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The ADVANCE, August 23, 2023/Page 11A
Photo by Deborah Clark
FIRM SELECTED — Alamo City Councilman Dondrea Geter, far right, discusses bid pro
posals for the City's Eastside Park project as, from left, Councilwoman Laura Brownley,
City Manager Jeff Floyd, and Councilwoman Pat Woodard listen, The Council selected
the Hinesville company of M.E. Sack.
Architect-Engineer Chosen for
Eastside Park Project in Alamo
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail. com
In a called session on
August 17, the Alamo City
Council selected a project
architect-engineer for the
further development of
historic Eastside Park. The
civil engineering firm of
M.E. Sack in Hinesville was
chosen from five companies
that submitted bids for the
$2 million project.
Sack submitted a pro
posal for 9.5% ($190,000)
of the project cost for engi
neering and design work, as
well as construction of sev
eral amenities at the park.
The ongoing work at the
Eastside Park will be fund
ed with state community
upgrade funds allocated on
May 18 by Governor Brian
Kemp. The $2 million grant
was part of a $225 million
grant package awarded
to 142 qualified projects
across the state for improv
ing neighborhood assets
like parks, recreation facili
ties, sidewalks, and healthy
food access in communi
ties disproportionately im
pacted by the COVID-19
pandemic.
Specifically, the grant
will go toward further up
grades at Eastside Park in
cluding providing sidewalks
between the park and the
nearby Wheeler County
School, a shelter over the
basketball court, an outdoor
amphitheater, a football
field with bleachers which
will become the home of a
new Youth League, fencing
around the park, and addi
tional parking.
Eastside Park has al
ready benefitted from a
previous grant through the
state Department of Natural
Resources which provided a
recently-completed splash
pad, picnic pavilions with
grills, parking, and a refur
bished basketball court.
In a regular session on
Monday, August 14, the
City Council approved a
contract for $50,000 with
the Heart of Georgia Alta-
maha Regional Commis
sion to administer the latest
grant for Eastside Park.
During the August 14
meeting, the City also ad
opted a franchise agreement
with Glenwood Telephone
Company to provide broad
band services in the city,
and adopted a franchise
agreement with Progressive
Rural Telephone Company
to formalize existing servic
es within the city limits.
The City tabled a dis
cussion on the leasing of
city-owned property for
the purpose of establish
ing a new hardware store
pending negotiations with
the potential lease holder.
The City also approved a re
quest for holding a second
annual homecoming and
tailgating event at Eastside
Park on September 24.
GVC Seeks Director of
Entrepreneurial Center
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Greater Vidalia
Chamber is actively search
ing for candidates to fill the
new Director of Entrepre
neur Development posi
tion, which will lead new
and upcoming businesses at
the Greater Vidalia Center
for Rural Entrepreneurship.
In July 2022, the Cham
ber, in unison with the
Toombs County Develop
ment Authority, announced
that the area would receive
$4,059,474 from a $17.25
million allocation of Rural
Downtown Development
Funds by the Georgia De
partment of Community
Affairs (DCA). In addition
to this grant, the Chamber
and Authority collected
$750,000 in OneGA funds
and a $859,386 local match,
all of which are being used
to construct this new Cen
ter.
The Center, to be locat
ed at 204 East First Street
in downtown Vidalia, will
be a valuable tool in the
economic toolkit of the re
gion. “It will be a means to
revitalize and enhance the
downtown areas, create
new job opportunities for
area residents, create higher
wage jobs, contribute to
the growth and success of
emerging businesses, and
will be a source to generate
new tax revenue,” Greater
Vidalia Chamber President
Michele Johnson explained.
She noted that the Center
will also serve as a rural
model for entrepreneurial
place making. “These fac
tors will provide the long
term metrics against which
to measure the success of
the Center.”
Construction began on
the facility this year and is
expected to be completed
by the time of the Vidalia
Onion Festival next year. In
preparation for this comple
tion the Chamber has now
shared the description and
duties of the new position
in hopes to gain the perfect
candidate. According to
Johnson, resumes and ap
plications for the position
are due by September 7,
and a decision will be made
soon after.
The Chamber issued a
statement on the position,
explaining, “The Greater
Vidalia Center for Rural
Entrepreneurship (CRE) is
slated to open in 2024 and
promises to be a synergistic
hub for aspiring business
owners, innovative think
ers, and entrepreneurs of all
ages. The goal in developing
the CRE is to grow the en
trepreneurial ecosystem in
the Greater Vidalia Region
through education, incuba
tion, engagement, and net
working. The Director will
work closely with the Direc
tors and Staff of the Greater
Vidalia Chamber, Toombs
County Development Au
thority, and various other
organizations to design and
create the programs for the
CRE and will begin iden
tifying potential member
clients while the project is
in its final stage of develop
ment.”
The basic responsi
bilities of the job are the
overall responsibility for
operations of the Center;
performing the project and
administrative functions,
including facilities manage
ment and programming;
and acting as the primary
marketing and public rela
tions contact for the Center
facility, programs, and activ
ities. The Chamber believes
the perfect candidate would
have relevant experience
with small business start
ups and operations, entre
preneurship development,
project management, or
marketing, and would have
spent time in relevant areas,
such as facilities manage
ment, event management,
volunteer management, or
social media marketing.
“This person is going
to serve as the face of this
new facility, so it is very
important that we choose
the right person,” Greater
Vidalia Chamber Chair
man Mike Hagan remarked.
“This position is central to
the work we are trying to
complete within this new
building.”
Anyone interested in
the position should submit
a letter of interest, which
should include qualifica
tions for and interest in the
position, as well as a resume
and the names and contact
information for three pro
fessional references. This in
formation may be emailed
to info(a)greatervidalia-
chamber.com. For any fur
ther information or ques
tions, contact the Greater
Vidalia Chamber.
65 YEARS - Many members of the Toombs Central High School Class of 1958 recently
met to celebrate their 65th Class Reunion. L to R: David Bell, Melanie Moore Jones,
Joseph Stanley, Lawannah Wilkes Weaver, Wade Carpenter, Myrtice Johnson Carter,
Velma Beasley Curl, Carolyn Dowd Mobley, Pat Hat.
crusaoers
CRUSADERS
. ruv.i >l i-\
CRUSADERS
CUSADERS
CRUSADERS
RTCA JUNIOR CLASS RING CEREMONY — Robert Toombs Christian Academy held its of
ficial Junior Class Ring Ceremony on August 15, 2023. Bishop Lampp, a junior at RTCA,
welcomed family and friends to the ceremony. Junior Ella Newton led the Pledge of
Allegiance and gave the invocation. Junior Meredith Durden spoke about the ring
tradition, how to wear your ring, and the tradition of unity, Mr. Mike Lothridge, Head
of School at RTCA, presented the rings to the class, and a representative from Herff
Jones Company gave the official declaration. L TO R: Maci Whitney, Macy Kennedy,
Ella Newton, Hannah Williams, Maddie Joyner, Kylie Acosta, Meredith Durden, Gage
Brantley, Bishop Lampp, Jayden Toole, James Varnes, Cameron Hinson, Payton Mc
Connell, Emily Edwards, Railee Thomas, and Savannah Moore.
Photo by Deborah Clark
IN APPRECIATION — Ann Norris, center, who marks 20 years with the Alamo Housing Au
thority this month, was honored during a community meeting on August 16 in Alamo.
Also shown, from left, Housing Authority Chair Sandra Brown; Authority Co-Chair Andy
Brownley; Housing Authority Director Rhonda Sellers; and former Housing Authority Di
rector Sue Conner.
Ann Norris Honored for 20 Years
at Alamo Housing Authority
By Deborah Clark
Regional Editor
dclarkadvance@gmail.com
A beloved member of
the community was hon
ored at a gathering last
week in Alamo. Ann Nor
ris, who is marking her
20th year with the Alamo
Housing Authority this
month, was honored dur
ing the August 16 quarter
ly local meeting sponsored
by the Wheeler County
Chamber of Commerce
and the Wheeler County
Correctional Facility.
“Ann is enthusiastic,
motivated, and not afraid
to be honest,” Housing
Authority Director Rhon
da Sellers said as she pre
pared to present Norris
with an award. Norris has
served as office manager
at the Housing Authority
since August 19, 2003. In
recognition of her service,
she was given a pin from
the Office of Housing and
Urban Development, un
der which the Housing
Authority operates, as well
as a $2,000 bonus from
HUD. She also received
an inscribed prism trophy
from the Housing Author
ity. The inscription ac
knowledges Norris’ years
of dedicated service, and
praises her as a greatly val
ued and essential member
of the Housing Authority
team.
Sellers noted that ev
eryone who knows Norris
appreciates that she will
do anything she can to
help people. “She is most
proud of being a Christian
lady, and she often asks
people if she can pray with
them.”
Norris is a lifelong res
ident of Telfair, which is
just across the river from
Wheeler County where
she has worked for 20
years. She chuckled as she
reflected on the circum
stances under which she
assumed her job with the
Housing Authority. She
was told by Sue Conner,
who was Director then,
that it might be a tem
porary position of three
months or so. Conner,
who had also been serving
as Director the Glenwood
Housing Authority, was
new to her post in Alamo,
and that Authority was in
a state of reorganization
and plans were not firm.
Conner was Director oof
the Alamo and Glenwood
Authorities until her re
tirement in 2018. “I told
her (Conner) that I would
take the job however long
it lasted. But it went from
being (potentially) three
months to 20 years,” Nor
ris said.
During her tenure,
Norris said she has been
blessed to help people
who needed a good home
and a chance to get back
on their feet. “I have seen
a lot of people housed. It
has been like a ministry to
me,” she said. Norris said
she has enjoyed working
with the adults who come
to the Authority for assis
tance, “but the children
are my heart. I share cook
ies and candy with them
to get their attention and
then I share a Bible verse,”
she said.
Norris, whose hus
band of 44 years, Kenneth
Norris, passed away in
2016, has two daughters,
eight grandchildren, and
four great-grandchildren.
She said she brought the
prism trophy to work to sit
on her desk, but is going to
take it home to share with
her mother and sister. “I
am blessed,” she said of
her family and her work.