Newspaper Page Text
School opening for Peach, not yet finalized
BY KRISTI WATKINS
The Byron Buzz
Peach County parents were
baffled by the notices sent
out last week from the school
system for the return to school
for the 2020-2021 school
year. Due to COVTD-19, many
schools are giving parents
options of in person schooling
or digital learning. The school
system sent surveys out to
parents and staff through the
mail and on the Remind app.
The school system posted
on facebook and their website
on July 7th at 6:38 p.m. that
the school system “realize
that you need to know what
the Return to School Plan will
look like so that you can make
proper arrangements and de
cisions for your family. We are
analyzing data received from
the Parent and Staff Plan
ning Survey and the Return
to School Parent and Staff
Survey.” Those surveys had a
deadline of Friday, July 10th
at midnight.
Dr. Brown also stated, “We
understand that you will still
have questions until the plan
is shared with you; however,
we ask for your continued
patience as we finalize the
plan. One of the last steps in
this process will be a letter
that is being sent to parents
by regular mail and through
the REMIND APP. Please
complete the form included
with the letter and return it
as requested. Once the plan is
finalized, we will share it with
parents, staff and the commu
nity next week.”
It also stated a summary
of the decisions to be made
regarding the 2020-2021
Return to School Plan includ
ing: August 3,2020 as the
tentative start date, school day
beginning and ending times,
a safety plan utilizing state,
Department of Health, and
Center for Disease Control,
guidelines to provide a safe
environment for students,
staff and school visitors,
student cohort schedules
and teacher collaboration/
planning, school lunches for
all students, Durham School
Services Transportation pro
cedures to include COVTD-19
safety measures, and athletics
and extracurricular activities.
On Thursday, July 9th,
another notice was posted
on facebook which had many
parents talking by only giving
two options: a two day in
person schooling with one
day of cleaning and two days
of distance learning or 100%
distance learning for a grade
period with the parents re
sponsible to furnish a comput
er device and internet service.
Many parents are con
cerned with the students only
having in person schooling
for two days and two days of
home and distance learning.
Many parents who are both
working are upset stating they
can’t stay home to home-
school their children. An
other stated the two options
available are not going to work
for those working parents
and stated the county should
waive property and sales tax
to compensate for the impact
it is going to cost the parents if
they are not open.
Other parents are worried
about their children going
back to school and would
rather do distance learning
to the risk of contracting the
coronavirus. While one par
ent stated if football practice
can be held everyday, students
should be able to go to school
everyday.
Dr. Brown stated, in the
latest post, the factors in the
decision making process
which include: the safety and
well-being of our students and
staff was at the forefront of
the decision-making process
for the return to school during
the on-going COVTD-19
Pandemic; district leader
ship utilized guidance from
the Georgia Department of
Education (GADOE), Georgia
Department of Public Health
(GDPH), Centers for Disease
Control (CDC), Governor’s
Office, North Central District
Health Department (NC-
DHD), Peach County Health
Department and our local
Board of Education in the
decision-making process to
return to school and provide
parents with options for their
children’s education; and last
were the surveys were sent to
parents and staff. Out of 1,934
responses (which is about
1/3 of the student body) 75%
of parents expressed con
cerns about their child being
exposed to COVTD-19 if they
returned to school; 64% of
parents expressed fear about
their child returning to school;
66% of parents expressed
providing virtual learning
options for their child would
make them feel safe; and 46%
of staff expressed fear about
returning to school.
He added the next steps in
finalizing the return to school
plan are the parent return of
the Instruction Option Form
that was mailed on Wednes
day, July 9 and completion
of district scheduling based
on parents’ selected options.
The return to school plan
includes: Safety; Cleaning
and Sanitizing; Classroom
Procedures, Class Size, Setup,
and Gatherings; Daily Sched
ule; Meals; Scheduling for
Distance Learning; Testing;
Dual Enrollment; Scheduling
for In-Person Instruction, to
include Pre-K, Services for
Students with Disabilities, and
Gifted Students; Sports and
other extracurricular activ
ities; transportation; open
house; COVTD-19 outbreak;
updating parent contact infor
mation; and parent/teacher/
school communication.
“Once the scheduling
has been completed, the
Return to School Plan will
be presented to the Peach
County School Board for
approval and made available
immediately for parents and
community stakeholders,”
with the called meeting being
held Tuesday, July 14th. They
were not supposed to vote at
that meeting, just listen to
parents. (After newspaper
deadline.)
Information from the meet
ing will be held in next week’s
edition.
Byron is
booming
Chicken, chicken and more
chicken in close proximity will
be available in Byron
Byron has had a Zaxby’s for
a while and just recently they
have a Chik-fil-A. Coming
soon will be Popeye’s Chicken
so those who haven’t com
pared their sandwick to the
others, will be able to do so.
You should see dirt being
moved soon near and across
the street from Chik-fil-A on
comer of Hwy. 49 and Cane
River Drive.
The construction going on
behind McDonald’s will be
another hotel.
Lots of things happening in
Byron, baby!
A ribbon cutting will be held
on 112 Main Street for Back to
School Uniform on July 29 at
10 a.m.
Squeeky Klean carwash will
be held on July 22 at 10 a.m.
The Drugstore Deli is also
now open for take out and
outside seating only. Go see Jo
and Vicki.
City loans
deferred
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Byron Buzz.
Monday night’s meeting of
Byron City Council was very
brief and Mayor Chidester was
not in attendance so Michael
Chumbley, mayor pro-tem
presided.
Council voted to approve
resolutions which would au
thorize the mayor to execute a
modification to the promisso
ry notes through the Georgia
Environmental Finance
Authority (GEFA) concern
ing City of Byron loans. This
would defer the payments
until January 1,2021. This
was necessary because of the
impact of COVTD-19. This de-
ferrment involves six different
loans through GEFA and there
are no fees to do so.
In other business council:
• approved water conserva
tion and drought contingency
plan.
• approved resolution
authoring Byron Fire Depart
ment to renew the contract
with SiteMed for on-site phys
icals for another year.
Deas to head
chaplain program
Dr. Timothy B. Seas, Sr.
Dr. Timothy B. Deas, Sr.
accepted the call of being
the Head of the Fort Valley
Department of Public Safety’s
Chaplain program. In addi
tion to providing a ministry of
presence to the department,
he will also provide pastoral
care to members of the de
partment and to persons in
volved in disasters or commu
nity disturbances. He will also
be a mentor and guide for any
member of our department
who would like to enter into
the chaplain program.
Dr. Timothy B. Deas, Sr.
is the youngest child of the
late Senior Bishop Titus B. &
Minister Jo Ann Deas. He is
a native of Fort Valley, Geor
gia, and is a graduate of the
Peach County School System.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree
from the Fort Valley State
University, a Master of Sci
ence Degree in Middle Grades
Education from Walden
University, an Educational
Specialist Degree in Instruc
tional Leadership from Nova
Southeastern University and
an Add-on certification in
Educational Leadership from
Valdosta State University.
Dr. Deas has a heart for all
people, but especially for
the youth. He is a man of
great faith and has a definite
God-given vision.
Dr. Deas is married to the
lovely Co-Pastor Christina
Deas, and they are richly
blessed to be the parents of
Trinity Jahne’ and Timothy
Bernard Deas, Jr.
His favorite scripture is 2
Corinthians 5:7. “For we live
by faith not by sight.”
City offices get modifications because of pandemic
BY VICTORIA SIMMONS
The Byron Buzz
Byron City Council met in
a called meeting last week
to handle items from the
Utilities, Planning and Oper
ation, Streets and Sanitation
Committee meeting.
Council voted to establish a
Utility Relief Fund (CARES
ACT) which had been vetted
in the prior meeting.
New office space for Public
Works was approved. Public
Works was authorized to
spend up to $75,000 due to
limited space required for
social distancing.
Modifications for other
offices, were also approved.
Public Works and Planning
and Zoning modifications
were approved to allow for a
customer service window at
both offices in the amount of
$3600.
The county tag office will be
modified to turn the office
around so that is would open
into the long hallway alleviat
ing the congestion for that of
fice as well as administration
customers and probationers.
The amount approved for
this modification was $2,000
which includes a new pay
ment window opening.
Glass window modifications
in the amount of $1251.26
which was a quote from The
Glass Guru was approved for
P&Z, Public Works and the
county tag office.
Council voted unanimously
to approve to offer $1000
up to $4000 for acquiring
a drainage easement on
Dogwood Lane to alleviate
water isues. The city will get
a property value on proper
ty in Manchester Place and
approved condemning if
necessary.
A resolution was approved
concerning the Scrap Tire
Abatement Reimburse
ment Program through
Environmental Protection
Division.
A permanent maintenance
agreement with RRS Enter
prises, LLC for the car wash
was approved unanimously.
Roberta man
electrocuted
A workplace death of a
Roberta man is under inves
tigation.
According to Peach Coun
ty Coroner Kerry Rooks,
60-year-old James Wallace
Dean Jr. was pronounced
dead around 9:30 a.m. last
Thursday. He had worked
there for 37 years.
He says it happened at the
Byron location of Atlanta
Sand & Supply on Smith
Road, and that Dean’s cause
of death was electrocution.
Peach Sheriff Terry Deese
says his office initially called
to investigate, but found it
was an accident and was
turned over to another
agency.
Now retired
Anthony Brown retired from
Fort Valley Department of
Public Safety after 32 years.
Brown said serving man
kind was one of the greatest
honors one can treasure and
he treasures his years of
service.
Former Lady Trojan to play pro ball in Portugal
Former Lady Trojan bas
ketball star and Florida State
Women’s Basketball’s Nau-
sia Woolfolk will begin her
professional career playing
for Sportiva Ponta Delgada
in the Portugal Women’s
League. The season is slated
to begin in the fall 2020.
The native of Fort Valley,
Ga., finished her storied
FSU career in the pan
demic-shortened 2019-20
season. Woolfolk became the
third Seminole with 1,000+
points, 150+ steals and 100+
made 3s, joining outstand
ing Alumnae Courtney Ward
and April Traylor.
Sportiva’s current roster
features another Atlantic
Coast Conference player in
Clemson’s Aliyah Collier.
The head coach is Ricardo
Botelho, who has been with
the club since 2014.
The accelerated level of
competition could be some-
very well in her pro career.
As a senior at FSU, she led
the team with 16.9 points
while adding 48 rebounds,
46.7 percent shooting (57-
122) and 35.4 percent shoot
ing (17-48) from beyond the
arc vs. Top 50 RPI teams (9
games).
Woolfolk also joins fellow
senior Nicki Ekhomu as
being the only Seminoles to
finish their four-year careers
undefeated against Florida
(4-0) and North Carolina
(4-0). In fact, no other Sem
inole has gone 4-0 against
either school, let alone both
combined.
The 2020 ACC All-Tour
nament First Team member
progressed each year she
played with the Seminoles.
In her senior season in 2019-
20, she averaged 14.2 points,
5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists,
shot 42.3 percent (167-of-
195) and drained 31.6 per
cent (42-of-133) from long
distance.
Woolfolk finished her FSU
career 13th all-time with 111
3-point field goals made.
She also surpassed the
1,000-point mark as a se
nior, ending up with 1,202.
FVUC to begin normal billing and collections
Beginning August 1, the
Utility Commission will
resume normal billing and
collection operations. This
includes disconnects and
penalties. We will work with
customers individually to
make payment arrange
ments for past due balances.
Please contact the Utility
Commission at 478-825-
7701 Option 3 before August
1 to set up arrangements.
Funds are still available
in the COVID-19 Payment
Assistance. Call 1-800-525-
4972 or 478-825-6025 to
make an appointment.
Farmers to families returns in various locations
Middle Georgia Lions Clubs in conjunction
with the United States Department of Agri
culture will once again distribute produce
baskets throughout the area. You can pick
the baskets up ant any or all of the locations.
The Perry Lions Club, with the help of other
volunteers from Byron, Centerville and
Macon-Rutland Lions Clubs, as well as other
community volunteers, will distribute boxes
on WEDNESDAY JULY 15 at the Bank of
Perry on Main Street in Perry. Distribution
will begin at noon and end when all boxes
have been given away! Enter on Main Street,
exit on Evergreen. Again, anyone is welcome
and eligible for a basket.
Mark your calendar for the following dates
for other distributions: On Saturday Au
gust 1, Macon-Rutland Lions will sponsor
a distribution at Liberty United Methodist
Church on Houston Road in Macon. On
Saturday August 8 the Byron Lions Club will
sponsor the last scheduled distribution at
the Byron Municipal Complex (Old School).
Pickup time will be announced later.