Newspaper Page Text
MONROE COUNTY
Community Calendar
Calendar items run free
of charge as a communi
ty service each week as
space allows. Mail items
for the Community Cal
endar to Diane Glidewell
at news : -mymcr.net by 8
a.m. on Monday.
Jan. 28-30, Feb. 4-6
See "Spreading it
Around" at The Rose
The Backlot Players will
present “Spreading it
Around” at The Rose Theatre
on Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays, Jan. 28-30 and
Feb. 4-6. Order tickets
online at www.thebacklot-
players.org/tickets or call the
Box Office at 478-0443.
The play is a family comedy
about a wealthy widow who
starts a plan to give to those
truly in need instead of to
her unappreciative children,
which panics her greedy
son.
Feb. 1
Culloden budget
hearing
The City of Culloden will
hold a public hearing for its
2022 budget on Tuesday,
Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. at the
Culloden Clubhouse.
Feb. 2
Groundhog tells when
Spring will come
General Beauregard Lee,
Georgia's official groundhog
weather predictor, will make
his 2022 forecast from his
home at Dauset Trails Na
ture Center at 7:30 a.m. on
Groundhog Day, Wednes
day, Feb. 2. Gates will be
open by 6 a.m., the public
is invited and souvenir shirts
will be available for cash or
check.
Feb. 6
Informational meeting
about proposed crypto
mining farm
There will an informationa
meeting on Sunday, Feb. 6
from 2-6 p.m. at the LaQuin-
ta Inn, 400 Russell Parkway
for citizens of Forsyth to
earn more about the crypto
mining farm proposed for
Berner Ave. Attendees may
ask questions of Nathaniel
Persky about crypto mining
and what the project could
mean for Forsyth. Coffee &
doughnuts will be provided.
Attendees are encouraged
to wear masks and adhere
to social distancing.
Feb. 7
IHistorical Society
to resume meetings
Monroe County Histori
cal Society will not meet in
January but plans to resume
regular meetings on the first
Monday of the month at 7
p.m. at the Conley Building
on Adams Street in February
(Feb. 7).
Feb.23
USDA virtual workshop
Georgia USDA will have
a virtual workshop for new
and prospective farmers
about getting started and
working with USDA agen
cies. “Roadmap to Success”
will be on Wednesday, Feb.
23 from 9 am -12:00 pm.
USDA considers anyone
who has operated a farm or
ranch for less than ten years
to be a beginning farmer
or rancher. To register, see
https://www.teamagricul-
turega.org/events/farming-
101 -workshop.
Feb.24
Monroe Co. Democrats
Committee to meet
The Monroe County Demo
crat Committee will meet
on Thursday, Feb. 24 at St.
Luke A.M.E. Church, 143
James Street, Forsyth. The
purpose of the meeting is to
elect officers and commit
tee members. There will be a
social time at 6 p.m with the
business meeting beginning
at 6:30 p.m.
Feb.25
Hubbard Elementary
hosts Father-Daughter
Dance
Hubbard Elementary PTO
will host a Father-Daughter
Dance on Friday, Feb. 25
from 7-9 p.m. with music
by AJ the DJ, light refresh
ments and a selfle booth.
Tickets are $ 10/person and
will be available at all three
elementary schools.
See CALENDAR
Page 2C
January 26, 2022
/^~*\ • , ^Reporter
Community q
Around Monroe County ► ► Forsyth • Juliette • High Falls • Bolingbroke • Culloden • Smarr
April Williams is local Boys & Girls
Club 2022 Youth of the Year
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
April Williams of the For
syth Monroe County Boys
& Girls Club is one of four
finalists for the Youth of
the Year of the Boys & Girls
Clubs of Central Georgia.
She has completed her
presentation and interview
with judges, and the 2022
winner will be announced
on Thursday, Jan. 27 at the
annual Youth recognition
event.
April is competing
against three local winners
from Bibb and Houston
County Clubs. The Boys &
Girls Club of Central Geor
gia oversees six clubs, three
in Bibb County, and one
each in Houston, Candler
and Monroe counties. The
annual event will be virtual
this year. In addition to
featuring the four final
ists, it will include keynote
speaker Titus O’Neil of
the WWE Hall of Fame
and musical guest Damien
Horne. The event will be
hosted by 13WMAZ’s
Wanya Reese and Courte
ney Jacobazzi.
Tickets are $15, with
the funds going toward a
$1,000 scholarship for the
Youth of the Year. Ticket
and sponsorship informa
tion can be found at Boys
and Girls Clubs of Central
Georgia, Inc. - Youth of
the Year 2022 (networkfor-
good.com).
April was nominated by
Tonie Wilkerson, program
director at the Forsyth
Monroe County Club.
“Her story is amazing,
inspiring, the stuff she went
through,” said Wilkerson.
“And she did so good in her
presentation; she is good at
talking to people.”
Wilkerson said April is
initially shy around people,
but has opened up in the
years she has been coming
to the Boys & Girls Club
and has become a bub
bly, happy presence at the
Forsyth Monroe County
Club. She said April has
been involved in chorus
and drama classes at Mary
Persons over the last couple
of years, which has helped
her become more com
fortable in being in the
spotlight. She said April is
a great rapper. Wilkerson
said April also works hard
to excel academically and
has a 3.6 grade point aver
age.
She said April is an asset
to the Club and a good role
model in her willingness to
help with the younger Club
members. She said she not
only helps with activities
but helps serve meals and
take out trash at the end of
the day.
Wilkerson said April lost
her mother to domestic
violence as a young child
and is being raised by her
grandparents.
“I was going to start
crying [when I heard her
presentation]. You would
never think it when you
meet her,” said Wilkerson.
“She likes coming here and
feels like she belongs. Were
close knit and have a sense
of family”
April is in 10th grade
and has been a member of
Forsyth
Monroe
County
Boys &
Girls
Club
since she
was 13
and in
8th grade.
She said
some
of her
favorite
things at
the Club
are activi
ties in the
gym and
outside,
the STEM
lab, the
games
room and
the Smart
Girls
program,
which
focuses on Club family,
character
building
and brain building.
In the future
she plans to
go to college
and hopeful
ly on to law
school to
further her
interest in
history and
law. She said
she also has
a passion for
singing and
acting and is
enjoying her
second year
in the Mary
Persons cho
rus and her
first year of
drama class.
She would
love to be
part of Mary
Persons mu
sical theater
productions
and expects
to have some
opportunities
in the techni
cal aspects of
production
this spring, although most
See CLUBS. Page 2C
great futures start here
April Williams feels at home
at the Forsyth Monroe County
Boys & Girls Club and reaches
out to others to help them feel
a part of the Boys & Girls
Backlot honors senior health workers in new show
By Connie Copelan
The Backlot Players at the Rose
Theater in Forsyth are honor
ing and thanking Senior Living
Healthcare Workers in Monroe
County and surrounding assisted
living communities for their
dedication to enhancing the lives
of our seniors. The Backlot Play
ers are providing free tickets to
the upcoming show “Spreading
It Around” for workers at each
facility.
A perfect match for the occa
sion, this show is a sensational
comedy about a wealthy widow
living in a retirement com
munity—spreading her wealth
around.
Healthcare workers fiercely
exhibit passion, dedication, and
bravery each and every day for
the quality of care they provide
their senior residents. Just look
at all that has been accomplished
since the Covid pandemic hit.
They have given their hearts and
souls to protect and enhance the
lives of our seniors.
Many hear firsthand accounts
of the lengths and personal
sacrifices each healthcare team
member makes and the Backlot
Players couldn’t be more proud
to support this amazing team
with an opportunity to sit back
and enjoy a few hours of comedy
at the Rose. The community is
invited to join them in honoring
these special workers and enjoy
live theater at the Rose, your
community theater! “Spreading
it Around” shows are set for Fri
days, Saturdays and Sundays, Jan.
28-30 and Feb. 4-6. Order tickets
online at www.thebacklotplayers.
org/tickets or call the Box Office
at 478-0443. The play is a family
comedy about a wealthy widow
who starts a plan to give to those
truly in need instead of to her
unappreciative children, which
panics her greedy son.
Connie Copelan, 2nd from right, presents tickets to the upcoming play
Spreading it Around" to health care workers at River Place assisted living
facility. Pictured, left to right are Magan Hale, Jodi Smith, Brittany Bradley,
River Place director Danielle Lewis, Copelan, Katelin Eu banks, Payton Asher,
Kayle Smith.
Addy Vance placed 1 st in showmanship
Land Judging team
Environmental & Natural Resources team
Middle School FFA gets experience & awards
Monroe County Middle School
FFA, led by advisor and agriculture
educator Skylar Alexander, has been
busy. It has also been successful in
competitions.
The Land Judging team (Areli
Gomez-Ruiz, Larkin Fletcher, Ryan
Bertram, and Liam Parks) placed 2nd
in Area 3 competition, advanced to
State and placed 11th at State compe
tition. The Environmental & Natural
Resources team (Bradley Acosta,
Baylor Prince, Autumn Smith, and
William Vinson) also placed 2nd in
Area 3; and advanced to State and
placed 9th in Georgia.
The Wildlife team (Emma Kimbell,
Marshall Grant, William Vinson,
and Michael Malcolm) placed 14th
in Area 3. The Floriculture team
(Michael Beasley, Alecia Gifford, Re-
bekah Barnes, and Larkin Fletcher)
placed 7th in Area 3. Ryan Bertram
placed 4th in Lawnmower Opera
tions in Area 3.
Alexander said Monroe County
Middle School FFA is proud of the
students who participated in the
Winter Pig Classic in Perry the week
end of Jan. 22-23.
“They all had a ton of fun and it
was a huge learning experience,” said
Alexander.
Highlights included Leah Trice
winning 4th in weight class with her
pig “Nugget” and Michael Malcolm
winning 10th in 7th grade showman
ship (out of over 60 students) with his
pig “Rump Shaker’
The Houston County Dairy show
was the first dairy show of the season
for Monroe County Middle School
FFA. Results are: Kinsley Foster
placed 6th in showmanship and 8th
in weight class. Brooklynn Long
placed 7th in showmanship and 8th
in weight class. Addy Vance took first
place in showmanship and 6th place
in weight class. Alecia Gifford placed
10th in showmanship and 9th in
weight class. Alivia Tatum was 7th in
showmanship and 6th in weight class.
“We are so proud of the hard work
these students have put into the cows!”
said Alexander. “Now were practicing
until the next show!”