Newspaper Page Text
Page 2— Wednesday, January 26, 2022, The True Citizen
Effort underway to Revitalize neighborhood
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Two local ladies’ curiosity
has grown into a movement to
welcome people back to their
hometown.
Rose Bell and Vivian Ro-
zier grew up in the Jones
Avenue area. The women
began reminiscing about child
hood friends and families
who lived on the street. Their
discussions evolved into talk
about wanting to do something
for the neighborhood. They
progressed into conducting
research that located past resi
dents the ladies had not seen in
decades.
“We always wondered what
happened to these people,”
Bell said. “We were able to
come up with a few names
and actually reach out to a few
people.”
Momentum picked up, as
people began expressing a
desire to organize a reunion.
The crowd grew from the two
women to a group of people
who were willing to get in
volved. The unofficial alliance
was given a name - The Jones
Avenue Committee. Phone
calls turned into once-a-month
meetings via Zoom. The group
began to gain the interest of
people who grew up in the
surrounding neighborhoods.
Now, plans for the group’s first
annual reunion event are in the
works.
“We have changed it from
Jones Avenue to Jones Avenue/
Waynesboro,” Bell said. “It’s
not just Jones Avenue anymore,
the people that we have spoken
to who want to participate are
from all over Waynesboro.”
The May 28 event will in
clude music, food and chil
dren’s activities A parade will
take place down Jones Avenue.
Attendees are asked to bring
relics and photos from the past.
“The purpose of the parade
is to bring unity to the com
munity,” Bell said. “Some of
the people that we have been
talking to have not been here
in 50 or 60 years or longer.
They are really excited to come
back to Waynesboro and Jones
Avenue.”
Additionally, Bell and Ro-
zier approached the city coun
cil Jan. 18 to ask for the panel’s
support in revitalizing the
Jones Avenue neighborhood.
Bell pointed out the area’s dire
need for extensive renovations.
She asked for the city’s finan
cial assistance.
“This is mainly what we
are asking for the immediate
future, but I’m sure that down
the line we may be coming
back because, it’s not just
this area, but when you drive
through Waynesboro, it’s not
as bad as it used to be, but you
kind of know the black sections
from the white sections and it
should not be that way,” Bell
told the panel. “We are asking
that you make our sections just
Defining priorities
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Archway Professional Aaron
Redman will soon present the
list of priorities the community
will tackle.
Redman expects to soon
receive a list from the J.W.
Fanning Institute for Leader
ship Development, naming
the priorities of which Burke
County will focus. The Fan
ning Institute is a unit of Public
Service and Outreach through
the University of Georgia.
Information gathered from
community listening sessions,
surveys, meetings and cor
respondence contributed to
the formulation of the list.
Redman will present the re
sults Jan. 28 to an executive
committee, made up of local
leaders. A discussion will take
place pertaining to feasible
projects that may be tack
led. Additionally, issue work
groups will be assembled.
CTAE Director Sean Middleton credits the BOE with their support of innovative program
ming.
A new UGA logo decorates the door of Archway Pro
fessional Aaron Redman’s office located in the historic
courthouse.
Individuals with expertise in
these areas will be encouraged
to participate.
“We will start working on
projects in the next few weeks
to months,” Redman said. “Just
based on how the
SEE
community has
been involved so ARCHWAY,
far, I think it’s go- 7
Learning outside of the textbook
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
A local partnership will em
power students with simulated
experience in the electrical
industry.
The Burke County Board
of Education approved the
implementation of an outdoor
learning and training center
Jan. 11 to be located behind the
practice football held.
Charged with excitement,
CTAE Director Sean Middle-
ton said the simulated lab will
provide students with a strong
foundation and help create a
pipeline that potentially could
lead to internships and/or
scholarships. The lab will en
able students to develop their
interest and talent in a held that
offers employment opportuni
ties locally.
“We dehnitely want to culti
vate our local talent,” Middle-
ton said. “That is definitely
what we are trying to do. This
is a booming held. The stu
dents can earn a great wage
and take care of their family
and feel very proud of what
they do.”
Both Planters Electric Mem
bership Corp. and Georgia
Power will provide the outdoor
lab with their excess training
materials, like poles, lines
and electrical units .Working
with the materials will give
high school students a better
idea of what is involved in
working in the industry .The
simulated lab will allow for
a hands-on experience that
cannot be obtained through
textbook learning. Topics like
gaining access to power lines
by trimming limbs will be
approached. A pole climbing
exercise will help students
determine if they are afraid of
heights. Representatives from
the power companies will as
sist in some instruction.
“We will have a wall with a
meter running through it like
you see at a house,” Middleton
pointed out .“No electricity will
be running through them.”
Middleton credits Energy and
Power educator Mark Flowers
with helping to spark the idea.
Students, following the energy
and power pathway program,
will utilize the lab initially,
however, they are not the only
students who may benefit. The
innovative idea could also
benefit students interested in
engineering, construction or
physics career paths.
“If I could do backflips, I
would,” Middleton said laugh
ing. “I am dehnitely excited.”
“Georgia Power is proud to
partner with Planters EMC and
Burke County High School to
provide students this hands-
on opportunity to experience
first-hand how the electric
distribution system works,”
said spokesperson Jeffrey
Wilson.“At Georgia Power,
we are dedicated to improving
and strengthening educational
initiatives to help students build
brighter futures.”
as good.” in obtaining contact informa- Anyone interested in partici-
Councilman Bill Tinley tion for homeowners whose pating in the parade can contact
asked for the group’s assistance houses are in disrepair. Bell at 706-551 -1500.
(left to right) Rose Bell and Vivian Rozier approached the Waynesboro City Council Jan. 18
with a parade request and to ask the panel for their support in revitalizing Jones Avenue.
13 years
of service
Judge Jackson Cox pre
sented Danny Meeks with
a plaque Jan. 11 during the
Board of Commissioner’s
meeting, commemorating
Meeks’ 13 years of service
with the DUI Court.
©Hawk
LAW GROUP
Don’t Settle.
SERVIN6 WAYNESBORO
FOR OVER 30 YEARS
827 Liberty St, Waynesboro 1706.444.4444
HAWKLAWG ROUP.COM