Newspaper Page Text
(Eift Aiiuancg
The ADVANCE, August 23, 2023/Page 3A
vcc
continued from page 1A
part of our community for
a very long time/’ Roper
emphasized. “Anyone who
went to Vidalia High School
will know how much she
poured into students for a
very very long time.”
Upon receiving the
award, Hansley addressed
the crowd with a few re
marks. “I just want to thank
the honorable Mayor Doug
Roper, and the honorable
City Council, along with
my pastor, his wife, and my
church family who are all
here,” she began.
“As I think about serv
ing, I believe it comes from
the heart. It is a gift from
above that comes from
God,” she continued. “I do
have to lift up the name of
my dear mother. Shirley
Mae Hansley, who taught us
years ago to serve. I can hear
her voice now saying to me
as a little girl, Mrs. Missouri
or Miss Macy needs you
to come and help them do
something’, or ‘they need
you to run an errand,’ and
she would follow it up with
‘and you better not take
anything if they offer it to
you.’ So, I knew early on that
service was just like charity
- it began at home. It was
something you did because
you loved and respected ev
erybody.”
She added, “I feel that
way about the City of Vi
dalia. I feel like service is
something I do because I
love this city and I love all
the citizens of Vidalia. I do
want to make a positive
difference in our city. I’ll
leave you with these words,
which I hope will inspire
you because it inspired me
when we adopted this quote
for our Concerned Citizens
Coalition motto years ago.
Every time I hear it and say
it, I’m inspired to continue
to serve.”
The quote which
Hansley shared was from
a French-American mis
sionary. It reads, “I expect
to pass through this world
8U GIRLS SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS - Front Row, L to R: Emma Kate Lindsey, Julianna
McCaw, Ryleigh Williamson, Mae Morgan, Anna Kate Gay, Payton Perkins. Middle
Row, L to R: Mack Lewis, Kenzie Pruitt, Liyla Helmy, Denise King, Maddie Pruitt, Katie
Ramsey, Emma Faulk. Back Row, L to R Coach John McCaw, Mayor Doug Roper,
Coach Brad Owens.
wmm
10U GIRLS SOFTBALL STATE CHAMPIONS - Front Row, L to R: James Owen, Annisten
Smith, Bailee Fondren, Laurel Wells, Myla Sasser. Middle Row, L to R: Dani Lynn Williams,
Quinn Driggers, Hope Williamson, Stevee Phillips. Back Row, Lto R: Coach Josh Owen,
Mayor Doug Roper.
but once; therefore, any
good that I can do or any
kindness I can show to any
fellow creature, let me do
it now. Let me not defer or
neglect it, for I shall not pass
this way again.”
Appointment of Glover
During the meeting,
Council members also
approved to hire Patricia
Glover as the new Financial
Director for the City.
Glover officially joined
employment on Monday,
August 21, but prior to
coming to Vidalia, served
as the Assistant Budget Di
rector for the City of Savan
nah. She also was the City
Manager of Blue Mountain,
Mississippi, for over 4 years,
and acted as the Director of
Internal Audit at American
Contract Bridge League for
over 5 years.
Citizen Concerns
Bernie Nelson ad
dressed the Council about
his concerns with the Vida
lia Police Department dur
ing the public participation
portion of the meeting.
According to Nelson,
after a recent article was
published on gang violence
within Vidalia, he received
numerous phone calls from
citizens, who all asked him
to act as a spokesperson
for the public to share con
cerns about public safety.
“When that article broke
in the paper about ‘Caught
in the Crossfire,’ and then I
hear about the McKenzie
Harness the Power of Partnership.
We Share a Common Interest in Your Business.
At Georgia First Bank, we share a common interest -
your business's success! As a community-oriented financial
partner, we are deeply invested in understanding your unique
needs and aspirations. We offer tailored solutions for growth.
With Georgia First Bank, you're not just another customer;
you're an integral part of our community.
Your success is our priority.
FDIC
121 Church Street, Vidalia
GeorgiaFirstBank
Photo by Makaylee Randolph
LET'S BE VIDALIA - Citizen Bernie Nelson addressed Coun
cil about his concerns for public safety, emphasizing that
Vidalia should try to be like Vidalia, rather than mimick
ing larger cities like New York City or Chicago.
truck being shot at on 3rd
Street, it rang a bell with
me because my wife takes
3rd Street to City Drugs to
get her medicine because
she doesn’t like to drive on
a one-way street. I thought
about how dangerous that
could be, so I stopped her
from doing that. At the
same time, when that article
broke, my phone started
ringing off the hook. Every
one from church and Sun
day School began quizzing
me on things,” he explained.
“A lot of people run
with rumors, but I try to go
out and get the facts,” Nel
son added. “I think we all
agree that we love grants,
and we love everything that
we’re doing [as far as] pav
ing roads and that kind of
stuff. But everybody here
was hired for the safety of
the city - that’s the number
one goal. When that is not
done, all of this other stuff
makes us look like New
York, Chicago, [or] wher
ever.”
He emphasized that the
City did not need to return
to the reputation ofviolence
and “Bloody Toombs” that
existed in the 1930s and
1940s. “My understanding
is that we still have 11 [open
positions] for the Vidalia
Police Department, and I
assume we were budgeted
for those 11 positions. Also,
I found out that for the past
several years, communica
tion between the Vidalia
Police Department, Lyons
Police Department, and
Toombs County Sheriff’s
Office has been nonexis
tent,” he told the Council.
“I don’t know why; it’s none
of my business. But I think
when you live in Vidalia,
you live in Toombs County,
we all are Toombs County.
Even though the two cities
compete against each other
in football, I think we all
need to work as a team.”
Nelson continued to
question why that com
munication had been cut
off. He also shared that the
“word on the street” was
that no one wanted to work
for the Vidalia Police or Fire
Departments, and he was
unsure why. He told the
group that the issue caus
ing that attitude towards the
Departments needed to be
discovered and solved.
He also praised the
work of a councilman and
Sheriff Alvie “Junior” Right
in their efforts to form a
Gang Task Force to try to
deal with the issue within
the city that has arisen, as
he said that sort of collabo
ration should be used more
within the law enforcement
service.
“I love Vidalia - I con
sider it my home. I hunt and
fish here, [and] I will utilize
the new golf course as soon
as it opens. My wife and
I are members of Vidalia
Cornerstone Church, and
have been since 2004,” he
clarified. “But we don’t need
to be New York or Chicago
- we need to be Vidalia.”
Proclamation
Mayor Doug Roper
presented the Vidalia Rec
reation Department 8U and
10U Girls Softball Teams
with an official proclama
tion that celebrated their
recent success in the State
Tournament.
“It is a joy, pleasure, and
Please see VCC page
10A
NOW OPEN
FOR ALL YOUR PROCESSING NEEDS
912-705-9990
342 AZALEA ROAD, BAXLEY, GA
Small & large animals alike including
Pigs, Beef Cattle, Lambs & Goats.