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The ADVANCE, October 18, 2023/Page 10A (Site Ahumtce
Candidates Address Public in Forum
RACE FOR WARD 5 - Both candidates for the Lyons City
Council Ward 5 election were present at the Municipal
Election Candidates Forum hosted by the Toombs Coun
ty Republican Party on October 10. Above Photo: Jency
Jeffers, Right Photo: Drayton Oliver.
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The Toombs County
Republican Party recently
gave candidates in munici
pal elections in Vidalia and
Lyons a chance to address
the public in a mediated
forum held at Southeast
ern Technical College on
Tuesday October 10.
All current munici
pal races are nonparti
san; therefore, any and all
candidates were invited
to speak at the forum.
Four candidates - Vidalia
Board of Education Chair
woman Julee Torrance,
Vidalia City Council at-
Large Candidate Elizabeth
Harvill, and Lyons City
Council Ward 5 Candi
dates Drayton Oliver and
Jency Jeffers - attended
the event. The individu
als were each given an un
interrupted five-minute
period to introduce them
selves before the audience
was able to submit ques
tions for the candidates.
Candidates were allowed
three minutes to answer
each question.
Julee Torrance
Torrance, who faces
Gerriell Craig in the Vi
dalia City Schools Board
of Education at-Large seat
race, began the forum with
her introduction:
“I’m Julie Torrance.
I have lived in Vidalia for
the last 32 years with my
husband, Bill Torrance.
We have two children;
both of them live here now
- Sarah Beck and her hus
band live right outside of
town and our son Michael
and his wife Sarah also live
right outside of town. My
daughter works for the
Vidalia City School Sys
tem, as I did for 24 years.
I taught 7th grade science
and have spent the last
eight years on the Board of
Education.
I was raised in Warner
Robins by my mother and
father who instilled in me
a love for education, a love
for people in general, and
the faith that with hard
work and dedication any
thing can happen in life.
My mother was a second
grade teacher until I hit the
high school [age], when
she moved to the high
school to become the me
dia specialist. I’m not sure
if she was following me or
if I was following her. My
father was an accountant
and later became the CEO
of the Houston County
Hospital. So, you can tell
just by their resumes that
they were very proud
people of the educational
system. They believed in
public schools, as I do.
Public schools were
founded right after our na
tion was founded with the
intent to educate young
people - make them mind
ful of what has happened
in our history, make them
mindful of each other, and
make them able to support
the community look that
our founding fathers had
in mind as they began this
fine country that we live in.
Those students that now
come through Vidalia City
Schools are just blessed
students. Our school sys
tem has a fine crop of
teachers and administra
tors. I could not be proud
er of the work that they do
every single day. In fact, [at
our board meeting on Oc
tober 10], I said to our su
perintendent and assistant
superintendent that my
biggest fear tonight would
be misquoting something
and under grading what
they do because they do
marvelous work every day.
You may have heard
already that the state an
nounced graduation rates
[on October 10], Our
graduation rate is now at
92.6%; it is not 100%, but
any time you have a system
that has 100%, something
is up and you need to start
asking questions. Students
have a lot to learn in this
lifetime. Many of the larger
systems are going toward
the more socially-influ
enced educational levels
that I cannot get behind.
The importance of a very
basic education - reading,
reading comprehension,
mathematical skills - can
not be underestimated by
any means. Students that
come out of our schools
have a 62% chance of get
ting the HOPE [scholar
ship], The HOPE Grant
is a partial grant that the
state gives to graduates
who have taken rigorous
courses in high school and
maintained a high GPA. If
you just know those facts,
you know our graduates
leave prepared; they are
asked to do rigorous work
at the high school level,
but that work starts at the
base level with the work
they are asked to do in kin
dergarten, and flows all the
way through to 12th grade.
There is no stand
alone school; there is no
stand-alone school system.
It is a community effort.
You know, in this day and
age, school safety is a big
issue. Your Board of Edu
cation has worked hard in
the last eight years to in
crease school safety, and
I am very proud of where
we are. In our [October
10] Board meeting, we
approved an increase in
the number of cameras
on our school buses, and
they have new technology
that allows us to see the
traffic coming and going -
because, believe it or not,
people still do not stop for
those school buses. They
will go right around them,
and that in itself is a safety
issue. But the cameras help
us and so does technology.
Technology needs to
remain improving every
year. Last year, I asked
our media specialists to
provide us with a five-
year rotation plan at each
school, so that the high
school could get new stuff
- the next year, the middle
school could get new stuff
- so on and so forth. They
have been working very
hard on that plan. It is not
complete yet; it takes a
while to set it all together,
but those ladies have put
in an enormous amount
of time to make sure that
our students are aware and
focused on what is coming
in the future with tech
nology. We all know that
without that technology
improvement, we cannot
go forward in the future.
I hope that I have
earned your confidence in
the past and that I will con
tinue to move forward and
earn your confidence.”
During the question
ing portion of the event,
Torrance answered ques
tions regarding school
safety, the role of transgen
der individuals in sporting
events, and critical race
theory curriculum.
She shared that school
safety had been a priority
for the school system, as
they had done all train
ing and work possible to
ensure that students are
safe and secure during the
school day. Torrance also
explained that the Board
desired to gain more
school resource officers,
but could not currently be
cause of the officer short
age faced within the area
for the police department.
When asked about the
role of transgender indi
viduals in sports and the
possibility of critical race
theory curriculum being
taught during instruction,
Torrance emphasized her
conservative beliefs, stat
ing she would not sup
port transgender athletes
competing in sports other
than those affiliated with
their biological gender
from birth for the safety
of all athletes involved,
as she shared that she felt
that having biological
males and females in lock
er rooms designated for
other genders was unsafe
to other students’ wellbe
ing. She also shared that
she does not believe criti
cal race theory has a role
in the classroom, and in
formed attendees that she
would not support such
curriculum.
Drayton Oliver
Both candidates for
the Lyons City Council
Ward 5 race were present
at the event. Drayton Oli
ver was the first to address
the crowd.
“My name is Dray
ton Oliver. I am from Ly
ons, Georgia, and have
lived there all of my adult
life. I’ve been living there
since 1982 - we farmed
for a short time; my fa
ther farmed longer than I
did, but we just couldn’t
make it. Needless to say,
I’ve lived in Lyons all of
my life. I’m married to Lisa
Oliver, and we have one
child, Darby Oliver. She
is a veterinarian and right
now, she practices in Dun-
woody, Georgia. We are
very proud of her and what
she has accomplished.
I want to run for
City Council on different
things. I am looking to
run for beautification [of
the city]. I’ve run for City
Council before, and I think
I had an agenda going in.
This time, I’m not looking
for an agenda. I want to be
someone who is a liaison
between city employees
and City Council, and try
to give back. I want to be
able to speak, hear, and lis
ten to the wants of the peo
ple, the things that they
would like to see done -
there are always things that
go on that we just overlook
as councilman or as mayor.
I know I have been out
and gone to every house
that there is in my ward. I
visited them if they were
home; I’ve left my card.
I’ve put a few signs out. So,
I’ve gone out, and as I was
meeting people, I heard
some concerns of the citi
zens that I want to address
at some time. There are
some things that can’t be
done, and I understand
that.
I am looking forward
to working and hopefully
being a liaison between
the people and the city
employees.”
Jency Jeffers
Oliver was immedi
ately followed by his fellow
candidate Jency Jeffers,
who shared her history of
involvement within the
community.
“My name is Jency
Jeffers. Thank you all for
taking time out of your
lives to come out tonight.
Trish [Poole] and all of the
Toombs County Republi
can Party - thank you all
for putting this together
and Southeastern Techni
cal College for hosting this
for us.
I am a Toombs Coun
ty native - but, just like my
dad, Byron, and my sister,
Ty, I moved away after
high school looking for
something bigger and bet
ter. I’ve lived in Johnson
Corner, Statesboro, Law-
renceville, Decatur, At
lanta - and out of all those
places, my heart drew me
back home here, to Lyons,
Georgia.
My initial reason for
coming home in 2015 was
to help my dad run the
family business, Lottie’s
Pocket. Yes, that home
made ice cream and pulled
pork place out in the coun
try - I see your mouths
watering right now. It has
been a really enjoyable
ride working with my dad
in that industry. To give
you a little bit more back
story, once I returned to
Toombs County, I lived
out on my parents’ land in
Johnson Corner for a cou
ple of years. I was able to
walk down to their house,
have coffee with them in
the mornings, [and] see
all the stars at night, which
was a really nice change of
pace from that concrete
jungle called Atlanta.
However, as much as
I loved being out there in
the peace and quiet, and
just a hop, skip, and jump
away from Mama and Dad
dy, there was something
pulling me to move into
the city so that I could help
create and establish some
thing and be a part of what
Lyons is trying to become.
Since 2018, I have been
living right off of North
Victory Drive - that was
my Mema’s house.
My Mema was a mov
er and shaker in her own
time. She was a member
of the Ladies Auxiliary
VFW Post 3563 of Lyons/
Vidalia, where she was the
chaplain for 18 years; the
American Legion Auxil
iary Post 97, where she
served as the secretary;
and the women of Moose
of Vidalia Chapter 1511,
where she also served as
the chaplain. My Papa -
her husband, Bill Jeffers
- served as our county
commissioner from 1975-
1978, and as vice chair in
1978. They both pursued
opportunities to positively
impact their communities.
I share this informa
tion to say [that] I know it
is in my blood to publicly
represent our community.
Within a few months of
moving into town, I was
approached to join our Ly
ons Main Street Board and
our zoning board. I did
a little research and edu
cated myself, and within
minutes, I knew this is the
type of thing that I moved
to Lyons for. Shortly after
joining the Lyons Main
Street Board and pass
ing my board of directors’
exam with flying colors,
I was voted in as our sec
retary. Through Lyons
Main Street, I was able to
achieve my certificate for
the Georgia Academy of
Economic Development
in the Spring of 2019, and
in the Spring of 2022, I
was selected as a CREATE
(Cultivating Rural Entre
preneurs and Transform
ing Economies) Cham
pion along with other
business leaders in Lyons
and Vidalia. Also, as a res
taurant owner, I maintain
my ServSafe Food Protec
tion Manager certificate
every five years.
However, being a City
Council member is not
about me and my family
and my business. It’s about
us, our families, our busi
nesses, and our commu
nity. I hope my passion for
investing in my hometown
is apparent. Positively im
pacting our community
has been one of the main
missions since I returned
home. As I raise my daugh
ter in my Mema’s house, I
realize how blessed I am to
live in a supportive, tight-
knit community. If you’re
looking for an honest, re
liable, consistent advocate
for Lyons Ward 5 - look no
further. I will not just nod
and smile; I will not just
vote yes or no because the
majority does; and I will
not make a promise that I
can’t keep. But I will smile
and I will vote for the de
cision I believe is the best
for the community, and I
promise to keep an open
mind, regardless of the
topic or situation present
ed to the Council. I gladly
and wholeheartedly com
mit myself to being the
City Council member that
Lyons Ward 5 deserves.”
There were no ques
tions for either Lyons City
Council Ward 5 candidate.
Elizabeth Harvill
Elizabeth Harvill, who
faces incumbent Vidalia
City Councilman Bob
Dixon in the At-Large seat
election, was the last to ad
dress the audience.
“Good afternoon. I
first would like to thank the
Republican Party for host
ing this tonight. I really
feel like we should be hav
ing this on every street cor
ner in every city across the
area as we are campaigning
because it is important to
not only get out and vote,
but it is important to have
an informed voice.
Just a quick back
ground on me: I have a
Bachelor’s Degree in Com
munication Arts. I gradu
ated in 2004 from Georgia
Southern University. With
my diploma still wet, I ac
cepted the position as Vi
dalia Area Convention &
Visitors Bureau Director;
I worked for them and the
city for about six years. It
was kind of then when I
really fell in love with the
city of Vidalia, and I was
able to start volunteering
in the city and really get
ting involved. In those six
years, my primary capac
ity was to serve in eco
nomic development, and
it was in that season that
I saw the importance of
communicating. One of
the strategies that we had
started in that time was
when Zack Fowler would
do the little ditty on the ra
dio that ‘Company’s Com
ing,’ whenever we had big,
giant groups that would
be coming across Geor
gia and would be coming
through Vidalia - these
were things that we didn’t
keep quiet. We got on the
radio and talked about it.
I think there is great op
portunity as a city to bet
ter communicate some of
these things.
It is important to me
that we communicate both
very clearly and very often.
I think communication
may be one of the stron
gest skill sets that I bring. I
do have a Master’s Degree
Please see Candidates
page 11A