AMERICUS — This Week

Americus

Called Meeting: The Americus-Sumter County Payroll Development Authority has a called meeting at 4 p.m. Monday at the Rees Park Economic Development Center, 409 Elm Ave. in the conference room on the second floor. The meeting is open to the public.    

 

TSPLOST Forum: The Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce and Americus-Sumter Payroll Development Authority co-host a Public Forum on the TSPLOST at 5:30 p.m. Monday. This transportation referendum will be on the July 31, 2012 ballot. Colin Martin, vice president of Governmental Affairs for the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce and The Valley Partnership Joint Development Authority will provide information concerning the Transportation Referendum, its impact on our county and region, and answer any questions that the public may have. The forum will be held at the Rees Park Economic Development Center, 409 Elm Ave.



Board of Education: The Sumter County Board of Education holds a budget hearing at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the board room of the Sumter County Schools' Administration Building, 100 Learning Lane.  The Board holds a called meeting at 6 p.m. to discuss and/or approve the FY 2013 Final Budget, handbook changes and personnel matters. Both are open to the public.



Blood Drive: Firecracker 200 Community Blood Drive is from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church, South Lee Street.



Albany

American Red Cross: The American Red Cross Flint River Chapter holds its annual board meeting and volunteer and donor appreciation dinner from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Phoebe Northwest Conference Center, 2336 Dawson Road, Albany. Call Wanda 229-924-2026 to RSVP.



Montezuma

Cool Down Day: Reaching Young Dreamers hosts a Cool Down Day from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 30 in the Downtown Monezuma's Gladys Hair Park. Children of all ages will enjoy a free water slide, games,ice cream and a barbecue chicken picnic. The Montezuma United Methodist Church’s Men’s group will grill chicken donated by Purdue and volunteers will serve ice cream donated by Lane’s Packing House. The Macon County NAACP, Macon County Kiwanis Club and the Montezuma Downtown Development Authority are cosponsoring the event. Reaching Young Dreamers is a nonprofit organization that hosts free fun events for children and workshops for parents and young adults on topics like Mother's Raising Sons Alone, Bully Prevention, Youth Empowerment, and Introduce a Kid to the Great Outdoors Day.



Looking Ahead

Americus

Servsafe® Training for Food Service Managers: Training is July 18-19. Pre-registration is required. Cost is $140. Call 924-4476 for more information or stop by the Sumter County Extension Office , Sumter County Agricultural Center, 127 William Bowen Pointe.

 

Six Flags Tickets: Sumter County 4-H has Six Flags tickets for $35 each. Cash only. Stop by Sumter County Agricultural Center, 127 William Bowen Pointe, to purchase. Tickets are valid any regular operating day through Oct. 28. Children two and under free. Questions, call 924-4476.



Plains

Class of 1976: The Plains High School Class of 1976 is planning a reunion for all classes 1971-1979. Call Verna B. Thomas 942-7595 or Thereases Williams 942-9333. The next planning meeting is at 5:30 p.m. July 14 at Forsyth Bar & Grill, Americus.



Buena Vista

Pasaquan Saturdays: Pasaquan is open the first Saturday of each month through November. Bring your camera, your picnic, your friends, your family ... Check out new items in the gift shop. Hours will be 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Visit the place where the past, the future, the present converge. Donations to Pasaquan are much appreciated, and they are tax exempt. http://www.pasaquan.com



Cordele

Ramp Closed: The new mega boat ramp at Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park will be closed for the 4th of July because the fireworks are fired from the ramp area. Also the road into the park (Cannon Road) will have no pass-through north traffic after 6:30 p.m. until the end of the fireworks. This is to handle the high volume of traffic from U.S. Highway 280 for the fireworks display.  



Shellman

Irrigation Energy Meeting: The Lower Chattahoochee River Soli & Water Conservation District hosts a meeting on enhancing your farming operation through improved irrigation and energy efficiency. The meeting is from 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. July 17 at The Back Porch Restaurant, 297 Buford St. Representatives from various organizations will cover topics such as the newest irrigation equipment, variable rate irrigation, irrigation scheduling, furrow diking, pumpin plant selection criteria, and more. Registration is at 8 a.m. Lunch and door prizes provided following the meeting. Seating limited to first 100 preregistered by July 6. Contact Lancia Wyant 229-995-6001 or lwyant.gaswcc.org



Ongoing

Americus

Smoke Detector Blitz: Americus Fire & Emergency Services will  conduct door-to-door smoke detector blitzes on the second Saturday of each month. You can also call 924-3213 to set up an appointment for firefighters to come install smoke detectors and give you information on fire safety.

Youth Mentoring: Love & Mercy Outreach Programs Inc. presents the S.O.L.A.C.E. Youth Mentoring Program from 7-8 p.m. every Saturday at 1243 Faith St. Annex Building; LMOP Inc. Activities Center. All teens ages 12-18 ae welcome. For more information or for a ride, contact Tanya Reese 229-591-2565 or Qaijuan Willis 229-942-7220. Also email us at solaceyouthprogram@gmail.com



Americus Volunteers Needed: The Flint River Chapter of the American Red Cross needs local volunteers. If you are interested in working as a volunteer in our office or helping with local disasters such as single-family fires, call 924-2026 and speak with Wanda, volunteer coordinator.



Anonymous Crime Tipline: The Americus Police Department has an anonymous crime tip line 924-4102. Citizens can leave information for police about crime in their neighborhood or other areas. The calls are completly anonymous.



Revised Hours: The Americus Police Department has revised its hours of operation for the front lobby in an effort to accommodate  late afternoon commuters and workers. Hours of operation are now 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. This will allow citizens who work during the day an opportunity to take care of any pending business they have at the police department such as obtaining incident reports or picking up and dropping off criminal histories.



Faith Clinic: Sumter Faith Clinic is a non-profit organization directed at meeting the spiritual and health care needs of residents of Sumter County who do not have health insurance or an affordable means to health care. Services include basic, non-emergent medical care of acute conditions as well as treatment of some chronic conditions. Services are delivered by volunteers. The clinic is located at 127 S. Jackson St. next to First Presbyterian Church. Hours of operation are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, 1p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays.



CPR Classes: Americus Fire and Emergency Services will offer American Heart Association CPR certification classes. Call Harriett Williams at 924-3213 for more information.



Water Restrictions: The City of Americus has implemented the following water restrictions, established by the state Environmental Protection Division as Level II drought restrictions. Outdoor watering is allowed on the following days: North of Lamar Street on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and South of Lamar Street on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. No watering is allowed on Fridays. Outdoor water use is allowed only between midnight and 10 a.m. on scheduled days. Restrictions affect all residential, commercial, government and institutional outdoor irrigation and other nonessential water uses. These include watering lawns and landscapes, gardens, washing cars at residential sites and hosing streets and sidewalks. These restrictions will be strictly enforced. For information call Charlotte Cotton, Chief Administrative Officer at 924-4411.



No Burning: The City of Americus has an ordinance that forbids outside burning within the City limits. The Fire Marshal and police will be issuing tickets, which result in fines, to anyone who violates this ordinance. There will be no warnings issued.



Drug Problems: Narcotics Anonymous meets  7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays for a members only. A meeting open to the public is held on Thursday 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All meetings are held at Williams Road Church of Christ. Call George C. 942-3752 or Charlie S. 938-0218 for more information.



Volunteers Needed: Phoebe Sumter Hospice is looking for volunteers to help with the needs of the terminally ill and their loved ones. This includes house-sitting, doing light chores or just providing spiritual or emotional support during this difficult time. Call Wendy Joyner 928-4000 if interested in becoming a volunteer.



Needs Volunteers: The Mattie Marshall Center is looking for volunteers to help do activities. Do you play an instrument, sing, dance or have a club or group that would like to come visit? We need volunteers of all ages and types for parties, Bingo, exercise, church services, snacks, etc. For information call Nikki Jones 924-9352, ext. 3089.

 

Safety Address Signs: Sumter County Cooperative Extension Service offers a blue safety address sign to resident property owners. The blue sign is made of 12” by 6” engine grade sign material with 4” #M reflective numbers and or letters. It is attached to a 36” metal post. The sign is highly visible at night and easily spotted during the day time. Signs are $20. A portion of the proceeds go to the local 4-H Club youth program. Stop by the Sumter County Extension Office, 127 William Bowen Pointe, and complete a Safety Sign Form today or print an order form off line at http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/sumter/4H/documents/BLUESAFETYADDRESSSIGNORDERFORM.pdf. For more information call 924-4476.



Ambassadors Needed: The Ambassadors of the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce are looking for new members. Chamber member businesses are invited to nominate someone to join this elite group of business minded individuals who perform volunteer work on behalf of the Chamber. Call 924-2646 for information.



Free Classes: Free GED classes are 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays in Sumter, Schley, Marion, Macon, Webster and Crisp counties. For information call 931-7323.



Share Group: The Grief Share Group meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Monday of every month at First Baptist Church, South Lee Street. Meetings are open to anyone grieving the death of a loved one. For information, call the church office at 924-9035 or Ann Creel Beaver at 924-7652.



Support Group: The Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group meets from noon-1:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month in the Magnolia Room at Magnolia Manor Retirement Center. A light lunch will be served.



AA Meeting: Alcoholics Anonymous meets at 8 p.m. Wednesdays at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 332 S. Lee St. Friends of Bill W. Club meets at 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 702 Adderton St. (Ga. Highway 30 West). For more meetings, visit www.aageorgia.org



Substance Abuse: Love and Mercy Outreach programs presents Alpha and Omega Substance Abuse and Awareness Program from 6-7 p.m. every Saturday at 511-D W. Forsyth St. All people with alcohol and drug addiction issues and their friends and family are welcome. For more information or for a ride, call James Ross 229-331-4746 or William Wallace 229-322-9621.



American Legion: American Legion Post 2 meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of each month.



Lodge Meeting: M.B. Council Lodge No. 13, F&AM meets at 7 p.m. first and third Tuesday of very month at the Masonic Temple, 1209 Crawford St.



Pilot Club: The Americus Pilot Club meets (focuses on brain-related injuries and disorders) meets at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month in the Magnolia Room, Magnolia Manor Retirement Center, South Lee Street.



Soup Kitchen: The Soup Kitchen, at 437 S. Hampton St., is open at 6 p.m. every Wednesday to all in need.



Volunteers Needed: SOWEGA Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), office serving a six-county area, needs volunteers to work with abused and neglected children who are involved in the court system. A CASA volunteer advocates for the child’s best interest before the court. Training classes are available soon. For more information, call 931-4488.



Family Workshop: Who would make your final health care decisions if you couldn’t make them for yourself? The Critical Conditions Family Workshop can help you and your loved ones talk about these issues before decisions might have to be made. The CRITICAL Conditions Family Workshop is free! If you are aware of a group who would be interested in participating in a workshop presented by United Hospice of Cordele, call contact Jana Dew at 1-800-288-8466.



Adult Reading Skills: Adult Literacy Action Inc. has several openings for adult individuals interested in improving their reading skills. The organization is affiliated with the Lake Blackshear Regional Library. Volunteer tutors are available to work with individuals on a one-on-one basis. Generally sessions are held one or two times a week for about an hour. Training materials are furnished at no charge. If interested, call 924-9010.



Recovery Program: Doing things the same never brings change. Got problems? Drugs, divorce, alcohol, porn; it doesn’t matter. Join us at 7 p.m. every Monday at 245 Southland Road for Celebrate Recovery. Contact us at 924-7409 or 937-2966 for more information or visit www.cornerstoneamericus.com and click on Celebrate Recovery.



Al-Anon: You do not have to be an alcoholic to suffer from the affects of alcoholism. We offer a safe place to recover from the effects of another person's drinking. Meetings are 7-8 p.m. Tuesdays at the Carswell House, Calvary Episcopal Church, 133 Brannen Aven. All meetings are confidential and open to interested persons.



Girls Rock: 4-E Learning & Prevention Center Inc., 802 Ashby St., sponsors Girls R.O.C.K. (Respecting Ourselves with Charisma & Klass) from 4-6 p.m. every Friday for girls ages 8-16. Learn etiquette skills, music and dance, participate in community projects and enjoy field trips. Membership is $40 per month. E-mail fourecenter@yahoo.com or call 928-8001 for information.



Make A Difference: Become a volunteer at Magnolia Manor Nursing Center where there are several opportunities for you to make a difference in someone’s life. Contact Activity Director Sherry Beck, 924-9352, ext. 3079.



After School Classes: The 4-E Learning and Prevention Center Inc. offers after school and tutoring services in math/reading/language arts/science/social studies/CRCT/EOCT test preparation, and a new program, Girls ROCK (Respecting Ourselves with Charisma and Klass), etiquette skills/music/dance/community projects and field trips. Call 928-5605.



Leslie

Free Tutoring: Free tutoring sessions are offered from 6:30-7:30 p.m. every Wednesday at the Leslie Civic Center. Volunteers are needed. Call Loretta Raines 938-1166 for more information.

 

Plains

Lions Club: The Plains Lions Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month. Call President Doug McKinney  at 924-1433 or information.



Free Classes: GED prep classes are offered from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays at the Boys & Girls Club. Classes and books are free. Participants can study independently. Practice GED tests are given. Call 824-5388 or South Georgia Technical College Adult Literacy for more information.



Leesburg

Tea Party: Albany Area Tea Party Patriots meet from 7-8 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at Century Fire Station, U.S. 19 (just north of Publix). For information call Mike Sabot at 229-869-6802.