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Issue 23 Thursday, June 4, 2020
Papa’s Peach Classic
5K postponed
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Georgia Post
The Roberta Crawford Coun
ty Chamber of Commerce
will be postponing the Papa’s
Peach Classic sKto a later
date due to COVTD-19.
The chamber voted to
postpone or cancel the 2020
event due to the social dis
tancing. Other concerns were
the number of people that
would possibly be attending
and whether the area would
be large enough to handle the
amount of expected people.
The amount of people would
need to be limited at the Dick
ey Packing Shed as well.
Larry Carpenter who over
sees the Papa Peach Classic
5K stated being the first race
of the year, the number of
people could rise. Carpen
ter also added they would
be the trendsetter if it were
to resume on the original
June 20th date. The idea of
staggering the runners at the
starting line was also brought
before the board but they
would need a second clock.
On Monday, the board voted
to possibly postpone the event
looking at another weekend
maybe in July or August.
The Back 2 School Breakfast
is also planned for July 31st.
This is where the school board
and chamber partner to give
back to the school employees
and start their year off with
breakfast and recognition.
The chamber also developed
their brochure design com
mittee for the new brochures
for Roberta/Crawford
County. The chamber re
ceived a $5,000 grant from
Flint Energy to purchase
new brochures to be added
to visitor and welcome cen
ters throughout the state to
promote Roberta, Crawford
County.
The chamber will be
holding their talent show
in October and plans are in
the works with the commit
tee gearing up for setting a
date. Keep checking back
to see when the talent show
will be held.
President Brent Lowe
added the school system
received a $17,500 grant
from United Way of Central
Georgia to help the school
system with e-leaming.
This grant will allow eight
buses to be installed with
Wi-Fi mobile hotspots
for students to be locat
ed around the county at
different times. Parents of
students will also have the
ability to check out one of
20 personal hotspots if their
student is not able to visit
one of the mobile locations.
Southern Rivers donated
$2,000 which will give two
additional buses for added
locations. Amazon donated
600 Fire tablets for stu
dents grades 7-11 with Lowe
hoping to get more money
to add more Fire tablets for
the rest of the students. He
stated these businesses have
gone out of their way to help
Crawford County Schools
after the COVID-19 pan
demic left students without
The Voice of Crawford County Since 1921
also serving Byron and Peach County 1 Section 10 Pages One Dollar
COVID-19 may have made things a little different this year,
but Crawford County still recognized Teachers of the Year in
style. Lauren Johnson, top left, was selected from Crawford
County High School. Johnson is a CCHS graduate and has
been teaching at the high school for more than four years.
Bottom right, Coach Charles Rice was selected from Craw
ford County Elementary School. CCES Principal Raines says
the Coach is the go to person in many instances and that he
is very much a team player and good with the students. He
has taught 14 years in Crawford and prior to coming here
was in Peach County for three years. Melessa Hollis was
chosen for Crawford County Middle School. She is also a
CCHS graduate who returned home to teach. Not only do her
students love her, but Melessa is very active in the com
munity and does her part in helping keep everyone’s spirit
up. She has taught at CCMS 20 years in Crawford for and
was a teacher of the year 15 years ago. Congratulate these
teachers when you see them. One will be chosen as System
Teacher of the Year.
Candidates address issues in local races
We sent questions to every
one seeking an office but not
everyone responded. We ran
some last week and this week
we finish those up. Last day
for early voting is Friday and
election day is June 9th. Exer
cise your right to vote.
Incumbent Tim Johnson is
being challenged by long time
educator Anita Walker for his
District 3 seat on the Crawford
County Board of Education
We asked both of them three
questions:
1. What do you think are the
problems facing the school
system?
2. What do you bring to the
table if elected?
3. What would you like to see
changed within the system?
Here’s Johnson’s respons
es: 1.1 do not like the term
“problem”. I prefer to say
“opportunity for improve
ment”. An area that has room
for improvement is trust and
school pride. I believe the
mindset of our community
needs to focus on establishing
true partnerships between the
school system, parents and
community. As the old saying
goes, it takes a village to raise
a child. The same goes for
their education. Parents are a
child’s first and best teacher. I
think it is important that par
ents and community members
trust teachers to do their best.
We have really hard working
teachers and administra
tors. It is a difficult job and
COVTD-19 has really changed
the mindset of some parents
Tim Johnson
about education. I think we
need to focus on building each
other up, supporting each
other and really concentrating
on being a team of educators
both at home and at school. I
also believe that parental in
volvement should continue to
be as strong at the high school
level as it starts out at the
elementary school. As the chil
dren of our community enter
our school system, the parents
exhibit an excitement like one
I have never seen. When there
are PTO programs or Title
I nights at the elementary
school, the turnout is awe
some. When these kids reach
middle school, the attendance
at the events start to become
less and less. When that child
reaches high school, parental/
family attendance becomes
MUCH lower. I believe if our
parents continued to stay
involved through their high
school years, our students
would really benefit. I believe
parental/family involvement
along with teacher dedication
and professionalism, at all lev
els, this small community can
achieve something special.
2. If I am re-elected, I bring
to the table with me 12 years
of school board experience.
I have learned many things
since I was first elected about
the true roles of a member
of the board of education
and what it really means to
support public education in
our county. I have close ties
at all schools and have built
good relationships within the
school system. I have a stake
in ALL the schools in our
district. My wife is a teacher
at the elementary school; I
have a daughter going into 8
th grade at the middle school;
and I have a daughter that will
be graduating next year. Also,
being a Marine and working at
RAFB have both played a part
in instilling great leadership
qualities and have taught me
how to be a part of something
that is bigger than me. I also
study the news and policies
being created at the state level
and am constantly looking
for ways to help our school
system with funding. Two of
my biggest accomplishments
are my teenage daughters.
They are still teaching me
about patience and choosing
my battles carefully.
3.1 would like to have a
school climate where teach
ers and students are beating
down the doors to come to
Crawford County. I want it to
be a great place to work and a
great place to learn. I want our
community to take pride in
our School system. I think that
begins with leadership. We
have some good leaders and
a good superintendent who is
striving to get us to that point.
Now we just need stakeholder
juy-in.
Anita Walker
Anita Walker has 50 years
experience as an educator.
Here responses were:
1. A student’s reading level is
often below their grade level.
Our greatest concern should
be improving reading skills. If
you can read you can success.
It is our responsibility to pro
duce competent readers.
2. With 50 years experience
as an educator, I have had the
opportunity to see our system
as a teacher, a parent and
as a grandparent. Teachers
should be allowed to gear their
lessons towards the needs of
their students. Every child
does not learn the same way.
We know that one size does
not fit all.
3. As a board member I will
be accessible to the people
in my district. I will ask for
feedback from parents and
teachers. This information
will be used to strengthen our
system. If you will trust me
with your vote, I will do my
best to help build a bridge
between the school and the
community.
Jackie McCowen
On the Crawford County
Board of Commissioners, In
cumbent Bobby Blasingame is
being challenged by a former
commissioner, Doug Spillers
and CC umpire and Republic
Party chairman Donald Jackie
McCowen.
McCowen was the only one
to respond. He has worked as
a sports official for 22 years
and has been a business own
er for 10 years and has worked
in Crawford County for 13
years. He is a second amend
ment advocate and pro-life
supporter. He also worked in
security for three businesses
for 30 years, among his many
other accomplishments.
Jackie feels right now the
major issues facing the coun
ty, is getting back to being
productive since COVID-19.
“Our county is made up of
many Small Business that are
or have been effected major-
ly. They are hurting and we
have to help cause thats what
HOMETOWN people do. But
my hat goes off to pay honor
to ALL the essential workers
that have helped keeping the
community moving along,
from all our healthcare work
ers , to our pharmacy,to the
business that have stocked
food and essentials to make
sure that families can take
care of them seifs,the county
/ city workers that make sure
we live as comfortable as we
can and to the countless vol
unteers and the many hours
they have put in. “
2nd- our roads seem to be a
big concern, it being 2020, we
shouldn’t have any dirt roads
in this county. I know that
this is a big issue every year
See CANDIDATES page 5