Newspaper Page Text
She Aftuattce
The ADVANCE, August 18, 2021 /Page 3A
Workshop
continued from page 1A
Commerce and Toombs
County Development
Authority continue to im
prove the area.
Daniell praised the
initiative of the Chamber
and Development Au
thority to work for the
betterment of the com
munity through a partner
ship with citizens. “This is
a citizen-led program to
make your community a
community for all people,”
Daniell emphasized.
However, Daniell con
tinued with this thought
of inclusion for all to dis
cuss where the Chamber
could improve their ef
forts. “Look up the defini
tion of all,” he remarked.
“It means inclusive of ev
eryone or everything. It is
not exclusive.”
Daniell continued to
question the attendees of
the meeting on who need
ed to be included in this
effort to make this truly an
effort for all people. “Who
are the partners that we’re
missing? Who should be
here? Only when you have
all voices at the table will
you make it better for all,”
he explained.
Daniell stressed the
importance of looking
beyond the mere Toombs-
Vidalia area. “Stop only
thinking about Toombs
and Vidalia only and con
sider your workforce, be
cause 60% of them drive
in,” Daniell explained.
He illustrated the
need for partnership
with neighboring coun
ties through the com
parison of statistics, such
as teen pregnancy. The
most contrasting statistic
was the difference in the
percentage of voluntary
prekindergarten enroll
ment, which was at 48.4%
in 2019 for Montgomery
County while Toombs-
Vidalia had an average of
73% voluntary enrollment
the same year.
“If I were the Cham
ber in your situation, I
would go to the superin
tendent at Montgomery
County Schools and ask
why the numbers were so
low, and if there was any
thing the Chamber could
do to support the effort,”
Daniell explained. “You
have to treat the root of
the problems in your area.”
Daniell explained that
citizens do not have to ad
dress every area, but mere
ly volunteer and work in
the area that seems to be
the best fit for them. “Ev
ery community is different
just like every person is
different,” he said. “Work
in the area that you are
most enthusiastic about
and in which you are most
capable to tailor your pro
gram for your commu
nity.”
He emphasized the
importance of protect
ing historic and beautiful
buildings, hosting civic
conferences to inform the
public of civic matters,
holding conferences for
businesses in the area to
make connections, and
working with the local
media.
“Engage the local
media,” Daniell said. “Al
ways be transparent and
responsive. If you want
to build the community
and change the commu
nity, you cannot be behind
closed curtains.”
Daniell argued, “So
cial media people are try
ing to get a message out as
fast as possible. True me
dia people, like the local
media, are trying to share
a complete story with all
the facts. The local media
is not your enemy.”
The use of social me
dia is also beneficial, ac
cording to Daniell. “Use
social media to reach your
younger audience; give a
young individual the pow
er to put the information
on the right platform to
best reach the youth,” he
explained. “This does not
mean to ignore the local
media, though.”
Daniell explained that
the benefit of using both
medias was the most pro
ductive for reaching and
educating the community.
“Hashtags and social me
dia posts will reach certain
audiences, but will not en
gage all,” he said. “To truly
create a vibrant commu
nity, you have to keep the
public engaged through
whatever means necessary
conserve • reduce • recycle
What is a Chaperone?
A chaperone is usually a married chaperones are usually parents
or older woman, who for the sake and teachers who supervise groups
of propriety or caution, accompa- of young people at school dances,
nies one or more young unmarried sporting events, and field trips,
women in public or in mixed com- In present-day situations where
pany. The word chaperone derives young people must be away from
from the French their families for an
word “chaperon”
(from the Late Latin
“cappa,” meaning
cape) which ma
trons usually wore
outside.
The supervi
sion of vulnerable
women, especially
young marriageable
age women in pub
lic where they might
meet men, has been
common in many should be qualified
cultures. Older generations seemed in first aid and child protection,
more aware of the personal and so- Also, the American Medical As-
cial benefits of helping young peo- sociation and the General Medical
pie control their natural biological Council of the United Kingdom
urges by supervising them regularly have adopted protocol of having
than current cultures are. Having chaperones available on a consis-
adult supervision was particularly tent basis to offer any patient the
strict in southern Europe in Spain option of having an impartial ob-
where an adult companion for server present when a physician
young females was called a “duena.” does an “intimate examination.”
In Western societies today,
7
ri 4 M
V 4
extended period of
time, such as child
athletes or child ac
tors in movies, there
is a legal obligation
to have a staff mem
ber as chaperone
responsible for the
general safety and
well-being of the
child while away
from their parents.
These chaperones
for all people.”
Daniell encouraged
the use of both medias to
recognize volunteers be
cause of the initiative it
gives others to volunteer.
“Everyone loves to be rec
ognized.”
He also stressed the
need to identify and
groom young leaders to
prepare the community
for the future genera
tions. He explained these
leaders are not always the
most successful students
in school; thus, these lead
ership programs should
be available for a variety
of youth. “A-students are
not always your leaders,”
he argued.
When discussing the
methods of addressing
economic development,
Greater Vidalia Cham
ber of Commerce Execu
tive Vice President Deb
bie Evans shared that the
Chamber will be hosting
its first Business Solutions
Conference on September
23. The conference will
feature several business
experts, speakers, and rep
resentatives from multiple
industries.
Thursday’s workshop
was a follow-up to a Feb
ruary 2020 meeting led by
Quint Studer, founder of
Vibrant Community Part
ners.
Studer’s enterprise
assists communities in
customizing a blueprint
for achieving growth and
excellence. Locally, the
Chamber and Develop
ment Authority are em
bracing Studer’s model as
they work with commu
nity partners to develop
a plan that offers a high
quality of life for all citi
zens and an environment
where young people will
have a productive future.
At the first local work
shop in May, Daniell in
troduced a road map that
will act as a guide for im
plementing local Vibrant
Community activities.
The road map includes
the four “gears” in the
machine that powers the
community—Economic
Development; Placemak
ing; Civic Education &
Engagement; and Early
Learning & Education.
Workshop attendees were
asked to consider which of
these areas they might be
interested in taking on.
The seminar conclud
ed as attendees divided
themselves into small
groups based upon the ar
eas in which they wished
to serve. In the next work
shops, attendees will
receive a deeper under
standing of each area and
of how to work cohesively
as a group.
Vidalia
continued from page 1A
opportunity to address this
issue, but also expand other
services for our youth. The
Vidalia Recreation Depart
ment has experienced con
sistent growth and we want
to meet our community’s
needs and maintain a high
level of service.”
The Mayor added,
“The purchase of this prop
erty would not be pos
sible without the
teamwork of our
City Council, City
Manager, City At
torney and Mr.
and Mrs. Gary
Waters, owners of
the Captain’s Cor
ner. The previous
ly mentioned leadership
looks forward to not only
working with, but being
led through this project, by
Recreation Director Scott
Strickland as it will posi
tively impact the youth of
our community.”
Strickland sees the po
tential. “The purchase of
the Captain’s Corner will
ensure future upgrades to
our Ed Smith Complex and
catapult our new vision for
our Vidalia Regional Sports
Complex on Ezra Taylor
Road. We are excited for
the opportunity this gives
our community.”
Strickland continued,
“I would like to thank Mr.
and Mrs. Gary Waters for
serving our great city for
so many years. I would like
to thank Mayor Roper, the
City Council, and City
Manager Nick Overstreet
for going above and beyond
to ensure that all citizens of
our community have top-
notch facilities and oppor
tunities in recreation.”
The City will take
ownership of this property
on or around October, 15,
2021.
Last week, the City an
nounced that it had reached
an agreement to purchase
the current site of the Eco
no Lodge at 204 East First
Street in an effort to stimu
late economic growth in
downtown Vidalia.
Mayor Roper, who
is looking forward to the
city taking ownership of
the property through its
newly-formed Downtown
Development Author
ity, noted, “This area of
downtown has incredible
upside and our desire is to
maximize its full potential.
Economic Development is
vital to the progressiveness
of our downtown and this
purchase will make an im
mediate impact in the area.”
The City of Vidalia will
take ownership of the prop
erty on November 1, 2021.
“I want to thank members
of our City Council, City
Attorney, Justin Franklin,
our City Manager
Overstreet, and
the current own
ers of the Econo
Lodge for their
collaboration in
assisting to make
this a reality.”
The City of
Vidalia has plans to raze the
structure now occupying
the site and will be work
ing with its community
partners and other inter
ested parties to develop the
property in the near future.
“This is going to be a game
changer for us as a commu
nity,” the Mayor comment
ed. He said he was grateful
to the building’s owner for
his willingness to “sit down
at the table and discuss the
sale. When all this comes
to fruition, it’s going to be
incredible.
“This is going to be a
game changer for us as a
community.”
- Vidalia Mayor Doug Roper
MILLION PINES COMMUNITY BANK
We’re here for all your banking needs.
Daniel is a native of Tattnall
County from Glennville, Ga. He is
the son of Dane Dasher and the late
Denise Dasher. He has one brother,
Dustin Dasher, and one sister, Jennifer
Bacon. He has been married to his
wife Ashley for 12 years. They have 5
children: Sadie (age 10), Mikayla (age
8), Bethany (age 7), Jack (age 4), and
Emmett (age 14 months). He cur
rently resides in Vidalia, Ga with his
family.
He graduated high school from
Tattnall County High in 2002. Fol
lowing in his brothers footsteps, he
attended EMT school in 2005 and
later paramedic school in 2007 at
Southeastern Technical College. He
completed his Bachelor of Health Sci
ence at South University, and gradu
ated suma cum laude in 2015. He also
briefly attended Georgia Southern
University for 2 years to study biology
and chemistry. He then attended phy
sician assistant school at South Uni
versity-Savannah Campus where he
graduated with highest honors in 2018
with a Master of Science in PA Studies.
He attends church at Calvary
on Aimwell where he serves as a small
group leader and drummer/keyboard
ist on the praise and worship team.
His hobbies include fishing; hunting;
woodworking; and playing piano, gui
tar and drums.
He currently works at the Acute
Care Clinic in Vidalia, Ga as one of
two providers where he also serves as a
preceptor to PA students. He also con
tinues to work occasionally as a para
medic in Tattnall County to maintain
emergency medicine skills. His medi
cal interests include general internal
medicine, with special interests in car
diology, nephrology, and orthopedics.
912-537-9488 • 1608 Meadows Lane, Vidalia