Children have fun on the new playground equipment Thursday at Puckett Park on Elm Street in Tifton. The Tift County Recreation Department just completed the renovations and opened it to the community on Christmas Day.

PUCKETT PARK PLAYGROUND GETS PLAUDITS NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AT SOUTH TIFTON PARK BRINGS OUT CHILDREN TO PLAY

By BONNIE SAYLES

Tifton Grapevine

Children in the Puckett Park neighborhood on Tifton's Elm Street have new playground equipment and a newly refurbished basketball court on which to play.

“We opened it on Christmas Day,” said Tim Petrea, Tift County recreation director. “It has a lot of new features. Also, we re-did the basketball court, put up a fence for safety, and put in a full court. It’s really nice.”

The playground has swings, a twirling feature, several balancing structures, a miniature climbing wall, and slides. A bonus feature of the new playground is that the surface is made of bonded rubber. 

“It helps with falls; it makes it safer,” Petrea said. “It’s all-needs accessible. A mom can roll a cart, or someone in a wheelchair can roll on it up to the equipment.

“The playground is very versatile. It gives the opportunity to swing, to climb, to play, and to discover. The community is really embracing it.” 

One resident posted photos on social media of their children at the park after Christmas and wrote: "My family has lived on this street for over four years, and this is the first time I have brought them to play. I can truly say they have enjoyed themselves."

Petrea also said that the E.B. Hamilton Complex renovation is proceeding. “We’re getting the parking lot ready, working on drainage,” he said. “The next phase should include the playground” at that location.

Petrea said that basketball season is getting underway and has grown tremendously. Practice is taking place at five locations around town.

“Forty-eight teams are playing this season,” he said.

Basketball games will take place at the Recreation Department Gym on Victory Drive, at the gyms at J.T. Reddick and Eighth Street middle schools, and at Mott Litman Gym. 

“Baseball starts registering next week,” Petrea said. All baseball games will play in town this year because of the work at the E.B. Hamilton Complex.

“We’re making moderate improvements to the in-town ballfields,” he said. “The rec leagues must go on.”

Baseball practice will begin in mid-February.

NEW TIFT SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT BEGINS JAN. 16

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Natalie A. Gore, 49, will officially begin her position as Tift County's school superintendent on Jan. 16.

The Tift County Board of Education (BOE), in a special called meeting Friday, formally approved Gore as the new superintendent. Although she was named as the BOE's choice more than two weeks ago, her formal appointment had to follow a state-mandated 14-day public comment period.

Most recently, Gore was chief strategy, performance & accountability officer in Gwinnett County Public Schools and had been associate superintendent of performance and accountability in Henry County Schools.

The BOE chose Gore from among 18 applicants for the position.

Gore will begin meeting with Tift County school administrators next week. She succeeds Adam Hathaway, who resigned after being placed on indefinite administrative leave. Hathaway is being paid through June 30 when his contract is terminated. 

TIFTON'S McGRIFF NAMED A DEFENSIVE COACH AT TEXAS A&M

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

Former Tift County High cornerback and running back Wesley McGriff, who was a member of the Blue Devils' 1983 state champion football team, has been named defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator at Texas A&M University, Coach Mike Elko announced Thursday.

McGriff goes to Texas A&M from Auburn, where he coached defensive backs last year. He has extensive coaching experience and spent two other stints at Auburn as an assistant coach in 2016 and in 2019-20.

He also has served as a defensive coach at Louisville, as defensive coordinator at Ole Miss, as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt, as a defensive backs coach at Miami and Baylor, and coached running backs and cornerbacks at Kentucky.

From 2013-15, McGriff was an assistant defensive backs coach with the NFL's New Orleans Saints.

The Tifton native played football in college at South Carolina State and at Savannah State as an outside linebacker, being named the conference’s Male Academic Athlete of the Year. He graduated cum laude from Savannah State with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. McGriff went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from Georgia Southern.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1990 and was a member of the Army Reserves until 2001.

Proud new member of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce.

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR ROTARY ETHICS IN BUSINESS AWARD

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Do you know of a business that operates fairly and ethically in Tift County and is community-oriented? Nominate it for the Rotary Ethics in Business Award sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tifton.

Nominations must be received by Jan. 19. Rotarians will present the award during the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet Feb. 1.

Ethics and business are at the core of Rotary International, so it is fitting that the Rotary Club of Tifton established the Tifton Rotary Ethics in Business Award to recognize a local business that has demonstrated exceptional ethical behavior.

The Tifton Rotary Club initiated the annual award in 2013 as part of the club's 75th anniversary celebration.

“This annual award represents the basic values of Rotary and is a way for our Rotary Club to publicly recognize those businesses that adhere to high ethical standards as they serve our community,” said Frank Sayles Jr., who was president of the Tifton Rotary Club when the award was established.

“We have many fine businesses in Tift County that contribute to our area’s well-being and that help make Tifton the excellent community that it is today.” 

Tifton Rotary Club board members selected the criteria for the award, which will go to a business physically located in Tifton or Tift County.

The nominated business must have consistently demonstrated high ethical standards of honesty and integrity in dealing with employees, customers, and contractors while enhancing the economic well-being of the company and providing local jobs, opportunity and profits.

In addition, the business must have participated in activities beneficial to the community beyond the provision of economic benefits of the business and must adhere to fair and truthful business practice reflected in the Rotary 4-Way Test: Is it the truth?; Is it fair to all concerned?; Will it build goodwill and better friendship?; and Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Past awards have recognized such local businesses as Central Jewelry, Curtis Packing Co., McAlpin Entertainment, Kelley Manufacturing Co., Lang Printing Co., The Howard Center, and Cole's Cakery.

Nomination applications are posted below and on the Tifton Rotary Club's Facebook page. They may be emailed to tiftonrotary@gmail.com or mailed to the Tifton Rotary Club, P.O. Box 1354, Tifton, Ga. 31793 (attn: Rotary Ethics in Business Award).

They must be received by Jan. 19.

TIFTON-TIFT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTING

Tiftarea YMCA's Women's Only Gym Area

1657 Carpenter Road, Tifton

Jan. 3

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COVID-19 data released from the 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) as of Jan. 3:

TOTAL TIFT COUNTY CASES: 7,159 ....................................... TOTAL TIFT DEATHS: 181

CONFIRMED TIFT CASES - 2 weeks: 18 ....................................... DEATHS - Past week: 0

CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES: 66

TIFT CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - 2 weeks, per 100K population: 162 

_______________________________________________________________

GEORGIA TOTAL CASES: 2,423, 142

GEORGIA CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED CASES - Past week: 6,996

TOTAL GA DEATHS: 36,033 ..................................................... GA DEATHS - Past week: 28 

YOUR GUIDE

TO ACTIVITIES

THIS WEEKEND

IN THE TIFTAREA

Saturday, Jan. 6, is Epiphany, the final celebratory day of the holiday season marking the birth of Jesus. It is associated with the day the Three Wise Men arrived at the manger. The Feast of the Epiphany concludes the 12 days of Christmas and is the traditional end of the Christmas season. 

FRIDAY, JAN. 5

• Tift County High Girls Basketball vs. Veterans High School, 6 p.m., Tift County High School gym, Tifton
• Tift County High Boys Basketball vs. Veterans High School, 7:30 p.m., Tift County High School gym, Tifton

SATURDAY, JAN. 6

• Tift County High Girls Basketball @ Thomas County Central High, 3 p.m., Thomasville
• Tift County High Boys Basketball @ Thomas County Central High, 4:30 p.m., Thomasville

ADVERTISE YOUR

YARD SALE HERE!

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YARD SALE, CONTACT US at 

IHeardIt@tiftongrapevine.com 

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Fees are $1 per word, paid in advance

"Tom Sawyer" is ready to find his forever home. This sweet boy has a warm-hearted nature and friendly personality, making him the perfect addition to any home. Visit him and other pets available for adoption at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, open between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For additional information, call 229-382-PETS (7387).