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The ADVANCE, March 17, 2021/Page 4A
Vidalia City Council
Hears Plea for Safety at
Raymonia Apartments
Photo by Rebekah Arnold
SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR CITIZENS WHO INSPIRE - Four Vidalians received the first
recognitions from the City Council for fostering pride and helpfulness to neighbors.
Saborris Johnson, pictured in center, was given the first Sweet Onion Citizen award for
his watch over school children. Also pictured with Mayor Doug Roper, left, are State
Champion wrestlers Jaylin Burns, Hunter Manning, and Tom Godbee,
Saborris Johnson Honored as
Vidalia’s First Sweet Onion Citizen
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
A resident of Ray
monia Apartments com
plained to the Vidalia City
Council at its March 8 ses
sion about deplorable liv
ing conditions and safety
issues at the apartment
complex. The complainant
said that repairs are broken
again in a short time, trash
is strewn, and the black
mold in her apartment was
the cause of her cancer for
which she has had several
chemotherapy treatments.
She said in her recovery she
is ready to live in a safe en
vironment with no drive-
by violence.
The resident has con
tacted the apartment com
pany for two years for help
with her apartment and
has not received answers.
She said she will continue
to attend Council meet
ings and speak out until her
apartment is fixed and the
environment is safe at Ray
monia.
Councilman Raymond
Turner said the descrip
tion is true and attempts
to contact management
have failed. “We need to
contact HUD, too, because
there are Section 8 houses
there (some or all of the
rents are based on tenant
incomes) and management
has turned a deaf ear. She
is stating the truth because
the area is in bad shape.”
Mayor Doug Roper
asked the resident to leave
the photos of the condi
tions that she brought to
the meeting. He thanked
the citizen and said the
Council will discuss the is
sue.
Downtown Vidalia As
sociation (DVA) Director
Tonya Parker reported that
the 3rd annual Sweeten
Your Ride will be Friday
and Saturday, March 26
and 27, as a drive-through
event located in the vacant
lot across from Palmer’s
Furniture. This sale of
$10 window decals raises
money for a local need
and encourages support
for Vidalia Onion Festi
val and the onion season.
SafeKids Toombs car seat
program, managed by VFD
Capt. Robert Tillman, will
receive the funds from this
year’s event.
Vidalia Convention &
Visitors Bureau (VCVB)
Director Alexa Britton re
ported for the Pal Theater.
Since the grant request for
lights for the Pal was sub
mitted, the cost and ship
ping has risen. Britton has
searched for good current
pricing; thus, the project
was delayed, but the new
light board, snake lighting
and outlets are ready to be
installed. Rentals for the
Pal are increasing. Manag
ing the showing of movies
along with event rentals
will have to be addressed.
The PAL website is under
construction.
Michelle Johnson,
Director of the Toombs-
Montgomery Chamber
of Commerce reported
that in order to provide
relief to local restaurants
and merchants during the
pandemic down time, the
Chamber has been work
ing to promote Chamber
Bucks that are used at busi
nesses throughout the area.
To date this year, $25,000
in Bucks have been sold.
This amount multiplies in
purchases that go back into
the local economy. Johnson
bragged on three industries
that were major purchasers
of the Bucks: Chicken of
the Sea, Trane and Mead
ows Health. Johnson hopes
industries will be encour
aged to continue this prac
tice.
Johnson also shared
that, “The Development
Authority has an active
economic development
agreement with DOT
Foods as of 2016.” In
DOT’s 2020 annual report
for this agreement, “Dot
Foods has demonstrated
job creation of 388, against
the goal of 308, putting
them at 126% of their job
goal. Annual payroll is
$18.3 billion, which is over
$47,000 per employee. The
general rule for distribu
tion jobs like DOT is that
for every one they employ,
four more jobs are created.
So technically, that compa
ny has an economic impact
in our region of 600 jobs.”
DOT is also a “com
pany committed to com
munity and corporate
giving by allowing their
employees to go out and
participate and donate in
the community.” Johnson
wants everyone to thank
industry management that
encourages active commu
nity participation.
Drivers in Vidalia will
need to be aware of six cross
roads that will have new
stop signs. City Manager
Nick Overstreet reported
for the Street and Sanita
tion Committee regarding
placement of requested
stop signs at six locations.
The Council approved stop
sign placements at Morris
and 5th Avenue, Roosevelt
Street and 10th Street,
Roosevelt & 12th Street,
2nd Avenue & Schumpert
Street, and a 3-way stop at
Morris and Martin Luther
King, Jr. Avenue.
Two requests for pur
chases from general funds
utilizing Safe School Fines
(RedSpeed) Revenue for
use by the police depart
ment were presented by
Overstreet. A full digital
radio system of 19 mobile
radios, 26 portable radios
and relocation of the radio
tower to a more central
ized place can be installed
for $64,259.00. This quote
is from Hub Electronics of
Vidalia. This purchase was
approved.
The purchase of four
preowned vehicles from
Woody Folsom Dodge
of Vidalia for a total
$67,496.00, and emer
gency equipment for up to
$12,000.00, for a total of
up to $79,496.00 for the
Investigative Services Divi
sion was also approved.
These department
heads gave reports about
their activity in the past
month: Brian Sikes, Fire
Chief; Brian Scott, Police
Commissioner; Tony Hall,
ESG Project Manager;
Scott Strickland, Interim
Recreation Director; Billy
Ragan, Airport Manager;
and Shaun Oliver, City
Marshal.
In further Council
business, the appoint
ment of Garrett Wilcox to
the Vidalia Development
Authority to fulfill the un
expired term of Sam Polk
through December 2022
was approved. Also, Billy
Goodwin was approved to
replace Jay Howard on the
Vidalia Onion Committee.
Two issuances of alco
hol licenses for on-premise
consumption were ap
proved. For beer and wine
consumption during the
Friday and Saturday of
the Onion Festival, the li
censes for each day to The
Vidalia Area Convention
& Visitors Bureau and its
Director Alexa Britton was
granted. Also, to the Cen-
tenario Mexican Grill, the
on-premises consumption
of liquor, beer and wine li
cense was granted.
The call to order of the
March Vidalia City Coun
cil meeting included the
reestablishment of reciting
the Pledge of Allegiance.
Johnny Johnson was called
upon by Mayor Doug
Roper to give the invoca
tion and to lead the City
officials and citizens in the
pledge.
Students
Recognizedfor
Accomplishments
By Rebekah Arnold
Contributing Writer
Good citizenship, acts
of service and persever
ance inspire and strengthen
a community. There are
many people in Vidalia
who take it upon them
selves to quietly provide
a service, again and again,
just for the wellbeing of
others, and there are young
people and their mentors
in Vidalia whose academic
and athletic achievements
foster pride throughout the
community.
The leaders of the City
of Vidalia know the impor
tance of these people and
have begun two public rec
ognitions, one for servant
citizens called “Sweet On
ion Citizen” and the other
to celebrate outstanding
achievements by students.
The first recipient of
the “Sweet Onion Citizen”
award, Saborris Johnson,
was honored at the March 8
meeting of the City Coun
cil.
Born in Detroit, Michi
gan, Johnson graduated in
1964 and enlisted in the Air
Force, serving 9 of his 20
years of enlistment in the
Panama Canal Zone. When
he retired from military ser
vice in 1985, he was hired
by the Miami-Dade Coun
ty Corrections Department
as Deputy Sheriff where he
served for 16 years. Upon
his second retirement,
Johnson moved to Vidalia
with his wife Sheena, where
they have lived for 18 years.
During his campaign
ing for Mayor, Doug Roper
talked with Johnson, who
lives near Sally D. Meadows
Elementary. Johnson said
he keeps a close eye on the
children walking to school
and steps in to monitor
their safety in traffic when
the police have not arrived,
or have been called away.
Roper said, “Mr. Johnson
takes it upon himself to step
in and meet the need to en
sure our children safely get
to school. His love of our
children, community and
sense of seeing a need and
meeting that need impact
ed me.”
The Mayor was in
spired to recognize John
son, and the many citizen
servants like him who see a
need and take action. “We
want to recognize those
individuals and their con
tributions to our city. Our
desire is that by recognizing
these selfless acts of service,
it fosters more of that type
of behavior and strength
ens our community,” Roper
said. Johnson said his act of
service was inspired by his
neighbor, Tim Mixon, who
for many years had also
watched over the school
children’s safety-neighbor
inspiring neighbor that
pays forward for the good
of others.
A specially commis
sioned, 9-inch-tall stain
less steel onion sculpture
mounted on a black base
was presented to John
son by Mayor Roper. This
sculpture will be given to
each recipient of the award,
and was created by local
artist Ruth English, who
also crafted the large on
ion fountain located at the
amphitheater. The Council
hopes to present this award
each month.
In speaking to the
crowd gathered in the
Council Chambers, John
son emphasized, “First and
foremost, I thank God for
giving me the ability and
the availability to be a help
in the community. And I
thank Mayor Roper for this
honor.”
Johnson continued,
“We all need one another’s
support, we can’t do it all
by ourselves. The Mayor
is going to need our sup
port. It's not what party you
voted for, but who are you
going to support? We need
to support the police de
partment. They need your
support; you are going to
need their support. Finally,
if everybody gives a little
bit, a lot would get done.
No one person can do it all,
and with Christ Jesus being
in the center of our lives, we
can do all things without
fail. Thank you.“
The second recurring
recognition will be for the
outstanding achievements
of students in the school
systems. Either as individu
als or as a team, the activi
ties of students bring value
to a community. In intro
ducing this recognition,
Roper said, “We have some
incredible coaches, athletes
and teachers in our com
munity who pour into the
lives of our young people
every single day. When the
students excel, we want to
recognize that.”
Three young gentle
men, Jaylin Burns, Tom
Godbee and Hunter Man
ning, persevered in wres
tling to become 2021 Class
AA GHSA State Champi
ons in their weight classes.
These wrestlers helped to
set a school record by plac
ing fourth in the Champi
onship round, and finished
the Traditional Champion
ship with a 6th place team
finish.
A proclamation was
read by Mayor Roper for
each young man, which
included the acknowledge
ment that “active participa
tion in organized athletics
is influential to building
good character and teaches
a wholesome sense of fair
play and good sportsman
ship among our youth.” The
proclamation also praised
the coaches for demonstrat
ing “an outstanding spirit of
dedication, leadership, en
thusiasm and hard work.”
The Mayor lauded the
young athletes for taking
“pride in your accomplish
ments” and commended
“your coaches, your parents
and your community for
demonstrating a winning
attitude and spirit which
has become a tradition in
our fine community.”
The proclamations
recognized the dedication
of VHS wrestling Coaches
Bobby Blount, Steve Ful
ham, Chris Hamilton, and
J.R. Trippe Coach Gray
Meredith, all of whom are
mentors inspiring young
people, who will pay that
dedication forward for
years to come.
Each young man also
possesses outstanding re
cords in other sports and
these were highlighted in
the individual proclama
tions. Burns has signed a
football scholarship with
The University of the Cum-
berlands. He is the son of
Jerome and Kesha Burns.
Godbee has received a
wrestling scholarship and
an appointment to West
Point. His parents are Fred
and Mandy Godbee. Man
ning, now a Junior, will be a
top contender in pole vault
ing in the next track season.
He is the son of Mike and
Jenny Manning.
Roper gave a special
charge to the young men,
“It’s really special to be a
part of a championship. A
lot of folks have poured in
to you, and to whom much
is given, much is expected.
You have been able to rep
resent your school, your
city, your family and to
compete at a high level.
“What I hope that you
see, as baseball taught me, is
that you’ve not learned just
how to be a championship
wrestler, you’ve learned
how to be a championship
husband, how to be a cham
pionship parent, father, a
student at the next level.
You guys are future leaders,
you are going to go places
and do great things and
represent this city well. You
need to know that we ap
preciate what you’ve done.
As you go out and you fly,
please remember home.
Please, go get further edu
cated and do great things,
but we would love to have
you come back home and
put down permanent roots
and be a part of this com
munity as adults.”
TCREA MONTHLY MEETING — At the March 4 meeting of Toombs County Retired Edu
cators Association, Duane Tomlin, a social worker at Community Hospice, discussed
the services offered by Community Hospice and explained important documents, in
cluding the Georgia Healthcare Directive. L to R; Peggy Lawrence, Mary Alice Wilder,
Duane Tomlin, Patricia Melton, and Nan Price.