers varsity football vs. Wilcox County Patriots, 7:30 p.m., Panther Pit, Chula

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17

• Community Yard Sale benefitting Called to Care, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., parking lot, 8th Street & Love Avenue, Tifton
• Destination Ag Day, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
• Camp Reflections children’s bereavement day camp, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., TRMC Community Events Centers, Carpenter Road, Tifton
• Tiftarea Junior Gardeners’ Club, 2 p.m., Tifton-Tift County Public Library, Tifton
• SOAR 2022 recovery event, 3-6 p.m., Oasis Recovery Community Organization, 902 Main St.,Tifton

SUNDAY, SEPT. 18

• Mini-Golf Tournament, 9 a.m., Reed Bingham State Park, Adel
• Bluegrass Gospel Concert, 10:30 a.m., Tifton First Church of the Nazarene, Tifton

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE

TO ADVERTISE YOUR YARD SALE,

CONTACT US at 

yardsales@tiftongrapevine.com 

or 478-227-7126

Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

“Luna,” this happy-go-lucky female pooch, is among the pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).