About The Advance. (Vidalia, Ga.) 2003-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 2023)
gfre Aiiuancg The ADVANCE, August 30, 2023/Page 5A In the Short Rows: Planting Your Fall Garden By Lauren Stanley Montgomery Co. Agriculture & Natural Resources/4-H Youth Development Agent Despite the warmer- than-average temperatures outside, fall is right around the corner. With fall comes football games, pumpkin spice, Halloween, and for many, tending to their fall garden. August is the per fect time to get started on that! The first step to pre paring your fall garden is site preparation, which includes performing a rou tine soil test if you haven’t yet. It is critical that the soil has the correct amount of nutrients and is in the correct pH range (6.2-6.8 for fall crops) to ensure success. Collect soil from several different locations throughout the entire area, mix the samples in a plastic bucket, and take the com posite sample to your local extension office. The results of the soil test will indicate the amount of fertilizer needed to reach optimum pH and nutrient levels. Decide what crops you want to grow, when they need to be planted, and if they should be planted from seed or transplanted as seedlings. To calculate planting dates, determine the first frost date and count back the number of days to maturity, and add around 18 days for harvest of the crop. Next, till your site to a depth of 5-6 inches and in corporate organic matter, if needed. Add the fertilizers recommended by your soil test results. If planting your crop from seed, plant at the depth recommended on the seed package. If plant ing using transplants, make sure your transplants are adequately spaced. Larger plants (cabbage, broc coli, cauliflower) should be spaced 1-2 feet apart within the row, and rows should be approximately 3 feet apart. Make sure to water in your seeds and transplants at planting to initiate establishment and decrease the possibility of heat stress. Continue to wa ter daily for the first week. Once established, water plants as needed. Your garden should receive ap proximately 1-2 inches of irrigation per week. While overhead irrigation is an option, the practice pro motes the spread of disease by wetting foliage. Opt for soaker hoses or drip irriga tion to decrease your crop’s disease susceptibility and direct water to where its needed most. Following these tips will help make your fall gar den a success. If you have any questions, please reach out to your local UGA Ex tension office. MCBOE continued from page 4A ried she is going to lose her house. I just say that to say this: the thing about the training that bothers me is that if you call it ‘training,’ it leaves [the citizens] out. It’s not good to leave citi zens out,” she shared. Page referred to her time as a teacher, as she explained that she took ev ery opportunity to attend training and learn more about her career. “Almost everything I ever learned was a value to me in that classroom,” she told the Board. “I just have a prob lem with you leaving me out of training that would help all of us to under stand this thing. It seems very secretive. I know the law - the law says you can call it ‘training,’ then you don’t have to invite the public. I know you can’t invite everybody, but to me, you could invite some people who are there for the right reasons.” She continued, “I’m not here for the wrong reasons. My great-grand children are in this school system because I literally said to my granddaughter, ‘please, don’t send them to Vidalia - send them to where you’re going to live. Be a part of this commu nity. Be a part of making it a better place for us - for the people who have lived here a long time and want to see a better us - not a better them, not a better him, not a better her, not a better you - a better us. I was not born in this com munity, I made 27 school moves by the time I was in the 10th grade and quit school. So, I don’t have any place that was really home [to me], but I call this place home, and that says something for this place. That says something for you folks. That says some thing for these folks.” “I’m proud to be here,” Page added. “I want to be a part of it. I don’t want you to exclude me. I want to listen to the training, too. I want to hear what these people have to say. Pm not going to raise a ruckus - Pll ask questions, but just think about that. Think about if you want to begin to exclude people in a time when we are - well, at least some people - in a rut with each other. I’m along for the ride; Pll make a little noise, probably, but that’s what we should do as good citizens.” Page emphasized, “Thank you for thinking about what I’m saying. Thank you for thinking to include everyone. I will be part of this because I want my great-grandchildren to get a great education. I’ve been through the cuts. I got cut to the Director of Alternative School - best cut I ever had. Thirteen kids graduated my first year, and we had not grad uated one in years, so they didn’t cut me far. They cut me to a happy place.” Rentz replied to Page’s concerns, informing her that the “Whole Board Training” referred to the three hours each year re quired by the Georgia School Board Association to train Board members on the elements of the school system. He, along with Chairman Henry Price, also clarified that the homestead exemp tion training which Page shared she was concerned about was not a training conducted by the Board of Education, but rather a training that the Mont gomery County Commis sioners had invited the Board to attend. Price, Rentz, and Page engaged in a conversation which encouraged the citi zens to continue to show up to meetings, speak their concerns, and take part in their local government. Suggestions were made to include the public in future planning and dis cussion sessions for the Board, such as the sug gestion by Board member Fernando Rodriguez to provide more information to the public in a timely manner during the annual “Board Planning Retreat,” so that they may have a better chance of attending the event. During the regular meeting of the Board, Amie Vassey again ad dressed Board members, asking them if there is anything that could have been said during the pub lic hearings to change the planned action of the Board’s budget and mill- age rate. “Is there any thing any taxpaying citizen could have said that would have mattered?” she em phasized. Action Items The FY24 Budget was officially approved by the Board, which has almost $2 million less of COVID relief funding than past years, and is expected to utilize 14.75 mills of prop erty taxes. This millage rate will be voted on in a called meeting on August 31. An update to “Board Policy DIB: Financial Re ports” was adopted, as rec ommended by the Board’s attorney and state officials. This change includes capi tal assets, such as land and school buildings. This policy update was first pre sented at last month’s reg ular meeting of the Board, and sat on the table for public review for 30 days prior to the official vote. The Board also ap proved the purchase of a Ford F-150 pickup truck to be utilized by the Su perintendent and staff of the school system for any school-related travel. The vehicle will be bought from Paul Thigpen Chev rolet, which provided the lowest quote on the prod uct. Several personnel de cisions were made, such as the acceptance of bus driver Rhonda Edge’s res ignation, effective on Au gust 2. Stephanie Peebles was hired as an elementary school in-school suspen sion (ISS) paraprofes- sional, Kailee Smith was approved as a second and third grade paraprofes- sional, and William Rowe was hired as an Alternative School teacher. Several substitutes were approved, including substitute school food and nutrition workers Teresa Floyd and Taieisha Reese, and substitute teachers Rachea Holliway, Kimber ly Dees, Terri Griggs, and Tracy Sailem, Jr. Sailem will also serve as a vol unteer middle and high school basketball coach. The Board added five days to high school coun selor Rebecca Phillips’ contract to fulfill her coun seling duties, while School Improvement Specialist Ginger Morris’ contract was increased to 220 days and Director of Commu nications Michael Lane’s contract was increased to 200 days. Board members also agreed to grant Emily Cartwright a $1,500 sup plement for serving as an instructional coach at the elementary school. From the Record THE BLOTTER These are the reported arrests from the Toombs County Sheriff's Office, the Vidalia and Lyons police departments, and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for the past week, Incidents are taken directly from police files. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty. In Lyons... • Christina Nich ole Jackson, of Ly ons, was arrested on August 25 and charged with Theft by Receiving Stolen Property. • David Santiago Lopez Lopez, of Doral, FL, was ar rested on August 27 and charged with Driving While Unli censed, Speeding 15 to 24. • Jay Rhett Ever ett, of Lyons, was ar rested on August 27 and charged with Operate Motor Vehi cle With No Tags, No Proof of Insurance. • Bobby Norman Rewis, of Lyons, was arrested on August 24 and charged with Family Violence Pro vision Simple Battery, Willfully Obstruction of Police Officer Se vere/Forceful. • Adam Jerreday Bailey, of Lyons, was arrested on August 25 and charged with Fleeing Attempting to Elude Felony, Pos session of a Con trolled Substance, Possession of Drug Related Objects. • Juan Silva Ro driguez, of Metter, was arrested on Au gust 26 and charged with Headlight Re quirements, Driving While License Sus pended or Revoked (First). • Carlos Damon Andrews, of Lumber City, was arrested on August 28 and charged with Driving While License Sus pended or Revoked (First), Possession of Marijuana-Less than Ounce, Expired Tag, No Insurance 1st. In Toombs County... No report avail able. In Montgomery County... No report avail able. In Vidalia... • Tyreon Jack- son, of Vidalia, was arrested on August 23 and charged with Simple Battery. • Spencer Oneco Musgrove, of Vidalia, was arrested on Au gust 24 and charged with Driving While Li cense Suspended or Revoked 1st, Oper ating A Vehicle While Registration is Sus pended, Canceled or Revoked. • Nichole Bron son, of Vidalia, was arrested on August 25 and charged with Criminal Trespass. In Wheeler County... • Ira Daniel Creamer was ar rested on August 27 and charged with Driving Without Li cense (Unlicensed/ Wrong Class), Ex pired or No Registra tion or Title, No Proof of Insurance-Motor cycle, Reckless Driv ing. • Wanda Denise Heard was arrested on August 27 and charged with Giving Inmates Liquor, Drugs, Weapons, etc., Without Con sent of Warden. • Ronald Nelms was arrested on Au gust 23 and charged with Probation Viola tion (When Proba tion Terms Are Al tered) For Finger- printable Charge. • Adrian Pea cock was arrested on August 26 and charged with Bur- glary-lst Degree (Felony). • Aaron Colum bus Roberson was arrested on August 21 and charged with Theft by Receiving Stolen Property Fel ony. • Jaron West was arrested on August 25 and charged with Probation Violation (When Probation Terms Are Altered) For Fingerprintable Charge. • Linda Kaye Hig ginbotham was ar rested on August 23 for No Insurance. Elections continued from page 1A oilman Harry Lewis, who resigned earlier this year, a special election for that seat will not be required. Geoffrey Villegas, a store manager at South Geor gia Tools, will fill the post through the end of the term in 2025. “So, there will not be an election in Alamo for the City Council,” Wheeler County Elections Supervi sor Karen Mercer said Fri day afternoon. However, City of Alamo voters will need to visit the polls to vote in a countywide refer endum for a one cent sales tax referendum. In Glenwood, it is a different story. For the first time in 40 years, business man and long-time Mayor G.M. Joiner will have op position as he tosses his hat into the political ring one more time. Ava Bess Jones, a teacher, is challenging Joiner for the post. The five Glenwood City Council seats are also up for grabs and two new comers are challenging four incumbents for the positions. One of the long time Council members, Winston Powell, will not seek reelection. Janaria Bryant, an as sistant shift supervisor at Wheeler Correctional Facility, and Thomas Mat thew Johnson, a lineman with Little Ocmulgee EMC, will be running against incumbents Cyn thia Kinchen, Eric Walter Lee Pearce, Billy Thigpen, and Wesley Ray Yawn. The top five vote-getters will win the at-large posts. Elections Supervisor Mercer said further infor mation on the SPLOST referendum to be voted on in November is expected to be announced early in September. She reminded voters of upcoming key election dates: • August 21, applica tion deadline for absentee ballots • October 1, early vot ing begins and first day to submit absentee ballots • October 21, Saturday voting • October 27, last day to submit absentee ballots • October 28, Saturday voting • November 7, gener al/ special election. Montgomery County Alley, Mount Vernon, and Tarrytown will all have elections for their city council members and may ors within the municipali ties. For Alley, there will be no election, as all can didates are unopposed in their respective races, as Post 5 Councilwoman Eri ca Harrison, Post 6 Coun cilwoman Mindy Thigpen, and Mayor James Mitchell Fulmer Jr. all qualified for reelection. Mount Vernon has 3 candidates seeking 3 of the Council’s at-large seats, as newcomer Amber Conway takes on Incumbents Pete Horton, Jerry M. “Hoppy” Sikes, and Elizabeth Wil liams for the positions. Mayor Joey Fountain also qualified for reelection un contested. Qualifying continued for Tarrytown until the end of Tuesday, August 29, as the municipality struggled to find candidates for their City Council. Those quali fied individuals will be re vealed in the next edition of The Advance. Toombs County Two Vidalia City Councilmen are facing opposition, as incumbent Councilman At-Large Bob Dixon goes up against Eliz abeth Harvill, and Ward 4 Councilman Loyd Mob ley is contested by Connie Williams. Mayor Pro-Tern John Raymond Turner, who represents Ward 3, is unopposed in his efforts for reelection. The Vidalia City Schools Board of Educa tion also have three elec tions this upcoming No vember, as Ward 1 Board Member Andy Blount fac es Belva R. Franklin, Ward 3 Board Member Bruce Asberry goes up against Brittany Black, and Board Member At-Large Julee Torrance is opposed by Gerriell Craig. Lyons City Council has mostly uncontested races, as Ward 3 Council man William Ivy Toole Jr. and Mayor Willis D. Ne- Smith are unopposed in their quest for reelection. Jency Jeffers and Dray ton Oliver will face off for incumbent Ward 5 City Councilman Rick Hartley’s seat. Hartley announced over the summer that he would not be seeking re- election, and wished any one who desired to run for the office good luck. Only the mayor of Santa Claus will be on the city’s municipal ballot, as Donita Brown qualified for reelection. Because of the lack of competition be tween candidates, no elec tion is necessary.
